Michael Tilson Thomas, acclaimed American conductor, has died at the age of 81
Like his mentor Leonard Bernstein, Tilson Thomas was known for his communication skills and his ability to attract new audiences to classical music.
Fred Mazelis•
Artists group launches boycott of New York cultural center 92NY over support for war, genocide
92NO has called for a boycott by speakers and the public of events to protest the institution's support for the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and the war in Iran and Lebanon.
Sandy English•
Ricky and Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo): “Society is also something real...”
The two films present some of the same problems, some of the same problems that a good number of American (and not simply American) “small,” “realist” dramas exhibit.
Joanne Laurier•
The Strokes, David Byrne, Massive Attack, Tom Waits: Artists protest against the Iran war, ICE and the threat of dictatorship–“This ain’t no fooling around”
The accumulating outrage and horror are inevitably finding expression in artistic circles, with greater or lesser clarity depending upon the artist or group.
David Walsh•
Sandy English•
Isabel Roy, David Walsh•
Zac Corrigan•
Marc Wells•
Sybille Fuchs•
The Pitt: The medical drama whose social realism and honesty have gripped millions
The interest in the series is a sympathetic response to an unusually humane treatment of social life as a whole in the US.
Isabel Roy, David Walsh•
ICE agents appear in The Pitt episode “5:00 P.M.”—“What can we do?”
It is another indication of the broad-based opposition to the Trump administration and its drive toward dictatorship, including its vicious anti-immigrant witch-hunt.
Isabel Roy•
Say Nothing: Everything essential about the Northern Ireland conflict left unsaid
A serious artistic appraisal of the Troubles, and serious attempts to understand their effect at a personal level, would have to begin from a historical and political understanding both of British imperialism and the limitations of bourgeois nationalism.
Paul Bond•
The Pitt Season 2 and the challenges facing a serious television drama
The second season of The Pitt is being aired in the midst of historical events that have thrust healthcare workers into the spotlight in an unprecedented manner.
Isabel Roy•
Luke Galvin•
David Walsh•
Marc Wells•
Jean Shaoul•
Eduardo Parati, Guilherme Ferreira•
Ricky and Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo): “Society is also something real...”
The two films present some of the same problems, some of the same problems that a good number of American (and not simply American) “small,” “realist” dramas exhibit.
Joanne Laurier•
The 76th Berlin International Film Festival–Part 9
The consequences of extreme exploitation – Enjoy Your Stay and I Understand Your Displeasure
Both films underscore a central truth: under capitalism, personal decisions can be so severely restricted that they become almost irrelevant.
Bernd Reinhardt, Stefan Steinberg •
Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die–The solution to the world’s problems? Infect everyone with anti-technology allergy
It is a dreadful work. A libel against humanity, humanity returned the favor by largely staying away in droves.
David Walsh•
Project Hail Mary—a hopeful (but somewhat wishful) adventure
The overall result is a charming but cartoonish pastiche that, while broadly appealing, falls short of its ambition to be a truly insightful film
Lee Parsons•
Max Linhof•
Bernd Reinhardt, Verena Nees•
Paul Bond•
Max Linhof, Verena Nees•
Max Linhof, Verena Nees•
Michael Tilson Thomas, acclaimed American conductor, has died at the age of 81
Like his mentor Leonard Bernstein, Tilson Thomas was known for his communication skills and his ability to attract new audiences to classical music.
Fred Mazelis•
Latest expression of crisis of culture in 21st century capitalism
Dismissal of Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Andris Nelsons provokes uproar
The capitalist crisis and the “donor class” are leading the BSO, the Metropolitan Opera, and other leading cultural institutions into the abyss.
Fred Mazelis•
Gino Paoli, leading voice of postwar Italian popular music, dies at 91
Paoli’s work helped define the “cantautore” tradition and expressed Italy’s complex cultural transformation amid postwar reconstruction and social change.
Marc Wells•
Blues singer John Hammond dead at 83
While widely known and respected among musicians, Hammond purposefully avoided the trappings of celebrity bestowed upon “big name” artists.
James Brewer•
Paul Bond•
Kevin Reed•
Matthew Brennan•
Nick Barrickman•
Kevin Reed•
Book review: American Midnight: The Great War, a violent peace, and democracy's forgotten crisis
Adam Hochschild’s vivid, engaging account of the political subordination of the society to the needs of a ruling class waging an imperialist war deserves a wide readership.
Nicoletta Montaner•
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights: Is this all that we can expect?
The force, the genius, of Emily Brontë’s novel is totally absent, wholly unexplored in this adaptation.
Paul Bond•
Video: Strong interest in “Where Is America Going? Fascism or Socialism” at the Leipzig Book Fair
The presentation of 'Where Is America Going? Fascism or Socialism', featuring David North at the Leipzig Book Fair, met with strong interest and underscored the growing interest in a socialist perspective against fascism and war.
David North, Johannes Stern•
Say Nothing: Everything essential about the Northern Ireland conflict left unsaid
A serious artistic appraisal of the Troubles, and serious attempts to understand their effect at a personal level, would have to begin from a historical and political understanding both of British imperialism and the limitations of bourgeois nationalism.
Paul Bond•
Owen Howell•
Stefan Steinberg, Clara Weiss•
James McDonald•
Eric London •
David Walsh, Sandy English•
Film director Prasanna Vithanage discusses Paradise with the WSWS
The mass anti-government agitation in Sri Lanka “was the result of real class differences in our society, the divisions between the haves and the have nots” – Prasanna Vithanage
Richard Phillips•
Interview with Hany Abu-Assad, Palestinian filmmaker (Paradise Now, Omar): “Gaza is the Bastille of our day … a lot is going to change”
One of his most accomplished works is Omar, a 2013 film about a young Palestinian baker (Adam Bakri) who becomes involved in complex political and moral matters.
David Walsh•
Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage denounces Israeli genocide in Gaza
“I strongly denounce state-sponsored witch-hunt and prosecution against artists and activists who have come forward against Israel’s genocide.”
Wasantha Rupasinghe•
Roger Stahl discusses Theaters of War: How the Pentagon and CIA Took Hollywood with WSWS
Department of Defense interventions into American entertainment media is to “get people acclimated to the presence of military personnel, military bases, military operations, and weapons… normalizing the presence of the military in almost every aspect of life.”
Richard Phillips•
David Walsh•
David Walsh•
Vimukthi Vidarshana and Shree Haran•
Richard Phillips•
David Walsh•
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