Entertainment

On a recent Wednesday night, the famous Las Vegas strip was teeming with tourists. Families crowded around the Fountains of Bellagio, enthralled by the light show as geysers of water soared hundreds of feet into the air while Frank Sinatra’s “Luck Be a Lady” blasted over the loudspeakers. Showgirls roamed the strip in pairs, posing

While more conventional than “WandaVision,” Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” explored a bracingly provocative theme over its six-episode run — namely, can a Black man in good conscience take up the mantle of Captain America? That hero’s journey concluded with a slightly scattered finale that didn’t match the terrific buildup, but which did

Rapper Shock G, also known as Humpty Hump of the hip-hop group Digital Underground, has died at age 57. When not using his stage name, he was known as Gregory Edward Jacobs. His Digital Underground groupmate Chopmaster J. posted the news Thursday night to Instagram: “34 years ago almost to the day we had a

Russell Crowe has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Greek god Zeus. The Oscar-winner casually revealed he will star alongside Chris Hemsworth in the forthcoming “Thor: Love and Thunder” during an interview with Australian radio show JOY Breakfast with The Murphys. “I’m going to get on my bicycle and ride up to Disney-Fox studios,

Add “Shadow and Bone” to the long list of efforts to establish new fantasy series in the post-“Game of Thrones” era, in this case with a fairly generic tale of a war-riven world and a young woman who learns she has spectacular powers and an epic destiny. As constructed it makes for a moderately watchable

“D” is for documentary, and “Sesame Street” gets celebrated in two of them this month: “Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street,” a deep dive into the show’s origins; and “Sesame Street: 50 Years of Sunny Days,” a fairly dutiful, star-studded ABC special. The former proves considerably more interesting, but the two complement each

Justin Theroux got some useful advice when it came to being in the spotlight while he was married to Jennifer Aniston. Theroux appeared on “Today,” where host Willie Geist asked: “Was that a shock to your system though? Ten years ago when you started dating Jennifer and got married, all that attention that you got?”

Any sober analysis of “Mortal Kombat” already risks overthinking it, but even taking this adaptation of the game on its decidedly R-rated terms, the movie offers few of the visceral thrills that might produce a collective audience response, which makes its consumption on HBO Max perfectly adequate. Of course, in that setting, chuckling at the

About two hours after Sri Lanka announced they would reopen their borders to travelers in January 2021, I bought tickets to go there. I live in Hong Kong, which has done a good job containing the pandemic. But the tradeoff is that it has been extremely difficult to travel anywhere. Due to Hong Kong’s tough

Cher and a four-year elephant rescue mission she led is the focus of a new documentary, “Cher & the Loneliest Elephant.” Now streaming on Paramount+ in honor of Earth Day, the film takes audiences through the singer’s journey to save and protect a 36-year-old elephant named Kaavan from captivity in Pakistan last November. Kaavan was

James Cameron appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Wednesday, sitting in front of an editing suite in which there was a new “Avatar” on the screens. Cameron was in production in Wellington, New Zealand, and said the next “Avatar” film will feature a lot more water. “A lot of our scenes are

Actor Hugh Jackman is speaking up in the wake of verbal and physical abuse allegations against prolific Broadway and Hollywood producer, Scott Rudin. Following a report in The Hollywood Reporter alleging that Rudin verbally and physically abused staff members at his production company over the years, the producer apologized in a statement to the Washington

Scottish singer Les McKeown, who achieved global superstardom in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of tartan-garbed pop titans the Bay City Rollers, has died, his family confirmed Thursday. He was 65. McKeown fronted the Bay City Rollers during their dizzying heyday in the mid-1970s, when their hits “Shang-A-Lang,” “Bye, Bye, Baby,” and “Give a

For true aficionados of nude relaxation, there are no parts of the body “where the sun don’t shine.” And with appropriate protection — a liberal layer of sun screen, face masks where required — there are plenty of places around the world where it’s safe and legal to shed the burden of clothing and offer

“Stowaway” wasn’t shot during the Covid pandemic, but with a cast of four in a confined, near-claustrophobic setting, this character study easily could have been. More an examination of human nature than a thriller, the space-faring movie deals with weighty issues but doesn’t possess much pizzazz or gravity, making Netflix the logical home for its

Patton Oswalt wrote a sweet tribute to his late wife Michelle McNamara, who died unexpectedly in her sleep at age 46 in 2016. Thursday marked five years since her passing. Oswalt posted a picture of McNamara on Instagram, writing: “Of course I thought of her today. And I also thought of Alice, and how the

