“Our national film industry is not in the greatest of shape at the moment, even in Quebec where the distinct society has forged a distinct film culture. The Canadian dollar is no longer the bargain it once was, the lingering affects of SARS still haunts Toronto, and American states are much more aggressive about offering tax incentives to convince their homegrown filmmakers to stay home. Worse still is the indifference by Canadians towards their own films.”
Tag: 03.23.07
The Complicated Legacy Of Robert Moses
Robert Moses remade New York City and “claimed the new infrastructure would keep New York competitive in the modern world. So it is especially tragic that too many of his projects left its neighborhoods worse off than before.”
Modern(ism) Revision(ism)
“A century ago, Modernism with a capital M was the movement that gripped the public imagination. It promised a machine-made utopia of freestanding high-rises surrounded by green parks and wide-open parkways, where drivers could tool speedily along. But the towers soon became slums; the highways backed up, and Modernism became the house style for corporate America. The same folks who promised to free us from domestic drudgery instead applied their talents to designing cubicles for wage slaves. So much for utopia. Now, Modernism is again having its moment, and the revisionists are out in force.”
Hollywood’s Real Competition
Movie and TV studios are worried about copyright infringement and protecting their work on YouTube. But the real competition in years to come will likely be the small video and film makers who have discovered that the internet gets them an audience.
Borders To Get Out Of The UK
The bookseller said it would concentrate on its buiness in the US. “The group said it had hired the investment bank Merrill Lynch to explore alternatives for its 71 stores in the UK. It also plans to get rid of its businesses in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The announcement follows HMV’s decision last week to close 30 of its Waterstone’s book chain.”
Amelia Haygood, 87 – Founder Of Delos Recordings
“Haygood launched Delos in 1973, because she felt American music and American artists were poorly represented on disc. James DePreist, who has recorded for the label, has called her ‘the plow that broke the status quo plains of American recordings’.”
The Figurative Painters Who Stayed With It
“In May 1961, some brash young figurative painters threw down the gauntlet to the modern art establishment. Today, several of those artists are still friends and still painting together, teaching a once-a-week figure painting class that has been going in some form since the late 1950s. And now, after years out in the cold, the Painting Group, as they call themselves, is having a modest comeback.”
In The Cheap Seats, Backstage
“Offering theatergoers a chance to be close to the action — and producers a way to sell a few more tickets — onstage seating turns up on Broadway about as often as a Sondheim revival.”
Amateur Ballet (It Does Exist)
“Amateur ballet dancing is not so easy. Yet a substratum of dedicated — even fanatical — amateurs does exist. They give small recitals at studios or work with teachers to create a dance and have it videotaped. Others who become advanced take part in small-town “Nutcracker” performances. Many women and men become dedicated class-takers, often mingling in open classes with professional dancers.”