Today: October 13, 2024
Today: October 13, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Arts

Viola Ford Fletcher, oldest living Tulsa Race Massacre victim, publishes memoir

Being a centenarian hasn’t slowed down Viola Ford Fletcher’s pursuit of justice. In the last couple of years, Fletcher has traveled internationally, testified before Congress and supported a lawsuit for reparations — all part of a campaign for accountability over the massacre that destroyed Tulsa, Oklahoma’s original “Black Wall Street” in 1921, when she was a child. Now, at age 109, Fletcher is releasing a memoir about the life she lived in the shadow of the massacre, after a white mob laid waste to the once-thriving Black enclave known as Greenwood. The book will be published

Viola Ford Fletcher, oldest living Tulsa Race Massacre victim, publishes memoir
Arts

The American flag wasn't always revered as it is today. At the beginning, it was an afterthought

In the bedroom of the Betsy Ross House, a reconstruction of where the upholsterer worked on her most famous commission, a long flag with a circle of 13 stars hangs over a Chippendale side chair and extends across the floor. Over the weeks in 1776 needed to complete the project, Ross would have likely knelt on the flag, stood on it and treated it more like an everyday banner — not with the kind of reverence we’d expect today. “She would not have worried about it touching the floor or violating any codes,” says Lisa Moulder, director

The American flag wasn't always revered as it is today. At the beginning, it was an afterthought
Arts

For Norah Jones, "Little Broken Hearts" gives a lesson in making the most of a bad experience

A sign of how much “Little Broken Hearts” represented a departure for Norah Jones was that she filmed not one, but two music videos for the album depicting herself as a murderer. One victim was a lying, cheating boyfriend, the other his temptress. Both ended up at the bottom of a lake. A decade after its release, the disc stands as an island in Jones’ career. It’s a little gem where she tested herself to leave a musical comfort zone to process romantic turmoil — and ended up with a concise, consistent statement that rivals some

For Norah Jones, "Little Broken Hearts" gives a lesson in making the most of a bad experience
Arts

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, grandson of Robert De Niro, dies at 19

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, a grandson of Robert De Niro, has died at 19. His mother, Drena De Niro, announced the news Monday in an Instagram post. “I don’t know how to live without you but I’ll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama,” she wrote. “You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you.” Drena De Niro shared Leandro with artist Carlos Mare, who posted black squares sans caption on his Instagram

Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, grandson of Robert De Niro, dies at 19
Arts

Rose Leslie and Kit Harington welcome their second child, a daughter

Actors Rose Leslie and Kit Harington have welcomed their second child. A publicist for Harington confirmed Monday that the couple, who famously met on the set of “Game of Thrones” and are now both 36, have added a daughter to their family. Further details weren’t immediately available. In early 2021, the pair confirmed the birth of a son. Harington and Leslie’s relationship began in 2011 on the set of the HBO megahit series, on which they played star-crossed lovers Jon Snow — a brother of the Night’s Watch with kingdom-shattering secrets — and Ygritte, a rebel wildling.

Rose Leslie and Kit Harington welcome their second child, a daughter
Arts

Drag queens are out, proud and loud in a string of coal towns, from a bingo hall to blue-collar bars

Deep in Pennsylvania coal country, the Daniels drag family is up to some sort of exuberance almost every weekend. They’re hosting sold-out bingo fundraisers at the Nescopeck Township Volunteer Fire Co.’s social hall, packed with people of all ages howling with laughter and singing along. Or they’re lighting up local blue-collar bars and restaurants with Mimosas & Heels Drag Brunches for bridal parties, members of the military, families and friends. Or they’re reading in gardens to children dressed in their Sunday best — Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” is a favorite book for performers and

Drag queens are out, proud and loud in a string of coal towns, from a bingo hall to blue-collar bars
Arts

Playwright Arthur Miller's old studio is in a Connecticut parking lot, awaiting its next act

