Today: October 12, 2024
Today: October 12, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Arts

Alexander Payne makes 'em like they used to: Fall Movie Preview

The great films of the 1970s have long loomed in the imagination of filmmakers raised during one of the most fertile periods of American movies. But Alexander Payne wanted to take it a step further. Payne’s latest film, “The Holdovers,” isn’t just set in 1970, it seeks to imbibe the humanistic spirit of films like “The Last Detail,”“Harold and Maude,” “The Landlord” and “Paper Moon” — all movies he screened for his cast and crew. “We were very fully making a ’70s movie,” Payne says, recently speaking by phone from his desk in Omaha, Nebraska. Payne,

Alexander Payne makes 'em like they used to: Fall Movie Preview
Arts

Fall Movie Preview: Hollywood readies for a season with stars on the sidelines

Hollywood is at a standstill. Actors and screenwriters are months into a dual strike. Film sets are dark. But the movies are still coming — or, at least, most of them. Even if that means some potentially solitary red-carpet walks. “I’m hoping I’m not promoting the movie by myself,” says Nia DaCosta, director of the upcoming Marvel movie “The Marvels” (Nov. 10). “No one’s there to see me, either. They’re going to be like, ‘Where’s Brie Larson?’” Though the ongoing actors and screenwriters strikes are casting a pall over the fall movie season and prompting some

Fall Movie Preview: Hollywood readies for a season with stars on the sidelines
Arts

How video games like 'Starfield' are creating a new generation of classical music fans

The London Symphony Orchestra has performed music from video games like ‘Starfield’ and ‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.’ Tristan Fewings/Getty Images “Starfield” is one of the most anticipated video games in recent history. The game, which will be released on Sept. 6, 2023, allows players to build their own character and spacecraft, travel to any one of a thousand or more planets and follow multiple story arcs. The soundtrack is equally epic, with audio director Mark Lampert describing the game’s music as a “companion to the player,” with a “sense of scale” that “had to be totally readjusted,” in a

How video games like 'Starfield' are creating a new generation of classical music fans
Arts

The Rolling Stones will release their first studio album in 18 years, 'Hackney Diamonds'

The wait is over: The Rolling Stones will soon release new music. On Monday, the band announced they are preparing to release their first album of original material in 18 years — since 2005’s “A Bigger Bang.” Titled “Hackney Diamonds,” the band will share details of the release at an event in East London’s Hackney district on Wednesday, where Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will be interviewed live by “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon. The event will be livestreamed exclusively on YouTube on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. BST, 9:30 a.m. EST and 6:30

The Rolling Stones will release their first studio album in 18 years, 'Hackney Diamonds'
Arts

Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell dies at 56

Steve Harwell, the longtime frontman of the Grammy-nominated pop rock band Smash Mouth has died. He was 56. The band’s manager, Robert Hayes, said Harwell “passed peacefully and comfortably” Monday morning surrounded by family and friends at his home in Boise, Idaho. The cause of death was acute liver failure, Hayes said in a statement. Smash Mouth was known for hits including “All star” and “Then the morning comes.” “Steve Harwell was a true American Original. A larger than life character who shot up into the sky like a Roman candle,” Hayes said. “Steve should be

Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell dies at 56
Arts

Accusers in Japanese boy band producer's sex scandal say they hope for apology, compensation

A group of men who say they were sexually abused by a Japanese boy band producer expressed hope Monday that the company will provide financial compensation and introduce measures to prevent a recurrence. They say producer Johnny Kitagawa sexually preyed on young dancers and singers for decades, having them stay at his luxury home, handing them cash and leveraging promises of potential fame. The company, Johnny & Associates, is a powerful force in Japan’s entertainment industry. The men said at a news conference Monday that they have been ignored for decades by the company, Japanese society and

Accusers in Japanese boy band producer's sex scandal say they hope for apology, compensation
Arts

Beyoncé shines bright among Hollywood stars during Renaissance concert tour stop in Los Angeles

