“There is a tremendous amount of artistry that goes into video games. The final product, especially at the triple-A level, is a consumer good; it’s entertainment. You could certainly make the same argument ‘Is the movie Avatar art?’ I don’t think it’s an argument that can be won, but it’s an argument that can be had.”
Author: ArtsJournal2
Has Broadway Ruined Us For New Musicals?
“The American musical had its origins as popular entertainment, coming from vaudeville and operetta, and while it has always been primarily a for-profit business, it was an essential part of the cultural landscape. Over the past few decades, however, the market reach of musicals has been reduced to a very specific niche market while the artistic ambitions of the artists that create it have continued to grow and evolve.” But without a Broadway-style band, forget it.
Violence May Suck Us In, But It Won’t Keep Us Watching T.V.
In a study, people pick shows that sound more violent on paper – but enjoy watching those shows much more when most of the gore ends up on the cutting room floor.
Conductor Dies After Collapsing During Bach Performance
“Vincent LaGuardia, 68, was the longtime conductor of the Arapahoe Philharmonic, a small classical group in Littleton, Colo. LaGuardia collapsed about two-thirds of the way through” Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor.
A Movie That Had Everything Going For It – Only That ‘Everything’ Turned Out To Be Wrong
Why did John Carter flop when it had all kinds of internal and external support? That’s pretty easy to answer: Blame George Lucas.
The Theremin: What Is That Weird Machine, Where Did It Come From – And Why?
The theremin, invented by an amateur cellist, turned into a propaganda piece for Lenin – a way to showcase the inventiveness of Russians after the Revolution internationally, and to promote electrification across Russia. Then there was Theremin’s mission in the U.S.: industrial espionage.
Will Merce Cunningham’s Legacy Move To France?
“Robert Swinston, a veteran company member, has applied to become the director of the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine in Angers, France. If appointed, he plans on bringing two former company members with him — Daniel Madoff and Melissa Toogood — and to start a small group that would perform Cunningham works as well as new dances.”
Using The Homeless As Wi-Fi Hotspots: SXSW’s Worst Idea Ever?
“This is my worry: the homeless turned not just into walking, talking hotspots, but walking, talking billboards for a program that doesn’t care anything at all about them or their future, so long as it can score a point or two about digital disruption of old media paradigms. So long as it can prove that the real problem with homelessness is that it doesn’t provide a service.”
Gore Says Democracy Has Been Hacked, And It’s Time To Occupy With Digital Tools
“Gore talked of a ‘Wiki-democracy’ of ‘digital flash mobs calling out the truth’ and ‘a government square that holds people accountable.'”
This Bookstore Is Closing – Very, Very Slowly
The 83-year-old owner of Evanston’s Bookman’s Alley keeps changing the closing date of his venerable, quirky store – but you know he’s serious about it because the gumdrop bowl is gone.