This week in NYTimes Arts, 11/21-11/23
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With all the work starting to pile up, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to sit down to watch some TV. Actually going to the movies is completely out of the question. To make up for all of those movie advertisements that I’ve missed this past couple of weeks, I focused a lot of attention into the movie reviews in Friday’s paper.
I can honestly say that I have yet to see a movie preview of “Going Bonkers, Superhero Style” until this morning. The movie came out on Wednesday and it looks like something I would really enjoy. I normally don’t follow actors, but I right away recognized Michael Rapaport, who I know from Prison Break and The War at Home.
After reading the review, I got the impression it was going to be one of those psychological-twist movies, where all of the problems in the movie were a delusion caused by some type of mental illness. After reading it again and then watching the trailer, I realized that the movie was definitely not going to be anything like what I originally expected. Mr. Rapaport was going to stick with his sarcastic humor and the movie is going to be more about drug-induced heroism than mental illness.
I must admit that I did see a few reviews about the new movie, “Bolt”. It seems like the producers have been advertising the movie for years, and they’ve been doing a good job of it. I can legitimately say the advertisers got my attention enough to make me want to see “Bolt”. Well, it’s partially my desire for that heartwarming feeling you get after watching a Disney Movie, but nonetheless, the advertisers have been doing their job.
The critics in “Canine TV Action Star Discovers That Life Is the Best Reality Show” say that the movie is going to be another heartwarming Disney film. Maybe not quite as good as “Finding Nemo”, but they still say it’s going to be memorable. The movie features Pixar’s elaborate animation and, of course, the Disney magic to appeal to both a young and old audience. The critics compared the movie to the classic “Toy Story” whose main character, Buzz Lightyear, also struggles with separating fantasy from reality.
It doesn’t look like my work is going to let up anytime soon and it doesn’t look like I’ll be going to the movies anytime soon, but I can’t wait till this movies come out on Paperview!
Heh, I have the opposite problem, Walter. I’m spending too much time on that sort of thing, and actually saw “Changeling” yesterday. Great movie, you guys should definitely watch if you found the Frederic Bourdin (The Chameleon) article interesting.
On that note, I also read a movie review “Convulsions of a Family and an Abandoned Country” about the upcoming documentary “The Betrayal”. It explores the life of a man, his escape from a country that persecuted his father, and his coming to America. His new home was actually Brooklyn, and it was around then he became acquainted with the director, Kuras. Thrown into this documentary are various news clips of the chaos in Laos and ” of American presidents discussing that country’s fate,” that fit only through the glue that is the voice and accounts of the narrator.
I know many of us can relate to the article, though not having to personally deal with issues of such extreme. The documentary objectively (or as objectively as it can) addresses the history, neither sugarcoating or exaggerating the situation, and I think that is a necessity to making a documentary.
In Friday’s NYT I read the article “Tiptoe by the Tulips (or Stretch by the Apples)”. The art world has changed so much. Before, I had imagined art as just going to a museum and looking at paintings and sculptures. But now many things are hands on or include different technology. I find it cool how people can relax and even sing during in the room. People could lie down which may allow more families to come. Also the idea of having feminine characteristics was very interesting. I could understand pink but when the article mentioned blood pouring out from a body, it surprised me. I thought maybe the show is too graphic for kids to come.
After reading “Pulling the Plug on Digital Bonding”, I realized again how big technology is taking a role in art. It is not just painting or drawing anymore. I sometimes think if art made by a computer is unique because it could be reproduced which would make it less unique. But I have to agree adding technology brings a new level to art because technology could do so many things. As for the show “Continuous City”, I am disappointed to read that it is not that well made.
I also read “Inherit the Windfall”. I would really like to see “Dividing the Estate”. The story looks really good and I like family stories. The characters seem very unique. I would also like to see it because it is theater. The acting seems to be good and I look forward to seeing it.
I was never one of those teenagers who would wait hours to see Snoop Dogg, Britney Spears or whatever. I only waste my time on good music…aka Coldplay. Anyway, TRL has finally closed its doors after nearly 10 years – “Totally Over: Last Squeals for ‘TRL’. The reason behind TRL’s closure is of course related to business. When TRL pays for a celebrity appearance, they expect to make a great profit out of it but this hasn’t been the case lately, especially since the internet has become a greater source of entertainment than television…
I also read “The Love That Dare Not Bare Its Fangs.” Twilight has become the new Harry Potter. I just bought the book yesterday to see what all the fuss is about. From what I’ve heard, the movie was just as good as the book, which is a pretty rare phenomenon. According to the NYT times review, Pattinson who plays Edward Cullen, is a bore. The plot seems cute for teeny boppers or something, but I’m not too impressed…
Oh, and I don’t see what’s so great about Edward Cullen.
