Movie lovers unite

Commentary in the blogosphere is growing in leaps and bounds this week, particularly in the wake of Martin Scorsese's passionate and well-researched open letter (see our previous post), published online and in the print edition of the Los Angeles Times.

• Anne Thompson at indieWIRE writes: "Govan is talking about focusing on new directors and experimental cinema, which misses the point of building a large following for serious classic programming. The point is, this kind of program can only work with support from above and a clear direction."

(Note the comment by Chop Shop's acclaimed filmmaker Ramin Bahrani that follows her piece.)

• The MSN Movies blog asserts, "This decision, one that should be reversed, is sad, bad and needs help."

• The Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York City extends a hand in solidarity: "We here at the filmlinc blog were saddened to see our left coast brethren lose such a precious venue through which to experience cinematic rarities. . . . film lovers coast to coast are up in arms."

• Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Mark Swed feels "a twang of envy" at our success so far as he recalls LACMA's defunct Monday Evening Concerts: "Saving the film program at LACMA without significant institutional support won’t be enough. LACMA has to first care as much about once more bringing together a broad arts community as it does about getting its hands on Eli Broad's bank account."

• David Hudson at The Auteurs Daily encourages readers to sign our petition, then notes: "Today marks Alfred Hitchcock's 110th birthday and what better way to celebrate than to revisit a tribute from, yes, Martin Scorsese, in which he 'restores' a film that was never made: The Key to Reserva."