Bill Cosby and the Hard Truth About Our Heroes
Despite largely approving of his politics, my mother could never vote for Ted Kennedy, for reasons that boiled down to one word: Chappaquiddick. Her opinion of him as a politician collapsed under the…
Voices
Remembering Dorothy Chandler as Los Angeles’ Music Center Turns 50
A "women-in-power" tribute seems to take place almost every week, but recently, a few people with good memories are paying homage to one pioneering power woman who was also, inadvertently, a culture…
Music Streaming Business Isn’t Perfect, But It’s Better Than Piracy
It wasn't about Napster. Otherwise when the music industry succeeded in shutting the service down, CD sales would have burgeoned and happiness would have reigned. The customers just went elsewhere…
Frank Yablans’ Rough-and-Tumble Style Was Old Hollywood
Frank Yablans' death last week served as a vivid reminder of the dramatic transformation in both the style and background of Hollywood's power players. Yablans, who at various times was CEO of both…
Does Awards Season Need a Regulator for the Kudos Chaos?
Does awards season need a czar? In the booming sports business, commissioners orchestrate scheduling and negotiate network megadeals. In the movie business, however, there is no one managing all the…
Why the Oscars Need More Movies Like ‘Hunger Games: Mockingjay’
Ever since the Oscars snubbed Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" for best picture in 2009, the Academy has tried to dodge accusations of elitism. The argument goes that Oscars voters, made up of a…
Awards Season Acting Elevated to Noble Cause
The great William H. Macy has said that it was his mentor-collaborator David Mamet who first told him that acting can be a noble profession. Even the most heralded actors sometimes seem to shy away…
America Needs Stephen Colbert’s Right-Wing Caricature Now More Than Ever
Memo to Stephen Colbert: Why did you do it, Stephen? Your on-air reminder the other day that you were abandoning the faux character you've depicted on TV for the past decade arguably is a study in…
Parties and Pink-Slips: How Hollywood Spends Money Reveals Its Priorities
Many in the TV industry, including those of us who cover it, have spent plenty of time bellying up to the bar at HBO shindigs, admiring the generous spreads of food. Small wonder people compare the…
Nolan, ‘Theory of Everything’ Explore Cosmos in Vastly Different Ways
“Few films dare to reach so high," shouts the banner sprawled across ads for "Interstellar." Now, two weekends after blast-off, it seems appropriate to ask whether its reach exceeded its grasp. The…
