Today: September 20, 2024
Today: September 20, 2024

Arts

Arts

Vicky Krieps on the feminist Western 'The Dead Don't Hurt' and how she leaves behind past roles

Vicky Krieps noticed that while there’s plenty of instruction for getting into a role, there’s curiously little about getting out of one. For Krieps, the disarmingly natural Luxembourgish actor of “Phantom Thread,”“Corsage” and “Bergman Island,” it’s not a small issue. It may even be the most important part of the process. If she’s still stuck the headspace of a character, she can’t keep moving forward. After struggling in the aftermath of her breakthrough in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread,” in which she starred opposite Daniel Day-Lewis, Krieps found a solution. She could put a capstone on the

September 09, 2023
Vicky Krieps on the feminist Western 'The Dead Don't Hurt' and how she leaves behind past roles
Arts

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis apologize for 'pain' their letters on behalf of Danny Masterson caused

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis apologized Saturday for character letters the celebrity couple wrote on behalf of fellow “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson before he was sentenced for rape this week. A judge in Los Angeles on Thursday sentenced Masterson to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003. In a video posted on Instagram, Kutcher and Kunis said they were sorry for the pain they may have caused with the letters, which were made public Friday. Kutcher said the letters that asked for leniency “were intended for the judge to

September 09, 2023
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis apologize for 'pain' their letters on behalf of Danny Masterson caused
Arts

Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss has a book coming out next spring

Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss has a book coming out next spring in which she will reflect on her years in government, offer advice for future leaders and recall lessons she learned while often being “the only conservative in the room.” Truss, whose 45 days as Prime Minister was the shortest term in British history, is calling her book “Ten Years to Save the West.” The conservative Regnery Publishing announced Sunday that the release date will be April 16. According to Regnery, Truss will recall being asked by Queen Elizabeth II to form a government

September 10, 2023
Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss has a book coming out next spring
Arts

‘The Nun II’ conjures $32.6 million to top box office

Like many horrors before it, bad reviews didn’t scare off moviegoers from buying tickets for “ The Nun II.” The sequel to the 2018 hit, released in 3,728 theaters by Warner Bros., topped the box office in its first weekend in North American theaters earning an estimated $32.6 million, the studio said Sunday. Horror is perhaps the most reliably critic-proof genre, at least when it comes to opening weekend. The Michael Graves-directed sequel starring Taissa Farmiga and Storm Reid fell far short of the debut for the first film ($53.8 million), but it’s still a solid launch. “The Nun” movies

September 10, 2023
‘The Nun II’ conjures $32.6 million to top box office
Arts

Cord Jefferson's insightful satire of race and media, 'American Fiction,' lights up TIFF

Fifty pages into Percival Everett’s “Erasure” Cord Jefferson knew he wanted to adapt it into a movie script. Halfway through, he began to see Jeffrey Wright playing the book’s academic protagonist, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison. By the time he was finished, he knew he wanted to direct it, too. As quick as that, Cord Jefferson — the 41-year-old TV writer of “Succession,” “Master of None” and “Watchmen” — began working toward his directing debut, “American Fiction.” And just as speedily, following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, “American Fiction” became a breakout hit of the festival,

September 10, 2023
Cord Jefferson's insightful satire of race and media, 'American Fiction,' lights up TIFF
Arts

Lil Nas X documentary premiere delayed by bomb threat at Toronto International Film Festival

The premiere of the documentary “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” was delayed after a bomb threat was called in at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Saturday night premiere of the film at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall was delayed by about 20 minutes while authorities verified that the threat wasn’t credible. Lil Nas X was kept off the red carpet during that time. Judy Lung, vice president of public affairs and communications for TIFF, said in a statement that Toronto police investigated the vicinity of the red carpet ahead of the screening. “Our standard security measures

September 10, 2023
Lil Nas X documentary premiere delayed by bomb threat at Toronto International Film Festival
Arts

In Toronto, Paul Simon takes a bow with a new career-spanning documentary

After a three-and-a-half-hour documentary on his life, Paul Simon had only sympathy for the audience. “You’re probably exhausted,” Simon told the crowd after the premiere of Alex Gibney’s “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon” on Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival. The 81-year-old Simon, himself, hadn’t watched the film before its debut, and he didn’t watch it Sunday, either. “I’ll get up the courage to see it, no doubt,” he promised. The film, which is seeking distribution at TIFF, is an expansive look at Simon’s decades-spanning career, from growing up in Queens, New York,

September 10, 2023
In Toronto, Paul Simon takes a bow with a new career-spanning documentary
Arts

