“Kiarostami, whose subtly enigmatic films” – among them A Taste of Cherry, The Wind Will Carry Us, Certified Copy – “play brilliantly with audiences’ preconceptions, was considered one of the greatest directors in contemporary world cinema.”
Month: July 2016
The Best Film Festival You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
“At the 30th edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato, Bologna’s annual celebration of restored and rediscovered cinema, the bonus addition to the bill was not a film-maker, or a movie, but a projector. The machine in question was a British model, made in 1899, but now once again in perfect working order.”
We Three Khans: This Trio Of Superstars Has Bollywood’s Release Schedule In A Headlock
“Each dominates a different annual holiday. Shah Rukh Khan, a favourite of the middle classes, is the hero of the Diwali weekend. Aamir Khan, more highbrow, dominates Christmas.” And Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan, is the territory of Salman Khan.
Top Posts From AJBlogs 07.04.16
The Future of Orchestras (Cont’d): Would the Philharmonic Sing Palestrina?
Frankly, the consolidated thread of considered comments elicited by my mega-blog on the future of orchestras has taken me by surprise. These are informed comments from inside the orchestra world. I have also been deluged with emails whose content must remain private. They, too, register the thoughts, frustrations, and anxieties of musicians, educators, and administrators. … read more
AJBlog: Unanswered Question >Published 2016-07-04
Resonance
I’m off to Seattle this week for a couple performances of Resonance by the Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS). Resonance is scored for violin and three cellos, and I’m really fortunate to have an outstanding group playing it: … read more
AJBlog: Infinite Curves Published 2016-07-04
“I dreamed of blue fireballs”
I have nothing but pleasant memories of my mother’s family’s Fourth of July cookouts, which rank among the highlights of my small-town youth. … In 1991, a quarter of a century ago, I published a memoir in which, among many other things, I described those Fourth of July cookouts. This is part of what I wrote. … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-07-04
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Five Highlights From Last Week’s AJ You Shouldn’t Miss
This week: Alas, hard work probably doesn’t trump innate ability… It’s tempting to believe extravagant claims for technology, but there are limits… Yes, by all means let’s talk about equity, but be sure you know what it means… A real-world experiment in ticket pricing (and some surprising results)… The death of the mid-budget Hollywood movie.
The Art Critic’s Mythic Longrunning July 4th Party, Killed Off By Social Media
“In the 1980s, Peter Schjeldahl and his wife purchased many acres of mountainous land in the town of Bovina, a little more than three hours north of Midtown Manhattan. For more than a quarter-century, the property served as the site of a Fourth of July celebration that has maintained a singular place in New York’s social history, drawing friends, and friends of friends, from the city — artists, writers, musicians, academics, gallery owners, movie stars — and a considerable segment of the surrounding population of Delaware County.”
Consultant Reports On What’s Ailing The Philadelphia Orchestra
Michael Kaiser “conducted more than 100 interviews with orchestra staff, board, donors, musicians, and interested others, and offers observations and advice on a shrinking audience and a funding base that has not kept pace with expenses. Kaiser’s report also paints a picture of an organization that is not very good at communication – with donors, musicians, the community, or the media. Among other ideas, the report suggests an annual town-hall meeting on the state of the orchestra.”
Caroline Aherne Represented The Working Class On British Comedy TV
“Aherne created some of British comedy’s best-loved characters: lazy daughter Denise in The Royle Family, acerbic chat show host Mrs Merton – which first aired on BBC2 in 1995 – and memorable Fast Show characters such as the Checkout Girl and Poula Fisch, a TV weather girl in an unnamed country where the sun was always ‘scorchio!'”
If They’d Made A Musical About Tammany Hall, Would Its Auditorium Be Under The Wrecking Ball Right Now?
“Liberty Theaters L.L.C., which owns the building and used it until January as the Union Square Theater, is reconstructing the four-story hall as a six-story office building, marketed by Newmark Grubb Knight Frank as 44 Union Square. The auditorium space will be demolished. A two-and-half-story glass dome will be erected on the rooftop.”
What’s The Problem With J.K. Rowling’s New North American Wizarding School?
“All I could think is that it was written with a colonial lens. This was the story of an outsider in America ‘fixing’ what was already there. Rather than integrating Native Americans into her world, they are reduced to background set pieces.”