In This Our Life, starring Bette Davis as a Southern white woman who tries to blame a young black man for a death she caused while driving drunk, “clarifies how [bigotry’s] casual presence in the daily lives of Southern whites had become so natural that ill intent seemed absent. At least to those who were not required to think about it.”
Tag: 12.26.09
Who’s Responsible For New Year’s Madness? Clockmakers.
Simon Winchester: “Clocks are the real key. The whole notion of bidding formal and raucous farewell to the Old and offering optimistic greeting to the New was something that could really only occur once we in the public square knew when the exact moment of midnight was.”
As Studios Encroach On Their Turf, Cinemas Put Up A Fight
“Exhibitors have drawn a line in the sand, steadfastly resisting the compression of release dates that they view as a threat to their livelihood. They get nervous when a studio attempts to release a movie on DVD less than 90 days after opening in theaters. Nonetheless, theater executives now are acknowledging they may need to adapt.”
Movies Return To Aussie TV
“After an absence of several years, movies are back big time on commercial television. They’re everywhere all of a sudden, filling up holes, used to correct poor programming decisions and taking up dead airtime.”
British Library To Begin Archiving Websites
“The internet is fast becoming the dominant form of publication in the UK: about a third of all works currently published are only in digital form and that number is increasing dramatically. Ministers predict the UK will host 15m websites by 2016 but under existing powers the British Library would be able to archive only 1% of them.”
The Art Of NY Cabs
“For the month of January, Show Media, a Las Vegas company that owns about half the cones adorning New York City’s taxis, has decided to give commerce a rest. Instead, roughly 500 cabs will display a different kind of message: artworks by Shirin Neshat, Alex Katz and Yoko Ono.”