Premiere magazine, RIP

Mark Thomson Thu, Mar 8, 2007 at 03:16 PM EST

Realized this once great magazine was on the ropes, when the oscar coverage would be a month old. I was actually planning on cancelling my subscription - guess I don't need too!

w Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 06:18 PM EST

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Tom Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 05:37 PM EST

It's sad, but Premiere pretty much peaked for me in the mid-'90s. It just seemed to be less interesting by 1996. Sad to see it go, but honestly I haven't read an issue since the late '90s.

I would be devastated if EW folded. It's never faltered in its presentation, writing and relevance.

Jessica Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 05:29 PM EST

Wow, I'm kind of shocked about this. I was just discussing favorite magazines with my dad and we both mentioned EW and Premiere. Bummer-roo.

Martha Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 04:38 PM EST

Zee's right - EW, please adopt Libby! It would be awesome, if you ask me...

jenn Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 04:13 PM EST

PREMIERE was the first movie mag that i ever picked up & my first magazine love. such a sad day.

Adrian Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 03:18 PM EST

A little OT, but did MOVIELINE magazine go belly-up too? I can't recall the last time I saw an issue.

John A Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 03:04 PM EST

So sad. What I remember most are the early issues with the novel idea of inserting mini cut-out movie posters of the releases for that month. The articles were refreshing. I will sadly miss this magazine.

Crystal Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 02:33 PM EST

Premiere noooo! I rather liked seeing it on the newstands and it did have enough different content than EW to keepe me intrigued. They had a lot of uniqute takes on movie star profiles that I enjoyed.

Jujube Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 01:25 PM EST

Sad for the people losing their jobs, (but Premiere was better in the late 90s, not so much in recent years). The internet makes articles & gossip/news so instantaneous, this probably just be the first of many to fall (entertainment shows are probably next). Still subscribe to EW (since the beginning, still love it). But if EW continues to publish the EXACT SAME articles in their mag as on their website (which happens lots) think I might save myself the bucks and just read it on-line (this is a BIG HINT to EW..keep both seperate or you could be next). Cuz there's nothing more irritating that getting my copy of EW to find it contains the SAME article or review that I read online days ago!! Stop that EW!!

Tara Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 12:53 PM EST

So sad. I have all my issues from the last 10 years. Even in Premiere's "declining" years it was still the place to go for in-depth profiles and decent space for criticism.

I think the wheels started to fall off a few years ago when they began their endless redesign (TAKE A HINT EW). It's annoying to open up a magazine and see something new every time. It's not hip or fresh or something the reader wants. It's just annoying.

This mag was willing to put lesser stars on the cover, until it really started to slip and stuck Jennifer Aniston on (for that Graduate-related thing!). But the photos were always great, art-directed to hell, and some of the industry's best writers worked there: Christine Spines, Glenn Kenny, Anna David, Johanna Schneller. It produced the two best Jodie Foster profiles ever, by Holly Millea in 1997 and Sean Smith in 2004.

Sucko!

Tyler D Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 12:34 PM EST

This news is rather sad for me. Though the quality of Premiere has declined in recent years, it's still serves as great foil to the People/Star magazines of the world. I actually still thought it was superior in quality to EW (it didn't spend very much time telling me how great/awful Reality TV shows are or discussing Britney Spears) because it only focused on film and the business-end of the industry. It's really sad that they have been forced to shut down their publication while Perez Hilton enjoys greater success (how very telling of the direction of the entertainment industry). I'm hoping their website will at least show more integrity than their counterparts. Now I'm stuck reading stuff like Film Comment and Cineaste if I want intelligent writing about film, but I'll admit they take themselves a little too seriously as apposed to Premiere.

ZEE Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 12:30 PM EST

Definitely the best movie (as opposed to gossip) magazine, but what i'll miss most is Libby Gelman-Waxner. Funniest, laugh-out-loud articles. EW needs to adopt Libby, if you ask me....

Anna Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 11:16 AM EST

I'm somewhat sad to hear this. I just ended my subscription since the magazine had decreased in quality over the last few years but I didn't realize they were in trouble. It's too bad because they were one of the best.

Katie Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:52 AM EST

I can't believe it...I'm sincerely in shock over this - I began reading Premiere three years ago when I first became interested in film through a cinema class in high school. I thought it was a fantastic and entertaining coverage of the film business and immensely enjoyed their "best-of" lists. Looks like I'll only be buying one magazine (EW, duh) now the great Premiere is soon to be gone. Though the online version will still be there, it's just not the same as coming home and falling onto the couch to read Premiere back-to-back. You've done a great service to me, Premiere, for helping me find my passion for film, and you'll be greatly missed...