The UK’s flagship music awards ceremony, the Brits, will go ahead with a 4,000-strong crowd, no social distancing and no masks next month, as part of a government trial that offers a peek at how large events can operate in a post-pandemic world. The ceremony at London’s O2 Arena will take place on May 11,

There have been more than 142 million Covid-19 cases worldwide and vaccination roll outs have been much smoother in some countries than others. This pandemic is far from over, even though many of us are now itching to make plans to travel or to reunite with loved ones. In the end, it’s up to you

Kim Kardashian West may be a tad bit late to the “Bridgerton” fan community, but she’s all in now. A few weeks ago, the reality star/mogul shared on her verified Instagram account that she was binge-watching the popular Netflix historical series. Like many other viewers, she loved it. So Kardashian West lost it a bit

A script for “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back” reveals how a pivotal plot twist in the movie franchise was considered to be such a secret that it was not reflected in the lines provided to actors. The script, which belonged to Darth Vader actor David Prowse, will be auctioned next month

Hulu has some legen–waitforit–dary news for those missing “How I Met Your Mother.” The streamer announced on Wednesday that former “Lizzie McGuire” star Hilary Duff is set to lead a new sequel series from 20th Television, original creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and “This Is Us” writing duo Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. The

French Prime Minister Jean Castex is being sent ladies’ underwear in the mail, as part of a protest by lingerie store owners whose outlets have been forced to close under the country’s lockdown. The imaginative activists have been sharing pictures online of the various undergarments they have sent Castex, tucked inside an envelope with a

A Spanish court has ruled that the family of the late dictator General Francisco Franco is entitled to keep a treasure trove of artifacts claimed by the state. In a statement published Tuesday, the provincial court of A Coruña, northwest Spain, said Franco’s family were entitled to keep precious tables, chairs, crockery, artworks and carpets

Chrissy Teigen is not only back on Twitter after taking a bit of a break, but she’s also breaking news about her friendship circle. Teigen appeared on Tuesday’s episode of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” and during the after show, she revealed that she has connected with fellow California resident Meghan, Duchess of

If there’s one thing we know about Venice, it’s that it’s unique. What other city is built on water, or packed with its signature flamboyant architecture? It turns out, quite a few. The Republic of Venice — or the Most Serene Republic of Venice, to give it its full name — existed for 1,100 years,

Kate Winslet has revealed that her daughter Mia Threapleton was able to “slip under the radar” and follow in her mother’s acting footsteps without people knowing the pair are related. The Oscar-winning actress told British TV host Lorraine Kelly on Monday that 20-year-old Threapleton is currently in the Czech Republic working on a TV series.

Face masks remain something a polarizing topic over a year into the Covid-19 pandemic. While the vast majority of people have been compliant with the many safety protocols put in place due to the virus, some still take issue with wearing face coverings. The fact that there’s still no national mask mandate in the United

Anderson Cooper is turning to the “Jeopardy!” G.O.A.T. Ken Jennings for some advice on his guest-hosting gig for charity. Jennings suggested following the example of the late Alex Trebek. “The great thing about ‘Jeopardy’ is the game kind of runs itself,” Jennings said. “If you watch Alex, he had this light touch where he would

In years past unless you made it to a theater multiple times, you probably didn’t get a chance to see all the films nominated for best picture at the Oscars. But Covid-19 changed that. With most theaters closed due to the pandemic, streaming became the way to enjoy many of the latest films. The 93rd

The nominations are in and “WandaVision” has come out on top. The 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards has given five nominations to the Elizabeth Olsen-led Disney+ series, including best show, best fight and best hero. Other top nominees included “Emily in Paris” (4 nominations), “The Boys” (4 nominations) and “Bridgerton” (3 nominations). The network

The “Downton Abbey” film is getting the band back together. On Monday, Focus Features announced it has set production with Gareth Neame’s Carnival Films on “Downton Abbey 2.” “The original principal cast will all once again return for the second film which began production last week and is set to release Christmas 2021,” according to

A conservation group is offering members of the public the chance to donate to restore specific artifacts at the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, which was partially destroyed by fire in 2019. Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris is running a crowdfunding campaign designed to boost the rebuilding project, and supporters can choose what their money is

