“[He] exemplifies the fine art of the cringe comedy better than any other American filmmaker. He has no need for sympathy, having crafted an ambiguous blend of satire and tragedy that rejects any conventional notion of redemption.”
Tag: 07.20.10
Shreveport Symphony Agrees On Contract After Two-Year Struggle
“After more than two years of contentious negotiations, including an 18-month strike and this past spring’s mini-season, board members and musicians have agreed to a contract that will keep the full-time core musicians intact and include a 45 percent salary cut, instead of the initial contract proposal two years ago that would have included a 75 percent pay cut.”
Are Libraries on the Verge of a Pop-Culture Breakout?
A local Fox News story suggests cutting public spending by eliminating public libraries, and everyone from Vanity Fair to The Guardian to The Onion‘s A.V. Club fights back. Even the Old Spice guy has done a spot for libraries. NPR’s Monkey See blog suggests five reasons why America may finally be realizing why libraries are cool. (For instance, libraries give you things for free.)
Vandals Rip BP’s Logo From Texas Arts Center
“Vandals took out their anger at BP on the Durango Arts Center’s canvas awning sometime last week, but the misguided protest is going to hurt the struggling nonprofit, its director said,” because the center must repair the damage out of its own strapped budget.
Armond White Says Roger Ebert ‘Destroyed Film Criticism’
“I do think it is fair to say that Roger Ebert destroyed film criticism. Because of the wide and far reach of television, he became an example of what a film critic does for too many people. And what he did simply was not criticism. It was simply blather. And it was a kind of purposefully dishonest enthusiasm for product, not real criticism at all … I think he does NOT have the training. I think he simply had the position. I think he does NOT have the training. I’VE got the training.”
The Original Canned Laughter Machine
“Actually, its official name is the Laff Box, and it was invented by … a broadcast engineer at CBS” named Charles Douglass. His ingenious contraption was a combination of tape loop machine, sampler and keyboard instrument, complete with pedal.
What If You Could Copy And Replace Anything?
“For people who make music, books, and other kinds of intellectual property, the possibility of instant reiteration has been both a blessing and a curse. It is easier than ever to disseminate your creations to anyone anywhere, but it remains a challenge for such dissemination to be sustainably remunerative.”
How Google Editions’ E-Books Will Work
“Google will be adding millions of digital titles for sale on any device with Internet access: smart phones, tablets, netbooks, desktops, and every digital reading device except Kindle, which for now at least continues to operate on a closed proprietary system.” While Google will sell directly to consumers, the company will also serve as “an e-book supplier and infrastructure back office” to independent booksellers.
TV’s Hottest 60-Second Challenge (No, Not Advertising)
“Minute to Win It, on NBC on Wednesday nights this summer, is a throwback to old-time game shows like Beat the Clock that were ingenious in their simplicity. It requires no extreme weight loss, no tribal alliances, no consumption of cow eyeballs. Instead it relies on simple challenges using household staples like beach balls, M&Ms, pantyhose, Hula-Hoops, toothbrushes and toilet paper.”
Julianne Moore Has A Kids’ Musical (And It’s Headed For Off-B’way)
“My movies are not for children,” says the star of Boogie Nights, Far From Heaven and the new lesbian-parenting comedy The Kids Are All Right. But she has written a successful book for youngsters, Freckleface Strawberry, and a new musical adaptation of the book opens in New York this fall.