Paola Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:49 AM EST

Once a month for as long as I can remember I would have the worst day at work, college, even high school...but it would end well when I would open my mailbox and see my new issue of Premiere waiting for me. It never failed to impress me and make me love the world of moviemaking. I made me feel like a part of a great community of creative, passionate people that had something to say. So thank you Premiere. You were an integral part of this girl's education.

David Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:45 AM EST

Besides EW and the New York Times, there are very places I can read intelligent pieces about movies. I'm sorry Premiere is folding. I really thought the magazine improved these past few years.

Jennifer Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:33 AM EST

I think this actually really upsets me. I often buy Premiere and read absolutely every article from start to finish.

mima Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:31 AM EST

I can't believe this. I've been buying every single issue off the newsstand for years (I'm in Canada so it is cheaper and I get the issues faster than if I had subscribed) and I was wondering why I couldn't seem to find the March issue as easily as usual...

Derek Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:19 AM EST

I grew up with Premiere - I think I bought every single issue since it's inception. They remained committed to being a magazine about movies and not so much about celebrity culture, which is prevalent today. We need magazines that are as interested in writing about filmmakers as they are in writing about stars. So long, Premiere, you will be missed!

SD_NYC Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:13 AM EST

Premiere used to provide detailed coverage of the "making" of a movie and less gossip type info. Its the US version that is ending, other version in other countries will remain, according to wirestory from Hollywood Reporter (trade pub). More amusing is that this has been announced for a few days I think and I got a "renew for 3 more years" letter in mail today. Oy

Kay Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:13 AM EST

The first issue of PREMIERE I ever bought was the one with Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie in the cover for Girl, Interrupted. I was 16 years old. I fell in love with the pictures and the grainy paper and that it wasn't like any other magazine I had ever seen before. I found it at the back of a dark and dusty bookstore, which made the find even more appealing and mysterious. At that age, I was a sucker for that stuff. I had been buying it ever since. And the fact that it's folding, truly feels like the end of an era.

Ed Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:10 AM EST

Premiere always appeared to me as a magazine where stuffy old men with cigars would smoke and read at the same time. The old industry types.

Anyway, I believe that a once a month periodical is way to long to wait for something especially with the internet. I had to stop my Star Magazine subscription ever since I discovered PerezHilton.com. By the time I recieved Star, I had read it already on Perez or TMZ.
The dawn of a new age.

aramis Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:06 AM EST

Anecdote time! I remember Premiere well. I got sent home from school from bringing it to school. I wanted to show my friends the cool behind the scenes article they had on the first "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie. When my teacher grabbed it from my hands, she saw a racy advertisement and assumed it was porn. Of course when my dad had to come get me from school, he ripped into the principal and chewed him out for being stupid. All while I was sitting outside the office smiling, reading my Premiere magazine. It has to be one of the fondest memories I have in my childhood.
Premiere: You will be missed.

cRAIG Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 10:02 AM EST

i used to work there as well: way back in '94 during the salad days. Susan Lyne (later Head of Development at ABC), Cyndi Stivers (later helped launch Time Out New York) and Chris Connelly (MTV, Oscars, etc.) were all there, and it was my favorite magazine by far. my favorite old column was Rushes, at the start of the book. to be fair, Premiere hasn't been very strong in years. but for most of the 90s, it was fantastic...

Renee Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 09:59 AM EST

Sad, but not surprised that Premiere is folding. I've been a reader of the magazine since the beginning and the magazine hasn't been good since the late 90's. I do remember when they used to have little movie posters in the magazine. I still have them somewhere. I loved the magazine back then, but lately when I get the magazine, it just sits on my coffee table for months.

Mike Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 09:47 AM EST

i have been a subscriber for a few years, and am upset by the news because it is the only magazine i know that is so committed to films, and the creation of them. does anyone have any suggestions for a movie magazine, now?
also, do any fellow Premiere subscribers know if we are getting compensated for the rest of the subscription? thanks a lot

Hello, what? Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 09:46 AM EST

Why am I getting this news from EW and not Premiere? I've subscribed to both magazines for years and found they fill different niches for me. They've been complementary, not two of the same. I hope this isn't a rising trend, as I prefer to end my day reading comfortably in bed, not at the computer. Since I can knock out EW in a day or two, I guess I'll have to take up books oh noes.

