Sorry, multiplexes: It’s the indies that will survive. “To put it bluntly, people who just want to gobble popcorn while gaping at the latest special-effects extravaganza … will be happy enough doing so in their basements and living rooms, whereas folks who appreciate the theatrical experience as the communal, quasi-religious ceremony that it is will be back.” – Oregon ArtsWatch
Tag: 12.09.20
When Corporate High Streets Collapse, Perhaps ‘Craft Beer Social Democracy’ Can Have A Turn
Urban planning is having a bit of a hard time with Covid-19 hitting Britain’s corporate-driven main streets and malls – but better spaces are possible, says critic Owen Hatherley, when small crafts get involved. “The notion of community wealth building, rather than disconnected projects, is so important.” – The Guardian (UK)
UK Moves To Protect Garden Treasures
As the growing popularity of metal detecting as a hobby meant that more historical objects were being found, museums have missed out on items of archaeological significance that did not fall within the law’s definition, including Bronze Age axes, Iron Age caldrons, and medieval weapons and jewelry. In 2017, 1,267 pieces went through the process in which a committee determines whether an item should be considered a treasure, up from 79 pieces in 1997. – The New York Times
Amsterdam Is Going To Regulate People’s Christmas Lights
According to rules going into effect next year, all lights in outdoor displays must be LEDs, and 70% (90% in the historic city center) must be “warm white.” (Rules for the historic district have even more detailed specifications.) “The city’s crackdown on excessive Xmas cheer was spurred by a recent lighting-display arms race raging among residents and building owners.” – CityLab
Inside The Flamboyant Self-Destruction Of Johnny Depp
“There are few examples of a movie-star implosion of Depp’s magnitude that have been so sudden and spectacular. … Over the course of four short years, Depp has spiraled from an A-list star responsible for more than $10 billion in worldwide box office to Hollywood persona non grata” — not least because of the calamitous defamation lawsuit he just lost. “It wasn’t just erratic and violent behavior that wrecked one of the world’s most bankable stars. It was his unquenchable thirst for revenge.” – The Hollywood Reporter
The Ancient Monuments Of Karabakh Are Endangered In Latest Conflicts
Alongside the humanitarian crisis caused by the displacement of Armenians, this land transfer also threatens a large number of Armenian monuments located in Karvajar, Kashatagh, Hadrut and Aghdam provinces. – Apollo
Berlin’s Staatsballett’s First Black Dancer Accuses The Company Of Racism
Chloé Lopes Gomes, a French citizen, who joined the Staatsballett as a corps de ballet member in 2018, said she had faced recurrent racial abuse from her ballet mistress. In an interview with the Guardian she also accuses the company of institutional racism after managers failed to act even after various incidents were brought to their attention. – The Guardian
Bigger Than The Oscars? The Video Game Awards Point The Future
Created in 2014 by the game media entrepreneur Geoff Keighley, the awards attracted almost 50 million viewers last year because, unlike the Oscars, The Game Awards are a forward-looking news and entertainment show, not a backward-looking nostalgia vehicle. – Protocol
Ten Best Canadian Performing Arts Performances Of 2020
And most of them you can see here streaming. – The Globe & Mail (Canada)
Why This Music Critic Clings To CDs
“Perhaps there’s a middle ground. Many recordings may reach more listeners, do more good and remain available longer online. But it is worth keeping at home recordings I cherish and albums of archival value, like a six-disc set of Bartok at the piano, or Artur Rubinstein’s 82-disc RCA catalog.” – The New York Times