‘Batwoman’ gets a new lead, but Season 2 looks like the same flawed show
After a first season that never quite got off the ground creatively, “Batwoman” announced that original star Ruby Rose would be leaving but that the series would hang around without her. The contortions necessary to arrange that baton (or Batarang) pass mostly fizzle in the opening episodes, fueling a sense that this CW drama might…
Sea shanties are your soundtrack of 2021. Seriously
It’s folly to examine why some things go viral on the internet, and by doing so one risks discounting the beauty of the simplest answer: They just do. Nothing makes sense. Roll with it. Or at least, that’s the easiest thing to tell yourself when “The Wellerman,” a 19th Century whaling song, has been knocking…
‘MLK/FBI’ probes ‘the darkest part’ of the bureau’s history
The government-sanctioned harassment of Martin Luther King Jr. provides the chilling spine of “MLK/FBI,” a documentary timed to the annual holiday for the civil rights icon. Director Sam Pollard’s film also raises an interesting question — namely, what historians and journalists owe King’s legacy in terms of releasing material amassed specifically in an effort to…
‘Home Alone 2’ star tweets support for removing Trump’s cameo
As President Donald Trump prepares to make his exit from the White House, fans of “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” want him to make a permanent, on-screen exit from the movie — and its star Macaulay Culkin seems to be on board with the idea. Culkin played Kevin McAllister, who gets separated from…
Spike Lee remembers Chadwick Boseman while accepting the American Cinematheque honor
Spike Lee paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman while accepting the American Cinematheque Award on Thursday night. The ceremony celebrated Lee’s career with films like “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X” and “Jungle Fever.” Jodie Foster hosted the event, with Lee becoming the 34th recipient of the prestigious award. The director spoke about the late actor…
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ sets the Spotify record for most streams in a day
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” has set Spotify’s record for most streams in a day for a non-holiday song, the streaming service has announced. The dramatic pop tune had over 15.17M global streams on Jan. 11, then broke its own record with over 17.01M streams on Jan. 12. Spotify’s Global Hits lead Becky Bass told Billboard…
Dustin Diamond, ‘Saved by the Bell’ star, hospitalized with cancer
Dustin Diamond, who played the role of Screech on the popular 1990s high school comedy “Saved by the Bell,” is hospitalized with cancer, his manager told CNN Friday. Diamond’s health is “serious” and he is undergoing testing at an undisclosed Florida hospital to determine the type and severity of the cancer, according to his rep.…
Ariana Grande teams up for ’34+35′ remix
Ariana Grande has teamed up with Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat for a remix of Grande’s “Positions” song, “34+35.” Hours before the song was released, Grande teased fans with artwork and hints something was coming. She captioned one Instagram post “Tonight,” with an animated picture of the three stars. The lyrics for their catchy…
Selena Gomez drops Spanish single ‘De Una Vez’
Selena Gomez was named after the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, and now she’s following in her footsteps. The pop star has released a single in Spanish, “De Una Vez.” She posted a snippet of the song’s music video on her verified Instagram account Thursday. “This is the beginning of something I’ve wanted to explore…
Sylvain Sylvain, New York Dolls guitarist, dead at 69
Sylvain Sylvain, guitarist of the influential American punk glam rock band New York Dolls, has died of cancer at the age of 69, according to a statement posted on his Facebook page. Sylvain, real name Sylvain Mizrahi, died on Wednesday after fighting the disease for two and a half years, according to the post, which…
Joanne Rogers, the widow of Fred Rogers, star of ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,’ has died
Joanne Rogers, the widow of Fred Rogers, star of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” has died. She was 92. The news was confirmed Thursday by Fred Rogers Productions in a statement posted in the company’s official Instagram account. No cause of death was given in the statement. “Fred Rogers Productions is deeply saddened by the passing of…
Patrick Dempsey spills details on ‘Enchanted’ sequel
Patrick Dempsey is gearing up for the “Enchanted” sequel. The actor spoke about the upcoming film, “Disenchanted,” during an appearance on “Good Morning America.” “I just got this script for the second movie and then I’m starting to go through and get notes together,” he said. “There’s talk that we’ll start shooting that in the…
‘American Skin’ explores race, policing and loss through a provocative lens
“American Skin” touches on raw nerves in the midst of a chaotic historical moment, which is ultimately the whole point. Following his 2016 feature debut “The Birth of a Nation,” writer-director-star Nate Parker seeks to bore into the issues surrounding policing and Black America, through a provocative but flawed dramatic vehicle that strains against its…
‘WandaVision’ flexes some different muscles as Marvel adds its power to Disney+
Marvel flexes different muscles with “WandaVision,” leveraging major assets while stretching its creative formula in this first series for Disney+. The result wields more of a scalpel than a hammer, wryly celebrating the history of television while slowly, very slowly, pulling the viewer into an enticing “The Twilight Zone”-esque mystery. The first three episodes of…
‘The Masked Dancer’ reveals the identity of the Moth
“The Masked Dancer” has revealed the identity of the Moth. During Wednesday night’s episode, the Zebra, the Moth, the Cotton Candy and the Sloth remained in Group B. Judges Ken Jeong, Brian Austin Green, Paula Abdul, Ashley Tisdale and Cheryl Hines did their best to try to figure out the identities of these masked performers.…
Siegfried Fischbacher, illusionist of Siegfried & Roy, dead at 81
Siegfried Fischbacher, an illusionist known for working with exotic cats as one half of Siegfried & Roy, has died from pancreatic cancer, according to his publicist Dave Kirvin. He was 81. Fischbacher’s longtime professional partner and friend, Roy Horn, died in May from complications caused by Covid-19 at the age of 75. The pair rose…
Riz Ahmed reveals he quietly got married months ago
Congratulations to the newlywed Riz Ahmed! During a conversation in Monday’s episode of the “Grounded with Louis Theroux” podcast, Ahmed revealed he recently got married. Ahmed, who is from England, said he is staying in California, he said, because his “wife’s family” is nearby. Like all of us, Theroux said he didn’t know Ahmed was…
Post Malone is donating 10,000 of his sold out Crocs to frontline workers
Frontline workers across the country are getting their hands on some Crocs many others cannot. Musicians on Call, an organization which brings live and recorded music to the bedside of patients in health care facilities, has announced that Grammy-nominated artist Post Malone is gifting 10,000 pairs of his sold out Duet Max Clog II Crocs…
A Dolly Parton statue may be erected at the Tennessee Capitol
Dolly Parton may be the quintessential Tennessean. Born and raised in the Smoky Mountains, she’s waxed poetic about her “Tennessee mountain home” in her recordings. She donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center that helped develop a coronavirus vaccine. The state’s equivalent of Disney World even bears her name. It’s fitting, then, that she…
Anne Hathaway reveals we’ve all been calling her the wrong name
Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway wants everybody to start calling her by her nickname, Annie. Hathaway, whose most recent movie “Locked Down” premieres on HBO Max on Thursday, told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” that the only close person who ever calls her Anne is her mother — and only when she’s really angry. “Call…
