No pressure, but if this movie doesn’t do well, Hollywood might force itself back into its (extremely long lasting, tight, and transparent) closet, or at least that’s the threat. “Rocketman trails glitter — a million Swarovski crystals adorn the costumes and eyewear — and depicts gay sex, a first for a major studio.” (In 2019, y’all. 2019.) – The New York Times
Category: media
One Talent Agency Breaks Ranks, Sides With Writers
Will this start some dominos falling or reinforce the agencies’ intransigence? “Verve, a young Los Angeles agency focusing primarily on writers, is the biggest agency so far to make peace with the opposition, though it is far smaller than the four major Hollywood agencies that are at the center of the fight.” – Los Angeles Times
For Decades, Cuba Exported Radio Soap Operas – And Now Their Post-Revolution Successors Are Going Digital
Plot twists, bingeing, and deep curiosity about characters are nothing new. Cuba exported tons of radionovelas, as they were called, from the 1930s through the 1950s. After the Revolution, “Cuban emigrés in Miami began making original Spanish-language radio soap operas … that reportedly ran on more than 200 stations worldwide. The Latin American Library at Tulane University is now digitizing a whopping collection of those 1960s-era programs and encouraging academic study of Cold War soaps.” You know, just like we “academic study” Game of Thrones. – NPR
As More Commercial Movies Flood Cannes, Deals Follow
There is, however, downward pressure on the market – which may eventually hit actors, directors, and everyone else working on films in the pocketbook. And – let’s face it – Disney is a challenge. “U.S. distribution is still a big issue. There are fewer studios now that Disney has purchased Fox, and most of the major companies are more interested in remaking past hits or backing sequels to long-running franchises than they are with buying an unknown property in the script stage out of Cannes.” – Variety
The Endless Discussions Of Game Of Thrones Won’t Stop Tomorrow
The show, which has earned a lot more viewers in its contentious final season, “was a mass-market hit for the era of no social consensus. … It divided its audience from start to finish, right down to the matter of what a happy ending would even constitute. It gave its intense fandom multiple angles to debate as well as to enjoy: whether it kept faith with the popular novels it was based on; whether it reveled in brutality in the name of critiquing it; whether it well-served its female characters or exploited them; and whether it lost control of its story as it sprinted to the finish.” – The New York Times
U.S. Film Companies Haven’t Entirely Given Up On Foreign Films
It’s true that those movies don’t make much money. “The movies may be great, but the financial returns just aren’t there. If a foreign movie makes more than $2 million in the States, as Magnolia’s Shopkeepers and Amazon Studios’ Cold War ($4.6 million) did last year, that’s considered a big success.” But some studios – and definitely Amazon and Netflix – are interested. – Variety
What Public TV And Radio Learned About Members And How They Support Public Media
“The age of 58 — and whether a member is older or younger — is the generational divide between donors who want more on-demand programs and those who are less likely to know that those programs are even available. It also correlates to how much members are willing to pay and what would inspire them to pay more.” – Current
LGBT-Themed Film In Indonesia Causes National Moral Panic
“[Garin Nugroho’s] Memories of My Body follows four stages in the life of Juno, a young boy in a Central Java village who becomes infatuated by the lengger lanang, a traditional dance that often has male dancers taking the role of female dancers.” Indonesian films with LGBT themes have been released in the past with little incident, but this one has been banned by cities, denounced by politicians, and garnered its director death threats. – The Guardian
A Thorough Takedown Of The New NPR Morning Edition Theme
“The theme is not a gentle salve for the American underslept; it is several swimming pools of Red Bull, delivered via helicopter drop, to a stadium full of management consultants. … Now Monday Night Football is played on Thursday nights, Meet the Press airs every weekday, and Morning Edition blasts you with frenetic electronica. No wonder people are pissed.” – The Atlantic
From YouTube To Hollywood: Short Is The New Thing
“Once the purview of DIY YouTubers and aspiring creatives looking for a big break, short-form now commands a deep well of resources – the backing of major studios, streaming-service budgets and top talent. And as the slate of original content continues to expand, scripted short-form TV may become the most contested battleground for heavyweight tech and content companies, as everyone from Snap to YouTube to Sundance TV compete for a quarter-hour snippet of attention.” – The Guardian