Cullen has an amazing jaw. There. I said it.
“Layers of Devotion (and the Scars to Prove It)”
Physicist turned artist. There’s nothing about that phrase that I don’t like. Enrique Martínez Celaya was trained as a physicist, studied quantum electronics, and then turned to art seemingly capriciously. Although I guess the kooky world of the very small, and the seemingly whimsical nature of quantum mechanics is an art-form in itself. The scars in the article title refers to a little accident that the Celaya had while working on a show, in which he sliced open his left hand a chainsaw. While being pushed away by paramedics, he told his studio manager “Don’t throw away the paper towels. I might want to use them in an artwork.”
The quirkiness of an artist combined with… the eccentricity of a physicist… is a very strange thing.
From the friday NYT “Layers of Devotion (and the Scars to Prove It)” really caught my eye. Although the article is kind of detailed in explaining the artist’s accident in cutting his left hand, I thought this artist very smart and calm. Enrique Martínez Celaya, when he was preparing for his first exhibition at the L.A. Louver gallery in Venice, California when he injured himself in trying to get a chainsaw. He was extremely and knew to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet. If I was in his situation I would definitely be freaking out. Fortunately it was only his left hand and he will gain by about 80% control of that hand.
I thought what was most interesting was that he’s an artist but used to be physicist. He was studying quantum electronics and then slowly turned his attention painting which originally started as a hobby. Most of his painting are about philosophy and religion. He likes to make art that show people or animals isolated. His painting consists of painting over and over again until it looks different from the original painting. Sometimes one painting has about 20 layers!
Also like Diane I read “The Love That Dare Not Bare Its Fangs” I still have not watched the movie yet but everyone has been telling me its a great movie. Joyce told me watched it twice! I thought the article was hilarious in the way it jokes around about teens like “OMG he’s SO HOT!! Does he like ME?? Will he KILL me??? I don’t CARE!!! :)” and “obsessive Jonas Brothers disorder.” Last week I read article about Robert Pattinson the actor that plays Edward Cullen in the movie and how teenage girls thought he was a real vampire. I saw the commercial for the movie but I didn’t find anything special about it. I guess I will just have to see the movie first in hopes that it is good like everyone claims.
A very interesting article was “North Korea’s Very Cautious Cinematic Thaw”. I was surprised that North Korea even had something like this. I thought nothing of the sort was really allowed because movies can have very modern concepts. But I was not surprised to read that someone was at the projector using a cardboard to cover some scenes. I thought “wouldn’t the people know something was not being shown and suspect something?”. Also I was not surprised to see that no American, Japanese or South Korean films were shown. It was interesting to see into an aspect of North Korean life. This article mentioned more of the North Korean society than an art piece. I was surprised to see it in the art section but I definitely enjoyed it.
I also read “Pages That Weren’t Meant for Stages”. When I read a book, I always think about the setting and at the end of the book, it feels as if I had watched a movie. I always actually want to watch a movie or a play of the book but many times I am disappointed because many times the movie or play is just too short for the book. The movie may ruin the image I have of the book but I still like watching movies or plays of a book. It gives me something to compare the book to even if the movie or play is not that good.
From the title, “Never Forget. You’re Reminded,” I immediately thought to myself that this article must be about 9/11 or the Holocaust. I was right. This holiday season, many films will be released which will revisit the horrific events of the Holocaust. I counted nearly five Holocaust related films. This sudden appearance is a coincidence but reminds us of how we are forever scarred by past events. I believe that these films will do us some good, especially during this historical month. There have already been bets placed as to when Obama will be assassinated and so many other horrible things. Hopefully, these movies will knock some sense into these people and remind them of the consequences of hate-related crimes.
I also read “What Happy People Don’t Do.” Unhappy people spend more time watching television which makes me wonder how happy some of us are…Happy people enjoy more social activities such as hanging out, going to church and more. This makes us wonder, is television the cause of the unhappiness or is the unhappiness the cause of increased television viewing? I think I’ll stick to the second hypothesis.
In Sunday’s New York Times, I found a book review called, “Disaster Reel”. The book, “American Lighting: Terror, Mystery, Movie-Making, and the Crime of the Century” is about the 1910 bombings in Los Angles that killed 21 people. The author tells the story through the point of views of three different characters, which reminded me of the book they made us read before entering Baruch, “The Namesake”. “The Namesake” wasn’t the most amazing book I ever read, but I did like the different points of view. This style allows us to see different perspectives of different situations.
