“In a next wave, China’s emerging film companies are proposing to reverse the equation, by finding Chinese stories with global appeal and just enough American content or backing to attract viewers who have grown comfortable with Hollywood-style movies.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Marvel Comics To Introduce Muslim Girl Superhero
Next February will see the debut of Kamala Khan, the teenaged daughter of Pakistani immigrants to Jersey City, who is a devoted follower of the (currently female) Captain Marvel when she discovers her own superpowers.
He’s A Saudi Army Officer And A Conceptual Artist
“One would think his military role might preclude him from making politically charged works, yet much of [Abdulnasser] Gharem’s art takes aim at the obscurantism and conservatism that he sees as pervasive in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.”
What Do Lesbians Make Of Blue Is The Warmest Color?
“Among the loudest critics has been Julie Maroh, the French writer who wrote the graphic novel of the same name, on which this film was based. On her blog in May, she described the sex scene as ‘ brutal and surgical display’ that turned the lovemaking between two women ‘into porn’.” (Many gay women seem to agree, but not all.)
Musical America Names Audra McDonald Musician of the Year
Joining the five-time Tony winner among the publication’s honorees are Written on Skin composer George Benjamin, conductor Pablo Heras-Casado, pianist and new MacArthur Fellow Jeremy Denk, and the International Contemporary Ensemble, directed by another new MacArthur winner, Claire Chase.
Scotland’s Arts Agency To Do “Listening Tour” With New 10-Year Plan
“The sessions, to be held in Glasgow, Langholm and Inverness on November 22, 23 and 25, will give arts professionals the opportunity to quiz new chief executive Janet Archer and her deputy Iain Munro on their thinking behind the plan and their approach to funding. After Archer and Munro have set out the work in progress, there will be time for comment, discussion and debate.”
The Terror Of Musical Theatre
“It might be the artifice, or it might be the egos. But everyone from Bernstein to Simon Gray agrees: musical theatre is a nightmare to produce.”
Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Shipped To Siberia
“Tolokonnikova’s husband, Petya Verzilov, said he had received ‘100% reliable’ information that she was being moved to a prison in the Krasnoyarsk region, four time zones and 2,000 miles from Moscow. … Verzilov said he believed the move was punishment for Tolokonnikova’s public statements, and decision had been taken to remove her from the media spotlight as much as possible.”
How Much Good Can Movies Like 12 Years A Slave Really Do?
Frank Rich: “Could this film possibly preach to the unconverted? Could it reach Americans who at this late date, in the 21st century, still haven’t gotten [Harriet Beecher] Stowe’s message? Will it even be seen by any of the millions who swear by Glenn Beck? This question might be asked of all the recent movies” – The Butler, Lincoln, Django Unchained, etc. – “that touch upon America’s unfinished racial business.”
“We Would Love To Forget, I Think”: LeVar Burton On The Impact Of Roots
“We would love to forget, I think. We would love to go back to the fairy tale, to the fantasy of Tara. But it’s too easy to try and erase the sins of the past and claim, ‘That wasn’t me.’ … I’ve heard disquieting chatter on both sides of the color line. Why do we have to revisit this again? Well, we have to revisit this again because all of us have forgotten!”