Every day, Opening Acts highlights the best pieces of writing on film, television, and literature published around the Internet. Please share if you like what you see.
For your reading enjoyment…
1. Cumberbatch’s ‘coloured’ gaffe reveals just how white the film industry is, by Joseph Harker. Harker’s opinion piece discusses the actor’s lack of knowledge of correct terminology.
“The other main groups who still use the word coloured are those who never mix with racial minorities, and those who have little interest in discussions on race. Cumberbatch almost certainly fits into one of these… He was born in 1976, so is young enough to know better.”
2. Bridging The Dragon Launches At EFM In Effort To Forge Closer Europe/China Ties, by Nick Vivarelli. Vivarelli writes on a new platform to launch at the European Film Market.
“Bridging the Dragon and its members will seek to thrash out some nitty-gritty issues including: identity and reliability of Chinese or European partners; project strategies; contacts; and translations.”
3. A Brief History of Accurate Hacking Scenes in Movies, From The Conversation to Blackhat, by Russ Fischer. Fischer looks at hacking as depicted in film.
“Bad hacking is everywhere in movies, but there are a handful of films that actually get it right. The problem is that the good stuff isn’t very interesting to look at. Real hackers don’t use virtual reality setups, and they don’t act like Hugh Jackman in Swordfish.”
4. César Nominations: ‘Saint Laurent’, ‘Timbuktu’, Kristen Stewart In Mix – Full List, by Nancy Tartaglione. Tartaglione lists the French award nominations for 2015.
“It was a good year for local films in 2014, however there are no clear frontrunners as many of the titles that scored were broad comedies — the sort the Académie doesn’t always embrace.”
5. How one of the best films at Sundance was shot using an iPhone 5S, by Casey Newton. Newton reports on how the film Tangerine was shot on a phone.
“You’d never guess the camera, to look at it:Tangerine was shot in a widescreen, 2:35:1 aspect ratio, and its camera zooms through the streets of LA with a fluidity you’d never expect from a handheld device.”
