deals from the likes of Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro." The Independent (UK)01/25/05 Posted: 01/25/2005 9:43 pm
Levy Wins WhitbreadSmall Island, Andrea Levy's affectionate, Orange prize-winning comedy of errors, misunderstandings and prejudice at the onset of West Indian immigration to Britain, was last night voted Whitbread book of the year.The Guardian (UK)01/26/05 Posted: 01/25/2005 9:16 pm
London's Favorite Book?According to a Time Out poll, it's a gudiebook. "The London A-Z street atlas, first published in 1936, yesterday beat volumes by Virginia Woolf, Evelyn Waugh, Joseph Conrad, Zadie Smith and Peter Ackroyd to come in at number five in a poll of the 30 best-loved London books."The Guardian (UK)01/25/05 Posted: 01/25/2005 9:14 pm
Hugh Grant On Being A Literary Prize Judge"Grant, whose only literary claim to fame had been playing a bookseller in 'Notting Hill,' confessed that he felt like a student back at Oxford University when put under pressure to read the finalists for the Whitbread Book of the Year award. Asked if he felt insulted by critics who argue it is dumbing down to choose celebrity judges for big literary awards, he told Reuters at Tuesday's awards ceremony: 'It is not insulting to me. I am very dumb as everyone knows'."Yahoo! (Reuters)01/25/05 Posted: 01/25/2005 8:44 pm
Do "Genius" Awards Help A Career?How effective are the MacArthur "Geniue Awards" that give recipients $500,000 to use as they see fit? "An examination of the program reveals that most of the 31 writers chosen since 1981 as MacArthur Fellows had already hit their artistic peak. Surveying book reviews, author profiles and the opinions of literary scholars, Crain's determined that 88% of the MacArthur recipients wrote their greatest works before being recognized by the Chicago-based foundation. The sheer number of books produced by the writers declined, too, after their MacArthur awards."ChicagoBusiness01/24/05 Posted: 01/25/2005 8:55 am
Movie Studios At Oscar Time - MIA"It's a funny thing, but today's movie studios are no longer in the Oscar business. If there's one common thread among this year's five best picture nominees, it's that they were largely financed by outside investors. Most of the nominees aren't even classic outside-the-system indie movies. They're artistic gambles financed by entrepreneurs. If you want serious cash on the barrelhead for an Oscar picture today, you have to find yourself a cinematic sugar daddy willing to foot the bill."Los Angeles Times01/26/05 Posted: 01/26/2005 6:49 am
Studios: Kids Yes, Oscar-Quality NoSo where are the movie studios at Oscar time, asks Kenneth Turan? Off making money with the kids. "To see how completely the studios have abandoned the adult audience — for what are Oscar-type films, if not films made with those people in mind — just look at the origins of the five pictures with the most nominations. For the reality is that none of them have any but the most tangential relationships to the majors, if they have any relationship at all."Los Angeles Times01/26/05 Posted: 01/26/2005 6:44 am
Politics And Oscar's Best Picture?Why were Fahrenheit 911 and "The Passion of the Christ" left off Oscar's Best Picture list? "As with almost everything to do with both of these pictures, few can agree about why they were left out. While arcane academy rules and the vagaries of Oscar campaigns seem to have worked against Moore and Gibson, some insiders argue that Oscar balloting is a relatively straightforward meritocracy — the community simply liked other pictures better. Others point to a lingering distaste among some voters for Mel Gibson's public pronouncements during the film's release publicity campaign."Los Angeles Times01/26/05 Posted: 01/26/2005 6:43 am
Oscar's Predilection For BiopicsHow come three of this year's Oscar Best Picture nominees are biopics? "Filmmakers haven't been bitten by the bug responsible for reality television. They just know that the odds of getting a statuette have always been greater for film biography than for any other movie genre."Philadelphia Inquirer01/26/05 Posted: 01/26/2005 6:43 am
Congress Considers Upping Broadcast FinesThe US Congress will consider increasing "indecency" fines on broadcasters. "Fines of up to $500,000 (£266,582) could be imposed each time broadcasters transmit nudity or profanities. The proposal, unveiled in the House of Representatives, also seeks to revoke a broadcaster's licence after three violations have been committed."BBC01/26/05 Posted: 01/26/2005 6:35 am
How Podcasting Will Change Radio"Radio executives can afford to write off podcasters now because there just aren't enough listeners to make it a worthwhile. But when 20,000 "high-value demographic" listeners regularly tune into a show, that show will attract advertisers. And advertisers will attract radio stations. It's a trend I call "program backdooring" -- where the show will develop enough of an audience to make a 'real' radio station take notice."Radio College01/05 Posted: 01/25/2005 8:25 pm
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Are The Oscars Losing Their Allure?"The glaring problem facing the Oscars is that when you have too many contests, one on top of the other, they begin to cancel each other out. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the statues, has tried to ease the problem by shortening the season in the last couple of years, moving its ceremony to late February from a customary slot in late March. But relentless campaigning still yields grueling political elections without much surprise. A collective yawn has begun to rise. A cover story in this week's Variety traces the long-term decline in the television ratings of all awards shows, including the Oscars. The consensus is that the format desperately needs overhaul."The New York Times01/26/05 Posted: 01/25/2005 7:07 pm
