Entertainment

In the world of journalism, it’s commonly believed that three occurrences signal a trend, but after two instances, it seems quite clear where this is heading. Let me put it another way: Following the success of Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore in their respective limited series, it appears that Meryl Streep should join them by starring in her own trashy-yet-intriguing limited series, playing a mysterious cult leader. Although I wouldn’t mind seeing limited series featuring Toni Collette, Miranda Richardson, or Margo Martindale on the same theme, for now let’s focus on our leading ladies from the film The Hours. It’s both disheartening and amusingly ironic that actresses from what some might call the pinnacle of Oscar-bait drama – a film I’ve always found unoriginal and overly dramatic – are now spearheading these entertaining, albeit absurd, TV dramas. To maintain the comedic structure and for the sake of entertainment industry health, let’s round off this trend with Meryl Streep.

As a devoted admirer of Reichardt’s work, I find that “The Mastermind” is initially subtle in its impact but leaves an indelible impression once it’s digested. Her films are so immersive and candid, they seem to unfold organically, making the intricacies of their narrative structure more evident over time. For this particular film, what struck me repeatedly was how James, though present, seemed to hover above his life rather than truly inhabit it. A skilled carpenter with a strong sense of pride, he doesn’t seem to secure many projects. When his father (Bill Camp) criticizes the success of another local carpenter at the dinner table, James dismisses him, labeling his rival’s focus on accounts and schedules as a foolish waste of time – a sentiment echoed by a man who spends his days dreaming of an easy windfall. Married to Terri (Alana Haim) with two sons, James doesn’t seem fully committed to his role as a caregiver. He’s been borrowing money from his mother (Hope Davis), fabricating stories about needing equipment and supplies for jobs he doesn’t have. The year is 1970, the Vietnam War is in full swing, and protesters fill the streets, yet James barely acknowledges their presence as he goes about his life.

Disney has rebranded several upcoming movies from “Untitled Marvel projects” to “Untitled Disney projects,” affecting titles scheduled for February 13, 2026; November 6, 2026; and November 7, 2027. The only Marvel films left on the 2026 calendar now are Doomsday and Spider-Man’s fourth installment, Brand New Day, set for release on July 31, 2026. This leaves an entire year between The Fantastic 4: First Steps and Brand New Day, which is the longest break in Marvel movies since the COVID pandemic. There are three dates reserved for Marvel films in 2028: February 18, May 5, and November 10. However, it’s not very probable that one of these will be the anticipated Blade film.

The movie introduces its main character Agathe, portrayed by Camille Rutherford (recall her role as the journalist from Anatomy of a Fall), who is seen alone dancing and working at Shakespeare & Co., arranging books and occasionally glancing fondly at the romantic notes penned by customers on scraps of paper. (“You were wearing the burgundy dress and reading Vivian Gornick’s Fierce Attachments on the first floor. My only regret is that I didn’t have the courage to talk to you.”) Agathe resides with her sister and young nephew, a household formed since her parents perished in a tragic car accident. Despite being a gifted author, Agathe appears stagnant in her aspirations of becoming a renowned writer. Her confidante Felix (Pablo Pauly), who harbors feelings for her, covertly submits an application on Agathe’s behalf to the Jane Austen Writing Residency, hosted by the descendants of the celebrated author in England. She is accepted and decides to attend, albeit hesitantly. (She is hesitant about everything.) Just before boarding the ferry to traverse the English Channel, Agathe unexpectedly plants a passionate kiss on Felix.

I’d like to give a shout-out to transit reporter and L.A. expert Alissa Walker on this week’s Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney. It’s disappointing that she wasn’t given more opportunities to discuss the impact of bus/bike lanes in L.A., as opposed to Natasha Lyonne’s thoughts about them in New York. It feels like the scenario where we had two renowned dinosaur experts (the consultant for Jurassic Park and Chuck Tingle) on a show, but they were dismissed due to the majority of callers being misinformed. However, her appearance was still impressive. Now let’s move on to the top five.

Eleanor chooses to return to New York City and reside with her somewhat overwhelmed daughter (Jessica Hecht). One day, by chance, Eleanor attends a Holocaust survivors’ meeting at the JCC, where, taken aback and feeling lonely, she shares Bessie’s story as if it were her own. In attendance is Nina (Erin Kellyman), an NYU journalism student who wishes to interview Eleanor for a class assignment. The two develop a bond, with Nina urging Eleanor to continue recounting her harrowing experience as a means of healing. As events spiral out of control, Judy Greer delivers another stellar performance as Eleanor, skillfully portraying her character’s journey through a mix of poignancy, humor, and chaos, as she adapts to an escalating series of unusual circumstances.

The unprecedented humor in these Disney ads was an original move for the corporation, and it was the filmmakers themselves who conceived the concept. During my interview with Chris Sanders for my oral history of Lilo & Stitch, he explained how this unconventional marketing approach came to be. “We had already seen some early concepts for promoting the movie,” he reminisced. “And we were all brainstorming when I jokingly commented, ‘It’s strange to think that from now on, whenever Disney showcases their characters, Lilo and Stitch will be included. It feels like they’re invading the Disney universe.’ This led to a thought: ‘What if we made an ad where we started playing The Lion King, but instead of Baby Simba being shown, it was Stitch?'” Sanders and his co-director Dean DeBlois then shared this amusing idea with Thomas Schumacher, president of Walt Disney Feature Animation (who was also a major supporter of the film). They were instructed to present their proposal to the marketing team.

In simpler terms, the opposite of a recession indicator could be referred to as an economic growth signal. Just like Tina Burner switching from her usual flamboyant flame palette to silver tones signifies a change, this can be likened to good news for Drag Race fans such as a rent decrease or a well-received Katy Perry song. This unexpected shift suggests that Tina has listened to the criticisms and is open to change, much like hope not being completely lost in an unfavorable situation.

It’s tough to watch Simone voluntarily step into Michaela’s ornate prison-like situation, isn’t it? Yes, it does make sense.

Following ten installments of the “Mission: Impossible” series, it’s no surprise that Ethan Hunt will once again save the world in the latest film, “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.” Tom Cruise’s daring character wraps up his mission in the upcoming 2023 movie, “Dead Reckoning,” where a dangerous and nearly omnipotent artificial intelligence called The Entity has seized control of cyberspace, effectively ruling over reality. In the last film, Ethan obtained a critical item needed to halt this AI, and now he’s traveling around the globe to find its origin. His goal is to disable it and prevent its human accomplices from gaining control over all the world’s missiles, potentially triggering a nuclear catastrophe. Fortunately, once the mission is complete, everything seems peaceful again, as if there had never been any life-threatening reckonings at all.