Once upon a time mindless summer blockbusters could be fun. No more, writes Brian Miller. “After the opening weekend to each successive studio tent pole, nobody’s lining up around the block to catch the must-see movie two, three, or a dozen times more. That’s because there’s another new tent pole arriving each weekend that we grimly drag ourselves to see, like hamsters on a wheel. Why is that? Where has the fun gone? Into the machine, that’s where, the same self-perpetuating machine of which we all—moviegoers, critics, studio executives, directors, and stars—are a part.”
Tag: 08.13.03
Is Technology Progress Threatened?
“The defining political conflict of the 21st century is shaping up to be the battle over the future of technology. Fortunately, technological progress doesn’t just have opponents; it also has boosters. The rise of neo-Luddism is calling forth self-conscious defenders of technological progress. Growing numbers of extropians, transhumanists, futurists and others are entering the intellectual fray to do battle against the neo-Luddite activists who oppose biotechnology, nanotechnology, and new intelligence technologies.”
Toledo Museum Names New Director
San Diego Museum of Art director Don Bacigalupi has been named director of the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio. Bacigalupi is said to have rejuvenated the San Diego Museum in the four years he has been there.
Internet Providers Protest Recording Industry Tactics
A coalition of 100 internet service providers is protesting against the Recording Industry Association of America’s tactics trying to force ISP’s to turn over names of customers the RIAA suspects of downloading music. The group “contends the RIAA’s enforcement tactics would essentially force its members, such as EarthLink and America Online, to act as the ‘police of the Internet’ for the recording industry’s interests.”
Florida Phil Rescue Plan Abandoned
Supporters of the Florida Philharmonic working to revive the bankrupt orchestra announced they are abandoning their efforts. “The Philharmonic reorganization team, unable to raise enough money to save the symphony, will try instead to purchase the orchestra’s music library in the hope that it will provide the seed for a future Philharmonic in South Florida. But assembling a new orchestra will take more than a music library and may be more difficult than the fundraising effort the group abandoned.”
San Jose Artists Oppose Funding Idea
San Jose, California arts groups are opposing an offer by the city’s mayor to be funded out of the city’s general budget rather than from a hotel-motel tax (which was sharply down this year. “Once you get into the general fund, you are then competing with police, fire, recreation. And the arts, whether you look at the state or the schools, are always the first to get cut. So if the arts have a dedicated source, like the transient occupancy tax, why would we want to jeopardize that?”
Protesting The Disposable DVD
Environmentalists are protesting Disney’s plans to begin producing disposable DVDs. “The DVDs are designed for those who find renting inconvenient. Sealed in an airtight package, the DVD is usable for two days once opened. A customer can watch the flick as often as they want during that time period. When the time expires, bonding resin on the DVD reacts with the air around it, making the DVD unreadable.”
Music Giants To Merge?
Two of the big five music recording companies – Warner and BMG – are in final negotiations to merge. “The industry heavyweights are negotiating the nuts and bolts of combining their recorded music empires but are closing in on an agreement that would create the world’s second-biggest music company, the sources said.”
See The Concert, Buy The Music
“Throughout this event-heavy summer, live concerts are being recorded onto discs and sold shortly after the performances. Post-concert CDs are typically two- or three-disc sets that sell for about $20 each. Few major acts have agreed to participate in this new concert merchandising segment, and most of the activity is taking place at small venues. Revenue has been modest. Still, two high-profile concert-CD startup companies believe they can eventually win the faith of the industry’s biggest names.”
Burnout On Creativity
This summer Canada lost its “most inviting art magazine and interesting cinema.” Why? “Burnout. Principal founders hit the wall following years of pouring staggering amounts of energy into cultural projects that offered poverty-level financial returns. ‘We got exhausted and infuriated. Any one factor would not be enough to close down the magazine, but if you add it all together’…”