Category: media

This is what happens, the director says, “when you choose to take Elton John’s story and turn it into a phantasmagorical dancing play rather than a standard biographical picture.” Bring on the glitter. – Vulture

So here’s how Fox (successfully!) argued for putting the show in the variety special (live) category, after the broadcast turned out to be somewhat previously taped due to injury: “Although an unforeseen injury dictated that only a portion of Rent was broadcast live, the entire program was performed in front of live audience without edit or interruption. The TV audience was able to experience the production as intended by our extraordinary cast and crew.” – Variety

The paper that plays a major role in the series and new movie, The Black Hills Pioneer, is real, and it’s still around … and you can read the archives. “The editorial voice of the paper stayed constant. It reads more like a blog than a modern newspaper: There’s no faux-disinterested ‘view from above’; the Pioneer is clearly the product of specific people with a specific point of view.” – Slate

Advocates for net neutrality say it just needs a big push from the public – support is high, and no one believes the FCC. But on the Senate floor, Mitch McConnell says legislation restoring net neutrality is “dead on arrival.” – Wired

Taron Egerton wrote on Instagram, “‘I, in no way, condone this decision and feel disappointed I wasn’t made aware and given the chance to fight this move. Love is love. No compromises.’ He also added a rainbow emoji.” Elton John and others have also condemned Russian film censors for removing what one Russian film critic called, “a principled five minutes, very important for artistic purpose.” – The Guardian (UK)

That wasn’t 100 percent the plan when comedian Ali Wong and actor Randall Park wrote and starred in Always Be My Maybe, but … well. “As writers and producers they give an unprecedented array of Asian American experiences space to exist in … a film that portrays the rich diversity and texture of Bay Area life within the bounds of a modern-day rom-com.” – Los Angeles Times

Let’s look a little more deeply into Avengers: Endgame. (Yes, it’s been covered, but this is different.) “It’s a reality-bending cultural phenomenon that proudly wallows in its own mind-numbing hugeness. It’s the biggest possible participatory advertisement for two of the most powerful brands in the entertainment industry. It’s an irresistible pop-culture overload, produced and marketed by people with an almost preternatural understanding of what we find enjoyable.” – Los Angeles Review of Books

“There have only been a few filmmakers who have gone into an old genre and created a new universe out of it. … But those Italian guys — Sergio Leone, Sergio Corbucci, Duccio Tessari and Franco Giraldi — did it best. They mostly started off as critics and worked their way up to screenwriters. And then they became the second unit guys, the guys that deliver the action. You have to go to the French New Wave to find a group of men who loved cinema as much as they did — except Leone and the others had a thriving film industry they could work their way into.” – The Spectator (UK)

On Tuesday, Netflix issued a cautious statement of concern; on Wednesday, Disney warned a bit more strongly. By late Thursday, WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal, and AMC Networks had made their disapproval clear, while Sony Pictures and Viacom made statements that were more circumspect, though hardly supportive of the Georgia lawmakers who passed the anti-abortion law. – Variety

Director Martin Scorsese thinks so. When you remove wrinkles and smooth out eyes, aren’t you losing crucial expressive elements of an actor’s performance? – The Guardian