Country singer-songwriter Charlie Robison dies in Texas at age 59

Charlie Robison, the Texas singer-songwriter whose rootsy anthems made the country charts until he was forced to retire after complications from a medical procedure left him unable to sing, died Sunday. He was 59. Robison died at a hospital in San Antonio after suffering cardiac arrest and other complications, according to a family representative. Robison launched his music career in the late 1980s, playing in local Austin bands like Two Hoots and a Holler before forming his own Millionaire Playboys. In 1996, he released his solo debut, “Bandera,” named for the Texas Hill Country town where

September 10, 2023
Country singer-songwriter Charlie Robison dies in Texas at age 59
Arts

Sarah Burton, who designed Kate's royal wedding dress, to step down from Alexander McQueen

The fashion designer who created the wedding dress of Kate, the Princess of Wales, is stepping down as creative director at Alexander McQueen after two decades at the brand, luxury group Kering said Monday. Designer Sarah Burton had led the fashion house since 2010 and previously worked with the brand’s founder, Lee Alexander McQueen, for 14 years. Burton took over as creative director of the fashion house after McQueen took his own life at age 40. Kering, the luxury group behind brands including Gucci and Saint Laurent as well as Alexander McQueen, said McQueen’s spring and summer

September 11, 2023
Sarah Burton, who designed Kate's royal wedding dress, to step down from Alexander McQueen
Arts

Michael Kors pays tribute to late mother with waterfront runway show set to Bacharach tunes

On a waterfront promenade lined with pink flowers and facing Manhattan’s majestic skyline, designer Michael Kors paid tribute to his late mother with a show honoring the travels the two enjoyed together. As always, Kors was joined by a slew of celebrities at the picturesque venue along the East River in Brooklyn’s Domino Park, under the Williamsburg Bridge. Actors Halle Berry, Blake Lively, Tiffany Haddish, Ellen Pompeo, Olivia Wilde, Jenna Dewan and many more were in attendance. “All of us dream of holidays,” the designer said before the show, explaining the inspiration for a collection projecting

September 11, 2023
Michael Kors pays tribute to late mother with waterfront runway show set to Bacharach tunes
Arts

'Dumb Money' goes all in on the GameStop stock frenzy — and may come out a winner

Think of movies about the financial system and your mind is almost sure to go to Gordon Gekko and “Wall Street” or Leonardo DiCaprio’s gyrating Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” When Hollywood takes on Wall Street, it usually heads straight to the C-suite. The protagonist of “Dumb Money,” though, is an amateur investor who trades out of his basement in Brockton, Massachusetts, with a bandana tied around his head and a Belgian beer in his hand. This is Keith Gill (played in the film by Paul Dano), also known as Roaring Kitty. In 2021,

September 11, 2023
'Dumb Money' goes all in on the GameStop stock frenzy — and may come out a winner
Arts

MTV Video Music Awards return Tuesday, with an all-female artist of the year category

The MTV Video Music Awards return Tuesday night, and for the first time, only women are nominated in the show’s artist of the year category. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Karol G and Shakira are contending for the night’s top prize. The VMAs, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey — just outside of New York City — will be hosted by Minaj. Last year, she emceed alongside Lil Wayne and Jack Harlow; this year, she’s solo. The show will also celebrate 50 years of hip-hop with a star-studded, multi-generational

September 12, 2023
MTV Video Music Awards return Tuesday, with an all-female artist of the year category
Arts

Illinois appeals court to hear arguments on Jussie Smollett request to toss convictions

Jussie Smollett’s drawn out legal saga begins anew Tuesday when an Illinois appeals court will hear oral arguments that the former “Empire” actor’s convictions for staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and then lying about it to Chicago police should be tossed. If the appeal before the Chicago-based First District Appellate Court fails, Smollett would have to finish a 150-day stint in jail that his trial judge ordered during his 2022 sentencing. Smollett spent just six days in jail before his release pending the outcome of the appeal. A ruling is expected to take

September 12, 2023
Illinois appeals court to hear arguments on Jussie Smollett request to toss convictions
Arts

Aerosmith postpones shows after frontman Steven Tyler suffers vocal cord damage

Aerosmith has postponed a half-dozen dates on their farewell tour because frontman Steven Tyler injured his vocal cords during a performance, Tyler announced Monday. “I’m heartbroken to say I have received strict doctor’s orders not to sing for the next thirty days,” Tyler, 75, posted on Instagram. “I sustained vocal cord damage during Saturday’s show that led to subsequent bleeding. We’ll need to postpone a few dates so that we can come back and give you the performance you deserve.” The band known for “Dream On,” “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion” began its “Peace Out” farewell

