Article by John Meroney, who has goo-gooed over the Roy Brewer/Ronald Reagan connection in the past (namely NATIONAL REVIEW). Essentially Brewer (plus actor/John Ford regular Ward Bond) was the person Hollywood actors/writers/directors had to beg and plead with to show they weren't Communists and could they work again, please.
http://www.latimesmagazine.com/2012/02/left-in-the-past.html
Showing posts with label Elia Kazan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elia Kazan. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Friday, October 22, 2010
SALON's Matt Zoller Seitz on Mel Gibson, THE HANGOVER 2 and selective Hollywood morality.
I don't agree 100 % with Seitz' article, but it's interesting and thought-provoking enough to post the link here:
http://salon.com/a/sfBgfAA
Two passages that were particularly resonant:
"Americans are the most irritating of hypocrites: binary-minded, easily distracted scolds. We have trouble holding opposing thoughts in our heads at the same time, and we stay furious only until the next outrage pops up in the media cycle. We have staunch positions on what constitutes right and proper behavior, but only for certain people -- the people whose behavior we happen to consider beyond the pale, for whatever subjective reason -- and we reserve the right to give a pass to whoever we like, whenever we please, and to come up with pretzel-logic rationalizations justifying our inconsistency. And we've got no problem taking a nuanced view of morally challenged artists as long as they're not raising hell in the present day."
"This ongoing spectacle of the entertainment industry censuring certain artists over their private misdeeds while ignoring or rehabilitating equally troublesome characters is pathetic. Violence, substance abuse, self-destruction and general prickishness is a blight on humanity, but it's a blight that should be dealt with by police and judges, not the media or the public. Either the criminal justice system is working properly or it isn't. And whether it is or isn't, the offenses or alleged offenses have nothing to do with an artist's work, or right to work, much less our ability to engage with and appreciate said work."
http://salon.com/a/sfBgfAA
Two passages that were particularly resonant:
"Americans are the most irritating of hypocrites: binary-minded, easily distracted scolds. We have trouble holding opposing thoughts in our heads at the same time, and we stay furious only until the next outrage pops up in the media cycle. We have staunch positions on what constitutes right and proper behavior, but only for certain people -- the people whose behavior we happen to consider beyond the pale, for whatever subjective reason -- and we reserve the right to give a pass to whoever we like, whenever we please, and to come up with pretzel-logic rationalizations justifying our inconsistency. And we've got no problem taking a nuanced view of morally challenged artists as long as they're not raising hell in the present day."
"This ongoing spectacle of the entertainment industry censuring certain artists over their private misdeeds while ignoring or rehabilitating equally troublesome characters is pathetic. Violence, substance abuse, self-destruction and general prickishness is a blight on humanity, but it's a blight that should be dealt with by police and judges, not the media or the public. Either the criminal justice system is working properly or it isn't. And whether it is or isn't, the offenses or alleged offenses have nothing to do with an artist's work, or right to work, much less our ability to engage with and appreciate said work."
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Karl Malden RIP.
Karl Malden's passing at the age of 97 has just been announced.
Here's a YouTube clip from A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYmbXNKtjzI
From 1966's NEVADA SMITH, with Steve McQueen (clip has Scandinavian subtitles):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPIzLoLFlo
A fan's tribute, with numerous stills of Malden set to "It Had To Be You":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yju0o-OvaY
One of Malden's American Express ads from the 70s (caution: 16mm print with faded color):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K4seWtxEeA
Perhaps Malden's short-lived but critically acclaimed 1980 TV series about a steelworker, SKAG (created by Abby Mann), will surface on Hulu or something like it in the future.
Here's a YouTube clip from A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYmbXNKtjzI
From 1966's NEVADA SMITH, with Steve McQueen (clip has Scandinavian subtitles):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPIzLoLFlo
A fan's tribute, with numerous stills of Malden set to "It Had To Be You":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yju0o-OvaY
One of Malden's American Express ads from the 70s (caution: 16mm print with faded color):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K4seWtxEeA
Perhaps Malden's short-lived but critically acclaimed 1980 TV series about a steelworker, SKAG (created by Abby Mann), will surface on Hulu or something like it in the future.
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