“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood were nominated Monday for the Producers Guild of America’s top honors. Notably missing from the list [was] Atonement, which won the Golden Globe Award on Sunday as best dramatic picture of 2007.”
Author: sbergman
LACMA Looking On The Bright Side
“LACMA Director Michael Govan faces a tougher task: hailing Eli Broad’s generosity and opening LACMA’s new Broad Museum of Contemporary Art while Broad tells the world how he decided not to give the museum his art collection.” Govan’s spin on the announcement is that, since much of Broad’s collection will remain at the museum anyway, ownership isn’t that important.
Disney, Fox Score Big With Quality Over Quantity
In its annual report card on Hollywood’s major movie studios, the LA Times says that Disney and 20th Century Fox have developed a winning formula based on the revolutionary concept of trying to make good movies that people will want to see. Other studios… well… all those pointless sequels have to come from somewhere, right?
Kite Runner Banned In Afghanistan
“Afghanistan has banned the import and exhibition of The Kite Runner, a film about the troubled friendship of two Afghan boys, on the grounds that it could incite violence… Paramount Vantage released the film last month after delays due to the extraordinary precautions taken to address concerns about the film’s depiction of one boy’s rape.”
Studios Cancel Writers’ Contracts; New Pilots At Risk
“Conceding that the current television season cannot be salvaged, four major studios canceled dozens of writer contracts Monday. The move signals that development of next season’s crop of new shows also could be in jeopardy because of the 2-month-old writers strike.”
Banksey Wall Goes For $400K
“Online bidding for a wall painted on by graffiti artist Banksy has closed with a final bid of £208,100 ($409,860)… The final bid does not include the cost of removal and repair of the wall, estimated to be about £5,000.”
The Awards Show We Always Say We Want
“Those of us who have always wondered why award shows have to be so infernally long got our answer on Sunday night at the Golden Globes: they don’t, but all meaning is derived in such matters from the script that goes with such ceremonies.”
Rap Stars Accused Of Steroid Use
Accusations of steroid use, normally a controversy limited to pro athletes, are now hitting the world of hip-hop, as news of an investigation by a New York district attorney leaks to the press. The news “struck a chord about the increasing pressure on these performers to maintain perfect, even superhuman physiques as a part of their overall image and brand.”
Talks Begin Again In Jacksonville
The lockout of Jacksonville Symphony musicians is now two months old, and the two sides are preparing to come back to the bargaining table for the first time since before Christmas. Management officials say that they were close to a deal at that time, and the musicians are reported to be “guardedly optimistic.”
£20m Of Orchestra Financing At Risk
A £20m deal to finance the Manchester-based BBC Philharmonic is in danger after a round of government grants fell through, meaning that the deal might have to be financed with taxpayer money.