“Prince Albert II, who took over from his father in 2005, is staking his name on a daring project to expand Monaco’s less than one square mile of territory by building a new district out to sea. Like Dubai’s artificial islands, it will be a world landmark, designed to boost the economy by attracting new residents, business and luxury tourists.”
Tag: 05.21.08
Compromising A Surrealist Icon
Andre Breton’s surrealist manifesto sold for a lot of money this week. “It is not simply that Breton spent most of his adult life utterly skint – though that’s always worth remembering. The true offense lies in the way in which sneaky old capitalism, once again, has so ingeniously taken a movement aimed at its violent destruction and turned it into luxury goods.”
Those Blurbs On A Book’s Cover? Judge ‘Em
“The problem with your common or garden synopsis is that it boils off all the stuff that attracts me about fiction – style, wit, inventiveness, rhythm – and leaves the bare bones of plot and/or setting, which I couldn’t care less about.”
Like A Fox Is Interested In Chickens
Big Hollywood studios have been getting more and more interested in arthouse films in recent years. But that doesn’t mean they’re actually interested in making art, says Robert Butler. The studios see only dollar signs, and that means that their interest in the indies is not necessarily good news for filmmakers who care about quality.
Columbus Symphony To Resume Negotiations
The management of the Columbus Symphony, which is threatening to shut down operations on June 1, has agreed to reopen contract talks after musicians proposed $500,000 of salary concessions at a press conference. The CSO management has been seeking to cut 22 musicians from the orchestra and reduce the season by 12 weeks.
Surrealist Manifesto Sold
A selection of André Breton personal effects have been sold at auction in Paris for €3.6 million. “Previous estimates suggested the Manifesto would be sold separately for a value between €300,000 and €500,000 (£240,000 to £401,000).”
After 340 Years, Time For A Woman Poet Laureate?
There have been 22 male British Poet Laureates. Now many are urging the Queen to appoint a woman. “There has been no female poet laureate since the Royal household created the formal position for John Dryden in 1668. Nothing in the rules actually debars women and there are many splendid female poets from all generations writing and performing in Britain today.”
What’s Wrong With British Movies? A Lousy American Template
“If we are going to have a national cinema we have got to make stories which arise from our islands. What we do most of the time is make sub-American nonsense. The American template is very often lousy – why do we want to imitate it?”
Livent Trial: Drabinsky Was “Abusive” Over Money Dealings
Initially Drabinsky would make specific suggestions on how to move expenses around to make the books look better, but later simply set a budget for staff, telling them to meet it. “I would go back with staff and Mr. Drabinsky would … suggest where to put these (expenses) because he was the one that had to explain it to the board or outside analysts,” Gordon Eckstein told prosecutor Robert Hubbard. Cash flow problems were constant and creditors were paid only part of what they were owed, he told court.”
Cannes – More Evidence Of A Slow Film Market
“As the festival winds down, no U.S. distributor has made a major acquisition. The tepid Cannes market continued what’s been a dismal cycle for the finished-film market that began last year in Toronto.”