“Feature films squeezed into iPods and the like represent a technical triumph. They are also an oxymoron bordering on a travesty for those of us who’ve grown up going to movies in theaters, where, in the company of others, we’ve been taken out of ourselves by images vastly bigger than real life.”
Tag: 02.23.08
FCC Fines Fox For “Indecency”
Regulators on Friday fined 13 Fox TV stations $7,000 each for a 2003 episode of “Married by America” that included graphic scenes from bachelor and bachelorette parties.
World Waits For Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Follow-up (And Waits)
With Harry Potter in retirement, the next book by Dan Brown is threatening to become the publishing world’s own Holy Grail, both in anticipation of its potentially magical commercial powers and the fact that, for the moment at least, no one but the author himself seems certain when it might materialize.
Reza Vs. The French Intellectuals
Playwright Yasmina Reza believes her refusal to adopt intellectual positions has alienated her from many French critics, who have never praised her in quite the same way as their American, British and German counterparts…
The Pop Star, The President, And The War Over Free Speech
“The heated ideological showdown between Spanish superstar Alejandro Sanz and the combative president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, escalated into a full-fledged battle over free speech.”
$3 Million eBay Bid For Recording Collection Was Fraud
“The $3 million winning bid for the Record Rama collection on eBay was a fraud, according to J. Paul Henderson, agent for the sale. Mr. Henderson said he got a call from an eBay executive last night explaining that the “jopsoup” bid was not legitimate and the account has been suspended.”
Lorin Maazel: Is China The Future Of Classical Music?
“We need defenders of our tradition of classical music if classical music is to survive. It could very well be that one of the most important defenders of classical music will be found in the country of China.”
Russian Art Show In London Sets Bad Precedent
“Art lovers may be delighted to see artworks long held in secret by Russia, but the sad truth is that the British government and the Royal Academy are now complicit in the theft of private property. If other countries follow Britain’s lead and pass “immunity from seizure” legislation in the hopes of playing host to ‘From Russia’ or similar shows, the results will be far more pernicious than anyone can imagine.”
Yale Stalls On Returning Machu Picchu Artitacts
Last year it looked like Yale had agreed to return artifacts taken from Machu Picchu. “But having finally obtained a copy of the agreement, I can see that Yale continues to deny Peru the right to its cultural patrimony, something Peru has demanded since 1920.”
Ten Steps To Winning An Oscar
Think it’s tough to win an Oscar? Not really. There really is a formula…