Opera lovers flock to performances in order to be thrilled, aroused, overjoyed, moved to tears. Ditto disciples of dance, musical-theater fanatics, and — the worst, most masochistic, and unrepentant art-rush addicts of them all — moviegoers. Georges Bizet’s Carmen shocked audiences when it premiered in 1875 in Paris; eventually, his …
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To say that Brooke Shields was objectified during her early years would be the understatement of the century. It is hard to fathom how any of it happened, or how anyone thought it was OK, through a contemporary lens — nude modeling at 10 years old, branded “the world’s youngest …
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It’s a wonder more fish-out-of-water comedies aren’t about journalists. Being an outsider is, in many versions of the job, central to the task. Disaster strikes, you helicopter in, vacuum up the details, organize them, spit them out with a handsome lede, helicopter out. Or, in the case of Vengeance’s Ben …
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A man lies sleeping in his bed, tossing and turning. Well, “bed” doesn’t quite describe it: more like an organic cocoon cleaved in half, suspended from the ceiling by stringy, sinewy tentacles. The gent squirming around inside this pituitary gland-like pod is haggard but handsome, silver-maned, eyebrowless; if it weren’t …
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In the future, every Marvel comics character will have their own movie for 15 minutes. Right now, the spinning intellectual property wheel has stopped on Dr. Michael Morbius — prize-winning scientist, terminally ill patient, Type O connoisseur. Initially introduced as a Spider-Man villain in the early Seventies, the man known …
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“Time offers many opportunities,” Jean-Luc Picard intones in the season premiere of Star Trek: Picard, “but it rarely offers second chances.” This new season presents something of a second chance for both Jean-Luc and the Paramount+ show that bears his name. The first season started off with the exciting notion …
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Over two nights, Janet Jackson’s story is being told in detail — by none other than Jackson herself. Airing simultaneously on Lifetime and A&E, Janet Jackson is a four-part docuseries that mixes a traditional retelling of a pop star’s life from childhood until now with some juicy revelations; the series …
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Have you ever accidentally stumbled or — in the case of the titular hero of Netflix’s Beckett — careened downhill, by way of a fatal car accident, into an international political scandal? Some things only happen to people in movies. What’s curious and invigorating, but also somewhat flawed, about Beckett …
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In the case of some TV moguls, it’s instantly clear when they created a show versus when they’re just producing someone else’s work. There’s a marked difference in tone and style, for instance, between ER and the early seasons of The West Wing, even though John Wells was executive-producing both …
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Imagine growing up with Superman as your dad. He constantly misses your Little League games to battle Lex Luthor and Brainiac, yet you can’t even brag to your friends about what he does because of the whole secret identity thing. Oh, and good luck feeling worthy to fill his red …
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