After breakfast each morning, renowned playwright Arthur Miller would walk up a grassy slope to his creative sanctuary, a modest 300-square-foot studio with a small deck overlooking a stream and woods on his beloved Connecticut property. From 1958 until his death in 2005 at age 89, it was where the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer crafted and revised numerous plays, social commentary, personal journals, his autobiography and other materials, including screenplays for the films “The Misfits” (1961) and “The Crucible” (1996). Considered one of nation’s greatest playwrights, Miller was known for his dramas with strong moral and personal

Playwright Arthur Miller's old studio is in a Connecticut parking lot, awaiting its next act
Arts

Space Disco Cowboy? Couples ditch traditional wedding dress codes in favor of out-there themes

“Space Disco Cowboy.” “Yacht Shabbat.” “Burning Man Formal”? More couples are tossing tradition when it comes to what wedding guests should wear, to some befuddlement among invitees. Maggie Long, 34, recently attended the nuptials of a close friend in a low-key Denver lounge. The suggested dress? “Dive Bar Semiformal.” “I love a theme,” said Long, who lives in New York. “It’s fun that people aren’t taking weddings so seriously, but I had no idea what that meant.” After exchanging thoughts for months with the officiant, who is also a friend, Long took her outfit idea —

Space Disco Cowboy? Couples ditch traditional wedding dress codes in favor of out-there themes
Arts

Friends and family gather for the funeral of Houston rapper Big Pokey

Family and friends gathered at the funeral over the weekend for Houston rapper Big Pokey, an original member of the pioneering group Screwed Up Click. Pokey, who was born Milton Powell, died June 18 at the age of 48 after collapsing at a performance in Beaumont, located east of Houston. Those attending his service Saturday at Fountain of Praise church in Houston included Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and rappers Paul Wall, Trae Tha Truth and Slim Thug, the Houston Chronicle reported. Pokey was known for Texas and Gulf Coast hits such as “Ball N’

Friends and family gather for the funeral of Houston rapper Big Pokey
Arts

Q&A: Violinist and singer Sudan Archives brings 'fiddle soft punk' to Glastonbury debut

Brittney Denise Parks, better known as Sudan Archives, is an avant-garde violinist and singer-songwriter who describes her style as “fiddle soft punk.” Last week, she made her debut at the Glastonbury Festival in the U.K. After a shaky start, the packed crowd danced around in the afternoon sun as she rapped and played the violin in a corset of red leather belts and buckles, cowboy boots, violin bow strapped to her back like Robin Hood. “At first my mic wasn’t working, so the crowd was like, We can’t hear you. and I was like, Really? They’re

Q&A: Violinist and singer Sudan Archives brings 'fiddle soft punk' to Glastonbury debut
Arts

Indiana Jones’ box office destiny? A lukewarm $60 million debut in North America

Indiana Jones, and executives at the Walt Disney Co. and Lucasfilm, made a somewhat dispiriting discovery this weekend. Moviegoers didn’t rush to the theater in significant numbers to see “ Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and say goodbye to Harrison Ford as the iconic archaeologist. The film, reportedly budgeted north of $250 million, came in on the lower end of projections with $60 million in ticket sales from 4,600 North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. Including $70 million from international showings in 52 markets, “Dial of Destiny” celebrated a $130 million global opening. It easily earned

Indiana Jones’ box office destiny? A lukewarm $60 million debut in North America
Arts

Summer movie season is in full swing. Here's what's coming through Labor Day

The summer movie season goes into high-gear in July, with the arrival of the seventh “Mission: Impossible” movie followed by the “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” showdown on July 21. Not that you have to choose one or the other — as Tom Cruise said on Twitter, “I love a double feature, and it doesn’t get more explosive (or more pink) than the one with Oppenheimer and Barbie.” August also promises a new take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and introduces a new DC superhero, Blue Beetle. Here’s a month-by-month guide of this summer’s new movies. Keep scrolling for more info

Summer movie season is in full swing. Here's what's coming through Labor Day
Arts

Karen Allen on one last hurrah as Marion Ravenwood in 'Indiana Jones: Dial of Destiny'

