World literature is filled with descriptions of courtyards opening into courtyards opening into even more elaborate and beautiful courtyards and gardens. Real versions have existed, too, in ancient Persia and Rome, or Chinese scholars’ gardens. These all come to mind in the Los Angeles artist Laura Owens’s wildly ambitious exhibition of paintings, wallpapered rooms and … Read more
Joseph Wambaugh, the master storyteller of police dramas, whose books, films and television tales powerfully caught the hard psychic realities of lonely street cops and flawed detectives trapped in a seedy world of greed and senseless brutality, died on Friday at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 88. The cause was esophageal cancer, … Read more
‘Nosferatu’ Stream it on Peacock. F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu” (1922) is a foundational vampire shocker that still shoots ice shards through my veins after repeated viewings. Robert Eggers’s chillingly gothic reimagining of that silent film leaves my blood more lukewarm, offering too much romance and not enough monster for my taste. But thanks to Bill Skarsgard’s … Read more
Gene Hackman portrayed a long list of acclaimed characters in his career: Buck Barrow, Little Bill Daggett, Popeye Doyle. But one of his most beloved roles was that of Coach Norman Dale in “Hoosiers,” a 1986 film that is often cited as one of the greatest sports movies ever made. In the film, set in … Read more
By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie It’s been years since Adichie, the author of “Americanah,” released a work of fiction; now she returns with the stories of four women navigating life during the pandemic. Centered on Chiamaka, a Nigerian travel writer based in the United States, the story also swivels to her cousin, her best friend and … Read more
ASAP Rocky is well aware that his life could be very different right now. “I feel so lucky to even be here talking to you,” Rocky said, speaking here late into the night on Thursday at a dinner celebrating his appointment as creative director for the Ray-Ban eyewear empire. After all, it was just last … Read more
When the director Wes Anderson and the actors Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray and Gwyneth Paltrow took the stage in 2011 for a panel celebrating the 10th anniversary of Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums,” there was no need for small talk before addressing the elephant in the room. “So, no Gene Hackman?” began the director Noah Baumbach, … Read more
Since the best documentary feature category was first established at the Oscars in 1942, the nominees have been like a snapshot of the year: wars and social concerns, heroes and headlines. This year is no exception. On paper, each of the five nominees look as if they’re ripped from the headlines, chosen for some metric … Read more
Jalet, who choreographed Luca Guadagnino’s horror movie “Suspiria,” knew Saldaña only from the movie “Avatar.” When he discovered “Center Stage,” he grasped that she would take movement seriously. “It was such an amazing relief to feel that, “Oh, she’s a dancer,” he said. In the original conception, Saldaña had just one dance scene: Rita walks … Read more
“Clean Slate,” on Amazon Prime Video, is the kind of comedy you’ve seen on TV before. A woman leaves her hectic life in New York City for her hometown in Alabama to make a fresh start, repair her relationship with her estranged father, work at the family carwash and, just maybe, find love. The first … Read more