Using that style, the book goes down the path of a conventional detective novel. The detective hired in this book, Mr. Burns, has to find the terrorists who set off the bomb. Mr. Burns succeeded in finding the culprits, and they plead guilty to the charges. They negotiated to spare their lives in exchange for life imprisonment. In finding the bombers, Mr. Burns also unlocked the corruption in workers unions during that time.
Overall the reviewer found the book to be mediocre. He felt that it did not fully describe the drama that was going on in the 1910’s, and the effect that this bombing had on the Nation. He ends the review stating that the bombs were, “…a memorable story, one that still begs to be told.”
Everyone’s been talking about the new hit movie “Twilight.” In order to find out the mystery of its popularity, I read the article “The Love That Dare Not Bare Its Fangs” in New York Times. The movie is based on Stephenie Meyer’s multi-volume series, “The Twilight Saga.” After reading this article, I realized the answer to why this movie was a hit among many teenage girls: a sincere love from a vampire boy, who happens to be irresistibly attractive.What interested me was that this movie advocated abstinence (since sex will kill Bella, the main female character). I dare to say that it is a metaphor of HIV- a serious disease that has deadly consequences. Well, whether this movie has deeper meaning beyond its romantic cover or not, it sure is a must-see-movie of the season.
I also read the Twilight article and I agree with Diane. Personally, I did not find anything special about the movie but I have to say that their advertising plan was sneaky. The movie would already have interested the fangirls of the book (including the 3 who sat next to me in the theater screaming whenever Edward came up) but they needed to capture a much larger audience than that, so in several trailers they showed that fight scene. Watching the trailers, I thought to myself that it wouldn’t be that bad since there was some action; but it was misleading. It was at most 5 minutes and if you saw the trailer, you basically saw the entire fight. That’s some sneaky marketing to more than just teenage girls to watch it.
We’ve been seeing a lot of performances that are very contemporary and modern, taking advantage of new ideas and technology to create a whole new viewing experience for the audience. In “Point Toe, Click Mouse”, the article presents yet another way that technology has been expanding our artistic horizons — by taking performances out of the theater, and out into the internet. By broadcasting dance performances and other shows online, the choreographer hopes to reach out to a broader audience and attract a wider range of viewers, as well as publicize smaller events that would otherwise not get as much attention. Like those indie-rock bands that have little means for marketing or distribution, he wants to create Web sites with streaming video of rehearsals, a comment area, live video chats between dancers and audiences, and user profiles — a kind of social networking for art. I think he definitely has some interesting ideas for reworking both the art world as well as the role of the audience — although with everything on the internet being free, there’s always a question of whether it’s going to overall help or hurt business in the end.
And, like Hea Jung, I also read “Pages That Weren’t Meant for Stages” — and I definitely also think that oftentimes, plays and other performances of good books don’t necessarily make good performances. I think it’s not only that such a short period of time can’t possibly encompass a whole book — it’s also that sometimes, the performance simply doesn’t capture the mood very well. In books, the author can use as much flowery language and literary techniques as they want; in movies, the director can use music and angles and all of that movie magic — but plays and performances often simply don’t have that much control. Doing too much would make the performance incredibly unbelievable, while doing too little would make it even more boring and miss the point. It’s a difficult balance to achieve; and even when achieved, the effect often just isn’t as dramatic as a good book or a good movie.
Hea Jung and Allison’s post on “Pages That Weren’t Meant for Stages” caught my eye. Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen a good movie that came from a book so far. In my opinion, (I haven’t read Twilight yet) the Harry Potter series are a great way to pass time and exercise your brain in imagination. However, the movies was a big disappointment. Not to say that the movies were terrible, but the books were definitely better. So when I read the article written by Charles Isherwood, it was very interesting because most people know it is true; yet, it is usually not brought up. A good book makes the reader create scenes and images, but a movie simply hands everything to you.
Diane’s article regarding happy people and television were also very interesting. She raises a good point in questioning whether happiness leads to more tv or vice versa. It also leads us to question whether the people around us are truly happy. I know many people that watch tv almost all the time, but to me, they seem pretty happy. Maybe I actually don’t know them very well. I definitely think doing other things is more productive and more fun than watching tv, like going outside being active and spending more time with friends. Come to think of it, people don’t usually get together to watch tv together, so maybe it does indicate that they are lonely and unhappy.
