“I want to be entertained. I want to laugh. I want a certain number of spontaneous, surprising, human moments. And I want the whole think to be brisk, not overly indulgent of the stars, and come in more or less on time.”
Month: February 2012
Umberto Eco: Not Only Overrated, But Also Anti-Semitic?
“Eco deliberately confuses fact and fiction. Having immersed his readers in conspiracy theories against the Jews, he then leaves them wondering whether some of these vile slanders might, after all, be true. The trouble with what his publisher calls ‘an inspired twisting of history and fiction’ is that Eco is playing with fire. This time it is not a game.”
Using The Help (Imperfect As It Is) As A Call For Change
Though the Oscar-nominated and much-awarded film The Help is far from perfect in its depiction of history, “the film provided a rare portrayal of domestic workers in ways that allowed them complexity, humanity and individuality, and further related very closely to the portrayal of the relationship between workers and the children they raised.”
Yes, The Oscars Still Have A Problem With Women
Thought that all ended with Hurt Locker a couple of years ago? Think again.
The Ashmolean Gets An Extension To Save Its Manet
Director of the Ashmolean at Oxford: “The £7.83 million, though a substantial sum to be found, is a mere fraction of the picture’s actual worth and it would therefore be an enormous disappointment if it could not be saved for the nation.”
Howard Kissel, 69, Theatre Critic For The Daily News
“A friendly, often bemused and droll man whose silver curls and precise, deliberate manner of speech made him indelible to anyone he met, Kissel was chief theater critic at the News for 20 years. … Kissel was the only person to chair both the New York Drama Critics Circle and the New York Film Critics Circle — reflecting the fact that even in the sometimes tense world of high culture, he got along with everyone.”
How To Green Up British Theatre – Strings, And Water Conservation, Attached
“Arts Council England is to incorporate eco-friendly clauses into its funding agreements with national portfolio organisations, making it the first arts funding body in the world to have environmental sustainability as a requirement of subsidy.”
What Was Naughty, Or At Least Vulgar, In 1811? Ask The Internet
Britain’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, first published in 1811, is back – for free, online, and wildly popular.
Globalization Saved India’s Block-Printing Artisans, But The Environment Now Threatens Them
“Centuries ago, block-printing washers settled in Sanganer because of its flowing river. Today the river is choked with sewage; washers have moved to man-made washing areas on roadsides. Wells are running low.”
NEA Pulls For Community Art, But Broke California Pulls Away
When the NEA gives money to community arts projects but California’s budget wipes out the state agencies that fund the same types of projects, what’s the message to communities and artists? (Pretty mixed.)