And, famously, short story writers. Why? “It’s a chance to bring together a wide cast of characters at a time when the sense of occasion allows them and the novelist to take the long view of their lives.” – The Guardian (UK)
Blog
No Surprises In Star Wars’ Dominance Of The Box Office
Despite rather lackluster reviews, the film is on track to take in almost $400 million internationally. And wow, does that benefit Disney. “Disney said that it had booked The Rise of Skywalker into 4,300 cinemas in the United States and Canada, including 415 IMAX screens and 3,200 3-D locations. Theaters typically keep about 55 percent of ticket sales, with the balance going to studios. But Disney will receive about 65 percent of ticket sales for The Rise of Skywalker, in keeping with the onerous contracts it negotiated for previous Star Wars films.” – The New York Times
The Chaotic Glories Of A Real Department Store
Perhaps many of us – at least those who depend on Amazon and the wide world of other online shopping options – have forgotten, but department stores still exist. At least, a few do. “To study the decline of department-store retail is to study the erosion of the middle class. … Department stores provided one-stop shopping for consumers who had time and money to spend—just not too much of either. But stagnant wages mean stagnant spending.” – The Atlantic
A Digital Update For ‘Cats’
Perhaps that won’t improve its dismal showing at the box office this weekend, but at least it might improve the moviegoing experience. Director Tom Hooper “has been upfront about the fact that he barely finished the CGI-heavy Cats in time for the Dec. 16 world premiere in New York City, and subsequently wanted to make more tweaks to certain effects, according to sources.” So it looks like he did. – The Hollywood Reporter
Abbey Simon, Pianist Who Interpreted The Romantics With Breathtaking Skill, Has Died At 99
Simon “was often called a pianist’s pianist — greatly admired by musicians and critics if not strictly a household name. Known in particular for his interpretations of the Romantic literature, he was lauded for the fleetness of his fingers, the lightness of his tone and the thoughtfulness of his interpretations.” – The New York Times
Building A Better (Well, Bigger) Sistine Chapel
It’s for Netflix, y’all. For The Two Popes. – Los Angeles Times
A Landline Lamentation
Roger Cohen misses the world of the landline. “In the landline world there was down time. You left the house, you looked around, you saw people, you daydreamed, you got lost, you found your way again, you gazed from the train window at lines of poplars swaying in the mist. Time drifted. It was not raw material for the extraction of productivity. It stretched away, an empty canvas.” – The New York Times
So How Exactly Did They Get Carrie Fisher, Who Died In 2016, Into The New Star Wars Movie?
The movie was supposed to be about her, or be “her movie,” according to The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams. But she died long before this one started shooting. The way it worked was a reminder to everyone, writers and photographers and videographers, to save edited scenes. “‘Originally the frustration I felt at cutting out these scenes that we had shot in ‘Force Awakens,’’ Abrams says, ‘were suddenly the relief that we needed in prepping ‘The Rise of Skywalker.’'” – Washington Post
Vienna Ballet Academy Fires Director Over Abuse Claims
The academy had given its students “insufficient medical and therapeutic care,” a commission set up by the Austrian government, said in a report issued on Tuesday. There also seemed to be “no awareness” that it had a responsibility for its students’ health. The decision to effectively dismiss Simona Noja-Nebyla was announced in a news release on Friday by the company that oversees all of Austria’s federal theaters. – The New York Times
What Classical Music Needs To Do About Climate Change
Welcome work by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Research examines all the areas of impact touring has on the environment and recognises that the issue is complex: it cannot be solved by planting a set number of trees per tour. From audiences travelling to concerts to the power required by the halls, this crisis is the responsibility of all of us. Everyone must be conscious of their behaviour and acknowledge the active part they have to play. Planning permission for all new concert halls, for example, should only be given if the buildings will be carbon neutral. Existing concert halls must make radical changes to ensure they are as close to carbon neutral as possible. – The Guardian