LETTERS TO L.A. LIFE : EITHER WAY, IT'S NOT TIME FOR MILLENNIUM HOOPLA.I found Jenifer Hanrahan's article ``Got plans for Dec. 31, 1999?'' delightful (Dec. 27 L.A. Life). In reading through it, I did start wondering if she is another person who really thinks that the year 2000 is the beginning of the third millennium. So I was pleasantly surprised, and it brought a cheer from me, to read her last paragraph. The whole millennium concept is, of course, based on Christianity and has further complications. An article in U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report Weekly newsmagazine published in Washington, D.C. U.S. News was founded in 1933 by David Lawrence (1888–1973) to cover important domestic events; he founded World Report in 1945 to treat world news. The two magazines were merged in 1948. (March 10, 1997) quoting historian Peter Stearns Peter Stearns is a professor of history at George Mason University, where he is currently provost (since January 1, 2000) with almost 40 years of experience as a teacher and administrator behind him. indicated: ``one third of the world will care significantly, one third will notice it, and one third will barely be aware of it.'' The really great problem is that when the birth date of Jesus was calculated in 525, it was not accurate. The actual birth date was some four to six years earlier. (I do not see how it is possible to determine the actual year, much less the exact day). So, this is actually the Christian year Noun 1. Christian year - the year in the ecclesiastical calendar; especially feast days and special seasons church year holy day, religious holiday - a day specified for religious observance 2002 to 2004. The real Christian Millennium has come and gone. Did you miss it? - Robert S. Kennedy Jr. Camarillo Movie reviewers in need of an attitude adjustment Reading L.A. Life Weekend's summary of 1998's movies (Jan. 1), I couldn't help but wonder, who are these guys that write about the movies? Do they know how vastly out of touch they are with most of the movie-going public? Do they care? Probably not. Daily News film reviewers Bob Strauss and Glenn Whipp might have started out like regular moviegoers, folks who love movies, but somewhere along the way they stumbled into the seen-too-many-movies-my-brain-is-fried pit. This is the place Siskel and Ebert reside and where many movie critics end up. So in need of something new - anything new - to stimulate their dulled senses, they readily dismiss feel-good movies as ``manipulative,'' they malign action spectacles as ``dumb'' whilst fawning fawn 1 intr.v. fawned, fawn·ing, fawns 1. To exhibit affection or attempt to please, as a dog does by wagging its tail, whining, or cringing. 2. all over independent-type features and the studios' rare diversion into non-commercial territory. Granted, many indy pix are worthy of critical acclaim, but these guys give way too much celluloid celluloid [from cellulose], transparent, colorless synthetic plastic made by treating cellulose nitrate with camphor and alcohol. Celluloid was the first important synthetic plastic and was widely used as a substitute for more expensive substances, such as nods contrary to public opinion, while bagging on or belittling be·lit·tle tr.v. be·lit·tled, be·lit·tling, be·lit·tles 1. To represent or speak of as contemptibly small or unimportant; disparage: a person who belittled our efforts to do the job right. many wonderfully entertaining commercial flicks. OK, ``Armageddon'' isn't an exercise in logic, but it's pure thrills all the way despite Whipp's nit-picking that it contains the ``year's dumbest love scene.'' The same reviewer flipped for ``The Truman Show.'' So did critic Bob Strauss, who writes that it's ``an exquisitely crafted, cautionary tale A cautionary tale is a traditional story told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. .'' Every person that I've spoken to (and it's not so few) thinks that ``The Truman Show'' had great potential but ended up a single-noted yarn that never got going. Critic Whipp even torpedoed ``Titanic,'' pointing out that in the video release certain ``naughty bits'' were edited. Instead, he suggests they should have edited out the rest of the film, ``that way it won't waste so much of our time.'' His comments prove how sullied he is, how totally out of sync he is - 11 Oscars, $1.8 billion out of sync. These reviewers have convinced themselves that movies are foremost art forms. Movies are undeniably art forms, but they are foremost a form of entertainment. If real people, normal-minded moviegoers were used to gauge and critique the movies, then film reviews would mean something. They would be a valuable service for movie lovers. - David Ian David Ian Ian[1] (born Chadwell Heath, Greater London in 1961), is a former actor, who turned theatre producer in 1991 to become the most powerful man in UK theatre in 2005 according to The Stage [2]. Marsh Woodland Hills Stick to the high road in printed subject matter Why in heaven's name would you push ``The Tripp/Lewinsky Tapes'' audiotape au·di·o·tape n. 1. A relatively narrow magnetic tape used to record sound for subsequent playback. 2. A tape recording of sound. tr.v. ? (Hot Tips, Jan. 9). What kind of sleazy slea·zy adj. slea·zi·er, slea·zi·est 1. a. Shabby, dirty, and vulgar; tawdry: "sleazy storefronts with torn industrial carpeting and dirt on the walls" publication are you becoming? Come on you guys, you can do better. - Eileen O'Neill West Hills |
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