Life imitating art in Hollywood

Producer Sentenced In Fraud Case Regarding Bogus TV Show - News - nbc4.tv | KNBC:
"U.S. District Judge Manuel Real said the sentence [one year, not the 57 months requested by prosecutors] was designed so [Joseph] Medawar -- who spent his victims' investments on such expenses as a $40,000-per-month rented mansion for the bogus series' supposed leading lady -- can begin earning the money he will need if he is to make the court-ordered restitution of $3.46 million to his victims. Under the judge's order, that amount could be reduced by roughly $1 million if the losses cannot be verified."

Like the Mel Brooks film The Producers, Medawar sold interests in a non-existent production until he found out the FBI was nosing about and then actually began shooting a pilot to look less like a crook. Still, I think the judge was right to emphasize restitution in sentencing.

Of course, it's not clear where the money will come from. The Internet Movie Database (imdb.com) shows the last of Medawar's seven producer or executive producer credits was 1992's Sleepwalkers. That film, with a screenplay by Stephen King won awards at the fantasy film festival in Rome. Perhaps Medawar can turn this experience into a film - comedies about the venality of Hollywood (Get Shorty, The Player, Bowfinger, etc.) often do fairly well.