Friday, November 29, 2002 Where Are The Women? There seem to be more high-profile women in the movies these days. But that doesn’t mean there are more women in movies. In a recent study, women accounted for 25 percent of all characters in the top 250 films released in 2001. “That is about five percentage … Continue reading “Media: November 2002”
Thursday October 31 DOING THINGS THE CALGARY WAY: To most Canadians, Calgary, Alberta, is the Cowboy City, a remote Western outpost boasting plenty of corporate bigwigs and independent-minded entrepreneurs, but little in the way of such traditional urban accessories as culture, art, or music. That view of the city appeared to be supported by last … Continue reading “Music: October 2002”
Monday September 30 SIN-TILLATING: New-style censorship companies edit out what they consider to be objectionable parts of movies and make them available to clients. One company – CleanFlicks – says “we love movies, but prefer to watch them without the sex, nudity, profanity or extreme violence.” Now Hollywood is suing, saying no one has the … Continue reading “Media: September 2002”
Friday August 30 RIGHT TO EDIT: A video store chain that edits profanity, violence and sex from films asked a judge Thursday to rule the practice is legal, despite protests by such directors as Robert Redford and Steven Spielberg. Nando Times (AP) 08/30/02 Previously: WE WANT OUR SEX AND VIOLENCE! Hollywood directors are looking into … Continue reading “Media: August 2002”
Wednesday July 31 YOUR RIGHTS THREATENED: US lawmakers are seriously considering legislation that would allow movie and music companies to hack into personal computers to check for content. “Maybe this grotesque legislation will die the death it deserves, once sensible people understand the consequences. But if it or something similar goes through, its passage will … Continue reading “Media: July 2002”
Wednesday July 31 THE WORLD’S LARGEST CHAMBER MUSIC FEST: The Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival is the largest chamber music fest in the world. “Last year, with 106 concerts, attendance reached 57,000.” How did the nine-year-old festival get so popular? Director Julian Armour says “he has succeeded by refusing to pander to his public, with … Continue reading “Music: July 2002”
Monday July 1 THE MOVIE SUMMER: The summer movie season is beating all box office records. So far, from May 2 to June 23 box office is up 27.5% over last year. “A key factor this summer is that the hit films are generally playing stronger and longer, unlike last year, when spectacular first weekend … Continue reading “Media: June 2002”
Friday May 31 THE DEATH OF INDEPENDENT FILM? “Making movies is not the same as it used to be. The golden era of ’80s and early-’90s American independents, in which directors like Jim Jarmusch, John Sayles, and Good Machine-nurtured auteurs such as Hartley, Lee, and Todd Haynes flourished, is no longer possible. Where there once … Continue reading “Media: May 2002”
Tuesday April 30 ANIMATED ENTHUSIASMS: Last year’s biggest-grossing movie was an animated feature. More recent top ten movie grosses show three animated films on the list. Animation is hot. Sydney Morning Herald 04/30/02 TV PROGRAMMING – JUST PICK ONE: Four out of five TV series fail. And fail fast – sometimes in just a few … Continue reading “Media: April 2002”
Tuesday April 30 WHERE BOOKS DO BUSINESS: Publishers and bookstore owners gather in New York for BookExpo America, the industry’s annual confab. The gathering is “the place where the publishing industry most clearly demonstrates the obsession with merchandise and marketing. Publishers often upstage each other with spectacles that are a far cry from the solitary … Continue reading “Publishing: April 2002”