Indiana Jones. Karen Allen always knew he’d come walking back through her door. Since 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Allen has been only a sporadic presence in the subsequent sequels. But the glow of the freckled, big-eyed actor who so memorably played Marion Ravenwood has only grown stronger over time. Indiana Jones may be one of the movies’ most iconic characters, but he’s always needed a good foil. It was Kate Capshaw and Ke Huy Quan in “Temple of Doom” and Sean Connery in “The Last Crusade.” Yet none could top, or out drink, Allen’s

Karen Allen on one last hurrah as Marion Ravenwood in 'Indiana Jones: Dial of Destiny'
Arts

UK press watchdog finds a tabloid column about hate for Prince Harry's wife, Meghan, was sexist

A column in The Sun tabloid that fantasized about seeing Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan, being pelted with feces as she was paraded naked through the streets was sexist, Britain’s press watchdog found. The column by TV personality Jeremy Clarkson in December described how he hated the Duchess of Sussex “on a cellular level.” He said she used “vivid bedroom promises” to turn Harry into a “warrior of woke” and controlled him like a sock puppet. “The imagery employed by the columnist in this article was humiliating and degrading toward the duchess,” said Edward Faulks, chairman of the

UK press watchdog finds a tabloid column about hate for Prince Harry's wife, Meghan, was sexist
Arts

Yellen addresses Essence Festival crowd, discusses economy, efforts to enfold minority communities

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday touted the Biden administration’s efforts to build a “fairer economy.” “I strongly believe that our racial equity work is not just the morally right thing to do. It’s in the best economic interests of our entire country,” Yellen told a crowd gathered for the Global Black Economic Forum held at this year’s Essence Festival of Culture. Yellen, the first treasury secretary to attend and speak at the festival, was warmly greeted by the mostly Black audience. “I appreciate all of you for being here today — and for taking

Yellen addresses Essence Festival crowd, discusses economy, efforts to enfold minority communities
Arts

Witness fears industry retaliation for testimony in fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin production

Special prosecutors in the shooting death of a cinematographer on the set of the Alec Baldwin film “Rust” asked Friday to shield the name of a witness from public disclosure as they pursue charges against a movie weapons specialist. Prosecutors said in court filings that the witness is prepared to testify that film set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed handed off a small bag of narcotics to the witness after returning from an interview at a police station. But they said the witness worries about being harassed by media and blacklisted by the industry. Gutierrez-Reed is fighting

Witness fears industry retaliation for testimony in fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin production
Arts

From human ashes to cellphones, what's going on with concert fans lately?

From flinging bras to tossing flowers, concertgoers have long been a bit extra in showing adoration for their beloved artists — but a recent spate of artists being hit by weightier projectiles raises concerns about extreme fan culture and security. Country singer Kelsea Ballerini was the latest artist to be struck by a flying object, Wednesday evening at a Boise concert. In the moment caught on video, Ballerini is playing her guitar onstage when a bracelet hits her face and she takes a step back. Ballerini, clearly caught off guard, takes a moment before a brief

From human ashes to cellphones, what's going on with concert fans lately?
Arts

Detention of Russian director and playwright extended for 2 months

A Russian court on Friday extended the pretrial detention of a theater director and a playwright facing charges of justifying terrorism, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on dissent in Russia that spiked after the start of the war in Ukraine. The court ordered Zhenya Berkovich, a prominent independent theater director, and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk held until Sept. 10; they have been behind bars since early May. Authorities claim a play they staged, “Finist, the Brave Falcon,” justifies terrorism, which is a criminal offense in Russia punishable by up to seven years in prison. The

Detention of Russian director and playwright extended for 2 months
Arts

50 shades of ballet? Melanie Hamrick on her steamy novel that makes 'Black Swan' seem tame

Melanie Hamrick, who knows her way around a quick pirouette, had to move fast when her 6-year-old son Deveraux recently picked up a copy of her new novel, “First Position,” as she was signing books. “I didn’t realize how well he was reading,” the former ballerina and first-time author says of her first-grader, whom she shares with partner Mick Jagger. “He opened it and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, give me that book!’” She suggested an alternative: “The Cat in the Hat.” Wise move. “First Position” (get the pun?) is what they call a romance