The Academy of Country Music Awards, celebrating the best in country music, were presented Sunday in Nashville. Luke Bryan won entertainer of the year, but he was unable to attend due to testing positive for Covid-19 last week. Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton, who led in nominations going into the night, also took home top

Taylor Swift stays making records and breaking records. According to Billboard she notched her ninth No. 1 album with the debut “Fearless (Taylor’s Version).” This makes her the first woman to ever score three new number one albums in less than a year following last year’s “Folklore” and “Evermore.” “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is the re-recorded

An “out of control” fire is burning in Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park, damaging buildings and prompting the evacuation of hikers from the city’s most famous landmark, South African officials said Sunday. Two firefighters were injured and admitted to the hospital and nine structures were destroyed in the blaze, Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the

Thousands of locals in famed Australian beach town Byron Bay have signed a petition against a planned Netflix “docu-soap” set in the area. The streaming company announced plans to film a series called “Byron Baes” in a press release April 7, sparking opposition in the form of an online petition which had garnered more than

The Academy of Country Music Awards, which celebrate some of the best songs and performances in country music of the year, will be presented Sunday. Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton lead in nominations with six each. Keith Urban and “Black Like Me Singer” Mickey Guyton will co-host the event. Multiple performances are planned for the

With Broadway theaters shut down during the pandemic, artists are turning to Clubhouse, a buzzy audio app often used for networking and virtual panels, to create free full-length musicals. Clubhouse, which is still in beta testing, is an invitation-only app with hundreds of audio chat rooms where its millions of users can talk about a

It’s a landscape that looks almost alien. Soft tufa rock — spewed from volcanoes millennia ago to create a series of ethereal “fairy chimneys” that have been shaped and sculpted by nature. This is Cappadocia. Rising above the Anatolian Plains of central Turkey, this historic region is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, drawing

Scientists have developed a light-reflecting “ultra-white” paint, which they say could negate the need for air conditioning and even reduce carbon emissions, if used on a mass scale. The paint, developed by engineers at Purdue University in Indiana as part of a six-year project, is capable of reflecting up to 98.1% of sunlight and therefore

Helen McCrory, the British actress best known for her roles in the ‘Harry Potter’ films and ‘Peaky Blinders,’ has died, her husband, actor Damian Lewis, announced on Friday. McCrory, who was 52, died “peacefully at home” after “an heroic battle with cancer,” the “Homeland” star said in a tweet. The London-born actress, who starred as

It was one of the first countries to fully reopen to travelers, and now Maldives is striving to be ahead of the game when it comes to vaccine tourism. Officials for the Indian Ocean destination have announced plans to offer vaccinations to tourists on arrival in a bid to lure more visitors over. Dr. Abdulla

Swizz Beatz and French Montana have a new song out with the late DMX. The song, “Been to War,” appears on Season 2 of Epix’s “Godfather of Harlem.” DMX was dear friends with Swizz Beatz. Check it out below: DMX died last week at the age of 50, following a heart attack at his home

Sharon Osbourne will discuss her departure from CBS’s “The Talk” in an interview set to air Friday. Osbourne will be speaking for the first time since her dramatic exit in Friday’s episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher” on HBO. Osbourne’s departure came two weeks after an on-air confrontation with one of her co-hosts, Sheryl Underwood,

We just may be seeing Aidan Shaw’s face again. On Thursday, John Corbett, who played Carrie’s furniture maker ex-fiancé on “Sex and the City,” told Page Six that he will be returning to the reboot. “I’m going to do the show,” Corbett said, calling it “very exciting.” While we don’t know how Aidan fits into

Tony-winning actress Karen Olivo has announced she is leaving the Broadway production of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” due to a lack of response by the theater community over allegations producer Scott Rudin verbally and physically abused numerous staff members at his production company over the years. Olivo made the announcement on Instagram Wednesday, “For all

Small towns harbor big secrets in prestige TV, and so it is in “Mare of Easttown,” a showcase for Kate Winslet that resembles “Broadchurch” in the broad strokes, before establishing its own distinct personality. Slow to start, the limited series gains momentum while mostly providing Winslet a fine star vehicle a decade after her Emmy-winning

His name is Bearsun. And right now, he’s walking more than 400 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco with little more than his bear suit. While it’s not this life-size teddy bear’s first journey, it may be his most challenging yet. The man inside of the costume is Jesse Larios, a 33-year-old California native

The 2011 Oscars ceremony was certainly a weird one. Anne Hathaway and James Franco were paired as hosts, and people involved with the production are now revealing that the two being teamed up was kind of a disaster from the start. Producers and writers on that show spoke to The Ringer about how Hathaway and

