Category Archives: Film

Writing, Spaghetti Sauce, Sex, Gender Relations, Anti-Semitic Bees and Hollywood Woes

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Cora

I’m inexplicably tired today, so here’s a Sunday linkdump: Here is Dan Kois about why writers abandon novels at the New York Times. The short answer is, because they aren’t working, are broken beyond repair and have become a sprawling … Continue reading →

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Quo Vadis, Epic Fantasy?

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Cora

Well, at least we know where Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg is going, namely back to his castle in Franconia. Of the many commentaries on his resignation today, I quite like this one from Deutsche Welle. Nor is Guttenberg the only … Continue reading →

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Breaking News

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Cora

German Defence Secretary Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg has resigned over the plagiarism affair. About time. Hollywood star Jane Russell has died aged 89.

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Oscars 2011 Redux

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Cora

So I did watch the Oscars after all. I’d been debating whether to watch or not, since I have never seen most of the nominated films anyway – either because they haven’t made it to Germany yet or because I … Continue reading →

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Berlin Film Festival

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Cora

Among all the plagiarism and nihilism discussions, I completely forgot that the jury of the Berlin Film Festival has awarded the golden and silver bears for 2011. This year was a clean sweep for the Iranian film Jodaeiye Nader az … Continue reading →

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The Dictatorship of Taste – and James Bond

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Cora

At the Observer, someone named Neal Gabler laments the death of professional criticism at the hands of the Internet. Elsewhere on the Observer site, the critics respond. This whole “The Internet is killing/democratizing criticism” thing isn’t new. In fact, it’s … Continue reading →

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Films and why they largely suck these days

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Cora

So this year’s Oscar nominations have been announced and once again the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to nominate a whole bunch of films that I have neither seen nor have even the slightest desire to … Continue reading →

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Hollywood Fatigue, the Perils of Love Triangles and Corridorpunk

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Cora

So the Golden Globes were awarded yesterday and once again I find I really don’t care about any of the films that won. I actually do agree with many of the acting awards, because I like Colin Firth (though not … Continue reading →

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Historical Fatigue

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Cora

In the past few days, I’ve seen several Americans go all crazy about Downton Abbey on the Internet. Here’s an example from Smart Bitches, Trashy Book. There are similar posts elsewhere. Reading the Smart Bitches and similar posts reminded me … Continue reading →

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Wah – Evil Foreigners are ruining Hollywood – Again!

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Cora

The Atlantic has an article about how international audiences are killing off the comedy and western genres* in Hollywood by refusing to watch American comedies and westerns. Screeds like this one show up almost as regularly as pronouncements of the … Continue reading →

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