The movie industry is in danger of being cannibalized by pirates. And, say some obervers, the industry isn’t doing nearly enough to protect itself. “Already as many as 600,000 movie files are shared each day on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks such as Morpheus and Grokster, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). That number is likely to soar as more households get broadband internet and compression technology cuts download time.”
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Cable Beats Broadcast TV
US cable channels are beating traditional network broadcast channels for viewers. “As August draws to a close, early projections released Wednesday by Turner Entertainment Group showed the 60-plus cable networks enjoyed a record 18-point lead in summer audience share over the seven broadcasters. Despite more first-run programing on the Big Four broadcast networks than ever before this summer, the absence of a megahit such as ‘Survivor’ or ‘American Idol’ kept broadcasters collectively from posting year-to-year gains during the summer months.”
America’s Record Movie Summer
Despite what many critics have called a disappointing summer for movies, America’s theatres have scored a record summer at the box office. “The summer gross is expected to total $3.9bn – up 2% from last summer’s previous record figure, according to box office monitor Exhibitor Relations. But because of a rise in admission prices, the number of tickets sold will actually be down about 2% on last year – the first decline in three years.”
Visa Holdups Derail Cuban Musicians’ Visits For Grammys
The Cuban government says the US is holding up visas for Cuban music stars who have been invited to the Latin Grammys. “Nominees including Latin jazz stars Chucho Valdes and Los Van Van are unlikely to attend Wednesday’s ceremony because they have not been given visas. But US diplomats say visa requests were delayed by the Cuban government.”
Was Lester Bangs The Best Rock Critic Of The 70s?
A new book makes the case. But Sasha Frere-Jones maintains that making the case is problematic. “Picking an All-Time No. 1 in any category is an exercise that’s generally more fun than scientific. This is especially true when picking top critics, a breed who succeed precisely by being in and of their time. There’s a good chance Bangs owns the ’70s but carving him in marble for all time does his gifts no service.”
Parks On Play Writing
Pulitzer-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks on how to write a play: “I feel that you can plan a play out in great detail, or have it just strike you over the head when you walk down the street. Either way, it’s ultimately an act of grace.”
Chicago Lyric Opera Contract Looming
Chicago Lyric Opera is down to the wire negotiating new contracts with its musicians and chorus. Will the contract be wrapped up before the season is scheduled to start? We’re sure it’s going to happen. We just don’t know what time of the day or night.”
City Opera Strike?
New York City Opera costumers have voted to authorize a strike against the comnpany. “The vote, at the union’s headquarters on West 45th Street, means that the union could strike at any time, though both sides said yesterday that talks were continuing. The union’s contract expired in November.”
In Search Of Thurber
James Thurber has had official honors. But “despite all this official appreciation, a doubt arises: Is Thurber still being widely read and enjoyed? The nod from the Library of America was meant as a coronation, but nobody can be funny for a thousand pages, and Thurber’s writing—occasional by definition—resists so exhaustive and formal an act of exhumation and canonization. As for the new collection of his letters, your pleasure in it will probably depend on how much of the Thurber literature you’ve been exposed to — I mean the literature about him, not the literature by him.”
Theft – Artwork At Risk
The theft last week of an important Leonardo painting “highlights the difficulties of safeguarding valuable works of art while allowing access for the public. It is the latest in a series of robberies of art works so famous that they would be impossible to sell on the open market. Still missing are Rembrandt’s “Storm on the Sea of Galilee”, and Vermeer’s “The Concert”, stolen in March 1990 from Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston by thieves dressed as policemen. Even art world insiders can only speculate as to their whereabouts and the motives of such robberies. Theories being put forward by the police and experts for this latest theft include links to terrorist groups and drugs gangs. Benvenuto Cellini’s salt, a masterpiece of 16th-century goldwork, was stolen in May from Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum.”