front page news
Past realities – present
relevance The news has been
described as some kind of eternal soap-opera which you pick up on halfway through the narrative – which is why it’s often so bewildering. Well, now you can get some back-story. On this day – the day I am writing this – in 1985, the OJ Simpson trial – probably the biggest celebrity drama of the decade – ended, with the star declared not guilty of the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole. In 1952, tea rationing ended, and in 1944 the siege of the Warsaw ghetto came to its bleak end. All this and more is on offer at the BBC’s ‘On This Day’ site where you can go for curiosity or to find fantastic ‘pegs’ for articles or news stories you may be planning for your school newspapers or radio broadcasts. Particularly relevant just now with the recent anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Armistice. http://news.
bbc.co.uk/onthisday/bsp/ about_this_site.stm
making and distributing films; and even enter occasional competitions, some offering cash prizes and potential TV screenings. Once such opportunities were limited to film school students and professionals, but in our (arguably) more democratic world there’s no reason why your film illustrating an extraordinary life, an unusual lifestyle or curiosity you’ve come across couldn’t make the grade. Find out more at:
www.4docs.org.uk/
Our island story The UK Film Council
recently launched Stories We Tell Ourselves: The Cultural Impact of UK Film 1946-2006. This timely and stimulating report confirms that film has been one of the most powerful cultural and social agents of the last 100 years. Taking 200 iconic films from the past six decades, it traces how British cinema has upheld some traditional British values – and mocked, challenged and undermined others. It shows how important film has been in sustaining and developing the identity of the UK’s nations and regions, and in reflecting the changing face of Britain’s different communities. Visit: http://
www.ukfilmcouncil.org. uk/culturalimpact
BRITDOC reality If you are interested
in watching and making documentaries, visit 4docs. Here you can see some of the most promising short-form documentary in a wide variety styles (biographical, comic, animation, experimental); monitor a wiki packed with practical advice about
Coming soon to a screen near
amount of interest in all things Sherlockian – so clearly its marketing will also be something to monitor and scrutinise:
www.imdb.com/title/ tt0988045
• 8th January – The Road: What a way to begin 2010 – apocalypse, cannibalism and unmitigated misery adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel. Before viewing it, read the article by Paul Harris who looks at the current preoccupation with ‘end of the world’ films: http://
www.guardian.co.uk/ film/2009/aug/09/ hollywood-apocalypse- movies-anxiety. Harris also highlights a Denzil Washington film, The Book of Eli, out on 15th January, also featuring the hero’s struggle to survive while crossing a devastated America:
http://www.imdb.com/ title/tt1037705/
you… • 26th December – Sherlock Holmes: The supernatural and mystery seem to suit the Christmas season, but how much of either Guy Ritchie will deliver is anyone’s guess. It boasts a good cast including Robert Downey Jr. in the main role and is certain to spark a huge
4 MediaMagazine | December 2009 | english and media centre
• 29th January – Edge of Darkness: Another translation of a cult BBC thriller drama series into a mainstream film. The original was broadcast in 1985 and struck a chord with its bleak vision of governmental collusion with corporate corruption. The new version stars Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone while its directors are Martin Campbell (http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Martin_Campbell) and Michael Wearing (http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Michael_Wearing) who also directed and produced the original.
http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Edge_of_Darkness_ (2010_film)
• 5th February – The Princess and The Frog: Will the girl sling him against a wall to effect the necessary transformation from amphibian to eligible young royal? That’s the original Brothers Grimm version of the story, but Disney are notorious for sweetening the original earthy, violent folk tales that came down to them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/The_Princess_and_ the_Frog
Property Rights:
the Kirby claim Watch out for news of
the lawsuit being brought by the children of Jack Kirby, creator of comic book heroes, such as Spider- man and the Incredible Hulk, against the Disney corporation, which recently bought Marvel – the publishers of the cartoon adventures of all these characters. If they succeed, the Kirby children will win a multi-million dollar windfall and a share in any income deriving from the rights which, in some cases, have nearly 50 years more to run. http://pwbeat.
publishersweekly.com/ blog/2009/09/21/kirby- family-files-for-copyright- reassignment/
YouTube gets its
groove back Following major digital
rights crises, YouTube has announced the return to its ‘platform’ of music from artists signed to the Warner Music Group. The deal is based upon Warner being able to recover income from YouTube via advertising and also ‘monetising’ the downloads people make. To check on this and other news from Google (YouTube’s owners) see:
www.google.co.uk/press/ pressreleases.html
gets ethical A look at the newspaper’s sustainability report might be an interesting addition to our major case study on page 6. Their motive in doing this was to prove to their stakeholders ‘how we bring our values to life and embed them throughout the company.’ From your perspective, it is good to know that newspapers feel the need to be ‘sustainable’ and what implications that might have for their editorial priorities, if any.
http://guardian.co.uk/ sustainability2009
The Guardian
Front Page News is compiled by Jerome Monahan.
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