Lights, cameras, Beyoncé! The superstar singer shined the brightest in a city full of Hollywood stars during the second night of her epic Renaissance Tour show on Saturday night. She once again packed the massive SoFi Stadium filled with concertgoers wearing gleaming silver outfits at the request of Beyoncé who asked fans to sport the silvery wardrobe for the last month of her spectacular tour. The crowd included many entertainers and athletes: Viola Davis, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade and Kelly Rowland. Some returned for a second straight night to witness another

Beyoncé shines bright among Hollywood stars during Renaissance concert tour stop in Los Angeles
Arts

Sweet emotion in Philadelphia as Aerosmith starts its farewell tour, and fans dream on

Aerosmith is one of the best things to come out of Boston, and soon it will exist only in memories and playbacks — like Tom Brady, “Cheers” and Larry Bird. The quintet has given the world 50 years of classic rock and some of the most enduring songs of all time, including “Dream On,” “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion.” Aerosmith began its farewell “Peace Out” tour Saturday in Philadelphia with a two-hour set spanning its voluminous catalog — giving the world one last chance to see what earned these skinny guys from New England an exalted

Sweet emotion in Philadelphia as Aerosmith starts its farewell tour, and fans dream on
Arts

Aerosmith singer and Maui homeowner Steven Tyler urges tourists to return to the island

He’s most often associated with Boston, the hometown of his legendary rock band, but Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has a soft spot in his heart for the Hawaiian island of Maui. The singer, who has a home on the island, wants vacationers to return to Maui to help the island’s economy — devastated by wildfires last month — recover. Near the end of the opening night of the band’s farewell tour in Philadelphia Saturday, Tyler urged audience members not to be afraid to travel to the island again. “When you think about Lahaina, think about south Maui,”

Aerosmith singer and Maui homeowner Steven Tyler urges tourists to return to the island
Arts

‘Equalizer 3’ cleans up, while ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ score new records

The third installment in the Denzel Washington-led “Equalizer” franchise topped the domestic box office this weekend with $34.5 million according to studio estimates Sunday. By the end of the Monday holiday, Sony expects that total will rise to $42 million. Labor Day signals the end of Hollywood’s summer movie season, which will likely surpass $4 billion in ticket sales for the first time since the pandemic thanks in no small part to “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which are still netting records even after seven weeks in theaters. This weekend, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” officially became the biggest movie of 2023 with over

‘Equalizer 3’ cleans up, while ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ score new records
Arts

Americans have long wanted the perfect endless summer. Jimmy Buffett offered them one

It seemed wistfully appropriate, somehow, that news of Jimmy Buffett’s death emerged at the beginning of the Labor Day weekend, the demarcation point of every American summer’s symbolic end. Because for so many, the 76-year-old Buffett embodied something they held onto ever so tightly as the world grew ever more complex: the promise of an eternal summer of sand, sun, blue salt water and gentle tropical winds. He was the man whose studied devil-may-care attitude became a lifestyle and a multimillion-dollar business — a connecting filament between the suburbs and the Florida Keys and, beyond them, the Caribbean. From Margaritaville

Americans have long wanted the perfect endless summer. Jimmy Buffett offered them one
Arts

For at least a day, all the world is 'Margaritaville' in homage to Jimmy Buffett

All the world was “Margaritaville” on Saturday, from Key West to New York City and beyond, as legions of fans mourned the passing of beach-bum balladeer Jimmy Buffett at the age of 76. Buffett’s eponymous hit song has long been the anthem of Florida’s Key West, where Buffett once lived and built his enduring legacy. “Everybody equates that song with our city,” said Clayton Lopez, a Key West city commissioner. “I mean, when you say Margaritaville, you’re talking about the city of Key West.” The community planned a remembrance Sunday along Duval Street, home to

For at least a day, all the world is 'Margaritaville' in homage to Jimmy Buffett
Arts

Jimmy Buffett's laid-back party vibe created adoring 'Parrotheads' and success beyond music