Like Hea Jung I also read “North Korea’s Very Cautious Cinematic Thaw” I thought it was really interesting but I honestly don’t know what people do in North Korea. They have a film festival but not surprisingly its censored with cardboard. They want to keep out any movies that show the wealth of Western culture. They also talk about how Kim Jong il loves movies and has a passion for filmmaking. He even made bootcamp for drirectors, screenwriters and cinematographersand they were force to watch 200 different movies and analyze the filmmaking techniques. The list of movies they were forced to watch were actually really good movies. However it must be torturing to not do anything but watch movies for 6 months! It must be pretty scary too if Mr. Kim does not agree with the participant’s critique of the movies picked out.
And like Diane I read “Never Forget. You’re Reminded” its about the release of many Holocaust related films for this season. There are so many movies about the Holocaust and I think to myself how some people still dare to deny it never happened. I love history so I enjoy watching historical related films because its interesting to imagine what happen at the time. I will definitely try to make time to see some of the films the article mentioned.
Many of us take for granted the fact that we live in a country as prosperous and innovative as America. Sure, we might take American history classes to know where we, as a culture, have come from, but these classes fail to instill a certain spirit of patriotism in us. The “We Will Never Forget” motto from just 7 years ago has all but fallen to the wayside. In essence, we as Americans have lost touch with what it is to be American. The recently renovated National Museum of American History hopes to change that.
“America’s Attic, Ready for a Second Act,” is an article detailing the museum’s 2 year renovation totaling in excess of an astounding $85 million. In addition to reformatted architectural space, the museum houses such compelling artifacts as the desk upon which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence and America’s first “star spangled banner.”
The sheer variety of the objects on display would personally be appealing to me. The museum also features a Kodak Brownie camera, the first camera made affordable to the common man. Photography being my hobby, I would love to go to a museum about American history and learn about all facets of American culture. The museum doesn’t limit itself to just art or film, which is an inherently appealing aspect.
“Science in American Life” is one of the museum’s more intriguing exhibits. It basically showcases the invention of the atomic bomb and other contraptions that have adversely affected the course of our nation’s history.
What also caught my eye was the fact that the museum, according to the article, used a mixture of public and private funds to fund its renovation. Knowing what I now know about the economy being in peril as it is, I can’t see how public money can be allocated to the restoration of a museum. I acknowledge the fact that knowledge is power, but I’d rather see the museum as it formerly was than pay $6 rather than $4 for a round-trip metrocard to get there in addition to the museum’s entrance fees.
I remember the first time I found my mom’s immortal CD collection. I was about 10 at the time, so you can imagine the appeal of a band entitled “Guns n Roses.” I mean, how badass is that name? I spent hours listening to “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine”–I was enthralled by every facet of “hair metal.” I was a child of the 90’s living vicariously in the 80’s through that magical album. His vocals penetrated my soul, and I knew of no other pleasures in life other than listening nonstop to that collection.
You can imagine how surprised I was to see a remodeled Axl Rose (which, thanks to Chang, I know is an anagram for oral sex) at a recent MTV Video Music Awards ceremony. He had dreadlocks, and my jaw had hit the floor. He was ushering in a new era of Guns N Roses, but I didn’t know that at the time. With Slash gone, what direction would Axl take the band? And, more importantly, how long would it take for the long awaited, much anticipated “Chinese Democracy” to come out?
“How Axl Rose Spent All That Time” is a review of the aforementioned “Chinese Democracy.” Written by Jon Pareles, the article basically asserts that the album does not live up to its hype. Quite honestly, I personally don’t see how it ever could have.
What made Guns N Roses great in the 80’s was their unadulterated power, the raw emotion with which the band tore apart the stage and the hearts of countless fans. They encouraged you to lose your inhibitions and embrace “the jungle.” Hair metal is dead, as is Axl Rose’s appeal.
As one might imagine, according to the article, the studio has basically torn apart the album. In production for around 14 years, the post-production process has obliterated the raw power and emotion mentioned earlier. The album seeks, instead, to please a generation that knows no better than High School Musical and Hanna Montana.
The album is “frantic and nearly devoid of breathing space” says the author. Having listened to the album in its entirety myself, I’d have to agree? Where is the innovation that was present in the opening riff to “Sweet Child o’ Mine”? Where’s the passion of “Paradise City”? Long ago and forgotten….
“The Volt is expected to go on sale in late 2010. G.M. plans to sell about 10,000, priced at about $40,000, in the first year.”
“G.M.’s Latest Great Green Hope Is a Tall Order,” is about how General Motors plans to sell a a plug-in hybrid for $40,000 a year in the year 2010.
