Why is Knives Out selling out movie theaters more than a month after it was released? Basically, the cause is that it’s “a pretty good movie that’s exceeding people’s expectations because their expectations for the movies are so damn low.” Ouch. – BuzzFeed
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Canadian Poet Cancels Talk About Indigenous Poets Because Of His Advocacy For Murderer Of An Indigenous Woman
George Elliott Clarke’s talk at the University of Regina was supposed to be about the murdered and missing Indigenous women of Canada, and poets who wrote about them. But his original refusal to say he wouldn’t read a poem by Stephen Brown, a convicted murderer of an Indigenous woman, and Clarke’s friend, caused enough controversy that he eventually canceled entirely. – Globe and Mail (Canada)
An Architect Says The Building Industry Pollutes The World, And Must Change
Stephanie Carlisle: “While architects are not fully responsible for steel manufacturing or concrete production per se, there is a direct line from the material specifications that architects write to the steel mills of China, the coal mines of Appalachia, the brick kilns of India, or clear-cut forests in the Pacific Northwest or the Amazon.” She says the design industry has to change, and quickly. – Fast Company
Film Critics Give A Best Picture Award To ‘Parasite’
In advance of tonight’s Golden Globes, the National Society of Film Critics has given Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite a Best Picture nod, but they also gave Best Director to Little Women‘s Greta Gerwig. – Los Angeles Times
The Young Japanese Monks Fusing Breakdancing And Buddhism
Two 24-year-old monks have founded a breakdancing troupe that, they think, may bring Buddhism to other young people. “Break dancing has spread around the world due to its nature of getting everyone — regardless of race, age or gender — excited. … The duo came to think that Buddhist teachings and dancing share the same philosophy of peace and equality.” – Toronto Star (The Japan News)
The Opera World Has Fads Too
Right now, Meyerbeer is out, and Korngold is definitely in – and the historical reasons are complex, revealing much about 20th century history. – The New York Times
The Making Of ‘Maiden’
The Oscar-shortlisted documentary Maiden wasn’t easy to make – in some ways, it was almost as hard to make as the incredible, history-making voyage it depicts. For one thing, all of the filming the crew did on the ship was on VHS tapes that had been literally cut and spliced by various news crews on different continents. – Los Angeles Times
A Kentucky Opioid Recovery Program Uses Traditional Stringed Instruments To Keep People Engaged (And Employed)
While some in recovery opt for yoga or prayer groups, the group that chooses to connect with Kentucky’s musical heritage is doing well. “The art of crafting an instrument by hand requires keen focus, attention to detail and commitment to a goal — qualities that can help during recovery, in concert with therapy, peer-support groups and other rehabilitation work, experts say.” – The New York Times
Streaming Has Gotten So Crowded In The UK, But Netflix Reigns Supreme, For Now
Despite the threat of Disney+, BritBox, Apple TV, and so (very) much more, Netflix is killing it in Britain. And Netflix’s “2020 film slate is positively mouthwatering.” – The Guardian (UK)
Time’s Up Releases New Guidelines For Casting And For Nude Scenes
Time’s Up is trying to prepare actors and would-be actors for situations that have been rather iffy in the past (by “iffy,” we mean “containing lots of possibilities for assault and rape”): “Some of the ‘specific circumstances’ addressed in the guide range from preparing for chemistry reads (sometimes-intimate audition scenes between two actors) and casting directors who say, ‘Come back sexier,’ to ‘experiencing sexual assault mid-shoot’ and ‘being asked ‘to have actual sex’ instead of simulated sex’ during production.” Just … argh, Hollywood. – Los Angeles Times