So where are the movie studios at Oscar time, asks Kenneth Turan? Off making money with the kids. “To see how completely the studios have abandoned the adult audience — for what are Oscar-type films, if not films made with those people in mind — just look at the origins of the five pictures with the most nominations. For the reality is that none of them have any but the most tangential relationships to the majors, if they have any relationship at all.”
Tag: 01.26.05
Politics And Oscar’s Best Picture?
Why were Fahrenheit 911 and “The Passion of the Christ” left off Oscar’s Best Picture list? “As with almost everything to do with both of these pictures, few can agree about why they were left out. While arcane academy rules and the vagaries of Oscar campaigns seem to have worked against Moore and Gibson, some insiders argue that Oscar balloting is a relatively straightforward meritocracy — the community simply liked other pictures better. Others point to a lingering distaste among some voters for Mel Gibson’s public pronouncements during the film’s release publicity campaign.”
Oscar’s Predilection For Biopics
How come three of this year’s Oscar Best Picture nominees are biopics? “Filmmakers haven’t been bitten by the bug responsible for reality television. They just know that the odds of getting a statuette have always been greater for film biography than for any other movie genre.”
Philip Johnson, 98
Philip Johnson, dean of American architects, has died. “By his own description, Mr. Johnson was an architectural traditionalist. But in his view, the best use of tradition was “to improve it, twist it and mold it to make something new of it.” He once described architecture as “exuberance, like sex or taste.”
Congress Considers Upping Broadcast Fines
The US Congress will consider increasing “indecency” fines on broadcasters. “Fines of up to $500,000 (£266,582) could be imposed each time broadcasters transmit nudity or profanities. The proposal, unveiled in the House of Representatives, also seeks to revoke a broadcaster’s licence after three violations have been committed.”
Edinburgh Festivals And Their £135 million Impact
A new study says that the Edinburgh Festival generates £135 million for Scotland’s economy and generates 2,900 full-time jobs. So the Festivals will try to make a case for more public investment in the annual arts fests…
Elvis Costello Opera To Get Danish Production
Rocker Elvis Costello is writing his first opera – The Secret Arias – and it’s been chosen for a debut in the new Copenhagen Opera House. “The opera is based on famed adventure author Hans Christian Andersen’s romance with the Swedish soprano Jenny Lind. It will be performed on the opera’s experimental stage during the 2006–2007 season.”
A Philip Johnson Legacy
“Johnson’s own architecture received mixed reviews and often startled the public and his fellow architects. Because of his frequent changes of style, he was often accused of pandering to fashion and of designing buildings that were facile and shallow. Yet he created several designs, including the Glass House, the sculpture garden of the Museum of Modern Art, and the pre-Columbian gallery at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington that are widely considered among the architectural masterworks of the 20th century.”
Same Role Next Decade
It’s common for musicians to return to works of music throughout their careers; an old conductor’s Beethoven is decidedly different from the young. Such relationships with a work of art are rarer in the theatre. So what’s it like to play the same role in a play separated by decades?
Are The Oscars Losing Their Allure?
“The glaring problem facing the Oscars is that when you have too many contests, one on top of the other, they begin to cancel each other out. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the statues, has tried to ease the problem by shortening the season in the last couple of years, moving its ceremony to late February from a customary slot in late March. But relentless campaigning still yields grueling political elections without much surprise. A collective yawn has begun to rise. A cover story in this week’s Variety traces the long-term decline in the television ratings of all awards shows, including the Oscars. The consensus is that the format desperately needs overhaul.”