It’s really difficult living in this city if you have a memory that operates longer than two weeks. It can drive you insane. Having wiped the slate clean by annihilating the perfectly superb classic film program at the County Museum, and installing in its stead an incoherent line-up of movie gobbledy-gook, along comes LACMA Trustee Terry Semel.
And Mr. Semel wishes to make a statement.
Press Release coming your way … please pay attention!
“Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have taken a step toward realizing a museum dedicated to motion pictures and the creation of a new and unique cultural center for the city of Los Angeles. On Tuesday night (10/4), the Academy’s Board of Governors joined their LACMA counterparts in agreeing to sign a memorandum of understanding to work in good faith in establishing the Academy’s movie museum in the historic May Company building, currently known as LACMA West. The memo paves the way for the two organizations to discuss details of a future contract and for the Academy to begin developing plans for fundraising, design, exhibitions, visitor experience, and modifications to this historic site.”
Semel, the former chairman of Warner Bros., remained notably silent during the (ultimately futile) two-year struggle to maintain the museum’s classic film program, a rare shimmering outpost of intelligent life in L.A. Mr. Semel, a billionaire emblematic of the super-wealthy who dictate local culture, and who run the city with the vision and seriousness of backyard badminton, prattles in a press release about the importance of Los Angeles film history. Says he,
“It is appropriate and long overdue for the city that is home to the motion picture industry to recognize this art form with a museum of its own. The LACMA Board is delighted to be facilitating this important cultural event, which has special resonance for me, having spent most of my life dedicated to the great art of movies.”
It has special resonance for him. He spent most of his life dedicated to the great art of movies. What a chutzpah. But, you know, you gotta love this guy. It’s so L.A.
Like this? Read more. Read it and weep:
- LACMA’s Last Picture Show (July 2011)
- Our cultural heritage vs. a rock (April 2011)
- Scorsese talk disappoints @ LACMA (January 2010)
- Our struggle to save the film program at LACMA (Sept 2009)
- arts·meme “Save Film” thread.
- Save Film at LACMA blogsite.
FOR SOME TIME NOW I HAVE BEEN SO ANGRY ABOUT THE DELIBERATE AND DECEITFUL DESTRUCTION OF THE LA COUNTY MUSEUM’S CLASSICAL FILM PROGRAM AND THE DEFENESTRATION OF IAN BIRNIE WHOSE WORK ENRICHED MY LIFE AND THE LOS ANGELES ART COMMUNITY. SO TO READ YOUR TAKE IS WONDERFUL AND WE ARE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH. I WAS AMAZED TO FIND OUT RECENTLY THAT THERE ARE TWO FILM INDUSTRY MAJOR PLAYORS WHO SERVE AS LACMA TRUSTEES…NOW I FEEL WORSE…YOU MEAN THEY KEPT SILENT AND DID NOTHING…????…YOU MEAN THEY HAVE KEPT SILENT AS MICHAEL GOVAN LIED AND LIED AND LIED….???? I HOPE YOU WRITE MORE ON THIS SUBJECT.
BY THE WAY, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW I CAN REACH TERRY SEMEL AND THE OTHER GUY WHOSE NAME ESCAPES ME AT THE MOMENT….I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO LOBBY THEM.
THANKS
EDUARDO AGURCIA