All right, Lets go through a couple of facts first. GM right now is asking for a $25 billion bailout. How the heck does General motors plan to manufacture this car, yet alone, advertise this car? They are totally in need of money, and they plan to make such an expensive car which will take 3 years for them to plan and make and put out into the market.
Another thing to say is that the market SUCKS right now! With this financial crisis, everyone is trying to SAVE money, not spend it. That is why there are cars being made which cost $2500. General motor is pretty stupid for thinking that 10,000 people will buy this car in the first year. Although not such a big amount of people, they have to think about the economic state we’re in right now.
Maybe they are expecting things to get better within the next couple of years, but thinking like this might even hit them harder if their plan fails. $40,000… I would even have trouble deciding if the car were $20,000. Well of course I don’t have the money, but even if I did, I wouldn’t buy it; it’s a waste of money! This car will be extra costly due to the new technology they’re putting into it.
Although this may seem like an amazing idea, General Motors is relying on this one car as their “last resort.” Putting all their time and effort into this hybrid, they better hope it succeeds. Because if it doesn’t they are screwed over.
Well… Good luck GM!
Half way, i noticed i wasn’t in the art section, but i was so into talking about this article that i continued. I guess it could be related to art because it’s a new technology, and the design is aesthetically pleasing. And the art of spending time… Okay, now im just starting to BS my way through, but EVERYTHING is art! Right?! (come on people, agree with me) hehe
“‘13’ Won’t Reach Maturity on Broadway” is about how it is difficult to be a teenager on Broadway. This musical, “13,” although an online hit, had announced a closing date. The idea of portraying how being a teenager is difficult to make it to Broadway is smart, but isn’t too appealing. I think teenagers should have a chance, an equal chance, to get to Broadway as any adult has. Although, what may be a problem is puberty. The change in voice, the change in behavior, and everything else. Your teen years starts to shape who you will turn out to be. If the teenager has the talent, I think the adolescent boy or girl should have a shot at the musical and a shot at performing on Broadway. Although young, sometimes younger people have more talent, and are more genuine and pure than adults who perform on Broadway. The idea of the Musical was not that great (therefore it is closing), but I just felt like my opinion should be expressed, and that I hope although the Musical may be forgotten, the concept should never be forgotten.
“North Korea’s Very Cautious Cinematic Thaw” is an interesting article that explores the current North Korea and its recent 11th Pyongyang International Film Festival screening Western dramas and comedies. I thought it was comical that they had a man with a piece of cardboard sitting in the projection room to cover the lens just in case- well if anything inappropriate for North Koreans to watch comes up. I also found a similarity between the entertainment of the North Koreans and the Americans during the Great Depression. In the midst of poverty, people turn to entertainment to relieve their stress, which in this case is through a movie. Like Nancy, I know nothing about North Korea and the lives of North Koreans. It is a shame since we (North and South Koreans) share a same culture. I really hope the situation will get better between South and North Koreans.
In the Friday Times I read “Eternal Objects of Desire.” “The Art and Love in Renaissance Italy” exhibition at the Metropolitan is a mixture of happy endings and Renaissance pornography. By happy events the exhibition displays weddings and childbirth scenes. The purpose of all the visual works is to shed light on the secular life during the Renaissance period. This is off topic, but my favorite subject has always been history. I never got the chance to study European history in great detail but I have touched briefly on the Renaissance period in high school and I have learned the rest of what I know on my tour of Western Europe. My favorite period to study is the Renaissance because it definitely is more secular than the Middle Ages. I think it is very interesting how the exhibition focuses on happy events in human lives. I originally did not think that marriages and childbirths would relate to the Renaissance topic, but now I think there are no better processes to represent human achievements and happiness than these. All the architecture and artworks during the Renaissance became more colorful, brighter, and more advanced compared to the primitive, dark, and dreary artworks of the Middle Ages. I strongly agree with the opening line of the article of how even the title of the exhibition implies romance, desire, youthful beauty, ritual, expensive gift items and possible sex. The wedding and childbirth rituals are in themselves forms of art because marriages give hope to the future and ultimately end up in the production of a new generation. With the phrase “youthful beauty,” if I did not read the article first, from the title I would have inferred this same phrase because I tend to think that everything is portrayed in an idealistic manner as in everything is painted in as good a manner as possible during the Renaissance period. So I would think of “youthful” more than the old.
In the Sunday Times I read “Saving That Landscape, in Pictures At Least.” As a land-scape architect, Halprin feels that there is much more to landscape than just the simple building. Now almost all of the works are being demolished. I think it is important to preserve these landscape works because they preserve much more of what has been lost already in past generations.
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