People have been searching for the hidden city of Atlantis for generations. Many theories of where the legendary city was have emerged. The latest? “A geographer has claimed that Atlantis, first described by the Greek philosopher Plato as sinking under a tidal wave 12,000 years ago, was actually Ireland.”
Tag: 08.17.04
Pittsburgh Ballet Elevates Six
After making no promotions in the past two years, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has just elevated a half-dozen dancers, a record for the company. Two are now principal dancers, and four are soloists.
Whitewash? The History Of Rock ‘n Roll On Beer Cans
When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first musicians in 1986, six of the 10 honorees were black. Now Miller Brewing is marking the “50th Anniversary of Rock ’n’ Roll” with eight beer cans featuring Rolling Stone cover shots of great rock ’n’ roll artists, all of them white.
Blair Witch Cinematographer Dies In Plane Crash
Neal Fredericks, 35, who shot the low-budget 1999 hit, “The Blair Witch Project,” died in the crash of a single-engine plane while filming a new movie near Key West.
A Racist Classic We Should See
Last week, a Los Angeles theater owner canceled a planned screening of D.w. Griffith’s 1915 movie “The Birth of a Nation” after civil rights groups promised protests. But the movie ought to be screened, not suppressed, argues Renée Graham. “Much like Leni Riefenstahl’s 1934 Nazi propaganda documentary ‘Triumph of the Will,’ an equally acclaimed, equally troubling film, ‘The Birth of a Nation’ is a painful totem to our own intolerance and to how such ill feelings still vex us today.”
New York – Where We Subsidize Movies?
“State lawmakers have approved the first tax credit to benefit film and television productions in New York, and many in the industry say the incentive will help lure more film productions to the city and the state and counter the flight of film jobs to Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. … In addition, the measure would permit New York City to contribute as much as an additional $12.5 million annually to the tax credit program.”
Box Office Vs. Ballot Box
With “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “The Day After Tomorrow” and the remake of “The Manchurian Candidate,” it has been a summer of political relevance at the multiplex. But will any of that have an impact on the presidential election? Not likely, Jon Margolis contends. “Let’s face it, the number of times a movie has altered public opinion on any issue can be counted on the fingers of no hands.”
For Harlequin Readers, The Romance Is Fading
Romance publisher Harlequin Enterprises intends to woo them back, but for now many readers have strayed from the genre, irresistibly attracted to other kinds of books. “Explosive growth in the market for women’s fiction, particularly in newer genres like chick lit and women’s thrillers, has been drawing readers away from traditional romance novels, those formulaic bodice-rippers stocked with hunky heroes and love-conquers-all endings.”
A Novel Attempt To Dissuade A Third Bush
With time being of the essence, a Canadian novelist intent on skewering the various George Bushes (H.W., W. and P.) turned to an online publisher, which is serializing his “Too Many Georges” online.
Peter’s Bad Day At The Art Museum
Cartoonist Peter Baage goes to a Seattle gallery and has a (figurative) shouting match with the contemporary art there. “95% of what they’re hyping is pure crap, yet if you say as much out loud you’ll be looked upon as a clueless Philistine!”