In case anyone wondered, the recording industry is still suing college students for downloading free music, and students are still expressing shock that there are financial consequences for illegal piracy. “The students coughing up the cash question why they’re the ones getting in trouble,” and the industry wonders why they’re portrayed as the bad guys for legally enforcing their copyright. And around and around it goes…
Tag: 05.21.07
Sneaking Across The Border (And Getting Paid For It)
A Canadian watchdog group says that the country’s TV broadcasters are buying more American programs than ever before, and using public money intended to encourage homegrown productions to do it.
Canadian Casting Firm Shuts Down
“In what could be an ominous sign of a business in decline, the largest talent agency in Toronto catering to the movie and television industries has decided to close down for at least 18 months… What has been hurting the local industry most of late and prompting American producers to stay below the border is the high value of the Canadian dollar.”
Colorado Ballet Attendance Plummets
“The Colorado Ballet’s attendance fell 16.8 percent in 2006-07 from a year earlier, a drop triggered in part by two canceled performances and the company’s efforts to scale back the number of complimentary tickets it distributes annually.”
Assessing Shakespeare’s Politics
Few arguments concerning historical figures are more fun than the ones regarding a given legend’s stand with or against political power. Since the individual in question isn’t around to chime in, experts on his/her life can speculate endlessly on whether the work s/he produced indicates a cozying up to power or a rebellion against it. The latest subject of this type of standoff is none other than Shakespeare.
Ticket Does Not Imply Bearer’s Right To Be An Ass
As public civility continues to decline, and audiences at concerts, plays, etc. become ever more disruptive and impervious to shushing, are arts groups running the risk that their biggest fans will choose an evening at home over the hassle of putting up with their fellow audience members? “It’s not that more people are talking during shows these days. It’s that those who do talk get more belligerent when asked to be quiet.”
The Rise of the West
Western Civilization is awfully fond of itself and its accomplishments, which, taken as a whole, are considerable. But “how did the West emerge… out of what was once a diverse set of has-been or backwater cultures of a relatively small geographic region roughly contained in the boundaries of modern Europe? This is no mere academic question. That transformation is one of the great phenomena of world history.”
Polanski In A Snit
Roman Polanski apparently has little patience for either the press or his fellow directors at Cannes. The renowned (and reviled) Polanski has caused two distinct stirs at this year’s edition of the festival, criticizing the gloomy outlook of two other directors on the future of the industry, and stalking out of a press event after complaining of “empty questions” from critics.
Steichen Photos Uncovered In Buffalo
Two rare, century-old color photos taken by Edward Steichen have been unearthed in upstate New York. “Almost as intriguing as the pictures themselves, however, is the story of how they recently made their way from a house in Buffalo, where they apparently sat unseen for decades, to the collection of the George Eastman House in Rochester, one of the world’s leading photography museums.”
Utopia, Spring Awakening Clean Up At Drama Desk
The Coast of Utopia was chosen best play of the New York theater season, and Spring Awakening was named best musical in awards given Sunday by the Drama Desk, an organization of theater journalists. Utopia, Tom Stoppard’s epic look at 19th century Russian intellectuals, was the night’s biggest winner, collecting seven awards. Spring Awakening, a rock musical about the sexual anxiety of 19th century German teens, followed with four.