Thanks again to Jeffrey Wells' HOLLYWOOD ELSEWHERE for providing this link to an article by Erik Childress, which, while a bit long, comments on Ben Lyons (the smarmy one) and Ben Mankiewicz's (the smarter one) sitdown with an Associated Press TV scribe to spin AT THE MOVIES as turning the corner and heading towards success: http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2689
The article also reminds readers of Ben Lyons' Greatest Hits during his critical career for E! and Disney, including his "One of the Greatest Films Ever" blurb about the Will Smith remake of I AM LEGEND.
After having my head explode and my stomach turn from witnessing young Lyons' terminal glibness, I quit watching AT THE MOVIES months ago.
One final comment about the Childress article:
Apparently, Lyons father, hack critic Jeffrey Lyons (who still has a TV show carried by NBC affiliates), once called Roger Ebert a "putz."
The mind boggles when you consider what Ebert has achieved vs. what Lyons and his nonillustrious son don't even try for.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Glenn Greenwald explains "access" jounalism and "adversarial" journalism.
Here's a column by Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald which takes a probing look at uncritical "access" journalism and advocates more conversation between political opposites: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/02/27/debate/
Thursday, February 26, 2009
I now have a YouTube poetry channel.
Here's a YouTube channel of old and new poetry of mine: http://www.youtube.com/TerryMcCa
It's still in an embryonic state, but I hope you'll take a look. The channel will be updated frequently.
One thing I notice when seeing myself on video is that, with glasses, I slightly resemble the late L.A. old-school news anchor Hal Fishman.
It's still in an embryonic state, but I hope you'll take a look. The channel will be updated frequently.
One thing I notice when seeing myself on video is that, with glasses, I slightly resemble the late L.A. old-school news anchor Hal Fishman.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
LA OBSERVED on changes in THE LOS ANGELES TIMES.
Starting next week, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES will be altered in response to less advertising revenue and pressure to keep cutting costs.
For more complete information, including the paper's spin on the forthcoming changes:
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/02/how_the_californialess_la.php
A column T.J. Sullivan wrote for LA OBSERVED about the importance of print newspapers:
http://www.laobserved.com/intell/2009/02/are_newspaper_journalists_to_b.php
[UPDATE 2/26/09: The Denver, Colorado ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS will cease publication as of tomorrow: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/26/rocky-mountain-news-closes-friday-final-edition/]
Allegedly, Rupert Murdoch is showing some interest in buying THE LOS ANGELES TIMES.
At this point, you, the reader, can insert a punchline about tabloid journalism, the potential for uncritical reviews of Fox Network programming and/or 20th Century Fox movies, or the possibility of Los Angeles mainstream journalism standards being lowered to those of THE NEW YORK POST (remembering the racist editorial cartoon implying a connection between President Obama and a murdered chimpanzee).
For more complete information, including the paper's spin on the forthcoming changes:
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/02/how_the_californialess_la.php
A column T.J. Sullivan wrote for LA OBSERVED about the importance of print newspapers:
http://www.laobserved.com/intell/2009/02/are_newspaper_journalists_to_b.php
[UPDATE 2/26/09: The Denver, Colorado ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS will cease publication as of tomorrow: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/26/rocky-mountain-news-closes-friday-final-edition/]
Allegedly, Rupert Murdoch is showing some interest in buying THE LOS ANGELES TIMES.
At this point, you, the reader, can insert a punchline about tabloid journalism, the potential for uncritical reviews of Fox Network programming and/or 20th Century Fox movies, or the possibility of Los Angeles mainstream journalism standards being lowered to those of THE NEW YORK POST (remembering the racist editorial cartoon implying a connection between President Obama and a murdered chimpanzee).
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
That's how it rolls in literary poetry L.A.
I'm going to run through a few red lights with this post. Here goes.....
Earlier tonight, I sat through a featured reading by an overly pretentious, forgettable literary poet (who, to be fair, had one tolerable poem referencing Edward Hopper paintings) at a L.A.-area venue. The literary poet has some cachet in this region because he edits a literary magazine (or should I say, "journal") and has a new book published by an L.A.-based prestige small press named after a barnyard animal.
The reading itself, like about three other readings in the LA/OC area, is now modeled after a long-dead but still influential poetry series that was named after a certain kind of flower.
