ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

MEDIA

An Irish-Language Film Has Become An Unlikely Hit In The British Isles

The Quiet Girl (original title An Cailín Ciúin) "has astonished the industry by quadrupling the previous record for an Irish language film, and by last week earning more than €610,000 since its release in mid-May."  Small numbers by Hollywood standards, but huge for a foreign-language film in that market. - The Guardian

Cuban Exiles Sue Netflix For Defamation Over “Wasp Network”

"Brothers to the Rescue leader Jose Basulto alleges Netflix and Ossayas falsely depicted him as a puppet of the United States and traitor to Cuba while romanticizing the criminal activity conducted by Fidel Castro's regime." - The Hollywood Reporter

In The Wake Of Mass Shootings, Showrunners Pledge To Depict Guns Differently

"A group of 200 top writers, producers and directors have signed an open letter backed by the Brady gun violence organization that includes a pledge to incorporate gun safety best practices into their shows and to scrutinize the use of firearms in storytelling." - Variety

Lightyear Is The Latest Movie Banned In Saudi Arabia And Other Countries

The censorious countries can't stand that Lightyear contains a nanosecond of a same-sex kiss, of course. - The Hollywood Reporter

A British Documentarian Says Social Media Gives Traditionally Marginalized People A Voice

Asif Kapadia also says that he wishes he'd discussed mental health more while making the Amy Winehouse documentary Amy. - The Observer (UK)

In Disney’s Latest Shake-Up, Heir Apparent Peter Rice Is Summarily Fired

Fascinating, if you like to follow the kingpins at The Mouse: "Rice, a widely admired TV veteran, was dismissed over issues of 'cultural fit,' according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment." - Los Angeles Times

How A New Disney Show May Change Muslim Representation On TV, Forever

In the comics, Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)'s "infectious charm and steadfast strength slayed her nemeses in vivid color through the pages, her character unapologetically bucking the negative stereotypes impressed upon Muslim Americans." The TV show may do the same. - HuffPost

Spotify Claims It’s Making Millions From Podcasts

Of course, it's also paying out millions (and there are the people who left the service over its podcasting contracts with right-wing figures). But the company believes they'll start making a profit from podcasts, and their associated ads, very soon. - The Hollywood Reporter

Public Broadcasters Found New Space During The Pandemic

As offices relocated to, well, every employee's home, a lot of new and relatively inexpensive space opened up across the country. Public media took notice. - Current

Australia’s National Broadcaster Is Sacking Almost All Of Its Archivists

"Archivists and librarians at the ABC are in shock after management unveiled plans to abolish 58 positions and make journalists research and archive their own stories. ... The research library staff will continue to help investigative programs ... but will not be available to assist daily news or ABC co-productions." - The Guardian

What The Original Jurassic Park Did For Women In Science

Laura Dern: "I’ve had the luxury of spending these 20-some odd years with young women coming up to me and talking about how they went into science or tech or marine biology and myriad other professions because of Ellie Sattler." - The New York Times

NPR Fills Audie Cornish’s Host Chair At “All Things Considered”

"Juana Summers, a veteran political correspondent whose peripatetic career has taken her to news media start-ups including Mashable and traditional news organizations such as The Associated Press" as well as at NPR, "will start on June 27." - The New York Times

Facing Protests, Britain’s Largest Cinema Chain Cancels A Film About The Prophet Muhammad’s Daughter

The Lady of Heaven, about Fatima and her husband Ali (the first Shia imam), was written by a Shia cleric and seems intended to be reverent. But following angry protests calling the movie blasphemous and sectarian, the Cineworld chain has pulled it from screens. - BBC

After 44 Years, Carol Burnett Is Returning To Regular Series TV

While she has done repeating guest-star roles and specials (and the unforgettable miniseries Fresno), the 89-year-old actress has not had a regular role in a series since her variety show ended in 1978. Burnett will star alongside Kristen Wiig in the Apple comedy series Mrs. American Pie. - The Hollywood Reporter

Ira Glass Worries That We’re Losing The War Against Disinformation

The US – like many other Western nations – has gone from a place “where it seemed like some sort of consensus was possible”, to a new order in which “​​every cultural and political moment of significance gets interpreted in two radically different ways”, with there being “very little overlap”, said Glass. - New Statesman

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss

function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');