Category: media

“Hoping to capitalize on America’s littlest TV addicts, the latest crop of summer camps are borrowing themes from popular shows. In place of kayaking, swimming and capturing the flag, campers are solving crimes, playing with polymers and honing their kitchen-knife skills.”

“We no longer simply consume marketing campaigns; we’ve become active participants in them, as can be seen in the recent trend in transmedia storytelling.”

Julie Taymor’s soon-to-open adaptation, starring Helen Mirren as Prospera [sic], is but the latest cinematic re-imagining of Shakespeare’s romance: there have been unconventional versions by Paul Mazursky, Derek Jarman, and Peter Greenaway (Prospero’s Books, starring a naked John Gielgud).

“There’s a perception that newspapers no longer employ TV critics, which is wrong,” Young says. “A shift has been happening, but it’s slighter than you would think. Four years before the big consolidations and layoffs, (writers from) daily newspapers were only about 50%-55% of our membership. Now they represent about 45%-50%.”

“While Hollywood rushes dozens of 3-D movies to the screen — nearly 60 are planned in the next two years, including “Saw VII” and “Mars Needs Moms!” — a rebellion among some filmmakers and viewers has been complicating the industry’s jump into the third dimension.”

“In today’s media-saturated culture, a film that polarizes its audience is often a film on its way to hitdom. When people argue vociferously about a new movie, the talk alone is the best possible promotion. If you haven’t seen the movie, you’re on the outside, wanting to get in on the action.”

“Tere Bin Laden (‘Without You Laden’) has grossed more than $2m in India, despite having a first-time director and initially only being shown on 344 screens. … The film recouped its budget in India alone and has made a further £200,000 in the UK, Middle East and Australia, despite limited releases.”

Ben Stiller’s character in Greenberg is “a needy and casually abusive schmuck, a socially awkward and obsessive crank. And if you need any more clues to the extent of his pathological loserdom, here’s one: He doesn’t drive. … Once we all buy into the idea that the car is freedom, not having a car reads as a form of clingy, needy dependency.”

“Today, the median age of viewers of all networks except the CW is over 45. Not surprisingly, young people are more likely to go online or rely on the DVR to watch their favorite shows, the report notes. But, the report says, two other developments might be more significant.”

“The growing use of the internet for viewing has made licensing TV sets outdated, according to right-wing think tank the Adam Smith Institute. The BBC’s current TV services could still exist with more flexible methods of funding, its report adds.”