Jimmy Buffett celebrated slackers before the word existed, even though he was hardly one himself. “Wasting away in Margaritaville,” went the chorus to his most famous song, which became an international singalong. But Buffett was actually an astute, ambitious, aggressive businessman. A statement posted to Buffett’s official website and social media pages announced his passing on Friday at age 76. The statement did not say where Buffett died or give a cause. He rescheduled concerts in May and acknowledged he had been hospitalized for an unspecified illness. Buffett built an empire based largely on Caribbean-flavored pop that celebrated the Florida

Jimmy Buffett's laid-back party vibe created adoring 'Parrotheads' and success beyond music
Arts

'Margaritaville' singer Jimmy Buffett, who turned beach-bum life into an empire, dies at 76

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who popularized beach bum soft rock with the escapist Caribbean-flavored song “Margaritaville” and turned that celebration of loafing into an empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen concoctions, has died. He was 76. “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement posted to Buffett’s official website and social media pages said late Friday. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.” The statement did not say where Buffett died

'Margaritaville' singer Jimmy Buffett, who turned beach-bum life into an empire, dies at 76
Arts

After outrage over Taylor Swift tickets, reform has been slow across the US

When thousands of fans couldn’t get tickets for megastar Taylor Swift’s summer stadium tour, some diehards paid upwards of 70 times face value to see their favorite artist in person — an outrage that prompted Congressional hearings and bills in state legislatures to better protect consumers. After 10 months, Swift’s U.S. tour is finished, but so are most of the meaningful reforms consumer advocates and industry groups had hoped to pass this year. A proposal has so far failed to advance in the U.S. Senate. Legislation in Colorado was vetoed by the Democratic governor at the

After outrage over Taylor Swift tickets, reform has been slow across the US
Arts

Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys facing civil lawsuits in Vegas alleging sexual assault decades ago

Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter has won a favorable ruling in one of two civil lawsuits filed against him in Nevada, one by a woman who alleges he raped her on his tour bus in Washington state in 2001 and another by a woman who alleges he sexually assaulted her on his boat off Florida in 2003. A state court judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss a countersuit that Carter and his attorneys brought alleging defamation by three people in the first case, which was filed last December by a Nevada woman, now 40, who alleges

Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys facing civil lawsuits in Vegas alleging sexual assault decades ago
Arts

'Walking Dead' spinoffs, 'Interview With the Vampire' can resume with actors' union approval

A pair spinoffs of “The Walking Dead” and the next season of “Interview With the Vampire” can resume production despite the ongoing Hollywood strikes after reaching an agreement with the actors’ union. The three AMC series are the highest-profile television productions yet to get what’s known as an interim agreement from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The approval was granted Wednesday because the cable channel AMC and production company Stalwart Films are not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — the coalition of studios the actors are

'Walking Dead' spinoffs, 'Interview With the Vampire' can resume with actors' union approval
Arts

Statue believed to depict Marcus Aurelius seized from Cleveland museum in looting investigation

A headless bronze statue believed to depict the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius was ordered seized from the Cleveland Museum of Art by New York authorities investigating antiquities looted from Turkey. A warrant signed by a judge in Manhattan on Aug. 14 ordered the seizure of the statue, which the museum acquired in 1986 and had been a highlight of its collection of ancient Roman art. The warrant was secured as part of an ongoing investigation into a smuggling network involving antiquities looted from Bubon in southwestern Turkey and trafficked through Manhattan, a spokesperson for

Statue believed to depict Marcus Aurelius seized from Cleveland museum in looting investigation
Arts

In ‘Equalizer 3,’ Denzel Washington’s assassin goes to Italy

Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua has been dreaming about taking the Equalizer abroad for years. The action franchise (very loosely based on a 1980s television series) starring Denzel Washington as the reluctant assassin Robert McCall had rooted itself in humble domestic beginnings, in Boston. But after two films and $382.7 million in box-office receipts in the past decade, the time seemed ripe to travel. “Denzel is an international movie star,” Fuqua told The Associated Press. “We thought it would be nice to see a man of color in a story that’s more international. Why not take this character around the world? Luckily,

