The artistic are not like you or me...

You know, as much guff as I like to give Neil LaBute, it is sometimes hilarious to realize how much more messed-up authors in the past could be. From the Voice's review of Alan Rickman's production of The Creditors:

These same anxieties led Strindberg, at the time of Creditors' writing, to have his penis measured by a doctor and an attendant prostitute, who both "confirmed its normal size."

Give him credit for being thorough in his investigations, at least.

"Dialogue dub/ now here's the rub/she's acting her reaction"

You know, most people who are blogging/have blogged about the Oscars have more to say about most of the subjects. The three things that got me are:
1. Seriously, a John Hughes retrospective? In a year where we lost Eric Rohmer, we spend 10 minutes on John Hughes?
2. I hope a zombie Lon Chaney Jr. kicks Taylor Lautner's ass and proves who is the most popular werewolf of all time (I mean, Lon Chaney Jr. was a limited actor, but unless you measure acting talent by abs, he was still a better actor than Taylor Lautner has proven himself to be).
3. Also, thank you, Academy Awards, for recognizing horror films how many years after completely ignoring them. It must suck for the rest of the world to realize that they've made nothing that could beat Saw and/or Twilight in the last eighty-two years.

The King of Casting...

Just watched Scorcese's "The King of Comedy", his acerbic take on both celebrity and would-be celebrities.

And then I found this article (h/t The Playgoer).

Short version: Some douchebag casting director tweeted the results of her casting session, complaining about specific (though un-named) performances.

She claims she's being helpful, giving advice, but it seems to me that she could always just write an article or blog post or something constructive for future auditioners. The internet does allow you to post more than 140 words at a time. She knows that, right?

And if she really had a problem with something a specific performer does, why not address it to that specific person? That's a really passive-aggressive way to deal with your frustration.

I hope the next time Ms. Eisenberg does something private or personal that someone tweets every detail.

This is the exact kind of deafness to personal interaction that characterizes Rupert Pupkin's character in "King of Comedy", that makes you want to retch when he actually becomes a success. But in the defense of that character, the movie does point out a severely messed-up and disappointing life that made him that way. What's a successful, powerful casting director's defense?