Katy Perry and Miranda Kerr are all about the love. The singer and the supermodel met up on Instagram Live Tuesday, where they gushed over each other and how much they support each other’s ambitions. Kerr was married to Perry’s fiancé, Orlando Bloom from 2010 to 2013. Kerr and Bloom share 10-year-old son Flynn together.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez say they are better off as friends. The stars announced on Thursday that they are officially ending their two-year engagement. “We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so,” a representative for Lopez told CNN in a statement first reported by NBC. “We will continue

Amid a global pandemic, shuttered movie theaters and after a two-month delay, next Sunday’s 93rd Academy Awards are already poised to feel very different than in previous years. The event will return to the Dolby Theatre, as well separate live locations at Union Station in Los Angeles, a space in the UK and another in

Italian police recovered a stolen Roman statue after off-duty officers noticed it in a Belgian antique shop almost a decade after it was looted from an archeological site, according to authorities. The headless marble statue of a “Togatus,” from the 1st century BC, was stolen by unknown robbers about 10 years ago from Roman archeological

August 1991. Irja Uotila, a Finnish publishing employee living in New York, decided to finally fulfill a long-held dream of visiting Latin America. She’d fantasized about traveling through the region’s archaeological sites and picturesque towns ever since she was a teenager growing up in Finland, poring over travel brochures and daydreaming about future adventures. Now

Colton Underwood is returning to reality TV — but this time on Netflix. The former “Bachelor” star, who for the first time on Wednesday publicly revealed he is gay, is currently in production on an unscripted series for the streaming service, according to a source with knowledge of the project. Representatives for Netflix did not

Vaccine passports have been touted by some as our ticket to normalcy — easily accessible proof of immunization and a reward for those who got their shots. They’ve also been called invasive and ineffective. The debate over proof of vaccination as a requirement for entry dates back more than 120 years. The first time certificates

Colton Underwood told Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America” that he is gay in an interview that aired Wednesday morning. “This year’s been a lot for a lot of people and it’s probably made a lot of people look at themselves in the year and figure out who they are,” Underwood said. “I’ve ran from

The ninth installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise has a new release date set for June 25. A new trailer for the upcoming film, titled “F9,” released Wednesday. The movie comes almost a full year after its original May 2020 release date. The first trailer was released in January 2020. “Fast & Furious” stars,

The BBC’s diversity chief has said its hit detective series “Luther” is not “authentic” enough. The show’s protagonist, John Luther, played by Idris Elba, “doesn’t have any Black friends, he doesn’t eat any Caribbean food, this doesn’t feel authentic,” said Miranda Wayland. “It’s great having those big landmark shows with those key characters, but it’s

After apologizing in February for a racial slur controversy, Morgan Wallen isn’t planning on riding the success of his recent album. The country star posted a four-page, handwritten note to his verified Instagram account Tuesday saying he’s used the time out of the limelight to work on himself and will not be playing any concerts

More than a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, this desert city is looking bigger, bolder and better than ever. New casino resorts, innovative restaurants, expanded convention space and one-of-a-kind cultural destinations characterize the latest iteration of Las Vegas, which continues to reinvent itself in the face of adversity. Heck, Elon Musk even built an underground

Justin Bieber has opened up about his transformation from wild child to reformed character. In an interview with GQ magazine, the 27-year-old singer spoke freely, revealing the extent of his drug problem and the development of his relationships with wife Hailey Baldwin and Christianity. “I have a wife who I adore, who I feel comforted

Dearest readers, prepare for news that will get your petticoats in a twist: Netflix is giving us at least four seasons of “Bridgerton.” The streamer on Tuesday announced it has renewed the Regency-era drama from Shonda Rhimes for a third and fourth season. The announcement comes as hearts continue to mend over the news that

Kanye West has responded to Kim Kardashian’s divorce filing. In his own response filed on Friday and obtained by CNN, West has requested joint legal and physical custody of their four children. Neither party is seeking spousal support. Representatives for West had no comment. Kardashian filed for divorce back in February. CNN has reached out

More than a year after abandoning voicing Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on “The Simpsons,” Hank Azaria continues to reflect on playing the controversial character. Azaria appeared on Monday’s episode of the podcast “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” and talked about his role in the controversy. Shepard praised Azaria’s response to it all, which led to comedian Hari