September 12, 2023
Aerosmith postpones shows after frontman Steven Tyler suffers vocal cord damage
Arts

Why 'Barbie' and 'The Little Mermaid' made 2023 the dead girl summer

In one sense, Barbie is already dead, cheerfully doomed to repeat the same pink day, devoid of food, conflict and sex. Chris Hondros/Getty Images Ariel and Barbie have quite a bit in common: They’re both frozen in time, and they both yearn to live as humans do. The fantastic seascapes and perfect dollhouses of “The Little Mermaid” and “Barbie” might appear whimsical. But I see these settings – and the characters who inhabit them – as figurations of death. In my forthcoming book, I consider the relationship between mermaids and Barbie dolls. In the case of the 2023 films, I

September 12, 2023
Why 'Barbie' and 'The Little Mermaid' made 2023 the dead girl summer
Arts

Author Sandra Cisneros receives Holbrooke award for work that helps promote peace and understanding

Author Sandra Cisneros is this year’s winner of the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, honoring writers who help foster “understanding between and among people.” Cisneros, best known for her million-selling novel “The House on Mango Street,” has often drawn upon her Mexican heritage and her childhood community in her own work and supported other writers through her nonprofits the Macondo Foundation and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation. The Holbrooke award, named for the late U.S. diplomat, is presented by the Ohio-based Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation. In 1995, Holbrooke helped broker the Dayton

September 12, 2023
Author Sandra Cisneros receives Holbrooke award for work that helps promote peace and understanding
Arts

A new documentary reexamines the Louis CK scandal, 6 years later

Louis C.K. came to the Toronto International Film Festival six years ago with the hotly anticipated “I Love You, Daddy,” just as allegations of sexual misconduct against the comedian were gaining new prominence. The movie sold at TIFF for $5 million, but before it could reach theaters, its premiere was canceled and its release scuttled. After years of rumors, a New York Times article in November that year detailed the allegations of several women who described incidents in which C.K. masturbated in front of female stand-up colleagues. Now, a new documentary premiering in Toronto, where C.K.’s downfall

September 12, 2023
A new documentary reexamines the Louis CK scandal, 6 years later
Arts

The importance of shining a light on hidden toxic histories

Societies celebrate heroes and commemorate tragedies. But why is there so little public acknowledgment of environmental disasters?

September 14, 2023
The importance of shining a light on hidden toxic histories
Arts

Anxiety can often be a drag on creativity, upending the trope of the tortured artist

A psychiatrist explains the many ways anxiety can hinder, color or compel creativity.

September 15, 2023
Anxiety can often be a drag on creativity, upending the trope of the tortured artist
Arts

'Big Bang of Numbers' – The Conversation's book club explores how math alone could create the universe with author Manil Suri

A book-length thought experiment uses math to investigate some of life’s big questions.

September 18, 2023
'Big Bang of Numbers' – The Conversation's book club explores how math alone could create the universe with author Manil Suri
Arts

'Time In A Bottle': Jim Croce's music continues to inspire 50 years after his life was cut short

Jim Croce’s brief time in the national spotlight was enough to put a bevy of songs in heavy rotation on radio stations – and on stage in the hands of a lengthy A-list of fellow musicians.

September 19, 2023
'Time In A Bottle': Jim Croce's music continues to inspire 50 years after his life was cut short
Arts

Art and science entwined: This course explores the long, interrelated history of two ways of seeing the world

Art and science may seem like opposites, but throughout history the disciplines have fed off each other − and still do today.

September 20, 2023
Art and science entwined: This course explores the long, interrelated history of two ways of seeing the world
Arts

Reality TV show contestants are more like unpaid interns than Hollywood stars

With the TV writers and actors strikes leaving networks with little scripted content, the fall 2023 lineup will be saturated with low-cost reality TV shows like ‘The Voice.’

September 21, 2023
Reality TV show contestants are more like unpaid interns than Hollywood stars
Arts

Aaron Rodgers' season-ending Achilles tear resurfaces questions about player safety on artificial turf

Two days after Rodgers’ injury, the NFL players union called on the league to convert all playing fields to natural grass.

September 22, 2023
Aaron Rodgers' season-ending Achilles tear resurfaces questions about player safety on artificial turf
Arts

Why some Indians want to change the country's name to 'Bharat'

The government’s use of the Hindi word for ‘India’ revives debates over whether Hindi should be the national language – and reopens some old wounds.

September 27, 2023
Why some Indians want to change the country's name to 'Bharat'

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