Blog

So ‘Parasite’ Won A Lot Of Oscars. What Happens Next?

Will Parasite‘s best picture win goose more international fare from the big studios – as opposed simply to Netflix – or will it only help both Bong Joon-ho and then other films that seem, in Hollywood terms, similar to Parasite? The biggest winner might be the Academy. “A vote for Parasite served as more than just a cast ballot: It was an investment in the Oscars’ future as a relevant institution.” – The New York Times

Lynn Cohen, Magda Of ‘Sex And The City’ Fame, Has Died At 86

Cohen was a veteran stage and screen actor who found extra fame late in life as Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon)’s housekeeper and nanny on Sex and the City (and both movies). “On Broadway, she appeared in Orpheus Descending and Ivanov, and received Lucille Lortel and Drama League award nominations, as well as the New Dramatists’ Bowden award, the Fox Foundation’s Lilly award and the Richard Seff award from Actor’s Equity Association.” – Variety

Barbara Remington, Illustrator Of Classic Lord Of The Rings Covers, Has Died At 90

Remington famously hadn’t read the books when she created the covers, leading to missteps including lions on the original cover. “While working as a freelance illustrator, she also did whatever else she could to make ends meet. She designed costumes for the theater, did holiday store window displays for Tiffany, ushered at Carnegie Hall and, she told Andwerve, ‘worked on a yacht to go on free trips to Martha’s Vineyard. … It was,’ she added, ‘a great deal of fun.'” – The New York Times

The Need For Civic Protest

Protest is meant to bring a reality that lurks beyond the sight lines of most people crashing down in front of them. When resistance to the current order arises, citizens are put to the test. We are forced to reveal where our allegiances lie. What are we willing to support, or do, in the pursuit of rightness and justice? – Maclean’s

Gibney Dance Reinvents From The Inside Out

Gibney is becoming a commission-based repertory group—that is, a company not grounded in the aesthetic of a founding choreographer—and allow it to double in size from six dancers to 12. The model will allow Gibney to work with renowned and rising international choreographers representing a broad range of aesthetics and techniques. “The stage is set,” Davis said, for Gibney “to establish a wholly new paradigm for a contemporary dance company.” – Inside Philanthropy

Duh – Most Of Us Judge A Book By Its Title

For two of the three most-browsed books in the Codex test, participants said that the books’ titles, not their graphics, were the strongest factors in prompting them to click the read more buttons. “People who buy and read books are word lovers; nothing intrigues them more than a strong message delivered by uniquely crafted title, subtitle, or even a reading line.” – Publishers Weekly

Has Fan Culture Gotten Out Of Hand? Should They Have So Much Influence On The Art?

The last decade or so has witnessed huge changes in the awareness, perception and tools of fandom. In terms of television and film, the enormous successes of Game of Thrones and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have introduced geek culture – and its brand of participatory fandom – to the mainstream. At the same time, the internet – and more specifically social media – has amplified fans’ voices, while also breaking down the boundaries between them and the artists they love/hate. – BBC

“Les Miz” Song Has Become A Defiant Protest Anthem In China

Do You Hear the People Sing?, the defiant chorus from the musical Les Misérables, has become a song of protest in Hong Kong and, more recently, mainland China. Explicit references to Li Wenliang, the Wuhan doctor censured for his warnings about the coronavirus outbreak, and to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, are stamped upon – but lines from the song slip through the net on China’s social networks Weibo and WeChat, fostering a community of covert opposition. – The Guardian