This is bad: “The major chains — AMC, Regal Entertainment and Cinemark — no longer rely on teenage ushers to keep the floors from getting sticky. Instead, they have turned to a vast immigrant workforce, often hired through layers of subcontractors. That arrangement makes it almost impossible for janitors to make a living wage.” – Variety
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LeBron May Not Be Playing Much Basketball, But He Is Starting To Be A Big Player In Hollywood
Possibly the most Company Town thing in this story: “Studios, networks and production companies all over town want to be in the LeBron James business. And not only for his screen presence — even though his performance in Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck was considered a revelation. He and his SpringHill team are very good for business (also, many Hollywood executives are LeBron fans).” – Los Angeles Times
A Newly Discovered Photo Of Harriet Tubman Goes On Display
This is a great discovery because it’s of a young, casually seated Tubman, wearing elegant clothing. Obviously, there’s wrong with a freedom fighter looking older and more pensive when she’s older, but it’s good to have new information about her. – The New York Times
Britain’s National Theatre Changes Structure At The Top
Rufus Norris, who was the National Theatre’s director, and Lisa Burger, who was the theatre’s executive director, will now be sharing power as co-directors. OK, but what does that actually mean? “We have a clear and shared vision for the theatre, which will see it being more national, more representative and more resonant than ever.” (Ahem, so, only male playwrights?) – The Stage (UK)
Eleven Movies That Influenced The Look And Feel Of ‘Us’
You know, The Nutcracker is an obvious one. (And, of course, Dead Again – you probably knew that from the scissors.) – Los Angeles Times
How The Heck Does An Art Detective Find A Stolen Picasso?
Basically, you gain the trust of, to put it politely, some shady folks. “There comes a point, you know, when a stolen artwork that’s circulating in the criminal community – security in a drugs deal here, part-payment in an arms deal there – just becomes a burden. Something to be got rid of. ” – The Guardian (UK)
Why Are We Still Talking (And Making Documentary Art) About This Man, Jailed For Murdering His Ex-Girlfriend?
Yes, if you’ve listened to all (or even most) of NPR’s wildly popular true-crime podcast Serial, you might not be ready for an HBO special on Adnan Syed. But would you be if the story concerned Hae Min Lee, the murdered girl at the center of the case? For director Amy Berg, that’s the point. – The New York Times
How To Pick The Perfect Seat In The Movie Theatre
You’ll know the worst seat – i.e., the front row. “The existence of a worst, then, must suggest its opposite: The ideal seat. The perfect focal point that maximizes your visual and aural experience. Does it exist?” It’s science, y’all. – Popular Science
Did Hilma Af Klint Invent Abstract Art? Not Really
Susan Tallman: “The claim for af Klint as an inventor of abstract art runs into two serious problems. The first is that it doesn’t seem to match how she thought the work should function. The second is that abstraction was ‘invented’ in the same sense that the Western Hemisphere was ‘discovered.'” – The New York Review of Books
Choreographer Ann Carlson Makes Her First ‘Dancey-Dance’ In Ages
“Ann Carlson is not the type of a choreographer who makes what are known as dancey-dances. Steps aren’t really her thing. She works with everyday movement, text and props. She has choreographed works for lawyers, fly fisherman, basketball players and even … a flock of sheep. … With Elizabeth, the Dance, created for the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company in Salt Lake City, she’s not only working with trained dancers, but she’s also examining the art form itself.” – The New York Times