Many factors contribute to why art theaters resemble evacuation zones. Among them: a seasonal releasing pattern, an oversupply of movies, and what Tom Bernard, copresident of Sony Pictures Classics, calls “a periodic market adjustment.”
Tag: 06.22.08
My Video Game Made Me Do It!
“The idea that video games and explicit media content are a threat to society is demonstrably false. Whatever evidence there might be that violent media content causes violent behavior, or that graphic sexual content stimulates unhealthy sexual behavior, there is a simple test that invariably proves otherwise.”
Landmark San Francisco Bookstore Closes
“Cody’s Books, the legendary Berkeley bookstore that catered to literati nationwide for more than half a century and was firebombed in the 1980s because of its support of the First Amendment, has closed its doors, the victim of lagging sales.”
How Last Week’s Tony Awards Will Transform Chicago Theatre
“Even for someone not inclined toward theatrical xenophobia, it was a night to burst with civic pride. So what does it all mean? Does this win Chicago theater permanent fame and fortune? A Broadway pipeline? A chance to retire the Second City moniker for good? More theaters? More jobs? More audiences? More media coverage? More funding? Does it maybe even help with the Olympics?”
Architects To Commemorate The Plan That Changed Chicago
“Two internationally renowned architects, including Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Zaha Hadid, will design temporary pavilions in Millennium Park to serve as focal points for next year’s regionwide celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Burnham Plan, the visionary document that changed the face of Chicago.”
A Search For The Perfect Piano
“Tactile memory is our window on the intimate sensual relationship that a musician has with his or her instrument. Because they’re made from wood and other climate-sensitive materials, most instruments end up with a unique touch, sound and personality. Like lonely singles, musicians dream of a perfect match by which the sum of man and music machine is greater than the parts.”
Has Google Become Too Powerful?
“As Google’s influence grows, a number of scholars and programmers have begun to argue that the company is acquiring too much power over our lives – invading our privacy, shaping our preferences, and controlling how we learn about and understand the world around us. To counter its pervasive effects, they are developing strategies to push back against Google, dilute its growing dominance of the information sphere, and make it more publicly accountable.”
Study: Rock Concerts Prematurely Age Artworks
“Scientists at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg have been examining how concerts by the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and others in the adjacent Winter Square have affected their collections over the past three years. The unpublished findings, they say, could affect the future of rock concerts staged at stately homes. The preliminary results of the three-year study, being examined by the Grabar Art Restoration Institute in Moscow, show that every 10 concerts above 82 decibels add an extra year to the age of a work.”
Dance In The City – Using LA As A Stage
How do you dance in a city so overwhelmed with visual images? You use the city as your canvas…
At Famous Houses – A Struggle To Keep The Lights On
“For scores of historic house museums, simply keeping the lights on has become a challenge. The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, Mass., is trying to stave off foreclosure with a feverish fundraising campaign. The Mark Twain House in Hartford can’t even afford to buy energy-saving light bulbs that would slash its electric bill. Experts say this summer may make or break some sites, many of which already have cut their hours and staff and are struggling for donations in today’s troubled economy.”