The deal was to take the Weinstein company name off, and donate future from, the film Wind River to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. “For the center, which is run out of a woodstove-heated bungalow in snow-swept Lame Deer, Mont., this was a potentially huge boon. The nonprofit addresses violence against Native American women, runs a national helpline for domestic violence survivors, and provides assistance to tribes and tribal programs across the country.” Now, they’re likely to see nothing. – The New York Times
Category: media
James Baldwin Deserves Better Than Barry Jenkins’ ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’
Sure, it’s a nice celebration of two young Black people in love, but: “It has been defanged, declawed—and Baldwin’s novel works precisely because of those jagged, painful edges.” – LitHub
Britain’s Film Academy Diversified Its Membership, And Its Awards May That Change
As the BAFTAs approach, they’ll be the “first to take place since the organisation introduced a new set of eligibility rules, designed to increase diversity in the films it honours” Will that change things? – The Guardian (UK)
‘MoviePass Does Still Exist. They’re Just A Little Harder To Find These Days.’
A reporter finds — after a lot of walking around, and behind a very inconspicuous door — the current offices of “one of the most glorious burnouts in corporate history.” The execs, he finds, are quite aware of their mistakes but determined to keep going, because they proved that “there is a massive group of people — into the millions — who are interested in moviegoing subscriptions.” — The Ringer
What Makes Television About History Succeed?
“Television’s scale and range testify to a remarkable level of public engagement with the past. And this makes it an excellent medium for history. The formats, so different from a textbook or monograph, often leave academic historians uneasy. A lecture-style delivery transferred to the screen is more palatable to many than anything that risks sensationalising or romanticising. … [But] drama and comedy are safety nets for catching those who hated history at school.” — History Today
Ben Hecht Hated Hollywood. He Also Helped Create Two Of Its Most Important Genres
“The best screenwriter in Hollywood was contemptuous of movies as an art form (‘an outhouse on the Parnassus,’ Hecht declared), and had little trust in the wisdom of studio bosses and producers (‘nitwits on a par with the lower run of politicians I had known’).” Nevertheless, Jean-Luc Godard said in 1968, “he invented eighty per cent of what is used in Hollywood movies today.” — The New Yorker
Doctors: Families Should Ban Screens From Dinner Table, Bedtime
“We know that children notice if their parents are paying attention to them and we do know that one in five children wakes up at night to check their phone for social media messages and interrupted sleep decreases their quality of education the next day. So there isn’t a cause and effect, but there seems to be an association and that’s why we’ve been very cautious in making very bold statements about the harms.” – BBC
Fortnite Now Has 200 Million Users. It’s Not Just A Game – It’s Become A Community-Building Platform
Fortnite’s most significant achievement may be the role it has come to play in the lives of millions. For these players, Fortnite has become a daily social square – a digital mall or virtual afterschool meetup that spans neighborhoods, cities, countries and continents. This role is powered by Fortnite’s free availability, robust voice chat, cross-platform functionality, and collaborative gameplay. Accordingly, examples abound of kids, adults and families simply hanging out or catching up on Fortnite while they play. – Redef
Spotify Buys Podcast Producer Gimlet Media
“In announcing its fourth-quarter earnings, the Stockholm company said it had acquired Gimlet Media, the studio behind the popular podcasts Crimetown, Reply All and StartUp, and Anchor, which makes tools for recording and distributing podcasts. Financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed.” — The New York Times
Why The Academy’s Attempt To Shorten The Oscars Telecast Is Wrongheaded (And Probably Futile)
“The Academy’s thinking is that awards for Sound Editing and Documentary Short eat up minutes and help push the show’s barnstorming conclusion — winners in the lead acting, directing, and Best Picture categories — later into the night. But that was also the case when the Oscars’ ratings were high. The Academy Awards are meant to be about more than giving airtime to famous people; they’re fundamentally about recognizing the hard work and magic that goes into every level of filmmaking, from development to postproduction. Instead, the 2019 show is being optimized for a more casual viewing audience that’s been slowly diminishing anyway.” — The Atlantic