What can I say about literary poetry when it exists more to ooh-ah-awe and attract looking-for-Pushcart-Prize-consideration players in the "community" than to edify or satisfy poets/civilians who may not be breathlessly fascinated by the poet's self-proclaimed academic brilliance and/or his publication/website?
[Sidebar: An article by Brendan Bernhard about poetry in L.A. in the LA WEEKLY a decade ago--besides offending certain community majordomos upset about not being Recognized by Bernhard--had a priceless quote from someone (perhaps a bookseller) that described literary poets as "people in academia writing for each other."]
At this point, I realize I'm going to attract potential criticism for criticizing a poet (something I'd be tut-tutted about--and then forbidden to do--on at least one local poetry listserve) after having been chastised recently for not being "ambitious" enough.
Sorry, but there's also a danger to the health of poetry as a whole when poets and hosts bend over backwards to fawn over too-self-satisfied, please-my-professor-at-university, deadly-dull-but-au-courant verse that's drier than the deodorizer I put inside my cats' litter boxes three times a week.
I'll end this with a cautionary anecdote: Emily Dickinson showed her work to a Major Publisher of her day. She was considered "not good enough" and her poetry didn't really surface en masse until after her death.
It's safe to say Emily Dickinson will be read for a few centuries more than the Influential Poet/Editor I was bored, irritated and deeply depressed by tonight.
Earlier tonight, I sat through a featured reading by an overly pretentious, forgettable literary poet (who, to be fair, had one tolerable poem referencing Edward Hopper paintings) at a L.A.-area venue. The literary poet has some cachet in this region because he edits a literary magazine (or should I say, "journal") and has a new book published by an L.A.-based prestige small press named after a barnyard animal.
The reading itself, like about three other readings in the LA/OC area, is now modeled after a long-dead but still influential poetry series that was named after a certain kind of flower.
What can I say about literary poetry when it exists more to ooh-ah-awe and attract looking-for-Pushcart-Prize-consideration players in the "community" than to edify or satisfy poets/civilians who may not be breathlessly fascinated by the poet's self-proclaimed academic brilliance and/or his publication/website?
[Sidebar: An article by Brendan Bernhard about poetry in L.A. in the LA WEEKLY a decade ago--besides offending certain community majordomos upset about not being Recognized by Bernhard--had a priceless quote from someone (perhaps a bookseller) that described literary poets as "people in academia writing for each other."]
At this point, I realize I'm going to attract potential criticism for criticizing a poet (something I'd be tut-tutted about--and then forbidden to do--on at least one local poetry listserve) after having been chastised recently for not being "ambitious" enough.
Sorry, but there's also a danger to the health of poetry as a whole when poets and hosts bend over backwards to fawn over too-self-satisfied, please-my-professor-at-university, deadly-dull-but-au-courant verse that's drier than the deodorizer I put inside my cats' litter boxes three times a week.
I'll end this with a cautionary anecdote: Emily Dickinson showed her work to a Major Publisher of her day. She was considered "not good enough" and her poetry didn't really surface en masse until after her death.
It's safe to say Emily Dickinson will be read for a few centuries more than the Influential Poet/Editor I was bored, irritated and deeply depressed by tonight.
Republican pushback re Obama continues: once again the Birth Certificate controversy.
One would think that the Republican Party ought to be concerning itself with the economy and foreign policy (i.e. real and pressing issues) rather than pretending the 2008 elections are still yet to happen.
But, again, the "is Barack Obama truly a citizen" birth certificate nonsense is being brought up. Here's a column that pokes a few needed holes in this propaganda offensive (or, rather, offensive propaganda): http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/02/24/the-birth-certificate-that-wouldnt-die/
But, again, the "is Barack Obama truly a citizen" birth certificate nonsense is being brought up. Here's a column that pokes a few needed holes in this propaganda offensive (or, rather, offensive propaganda): http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/02/24/the-birth-certificate-that-wouldnt-die/
Director Howard Zieff: RIP.