50 shades of ballet? Melanie Hamrick on her steamy novel that makes 'Black Swan' seem tame
Arts

Prince Harry seeks $406,000 in phone hacking lawsuit against British tabloid publisher

Prince Harry’s lawyer put a price tag Friday on the prince’s lawsuit accusing the publisher of the Daily Mirror of hacking his phone and using other unlawful means to dig up dirt on the early years of his royal life: 320,000 pounds ($406,000). The Duke of Sussex’s lawyer submitted the proposed legal award at the conclusion of courtroom proceedings in the first of Harry’s cases against the British tabloid press to go to trial. Attorney David Sherborne said in closing arguments this week that there was “hard evidence” Mirror Group Newspapers employed journalists who eavesdropped on voicemails

Prince Harry seeks $406,000 in phone hacking lawsuit against British tabloid publisher
Arts

French Montana chronicles mom's sacrifice after emigrating from Morocco in doc film 'For Khadija'

If French Montana’s father never abandoned him as a teenager, the rapper believes he would not have grown into a popular figure who has earned three Grammy nominations. Montana and his family left Morocco more than two decades ago in hopes of a better life in the U.S., but when times got tough, his father returned to their native country. Montana turned to New York City’s street life in the South Bronx for manly guidance while his mother served as the faithful backbone. It was his mother’s sacrifice to raise her sons as a single parent

French Montana chronicles mom's sacrifice after emigrating from Morocco in doc film 'For Khadija'
Arts

Fox ushers out Geraldo Rivera with tribute as he says he was fired from 'The Five'

Fox News ushered Geraldo Rivera off the air with cake and balloons on Friday, while he left with a timely reminder that his journalism career was a product of affirmative action. Rivera said that Fox fired him from his regular perch on “The Five,” and that he decided to leave the network as a result. With his last two appearances on the afternoon political talk show apparently canceled, Rivera received a going-away party on the morning show “Fox & Friends,” where he generally delivered commentary once a week. “I feel very emotional and deeply moved,” Rivera

Fox ushers out Geraldo Rivera with tribute as he says he was fired from 'The Five'
Arts

Jermaine Dupri commemorates 50 years of hip-hop at Essence Festival of Culture

Known as a rapper, super producer and music mogul, Jermaine Dupri is astonished that 30 years have passed since he founded his label, So So Def. That milestone comes as Dupri leads a celebration of 50 years of hip-hop on Saturday at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans. Missy Elliott, the first woman in hip-hop to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, will headline the night inside the Superdome, but Dupri is curating a center stage segment that lets everyone know “The South Got Something To Say.” “Atlanta’s dominance in

Jermaine Dupri commemorates 50 years of hip-hop at Essence Festival of Culture
Arts

Alan Arkin, Oscar-winning 'Little Miss Sunshine' actor, dies at 89

Alan Arkin, the wry character actor who demonstrated his versatility in comedy and drama as he received four Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar in 2007 for “Little Miss Sunshine,” has died. He was 89. His sons Adam, Matthew and Anthony confirmed their father’s death through the actor’s publicist on Friday. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man,” they said in a statement. A member of Chicago’s famed Second City comedy troupe, Arkin was an immediate success in movies with the Cold War spoof “The Russians

Alan Arkin, Oscar-winning 'Little Miss Sunshine' actor, dies at 89
Arts

Hollywood's actors may join its writers on strike. Here's why

Hollywood actors may be on the verge of joining screenwriters in what would be the first two-union strike in the industry in more than six decades, with huge consequences for film and television production. Here is a look at how it could play out, and why it’s happening. WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH ACTORS’ NEGOTIATIONS? The contract between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists and the studios, streaming services and production companies that employ them expires Friday night at midnight Pacific time. Unionized actors have voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a

Hollywood's actors may join its writers on strike. Here's why

Follow