“A case study in the right sabotaging its own cultural criticism, starring National Review contributors.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Accessing The Zombie Mind – How Does A Filmmaker Do It?
“Not only do you have to deal with widening perspective and creating a larger world, you also have to deal with the fact that from outward appearances the hero is a mumbling, stumbling, brainless bag of meat that spends every moment dreaming of devouring human flesh. This was the principal issue facing Jonathan Levine when he first came aboard to adapt Isaac Marion’s novel Warm Bodies.”
Cover Bands And Elvis Impersonators Boost Philippine Economy (Seriously)
“The musicians are among the millions of people from the Philippines who work overseas and help power the country’s economy with remittances. … Japan remain[s] the top destination, followed by Malaysia, South Korea and China.”
Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up The Bodies Wins Costa Prize By Unanimous Vote
Jury chair Dame Jenni Murray: “One book simply stood head and shoulders, more than head and shoulders … on stilts, above the rest. We had a really good discussion, like being at a high-powered book club, and I said, ‘OK, let’s have a vote on Bring Up the Bodies and every hand went up.”
MFA Boston Uncovers, Returns Stolen Roman Sculpture To France
“A routine check into an antiquity’s history has uncovered its stolen past, prompting a swift return to a French museum by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). The MFA delivered the bronze statuette, which had been in its collection since 1904, to the Musée de la Chartreuse in Douai.”
What It Means To Believe (It’s Confusing)
Dave Meier unpacks the implications of saying you believe in Bigfoot, God, Jesus Christ, the new Boston Red Sox manager, evolution, and/or that Dad is out in the garage.
Organizations Start Closing Due To Slashing Of Dutch Arts Funding
“Because of budget cuts and financial reorganization of the country’s cultural sector, about 40 of the 120 cultural arts organizations in the country became ineligible for federal grants this year. Some of them have been able to secure financing from other sources, but at least two dozen had to fold at the beginning of the year.”
Did Tina Fey And 30 Rock Change Things For Women In TV?
“Fey’s 30 Rock success … just so happened to occur on the front end of what has been a very encouraging time for women working in the industry. More high-profile comedies … are being created or co-created by women and placing dynamic, dysfunctional, and funny female characters at the center of their narratives.”
Stefan Kudelski, Who Made Sound Recording Portable, Dead At 84
“While few outside the film and radio industries may recognize the name Stefan Kudelski, his Nagra recorder – meaning ‘will record’ in Kudelski’s native Polish – transformed the world of sound recording for radio, television and film.”
The Saga Of Broadway’s Aborted Rebecca Just Got Weirder
“Lawyers for the producers of Rebecca sued Marc Thibodeau, the show’s former publicist, in State Supreme Court on Tuesday for defamation and breach of contract and fiduciary duty, claiming that he scared off an 11th-hour angel investor whose money might have enabled the show to go on.”