“[I]n an Academy of almost 6,000 voting members, it takes fewer than 100 votes to secure [an Oscar] nomination in every category except best picture and the four acting categories.” In some branches, like costume design and cinematography, two or three dozen would be more than enough.
Tag: 12.08.09
Britain’s Great Musical Renaissance Of The ’00s
As the decade began, observes Tom Service, Covent Garden was just emerging from chaos, ENO was heading into it (in spades), and Scottish Opera was on its way to a near-collapse in 2004 and ’05. Now all of the nation’s opera companies are “in rude health.” And the UK’s major orchestras have attracted and kept some serious conducting talent, with impressive results.
In Israel, Group Wages Non-Imaginary ‘War On Christmas’
“A new front for religious battles: Hotels and restaurants. The ‘Lobby for Jewish Values’ this week began operating against restaurants and hotels that plan to put up Christmas trees and other Christian symbols ahead of Christmas and the civil New Year.”
Oxford Alters Rules For Electing Professor Of Poetry
“The vote, every five years, has been called a ‘kamikaze convention’, and this year descended into embarrassing farce when Ruth Padel felt compelled to resign after nine days in the job. For some, the arcane voting rules are the problem,” while others “believe the voting changes could make the election even more of a bun fight.”
Jeremiah: Prophet Or Poet?
“To countless generations of Bible readers, Jeremiah has been a prophet – indeed, the Hebrew prophet par excellence, his very name a synonym for warning, chastising, and exhorting. To [David] Rosenberg, however, the person (or people) who wrote this book is primarily a poet, whose ‘main form is the prophet’s oracle’ – much as we might say that Shakespeare’s main form was the sonnet.”
Is This The Box Office Year Of The Woman?
“Recent hits like [Meryl] Streep’s ‘Julie & Julia,’ along with [Katherine] Heigl’s ‘The Ugly Truth’ and [Sandra] Bullock’s ‘The Proposal,’ … show that when it comes to star-driven films, female actresses have consistently outperformed their male counterparts. They also tend to cost less to produce and market, meaning a bigger profit margin for studios.”
New Moon Director Takes Woman’s Side In Piracy Arrest
“Veteran director Chris Weitz told the Sun-Times he’s dismayed about Samantha Tumpach’s arrest Nov. 28 at a Rosemont movie theater on a felony charge of illegally copying his new hit film, and he’s contacted the film’s studio about his concerns.”
Steady Rain Auds Opened Wallets Wide For B’way Cares
In only six weeks of curtain appeals at “A Steady Rain,” Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig raised a record-breaking $1,549,953 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
For Unemployed Film Critics, Focus Groups Now Pay
“Critical Focus Exchange, a service in which critics and film reporters offer their expertise to producers and studios looking for feedback on niche and arthouse movies,” is a new source of income — $100 per screening — for out-of-work film critics in New York and Los Angeles.
Calif. Arts License Plates Qualify For A Tax Deduction
“The Franchise Tax Board said in a Nov. 25 letter that individuals can treat as a charitable contribution the difference between the amounts paid for a special arts plate,” proceeds of which support the underfunded California Arts Council, “and a regular California tag.”