Some acclaimed international movies didn’t make the cut…
Tag: 01.15.08
Why Britain Needs To Abolish Blasphemy Law
Any law seeking to place restrictions on the right to free expression, and particularly one that privileges one belief system over another (in this case the Church of England), has no place in what he terms our “essentially secular society”.
Librarians Are Tricksy
“Last year, a graphic novel, American Born Chinese, won the American Library Association’s prestigious Printz Award for excellence in teen literature. Yesterday morning, as the ALA announced the top children’s lit prizes here at the Convention Center, the one for top ‘picture book,’ the venerable Caldecott Medal, went to . . . a 544-page novel?”
Producers’ Guild Announces Nominees
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood were nominated Monday for the Producers Guild of America’s top honors. Notably missing from the list [was] Atonement, which won the Golden Globe Award on Sunday as best dramatic picture of 2007.”
LACMA Looking On The Bright Side
“LACMA Director Michael Govan faces a tougher task: hailing Eli Broad’s generosity and opening LACMA’s new Broad Museum of Contemporary Art while Broad tells the world how he decided not to give the museum his art collection.” Govan’s spin on the announcement is that, since much of Broad’s collection will remain at the museum anyway, ownership isn’t that important.
Disney, Fox Score Big With Quality Over Quantity
In its annual report card on Hollywood’s major movie studios, the LA Times says that Disney and 20th Century Fox have developed a winning formula based on the revolutionary concept of trying to make good movies that people will want to see. Other studios… well… all those pointless sequels have to come from somewhere, right?
Kite Runner Banned In Afghanistan
“Afghanistan has banned the import and exhibition of The Kite Runner, a film about the troubled friendship of two Afghan boys, on the grounds that it could incite violence… Paramount Vantage released the film last month after delays due to the extraordinary precautions taken to address concerns about the film’s depiction of one boy’s rape.”
Studios Cancel Writers’ Contracts; New Pilots At Risk
“Conceding that the current television season cannot be salvaged, four major studios canceled dozens of writer contracts Monday. The move signals that development of next season’s crop of new shows also could be in jeopardy because of the 2-month-old writers strike.”
Banksey Wall Goes For $400K
“Online bidding for a wall painted on by graffiti artist Banksy has closed with a final bid of £208,100 ($409,860)… The final bid does not include the cost of removal and repair of the wall, estimated to be about £5,000.”
The Awards Show We Always Say We Want
“Those of us who have always wondered why award shows have to be so infernally long got our answer on Sunday night at the Golden Globes: they don’t, but all meaning is derived in such matters from the script that goes with such ceremonies.”