MEDIA

“It lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth. Its narrative structure is gimmicky. The writing is abysmal. None of the characters has convincing motivation for their actions or words. There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible.” - London Review of Books

A message on X (Twitter) “included a high-quality version of the film, as confirmed by Variety, and climbed to over 2.1 million views within two and a half hours.” - Variety

“Short-form, vertical video has effectively won the internet. Business is booming, and viewers show no sign of tuning out.” - The Verge

How is public media surviving? Rural stations are - perhaps ironically - hardest hit by the federal defunding. - NPR

The FOMO is real. “Complicating things further for The Odyssey is that it’s available in so many premium formats—six, altogether—that the film’s official website includes a guide to their various strengths and aspect ratios.” - Wired

This is all about Ryan Gosling’s wrist. - CBC

“The firm had been aiming to close the deal by September but agreed to table its takeover — perhaps until next spring — to allow a fiercer than expected challenge from California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and 11 other Democratic state attorneys general to advance to trial.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

“Everything about Imax is annoying. The prices are outrageous. Screenings often fill up as soon as they go on sale. … Yet the hysteria exists for a reason and it isn’t just screen size.” - Vulture

“In the complaint, Warner says that ‘Amazon has chosen to ride on the coattails of other well-established Hollywood mainstays,’ and that it engaged in a ‘lawless employee shopping spree.’” - The Verge

According to a court filing from Friday, the companies have agreed to pause the transaction until five days after the court issues a final decision on the merger, or until June 1, 2027. - Barron's (MSN)

The renewal email included one sentence in all caps: “THIS PRICE WAS SET BY AN ALGORITHM USING YOUR PERSONAL DATA.” - NiemanLab

If you look closer, this has actually been one of the most innovative decades that cinema has ever seen. Whether down to technology or desperation, the film industry has spent these last few years figuring out new ways to make films that simply could not have existed even at the turn of the decade. - The Guardian

Of late, Netflix’s investors have been shocked to find that viewers aren’t returning for the second seasons of even some of its biggest hits. - Slate

This mapping of contemporary Western values onto the plot of a Greek epic poem is the true artistic project of Mr. Nolan’s film, and it makes for a better political debate than anything about colorblind casting or imagined D.E.I. - The New York Times

For consumers, the most noticeable change is that NPR and local stations are constantly reminding people that the federal money is gone and asking them to become a supporter or to increase their gift. - NPR