2006-04-14 - 1:20 p.m.

Rust Belt Dramaturgy [or Cineturgy]

Analogy of the day, from Carina Chocano's Los Angeles Times review of a new movie called Kinky Boots, about a hard-pressed Midlands shoe factory that gets a new lease on life by retooling itself to cater to drag couture (what else?):

You could say the factory layoff has become the Chekhov's gun of contemporary British cinema � if a plant closes in Act 1, the protagonist must be engaged in some sort of arts-related fabulousness by Act 3. A decadelong diet of this sort of thing and you'd be forgiven for thinking the collapse of industry is the best thing to happen to England since Cadbury Easter Eggs.

Actually, having seen a trailer for the film and now having read the review, I must admit it sounds entertaining.... of course in that "drag-queens-and-other-assorted-colorful-folk-bring-so-much-fun!-to-post-industrial-salt-of-the-earth-back-from-the-brink-of-unemployment-types" way.