In ‘Equalizer 3,’ Denzel Washington’s assassin goes to Italy
Arts

Michael Oher, Mike Tyson and the question of whether you own your life story

Former NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher poses at the 2009 NFL draft with the Tuohy family. Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images What if you overcame a serious illness to go on to win an Olympic medal? Could a writer or filmmaker decide to tell your inspiring story without consulting you? Or do you “own” that story and control how it gets retold? Michael Oher, the former NFL player portrayed in the 2009 blockbuster “The Blind Side,” has sued Michael and Anne Leigh Tuohy, the suburban couple who took him into their home as a disadvantaged youth. In his official complaint, Oher claims

Michael Oher, Mike Tyson and the question of whether you own your life story
Arts

Visual artists fight back against AI companies for repurposing their work

Kelly McKernan’s acrylic and watercolor paintings are bold and vibrant, often featuring feminine figures rendered in bright greens, blues, pinks and purples. The style, in the artist’s words, is “surreal, ethereal … dealing with discomfort in the human journey.” The word “human” has a special resonance for McKernan these days. Although it’s always been a challenge to eke out a living as a visual artist — and the pandemic made it worse — McKernan now sees an existential threat from a medium that’s decidedly not human: artificial intelligence. It’s been about a year since McKernan, who

Visual artists fight back against AI companies for repurposing their work
Arts

Prince Harry says in a new Netflix series he lacked support when he returned home from Afghanistan

Britain’s Prince Harry says he didn’t have the support he needed when he returned home from combat in Afghanistan as he reached out to other veterans in a new Netflix series about the Invictus Games for injured soldiers. The new series launched on Wednesday on the streaming service. In talking about post-traumatic stress disorder, Harry said that his return from Afghanistan in 2012 triggered emotions that he suppressed after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, when he was just 12 years old. The prince, whose troubles with the royal family have been chronicled in the past,

Prince Harry says in a new Netflix series he lacked support when he returned home from Afghanistan
Arts

Late-night hosts team up for 'Strike Force Five' podcast to benefit their out-of-work staff

Something interesting: Stephen Colbert has in his possession a pair of pants belonging to the late Nicaraguan dictator, Anastasio Somoza. It’s a long story but his mom dated Somoza when she was younger (before he became a dictator, says Colbert). Speaking of pants, Jimmy Kimmel once bought a pair of Gary Coleman’s pants off eBay. These are just two of the wonderfully weird factoids shared by late-night hosts Colbert, Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers, in a new podcast called “Strike Force Five” — named after their personal text chain — which debuted Wednesday on Spotify. Because their

Late-night hosts team up for 'Strike Force Five' podcast to benefit their out-of-work staff
Arts

Authors Jesmyn Ward and James McBride are among the nominees for the 10th annual Kirkus Prizes

Novels by Jesmyn Ward and James McBride and story collections by Jamal Brinkley and Kelly Link are among the finalists Wednesday for the 10th annual Kirkus Prizes, for which winners in fiction, nonfiction and young reader’s literature each receive $50,000. Kirkus judges selected six books for each of the three categories, with winners to be announced Oct. 11. The awards are presented by the trade publication Kirkus Reviews. Ward’s slave narrative “Let Us Descend” and McBride’s 20th century tale “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” were nominated in fiction, along with Brinkley’s “Witness,” Link’s “White Cat,

Authors Jesmyn Ward and James McBride are among the nominees for the 10th annual Kirkus Prizes
Arts

CNN names Mark Thompson, former BBC and New York Times executive, as its new leader

CNN is bringing in a former chief executive of the BBC and The New York Times in an attempt to turn around a news organization that has burned through two leaders and bled viewers over the past two years. Mark Thompson was appointed as chair and CEO of CNN by David Zaslav, head of the network’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, which made the announcement Wednesday. Thompson replaces Chris Licht, who was fired in June, and a four-person team that had been running CNN in the interim. Thompson, who left the Times in 2020 after eight

CNN names Mark Thompson, former BBC and New York Times executive, as its new leader

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