Carney-vàle!

[whaleallright]

...

[Perkins Cobb]

Then there's the problem of him having cobbled together his Cassavetes on Cassavetes from quotes unsourced, taken out of context, mashed together misleadingly, etc.

Are there any good sources that go into detail on this? (Does Marshall Fine's book challenge Carney's work directly?) I'll have to do some writing about Cassavetes soon and it'd help to have a map for the Carney minefield.

Yet another flaw in Carney's methodology is his creation of his own Cassavetes canon (as if the filmography weren't small enough to begin with), out of which he casts anything that smacks of commercial compromise. Arguably that makes sense with Big Trouble but it's problematic when it comes to Cassavetes's two studio films from the early 60s and the TV episodes he directed, all of which are really interesting. A case could be made that Too Late Blues is a better film than Minnie and Moskowitz or Opening Night, but I think Carney's marginalization of that early work has encouraged other critics to neglect it.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

Yet another flaw in Carney's methodology is his creation of his own Cassavetes canon (as if the filmography weren't small enough to begin with), out of which he casts anything that smacks of commercial compromise. Arguably that makes sense with Big Trouble but it's problematic when it comes to Cassavetes's two studio films from the early 60s and the TV episodes he directed, all of which are really interesting. A case could be made that Too Late Blues is a better film than Minnie and Moskowitz or Opening Night, but I think Carney's marginalization of that early work has encouraged other critics to neglect it.

Cassavetes on Cassavetes actually speaks a great deal on Too Late Blues and A Child is Waiting and Carney speaks very positively about the Cassavetes directed episodes of Johnny Staccato. No matter where you're coming from, in terms of personal expression, freedom and the Cassavetes style of filmmaking, you can't really compare Too Late Blues (a compromised, but very good studio picture) with Minnie and Moskowitz and Opening Night (two masterpieces). If it's ignored, blame Cassavetes himself for speaking loudly throughout his career about how he tried playing the game in a Hollywood studio and was burned and jaded from the whole situation.

[gcgiles1dollarbin]

That said, I think he deserves due process like anyone else caught in a controversy that is, of now, just volleys of hearsay.

Jost is taking this fight to the web and attempting to endanger Carney's academic reputation in part because of the former's doubts that the courts would find in favor of Rappaport, for a few reasons: 1) There was no written agreement at the outset; 2) the materials have been in Carney's possession for a few years without contest; and 3) Rappaport likely does not have the money to support a convincing lawsuit. It's Jost's belief (and mine, frankly) that "due process" will do nothing to restore those materials to Rappaport. You could say that Rappaport should be punished for his naiveté in lending his life's work without a document specifying the status of the transaction, or you could say that Carney should be punished for exploiting these lapses, knowing cynically that he has a stronger position in court. I agree with you that, aside from what Rappaport and Carney have chosen to publicize on the web, this is all hearsay, that we can only speculate, and that speculation is dangerous recourse, but I have equal doubts that due process will serve Rappaport without driving him deeper and deeper into debt. It shouldn't satisfy our consciences that this matter will wind up in the judicial system.

[whaleallright]

...

[Jon Jost]

Just a little new news:

There is some more news on this matter which I am not at liberty to reveal, but I can say, out of the horse's mouth, is an unsavory "deal" being offered. I await word of whatever is to transpire next.

[Michael Kerpan]

Rather lengthy article on this controversy in today's Boston Globe: http://bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/ ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(not sure how long link will stay alive).

[Jon Jost]

Yes, the Boston Globe has published an article on the Rappaport/Carney matter.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/st ... ments.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The above includes responses, including mine which notes some omissions in the article - like noting that Carney has committed perjury, and little things like that. I hope to find time soon to post another in the Chained Relations series covering this sad and absurd episode. As with the long item of defense which Carney posted some weeks ago, it seems the more he says, the deeper he digs the hole he insists on occupying. In the Globe article he now asserts he spent $40K to build a special place in his house to hold Rappaport's materials, a picture of which demonstrates it would readily fit under a modestly sized table. For details on that see http://cinemaelectronica.wordpress.com/ ... s-redux-9/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jon Jost]

IndieWire item on Carney/Rappaport case

http://www.indiewire.com/article/how-fi ... eaderPanel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Carney now has new numbers and explanations for himself.

It is claimed he has led his students to reading Shakespeare; too bad Carney never learned anything from doing so: then he might let them know that "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive" is actually from Sir Walter Scott. Not that it would evidently make any difference to Carney.

[Oedipax]

More Carnage.

http://cinemaelectronica.wordpress.com/ ... ations-10/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[perkizitore]

Someone must really put pressure to BU to fire Carney, that will teach him.

[colinr0380]

Mayor Poopenmayer: Professor Wernstrom, can you save my city?
Professor Ogden Wernstrom: Of course, but it'll cost you. First, I'll need tenure.
Mayor Poopenmayer: Done.
Professor Ogden Wernstrom: And a big research grant.
Mayor Poopenmayer: You got it.
Professor Ogden Wernstrom: Also, access to a lab, and five graduate students, at least three of them Chinese.
Mayor Poopenmayer: All right, done. What's your plan?
Professor Ogden Wernstrom: What plan? I'm set for life. Au revoir, suckers!
Leela: That rat! Do something!
Mayor Poopenmayer: I wish I could, but he's got tenure.

[Gregory]

Sorry if I've overlooked some relevant fact here, but how could this be considered BU's affair, and why is tenure even an issue in this discussion? I realize that a major scandal involving a professor's off-campus relationships can lead to disciplinary action if the situation is severe enough to damage the institution's reputation, but the administration is hardly going to butt in any old time there's a legal dispute involving one of their faculty. And if they did, I could see that setting quite an unjust precedent. It looks like those who didn't believe in the institution of tenure to begin with are simply using this to grind that ax.