Craig Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 09:45 AM EST

Can't believe Premiere is folding. Does anyone else remember the mini-movie posters included in the early issues? This was one of the few magazines I bothered to subscribe to over the years. Granted, once I discovered Sight and Sound, my love affair with Premiere was largely over, but still can't believe there isn't room for a monthly movie magazine on American newsstands!

E Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 08:40 AM EST

I echo what Mo said. I subscribe to both and will miss having the comparison between. While I love EW more (I consistantly read it cover to cover), I liked when Premier came through with great, deeper long features.

Tommy G. Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 08:38 AM EST

I'm a charter subscriber to Premiere - I bought my first issue to read while waiting for my daughter to be born. (She's 19 now.) I'll miss their insight on Hollywood, and their ability to write long, in-depth features and articles that EW just doesn't have the space to run. Plus, I'll miss my monthly Libby Gilman-Waxner fix. Hey, EW - maybe you need someone else to help fill that back page space???

bud Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 07:39 AM EST

I'm reeling....what will I read on long car trips now? I need a wet cloth for my forehead.

pn Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 07:15 AM EST

Definitely will be a miss

George Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 06:53 AM EST

I will miss the hilarious movie reviews of bawdy columnist Libby Gelman-Waxner (a.k.a. In & Out screenwriter Paul Rudnick) the most. Those cracked me up the most. Much better than some of schlock writers EW has (hello, Mr. King!). And hey, the international versions and website will still be around.

P.S. Scientology is for idiots.

Grulg Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 06:43 AM EST

I liked Premiere, sad to see it go away, careful EW you might be next. It's hard to stay in print in today's online era, unfortunately. I enjoy reading their power lists etc. A monthly doesn't have much of a chance nowadays though, sure.

Mo Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 05:16 AM EST

I will miss Premeire. That and EW are the only two magazines that I subscribe to, and I have subscribed to both for years. While I do read EW more frequently, I always loved the more in-depth interviews that Premeire was able to do. I'll miss it, and pray that EW doesn't befall a similar fate. That would be the ultimate blow, since I read EW cover to cover each week.

Heleno Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 04:20 AM EST

Haven't read Premiere regularly since the British edition folded a few years back, but here we still have Empire and a few other monthlies, thank goodness, adn Premiere France is still going strong.

Simeon Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 03:27 AM EST

Thanks for the heartfelt salute to PREMIERE. Before I fell deeply in love with EW, it was PREMIERE that provided me with all my movie news. I remember being a nerdy high-schooler when I picked up that debut issue ("Dragnet?" Seriously??) in the summer of 1987...and I was hooked immediately. PREMIERE filled a void just as EW did a few years later. It was the serious moviegoers guide to movies that didn't take itself too seriously. I eagerly aniticipated every issue....loved Biskind's comments and Gelman Waxner's (ne` Rudnick's) columns. That and Movieline were all we had in the late-80's/early-90's and those of us who were there will remember these publications with great fondness.

Lance J. Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 02:19 AM EST

I thought this article was self-promotion for EW and really lacks any sincereity at all (In recent years, however, publishing a feature-oriented, "long lead" monthly proved problematic in a world where movie trade news became the province of weekly magazines, daily newspapers, nightly entertainment news shows, and instantaneous blogs. There's no shortage of movie love out there, but there's no monthly magazine anymore that can keep up with an industry that's mutating as rapidly as Hollywood.). Talk about self-aggrandizing. EW can't compare itself to Premiere as it's a weekly. Fade In magazine was Premiere's closest rival. I started reading Fade In last year and didn't renew Premiere because I found Fade In to be much more in-depth especially in the questions it asks stars and filmmakers and the articles giving me a more realistic insight into the move business. I hope all magazines don't bite the bullet due to the Internet. But this article on Premiere was just in bad taste.

Mak Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 01:33 AM EST

Nooooo!!!

I bought a new issue of Premiere every month. I loved that magazine. I think the one thing I valued most about it was the almost total lack of tabloid journalism that pervades Hollywood culture these days. "Britney" shaving her head, "Paris" crashing her car, anything that Perez Hilton would consider scandalous was blissfully off-limits. No offense, but you can even see its insidious influence on EW. I understand that's what sells, unfortunately. Doesn't mean I have to like it though.

Premiere was just a classy magazine all-around. I loved the layout, I loved the reviews, and I loved the presentation of the news, even if I'd sometimes heard it before. It will be missed.

