Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Re film critic Armond White and the New York Film Critics Circle's expulsion of him.
From Walter Biggins, writing for the late Roger Ebert's website:
And even if you accept that White—or if not White, the tablemates that he failed to control—behaved badly at an awards ceremony, does that offense necessitate an emergency meeting, much less an outright dismissal from a group in which was a three-time president and dues-paying member? Isn't this a behavioral issue that could have been solved by disinviting White and his entourage from future dinners, or perhaps asking the wait staff and security at next year's dinner to keep an eye on White's table and nip any problems in the bud before they had a chance to become problems?
Even if we agree that rude behavior at awards dinners is unacceptable—and I do—what does it have to do with anything beyond the dinners themselves?
Nothing.
White has always lacked decorum, often to his detriment. He can be appallingly childish. But this contretemps exposes a deeper, more systemic childishness, an unwillingness to tolerate dissenting opinion under the guise of promoting "respect" and decorum. Sometimes it is decorum itself that is stifling, that shuts down debate, that maintains a harmful status quo, and that needs to be dismantled so that rigorous, full-bodied, multifaceted criticism can flourish. Isn't that what a critics' circle should be striving toward?
A link to the entirety of Biggins' article:
http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/in-defense-of-armond-white
And even if you accept that White—or if not White, the tablemates that he failed to control—behaved badly at an awards ceremony, does that offense necessitate an emergency meeting, much less an outright dismissal from a group in which was a three-time president and dues-paying member? Isn't this a behavioral issue that could have been solved by disinviting White and his entourage from future dinners, or perhaps asking the wait staff and security at next year's dinner to keep an eye on White's table and nip any problems in the bud before they had a chance to become problems?
Even if we agree that rude behavior at awards dinners is unacceptable—and I do—what does it have to do with anything beyond the dinners themselves?
Nothing.
White has always lacked decorum, often to his detriment. He can be appallingly childish. But this contretemps exposes a deeper, more systemic childishness, an unwillingness to tolerate dissenting opinion under the guise of promoting "respect" and decorum. Sometimes it is decorum itself that is stifling, that shuts down debate, that maintains a harmful status quo, and that needs to be dismantled so that rigorous, full-bodied, multifaceted criticism can flourish. Isn't that what a critics' circle should be striving toward?
A link to the entirety of Biggins' article:
http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/in-defense-of-armond-white
Before HER, there was MAKING MR. RIGHT.
Spike Jonze's overrated, overlong, meant to be deep-thought-wistful-with-raunch-on-side HER isn't the first film to deal with humanity falling in love with technology.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093477/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Susan Seidelman's 1987 not-a-hit followup to DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN is a better comedy/social commentary on the subject--and a thoughtful feminist statement as well.
It's worth a look--either on DVD or ancient VHS tape.
Here's a trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOHNuFAVI7I
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093477/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Susan Seidelman's 1987 not-a-hit followup to DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN is a better comedy/social commentary on the subject--and a thoughtful feminist statement as well.
It's worth a look--either on DVD or ancient VHS tape.
Here's a trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOHNuFAVI7I
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Sharing a review of my poetry book 20 GREATEST HITS.
Happy to see this review for my book 20 GREATEST HITS: POEMS 1997-2004 from Frank Mundo.
Here's a link to it: http://www.examiner.com/article/book-review-20-greatest-hits-poems-1997-2004-by-terry-mccarty
Here's a link to it: http://www.examiner.com/article/book-review-20-greatest-hits-poems-1997-2004-by-terry-mccarty
Monday, January 6, 2014
Lady Gaga explains for you difference between real and Showbiz friends.
Quote from singer/performer Lady Gaga:
"My heart breaks from the people I have trusted and loved who I've worked so closely with, who have used me, lied to me, worked me into the ground for the personal gain," she wrote. "When I woke up in the hospital after my surgery, there were many people that were not there. My health did not matter. I did not matter unless I could perform. This is a very hard lesson."
Read more here:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/lady-gaga-hints-at-manager-668575
"My heart breaks from the people I have trusted and loved who I've worked so closely with, who have used me, lied to me, worked me into the ground for the personal gain," she wrote. "When I woke up in the hospital after my surgery, there were many people that were not there. My health did not matter. I did not matter unless I could perform. This is a very hard lesson."
Read more here:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/lady-gaga-hints-at-manager-668575
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Movie disappointments of 2013.--Video Version.
With some added commentary about AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Some of my generation follow media groupthink on WOLF OF WALL STREET.
This morning, I awoke to KTLA Morning News reporting about the number of times the f-word is used in Martin Scorsese's THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.
And this kind of media chatter found its way to Texas, where a woman I went to high school with posted the following to Facebook:
"So "Wolf Of Wall Street" has broken the record for the number of times the 'F-bomb' is said in a movie. 506 times in 180 minutes. Really? I just don't get it. Guess I won't be watching this one either."
One could say this is an example of someone who grew more socially conservative in middle-age.
I was tempted to respond to her Facebook post with:
Yes, there is a lot of profanity, drug use and sexual activity--plus one scene where a child is endangered by her father's behavior. But it's a film about amoral/immoral people who made millions stealing money from hard-working people like yourself, and, like it or not, the behavior needs to be shown without censorship.
If I had done that, it's quite likely her reply would be:
"I don't want to hear that language!"
followed by blocking me from her Facebook feed forever.
And she would go on with the remaining hours of her day shielded from more unpleasantness and opposing ideas.
And this kind of media chatter found its way to Texas, where a woman I went to high school with posted the following to Facebook:
"So "Wolf Of Wall Street" has broken the record for the number of times the 'F-bomb' is said in a movie. 506 times in 180 minutes. Really? I just don't get it. Guess I won't be watching this one either."
One could say this is an example of someone who grew more socially conservative in middle-age.
I was tempted to respond to her Facebook post with:
Yes, there is a lot of profanity, drug use and sexual activity--plus one scene where a child is endangered by her father's behavior. But it's a film about amoral/immoral people who made millions stealing money from hard-working people like yourself, and, like it or not, the behavior needs to be shown without censorship.
If I had done that, it's quite likely her reply would be:
"I don't want to hear that language!"
followed by blocking me from her Facebook feed forever.
And she would go on with the remaining hours of her day shielded from more unpleasantness and opposing ideas.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Some great women in music missed by New Year's Rockin' Eve list.
http://onehallyu.com/index.php?/topic/39299-new-years-rockin-eve-presents-the-30-greatest-women-in-music/
Some names the list ignored: Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, Kate Bush, Courtney Love, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morrisette, The Runaways, Joan Jett (as solo artist), Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Tori Amos, P.J. Harvey, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt.
Some names the list ignored: Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, Kate Bush, Courtney Love, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morrisette, The Runaways, Joan Jett (as solo artist), Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Tori Amos, P.J. Harvey, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt.
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