Category: media

“A decision from Italy’s MAXXI Museum of 21st Century Art to postpone the Italian premiere of a controversial documentary examining the ‘decline’ of Italy under the leadership of media mogul Silvio Berlusconi is sparking cries of censorship in the Italian capital.”

“It was a profoundly ill wind that blew onto the East Coast in late October … It was inevitable that filmmakers would seize on the story. The unearthly atmosphere of a blacked-out Lower Manhattan alone was enough to send would-be auteurs prowling the streets with cameras.”

“The already mistrustful relationship between moviegoer and trailer becomes even more strained during awards season, when the contenders are by and large films that deal with topics audiences would rather skip. They leave studio marketing executives and the trailer editors they hire with sensitive decisions about what to omit and what to include.”

Frank Rich: “Whatever the explanation – and little in show business happens by design – the movie industry has reconnected with the country. It has produced no fewer than four movies that have provoked animated, often rancorous public debate: Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, Lincoln, and Django Unchained, a film that pushes so many hot buttons you can’t quite believe it was made.”

Wetten, Dass …? is “a variety show with some 10 million viewers often referred to as the biggest television program in Europe. In more than three decades it has anchored itself in the German consciousness even as viewership has declined and criticism has risen, not just about the show but also about what it represents.”

“Alas, the so-called creative minds of Madison Avenue chose once again to fall back on familiar strategies and themes that would have appealed more to viewers during the Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan or Clinton administrations.”

That is, how did Super Bowl commercials become SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS?

“‘House of Cards’ is sparking thousands of mentions every hour, according to analysis by social media research firm Fizziology. About 62% of the remarks are positive, with negative conversation virtually non-existent.”

“A lot of people were spooked when they went to the studio system and discovered how many people were looking over your shoulder. It’s kind of a rude awakening.”