First of all, argues Stuart Heritage, nobody, not even a poor old TV critic, can watch anything close to that much. Second, “Netflix is gaining a reputation as a provider that throws buckets of money at stuff nobody else wants. … Third, if this isn’t an unsustainable land-grab, I don’t know what is.”
A (Fascinating) History Of Movie Censorship In America
Several cities and states sought to curb the moral influence of movies through censorship laws. Chicago passed the first such ordinance in 1907, while Pennsylvania became the first state to enact movie censorship in 1911. These laws grew in popularity after the Supreme Court’s decision in the Mutual Film Corp. case. In its opinion, the Court ruled that movies were “not to be regarded as part of the press of the country or as organs of public opinion.” State and lower federal courts upheld this stance consistently, and by doing so, empowered censor boards.
Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue” Encapsulates Struggles For The Soul Of American Music
When the “Rhapsody” bowed, classical was seemly, jazz the outsider. By the time the jazz-band version was again in the ascendant, jazz itself had become “America’s classical music.” Now, both traditions are marginal to popular-music dominance. Near the end of the 1996 Ben Folds Five single “Underground” — a cheery, piano-pop ode to more hard-core musical subcultures — Folds, at the piano, drops in a quote from “Rhapsody in Blue.” Even the most daring cross-stylistic experiment eventually occupies just another niche. Nevertheless, the work’s competing forces still jostle for space. To perform the “Rhapsody” is, in part, an exercise in diplomacy.
Visitor Admissions Have Plunged For Two Big London Museums
The National Gallery had 6.3 million visitors in 2016, but this fell to 5.2 million last year, a drop of 17%. The NPG did much worse, with numbers decreasing from 1.9 million to 1.3 million—a fall of 35%. The data for May to December 2017, as reported in the Times newspaper, presented an even more dismal picture, with a decline for the NPG of 42%.
Chuck Klosterman: The Ways We Look At Culture Have Completely Flipped
“Being smart meant you knew about things that you didn’t experience. If you were a student of history, it meant that you understood the expanse of history. Anyone can know what’s going on right now. To be smart you have to know what came before you, and that no longer seems to exist. Now the belief is sort of: Any of that stuff can be found on the internet in five seconds. I don’t want someone telling me what the past was supposed to mean and have that inform the way I listen to music now or I watch film now. I want to eliminate the past and only exist in this perpetual state of the present.”
America’s Librarians Pressed Into The Drug War
The opioid epidemic is reshaping life in America, including at the local public library, where librarians are considering whether to carry naloxone to battle overdoses. At a time when the public is debating arming teachers, it is another example of an unlikely group being enlisted to fight a national crisis.
How Facebook’s Algorithm Tweak Wiped Out A Thriving Digital Publisher
The site Little Things, which had amassed 12 million Facebook followers, said the recent algorithm shift, which Facebook has said was designed to tamp down content that is consumed passively — and would instead emphasize posts from people’s friends and family — took out roughly 75% of LittleThings’ organic traffic while hammering its profit margins.”
In Ranking Of The World’s Top Universities, UK Comes Out On Top (Particularly In Humanities)
Seven UK universities lead the world rankings in 10 areas, with the University of Oxford top of the list for four subjects: anatomy and physiology, archaeology, English language and literature and geography. This makes it one of just three universities to perform best in more than one subject, alongside Harvard University, which comes first in 14 subjects, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which comes first in 12 subjects.
When Machines Are Reporting The News You’re Consuming
In the not-so-distant future, we will be presented with the version of the news we wish to read — not the news that some reporter, columnist or editorial board decides we need to read. And it will be entirely written by artificial intelligence (AI).
The Movie Industry’s Greatest Innovations-Gone-Wrong, From AromaRama To Astrocolor
“IMAX is hugely popular, while virtual reality movies are gaining steam. But what about film inventions that never took off? When will they get their due? … We asked four film experts to each write about a different flop. Some ideas were on the right track and would eventually be realized in one form or another. But others are probably best relegated to the dustbin of history.”