[gcgiles1dollarbin]

I guess it all depends on the extent to which one believes that this affair implicates his work as a BU researcher, historian, and teacher. Presumably he did work on Rappaport under the auspices of the institution supporting him, and part of this research must depend to some extent on the work lent him by Rappaport (or "gifted," if we're to believe Carney). I don't see this business as being "off-campus," either way, or even terribly distinct from any other research he executes under the aegis of Boston University. It's certainly not as "off-campus" as a sex scandal involving no one from the university, but I can imagine some arguing nonetheless that David Epstein, for example, deserves to lose his job, even though his sexual crime is unrelated to his work at Columbia. This is in dramatic contrast to Carney's alleged crimes (perjury, etc.), but it still brings up the same question of how accountable a professor should be to the university for crimes committed "off-campus." One would have to begin with a basic question: Do alleged perjury and alleged unlawful possession of research materials reflect his professional abilities and ethical status at the university? I would think so, but you and others might disagree. As for being principally opposed to tenure, I'm not except insofar that it permits this kind of professional immunity that students, adjuncts, etc., never enjoy.

[hearthesilence]

I still get a chuckle from this thread's title...

[zedz]

I had always assumed that Carney's position at a reputable institution was absolutely, directly relevant to Rappaport's decision that it would be safe to leave his materials with him, so I don't see how BU cannot be implicated in this depressing clusterfuck. Plus, I'm betting that the university won't be keen to acquire a reputation as "the film department that fucks filmmakers over." *

* or, if you want to be pedantic, "the film department that sits back and watches while its staff fuck filmmakers over." That's a hair nobody with any sense is going to split.

[Calvin]

It looks like there may be light at the end of the tunnel - Jon Jost will be raising funds for 2K transfers to be made of Rappaport's films from the original negatives held by the Cinematheque Francaise

[whaleallright]

that's great news; I wonder why Rappaport didn't let on that the original negatives were in Paris all along--or did he?

Plus, I'm betting that the university won't be keen to acquire a reputation as "the film department that fucks filmmakers over." *

of course Boston University doesn't desire any such reputation; it's pretty clear the administration, not to mention many of the other film faculty, would rather not touch Carney with a ten-foot pole. and I believe most understand that this is an issue with Carney, not BU or their film program more broadly. he's already irreparably damaged his reputation in the field (which he always inflated anyway).

but BU also does not want a long and costly court battle for punishing Carney in some way that violates the terms of his tenure agreement. nor are they likely to want to be a poster child for undermining tenure protections, even given the current hostile environment--their faculty would rightly rebel en masse (and we'd have to suffer Carney actually becoming the martyr to academic freedom that he's long claimed to be). even if they don't mean much to cinephiles bloviating from the other side of the world, these are crucial issues that transcend Carney and Rappaport's dispute.

[MichaelB]

that's great news; I wonder why Rappaport didn't let on that the original negatives were in Paris all along--or did he?

I was certainly aware that Carney didn't have the original negatives, but of course they're not much use unless you have the funds to generate something from them.

[Aflwydd]

Carney responds to The Rappaport Situation, casts himself as a victim of blackmail, extortion, "cyberbullying."

Whatever the actual truth value of that is, I have no doubt that Ray Carney believes every single word of it. I don't think he's uttered a single conscious untruth.

Same here. I am someone who still thinks Carney's academic writing on film is really interesting and share pretty similar philosophies when it comes to art but his behaviour during his whole affair has been disturbing to witness. While I fully believe that he's been treated terribly at Boston University knowing how neoliberal university management attempts to silence any dissenters, it seems that he now feels that people are always out to get him and that he's the sole crusader fighting for the integrity of film and art in the face of innumerable attacks.

Now that he's turned against someone he claimed was a friend and seems to have no logical justification for doing so, those who never liked him anyway have displayed an almost orgasmic glee and let's be honest, care more about making fun of him on an internet forum than about whether Rappaport actually gets his possessions back. Also, if you think that Carney is one of the biggest problems with academia you know nothing about what goes in academia or happen to be the type of person who he attacks.

For me and others who actually don't hate him, I see a man whose mental health doesn't seem to be in a good way and maybe needs help. He's someone who's clearly under constant stress and strain and that is never good for rational thinking, and it just seems that he has adopted a siege mentality where in his mind all criticisms have an agenda behind him. Maybe that attitude inevitable when someone is constantly viciously attacked from so many corners, and I feel he's now beyond the point of being able to comprehend what he's doing here and why he's in the wrong.

I hope for everyone's sake that this can be resolved and that both Rappaport and Carney can get on with their lives but I fear that Ray Carney will have to be lying in a grave before this sad affair comes to an end. The whole situation just makes me really disheartened and honestly sad for both men. It's just horrible.

[zedz]

I am shocked (shocked!) that this thread has not yet been retitled Carney's Twilight.

[Perkins Cobb]

I am shocked (shocked!) that this thread has not yet been retitled Carney's Twilight.

Awesome ... except, retitle it Sawdust and Tinsel, without further explanation.

[domino harvey]

Sorry, I don't think Bergman is one of the four directors Ray Carney approves of

[Perkins Cobb]

Poetic justice, then.

[AtlantaFella]

Warning for anyone trying to obtain books directly from Carney's website: I ordered a copy of Cassavetes on Cassavetes and eventually had to dispute my PayPal order since it was never fulfilled nor acknowledged. Still want to read the book though so guess I'll seek out a used copy.