“Released in 1927, the same year as the first talkie, The Jazz Singer, it’s a parable of class struggle, foregrounding issues that obsessed 1920s audiences and that have persisted through the present: the oppressive scale of modern cities, the exploitation of the lower classes by the powerful, and the allure of technology, which is presented by Lang as something akin to dark magic.”
Tag: 05.15.10
Has Banksy Hit Boston?
“His followers and collaborators assume the Boston-area paintings are part of his promotional campaign for his movie. It may not be a coincidence that other Banksy-style street pieces have been showing up in select cities, from San Francisco to Toronto, where the documentary [‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’] is playing.”
Critic Benedict Nightingale Bids Adieu
“I think I’ve had one of the best possible jobs in what has been the best period for the theatre since Shakespeare signed off with The Tempest in 1611. … [T]he sheer quality of theatre writing and acting in Britain since 1956 has only sporadically been matched in what, sorry, I would call the almost endless bread-and-butter pudding of the previous 399 years.”
Of Actors And Sexual Identity
“Sexual chemistry is a tricky illusion to pull off. Its enemy is not heterosexuality versus homosexuality. On the contrary, the generation of sensual ambivalence is one of the key components of a successful juicy on-screen (or on-stage) relationship. Its enemy is nothingness and the denial of complexity.”
Swedish Cartoonist’s House Attacked
“The home of a Swedish artist whose 2007 drawing of the Prophet Muhammad offended Muslims has been subjected to a suspected arson attack after another incident in which he enraged Muslims.”
The Rise Of The Global University
“A growing number of countries are trying to create an elite group of “global universities” that are capable of competing with the best American institutions.”
Banksy Comes To Detroit (And Gets Moved)
Discovered last weekend, the stenciled work shows a forlorn boy holding a can of red paint next to the words “I remember when all this was trees.” But by Tuesday, artists from the 555 Nonprofit Gallery and Studios, a feisty grassroots group, had excavated the 7-by-8-foot, 1,500-pound cinder block wall with a masonry saw and forklift and moved the piece to their grounds near the foot of the Ambassador Bridge in southwest Detroit.
Conductor Quits Berlin Komische Oper Over Beethoven
“In this particular production I experienced what I would consider the darkest side of Regietheater, where the back of Beethoven was used for a concept. … This concept used and abused Beethoven’s greatness in a way that was very disturbing to me.”
Old Wives Tales, Reconsidered
“Despite being treated with contempt over the centuries, these narratives served not only to amaze and appall children but to teach them coded lessons about the realities of life.”
At Series End – How TV Shows Wrap Up Their Legacies
“Finales are important enough to permanently color a show’s long-term legacy. The end can justify — or undermine — the many years of means.”