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Arts and Culture

Kim Novak Blasts ‘The Artist’ for Sonically Raping ‘Vertigo’

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Posted on Jan 10, 2012
imdb.com

Penelope Ann Miller appears in this still from “The Artist.”

Actress Kim Novak took the trouble of taking out a full-page ad in Variety on Monday to accuse one of the most buzzed-about movies of 2011, “The Artist,” of violating her “body of work” by borrowing music from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” to set a retro mood.

Subscribing to an old-school viewpoint when it comes to sampling, mash-ups and other musical mixing techniques, Novak took dramatic aim at the Oscar contender—which, somewhat ironically, is also a silent film—prompting “The Artist” director Michel Hazanavicius to speak up on behalf of his film on Tuesday.  —KA

BBC:

By featuring the music, she went on, the makers of The Artist, were guilty of “using emotions it engenders as if it were their own”.

“Even though they gave a small credit to Bernard Herrmann at the end, I believe this to be cheating, at the very least.”

The US composer, also known for his work on Psycho and Taxi Driver, died in 1975.

In his own statement, Hazanavicius said the Vertigo ‘Love Theme’ had been “used in many different films” and that he was “very pleased to have it in mine”.

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Francisco d'Anconia's avatar

By Francisco d'Anconia, January 12 at 9:21 am Link to this comment

To address some of the prior comments, this is in
reference to a paid advertisement in a Trade paper. 
The so called lack of being “newsworthy” would likely
apply to most of the actual “news” in the Trade paper
as well.  So don’t subscribe to Daily Variety.  If
Truth Dig posts about such matters, then don’t click
the link. Be your own editor, not mine.  Any regular
reader of the Variety will know that the news,
columns, and ads often contain flowery descriptive
and metaphors, as this is from a TRADE paper for an
industry with many artists, some who are narcissists. 
So relax.

Report this
redteddy's avatar

By redteddy, January 11 at 1:57 pm Link to this comment

“Can’t we all just get along?”  Seriously?  Why is this newsworthy?  Truthdig would
go better to link to stories like the Supreme Court ruling that religious employees
cannot sue a religious institution for employment discrimination.  Novac is entitled
to think what she wants of the artistic endeavor, the director has the right to use
what he wants and if Novac wants to call it a rape let her call it a rape.

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Anarcissie's avatar

By Anarcissie, January 11 at 7:07 am Link to this comment

I object to the use of the word ‘rape’ here.  Rape is a serious matter; even as a metaphor, it hardly applies to annoyance that someone is using music you like in a way you don’t like.

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By John Poole, January 11 at 5:32 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

There is no excuse or reason-other than laziness or cheapness on the part of the
director or producer for licensing Herrmann’s music for any film made today.
Most competent composers can deliver effective music for any setting or mood.

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they call me the working man's avatar

By they call me the working man, January 11 at 5:02 am Link to this comment

And they were all fooled and the elitist new media bought right in. The real irony being that things have circled around and taking out a full page ad is an effective way to get publicity.

It’s a baseless conspiracy theory but when in Rome…

Report this

By Johnsambered, January 11 at 3:53 am Link to this comment

i thing the lady seriously reading the news paper


Pura Silk

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