Here's a link to an IMDB obit for director Howard Zieff, who passed away Sunday at the age of 81: http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0689037/
Zieff had a long career as a hired-gun director of mainstream comedies such as HOUSE CALLS (1978), PRIVATE BENJAMIN (1980) and MY GIRL (1991). But I prefer his earlier work as a director of Alka-Seltzer commercials, the film SLITHER (1973) with James Caan and Sally Kellerman--filled with the sardonic humor/worldview of Zieff's Madison Avenue period--and the cult classic HEARTS OF THE WEST (1975), with Jeff Bridges as an aspiring B-Western actor, Blythe Danner in a role reminiscent of Jean Arthur's wised-up Frank Capra heroines and Andy Griffith as Bridges' mentor-of-sorts.
Zieff had a long career as a hired-gun director of mainstream comedies such as HOUSE CALLS (1978), PRIVATE BENJAMIN (1980) and MY GIRL (1991). But I prefer his earlier work as a director of Alka-Seltzer commercials, the film SLITHER (1973) with James Caan and Sally Kellerman--filled with the sardonic humor/worldview of Zieff's Madison Avenue period--and the cult classic HEARTS OF THE WEST (1975), with Jeff Bridges as an aspiring B-Western actor, Blythe Danner in a role reminiscent of Jean Arthur's wised-up Frank Capra heroines and Andy Griffith as Bridges' mentor-of-sorts.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Post-Academy Awards comments, plus what Ebert had to say.
In past years, Roger Ebert was one of the hosts of the post-Oscar local telecast on KABC-TV Channel 7. Here's a link to Roger's recently-posted article on the 81st annual ceremony: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090222/OSCARS/902229997
I didn't see all of the telecast, but thought that Lawrence Mark and Bill Condon did a surprisingly not-bad job of production. Perhaps the only major debit was the decision to have Queen Latifah (again adopting her Dana Owens vocalist persona) sing "I'll Be Seeing You" over the In Memoriam segment. Let the clips speak for themselves, please.
A minor debit for the Judd Apatow PINEAPPLE EXPRESS-themed clipshow, which mostly existed for Apatow to extend a "my movies make a lot of money for the Industry and all I get is a Blackberry message to make a short film for the Oscar show" middle-finger to Hollywood. Note to Judd: with the sort-of exception of FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, most of the films I saw that you had an active or passive hand in creating for release last year aren't going to be considered comedy classics (and that especially goes for STEP BROTHERS). Even the JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE commercial with Kimmel and Tom Cruise was funnier.
Otherwise, the awards were predictable, except for Foreign Film (thought it would go to THE CLASS or WALTZ WITH BASHIR), Feature Documentary (thought something intended as more conventionally ennobling such as TROUBLE THE WATER or THE GARDEN would win over the generally good, overly-adoring-of-performance-art MAN ON WIRE), costumes (glad to see THE DUCHESS shown a tiny amount of love) and Best Actor (equally happy with either Sean Penn or Mickey Rourke taking the prize home).
And congratulations to Kate Winslet and (posthumously) Heath Ledger for winning what can be partially considered Body-of-Work awards.
I didn't see all of the telecast, but thought that Lawrence Mark and Bill Condon did a surprisingly not-bad job of production. Perhaps the only major debit was the decision to have Queen Latifah (again adopting her Dana Owens vocalist persona) sing "I'll Be Seeing You" over the In Memoriam segment. Let the clips speak for themselves, please.
A minor debit for the Judd Apatow PINEAPPLE EXPRESS-themed clipshow, which mostly existed for Apatow to extend a "my movies make a lot of money for the Industry and all I get is a Blackberry message to make a short film for the Oscar show" middle-finger to Hollywood. Note to Judd: with the sort-of exception of FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, most of the films I saw that you had an active or passive hand in creating for release last year aren't going to be considered comedy classics (and that especially goes for STEP BROTHERS). Even the JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE commercial with Kimmel and Tom Cruise was funnier.
Otherwise, the awards were predictable, except for Foreign Film (thought it would go to THE CLASS or WALTZ WITH BASHIR), Feature Documentary (thought something intended as more conventionally ennobling such as TROUBLE THE WATER or THE GARDEN would win over the generally good, overly-adoring-of-performance-art MAN ON WIRE), costumes (glad to see THE DUCHESS shown a tiny amount of love) and Best Actor (equally happy with either Sean Penn or Mickey Rourke taking the prize home).
And congratulations to Kate Winslet and (posthumously) Heath Ledger for winning what can be partially considered Body-of-Work awards.
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