Philip John Wed, Mar 7, 2007 at 12:18 AM EST

'Premiere' can't be missed really. Its layout is not as colorful and pop-y as that of Entertainment Weekly -- the latest layout is glorious and the font -- classic and neat. This comment is not meant to disrepect 'Premiere', I'm just simply pointing out that its layout had never been interesting enough.

Fatima Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 11:42 PM EST

I always felt that Premiere never had much content. A friend of mine subscribed and everytime I went over there I would browse through them and find myself rather bored. Maybe in a day and age where film news is so easy to get online, print magazines just can't keep up. I kind of thought it was like reading a week old newspaper. One with an ugly layout.

Figureitout Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 11:01 PM EST

Unless the expose about Scientology is about the way the media has lied to the public for years about it, then I'm not interested. The media has attacked Scientology for years without regard for the truth and continues to do so today. It's interesting to note that you have a huge Scientology population and presence in L.A. and people more than willing to tell others about it, but when do you ever hear their story? Only tabloid lies and misinformation. With artists risking their careers for the sake of Scientology, do you ever wonder that there just might be something to it? Is it possible the controlled media just might not be telling you the whole story and intentionally painting Scientology in a negative light for a reason? Learn about Scientology and use the technology to make a huge difference in your own life and the lives of those around you. Now wouldn't that be an interesting expose?

http://www.scientology.org

charlotte Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 10:39 PM EST

You know I think I kept that Dragnet Premiere magazine for a long time. I don't know if I still have it. I loved that magazine. I think it was the first magazine I subscribed to. You'll be missed.

Steve Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 10:36 PM EST

There are many monthly film magazines that have been around for a long time, produced in Europe, that don't focus on the "Buz" so much as they focus on the art. It's too bad Premiere couldn't find a niche outside of the day to day gossip or buz world of the internet...

sam Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 10:21 PM EST

I must admit that although I subscribed for many years, I had not renewed my subscription for a couple of years. It changed and not for the better. I have been missing the original for a while now.

mike Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 10:07 PM EST

I will miss PREMIERE, too. I didn't subscribe, but every time I flew, I bought one. It was a classy magazine about film. No cheesy gossip. Stay away from the dark side EW!

Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 09:45 PM EST

Iam really saddened by this news. As with EW, I've been a faithful Premiere subscriber for years.
However...I'm also wondering what they will do to the rest of the paid subscription, cause I just renewed mine!

kcholt68 Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 09:28 PM EST

Yes, will certainly miss it, as EW is such a poor substitute. For thoughtful, informed and high quality articles on the art of film, PREMIERE was tops. PREMIERE was to "60 Minutes" what EW is to "E! True Hollywood Story" ...

justjudith Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 09:11 PM EST

truthfully, i stopped reading it after ew came out. not even sucking up.

Mina Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 08:59 PM EST

Oh no, I really liked Premiere! It's one of the few film magazines that are at least half serious about film. Most other magazines just seem like pandering fan mags.

Lindsay Coleman Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 08:49 PM EST

I first started reading the magazine in India, 1994, where I was attending boarding school. Its articles, images, review, all made a major difference to what was an unpleasant period in my life. It will be more than missed.

Amelia Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 08:35 PM EST

I did not get Premiere, although I did buy a few issues here and there. It certainly was the best movie magazine next to EW, so this is too bad. But I do agree that a montly magazine can't compete as well.

Ellipsian Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 08:25 PM EST

I'm with you Isa...it's been ages since I read it, ever since EW nicely filled the Premiere-shaped hole in me. I had honestly assumed it went the trashy way Us did to Us Weekly, and I'm a little regretful that I didn't know better. But no, my missing it is only in the sense of nostalgia.

Isa Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 08:10 PM EST

WOW! It is the end of an era, and this is huge for the magazine world! I haven't read Premiere in Years, (I stop subscribing to Premiere when I discovered EW) yet I'm in shock!

Andrew Magness Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 08:10 PM EST

As clicked onto my favorite part of the new ew.com I saw the most heart breaking news I have seen in awhile. I honestly loved two magazines over the past 10 years and they have been ew and premiere. Evne though Premiere was never up to date it truly was a great magazine about movies. They had amazing articles and great features I have yet to find in a single magazine besides this one. I will miss it alot and hope my renewal check of a whopping 8 dollars goes to someone over at the magazine and buy a beer on me.

Tommy Marx Tue, Mar 6, 2007 at 07:58 PM EST

I hate to say it, but no, I won't miss the magazine at all. Most of the time it read more like an advertisement for the movie industry than as anything vital or necessary. I do feel sorry for the people who have lost jobs, though, and hope they find something quick.