Does Anyone Really Care About The Oscars Anymore?
To revisit that stat about how few people have seen any of this year’s nominees: I keep wondering why at this point, with so many ways to watch movies on-demand or stream them, the Academy hasn’t just made the movies available for everyone to see on some platform ahead of the Oscars for some sort of fee. People are genuinely curious about, say, Lady Bird or Call Me by Your Name by the time the Oscars roll around, but don’t necessarily have access to seeing them. Sure, the devil’s advocate could argue they might have had their chance to see them when they were in wide release. But there’s also something to be said for the way our habits have changed to be conditioned to streaming from home, and that interest often isn’t piqued until, basically, right now, when the Oscars are about to happen.
Want To See More Diversity In Hollywood? Vote With Your Wallet
“To find out what moviegoers who want to advocate for diversity in Hollywood can do to help, Mic reached out to several experts in the entertainment industry.” Said one, “If Hollywood thought that its lack of representation in terms of women and people of color would cost it money, then they would change overnight. Or, if they thought it would make them money, they would be more inclined to be inclusive.” And, in fact, that’s starting to happen.
Ta-Nehisi Coates: Why I’m Writing Captain America Comics (And Why This Terrifies Me)
“Those of you who’ve never read a Captain America comic book or seen him in the Marvel movies would be forgiven for thinking of Captain America as an unblinking mascot for American nationalism. In fact, the best thing about the story of Captain America is the implicit irony.”
A Brief History Of Gospel Music
From African rhythms through early spirituals to the Hammond organ, ethnomusicologist Robert Stephens tells the story of black America’s sacred music.
Sherman Alexie Responds To Accusations Of Sexual Harassment
The celebrated Native American author “issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging that he’s hurt people over the years, addressing for the first time anonymous accusations of sexual harassment against him that have swirled on the internet for days. In breaking his silence, however, Alexie said he rejected ‘the accusations, insinuations, and outright falsehoods’ made by another writer who, while not accusing him of sexually harassing her, ‘has led charges against me,’ he said.”
Record-Setting Picasso Leads $189 Million Auction At Sotheby’s
Picasso’s Femme au béret et à la robe quadrille (1937) sold for $69.2 million, the second-highest price ever paid at auction for a single artwork in Europe. Two other Picassos, Le Matador and Tête de femme, sold together for $31.7 million. Other artist whose work sold for seven figures or more included Derain, Boccioni, Dalí, Magritte, and Lynn Chadwick.
In Two Days, A Single Firm Spends $156 Million On 13 Picassos
“Gurr Johns, which buys and sells on behalf of clients, won four pieces by the Spanish artist, totaling £73.8 million ($102.4 million) at Sotheby’s on Wednesday, according to the auction house. One day earlier, the company won at least nine other Picasso works at Christie’s, … to the tune of £38.9 million” ($53.5 million).
Sean Lavery, New York City Ballet Star, Dead At 61
“As a principal dancer with City Ballet in the late 1970s and ’80s, Mr. Lavery was described as a workhorse and, in his best performances, a wonder.” In 1986, aged only 30, he developed a spinal tumor that forced him to retire; after his recovery, he spent years as a teacher and administrator at the company.
High Court Finds German Language’s Gender Rules Unconstitutional
“The ruling – the first of its kind in Europe – found that having only two genders for official purposes was unconstitutional. The court recommended creating a third gender category for people born with ambiguous sexual traits and those who do not identify as either male or female, or even dispensing with gender altogether in public documents.”
Can Blockbuster “Panther” Movie Save Movie Theatre Business?
A movie with this type of drawing power couldn’t come at a better time for movie theater investors. Changing consumer demand has pummeled theater investments in recent times. While the S&P 500 gained 29% over the past three years, stocks for the largest film exhibitors have taken it on the chin.