Filmmaker Albert Brooks is accusing Sony Pictures of cowardice in refusing to release his latest work, saying that studio execs are terrified of public reaction to the title, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World. Brooks insists that, despite the title, the film satirizes “American ignorance of the Muslim world and [does] not touch on religion.” Sony argues that it passed on the film “on its merits,” and says that Brooks is “manufacturing controversy.” Sony raised some liberal hackles a couple of years back when it declined to release Michael Moore’s controversial documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11.
Tag: 09.29.05
Unknown Lowry Painting To Hit The Block
“A previously unseen LS Lowry painting is expected to fetch around £500,000 when it is sold in November. The Footbridge will be seen in public for the first time before it goes up for auction at Christie’s in London. The painting shows an industrial scene with Lowry’s trademark matchstick figures rushing through the snow. It was sold to a private collector 60 years ago and has not changed hands since. Lowry, who died in 1976, was known for depicting northern England.”
From Folsom Prison To The Great White Way
Johnny Cash, who died in 2003, will become the latest musical legend to have his material tried out on theatre’s biggest stage when a show featuring his music moves to Broadway next year. “More than 35 of the country star’s songs will performed in Ring of Fire, although no actor will actually portray Johnny Cash. The show, directed by Tony winner Richard Maltby, has received favourable reviews during its short preview run in Buffalo, New York… Cash had given his approval for the musical before his death, having previously rejected several projects.”
Is Music Good For The Heart?
“Musical training might be good for the heart, suggests a small study, which shows that it is musical tempo, rather than style, that is the greatest stress buster… Half of those taking part were trained musicians, who had been playing instruments for at least seven years. The remainder had had no musical training… Faster music, and more complex rhythms, speeded up breathing and circulation, irrespective of style, with fast classical and techno music having the same impact. But the faster the music, the greater was the degree of physiological arousal… This effect occurred, irrespective of the musical style or preferences of the listener, but was stronger among the musicians, who are trained to synchronise their breathing with musical phrases.”
Should LA Phil Go Casual?
When architect Frank Gehry designed the L.A. Philharmonic’s dazzling new concert hall, he promised to make it “a living room for the city,” and if the comfort level of the patrons is any indication, he succeeded. Whereas a concertgoer in anything less than a shirt and tie might have been well out of place in the Phil’s ultraformal old concert hall, the modern slopes and inviting facade of Disney Hall seem to have convinced many to shed the three-piece suits in favor of more comfortable attire. So why is the Philharmonic persisting in wearing those hopelessly over-formal tuxedos?
Radio City Musicians Threaten A Strike
Musicians at New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall are threatening to strike over the issue of overtime pay for the venue’s popular Christmas Spectacular. (Yeah, that’s the one with the Rockettes.) A strike could jeopardize the show, which draws huge numbers of tourists and is a New York institution, but Cablevision, which owns Radio City, has issued a statement saying that it “fully expects” to reach an agreement with the musicians before the show opens for the year.
Less Money, Less Music In Milwaukee
The musicians of the Milwaukee Symphony have ratified a new contract which will reduce their annual salaries by 9%, eliminate two full-time positions in the orchestra, and cut the ensemble’s season by four weeks. “A player making the minimum will see his or her salary fall from $59,125 to $53,625. Paid vacation drops from six weeks to five, and the players’ contribution to health insurance is likely to rise under a formula linking it to insurance costs.” Despite the concessions, the musicians ratified the deal willingly if not happily, which may have something to do with an unusual provision requiring members of the orchestra’s upper management team to take the same 9% wage cut as the players.
New Offer In CBC Talks Swiftly Rejected
The management of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has presented a new contract offer to its locked-out workers, attempting a compromise on the issue of so-called “contract workers,” who work on a part-time basis and do not receive benefits. But the union representing the locked-out employees is sticking with its position that any increase in contract workers is too big, and they add that their solidarity on the picket line is not wavering a bit, even after seven weeks out of work.
Internet Sales Dominate Used-Books Trade
“In barely a decade, online booksellers have grown to account for two-thirds of the market for general-interest used books, a trend that calls into question the future of brick-and-mortar stores devoted to used books, according to a study financed by the publishing industry and released yesterday.”
NY Governor Gives Freedom Center The Boot
New York governor George Pataki has canceled plans for a “freedom center” as part of the World Trade Center site redevelopment. “Pataki initially said the state would help the International Freedom Center find another home, but center officials said they weren’t interested and considered the project dead. The decision followed months of acrimony, with some Sept. 11 families and politicians saying that such a museum would overshadow and take space from a separate memorial devoted to the 2,749 World Trade Center dead and would dishonor them by fostering debate about the attacks and other world events.”