Arts

Barbie's original swimsuit featured a black-and-white chevron stripes.

Arts

The secret to Barbie's enduring appeal? She can fend for herself

5:00am July 25, 2023

by Maureen Corrigan

Maureen Corrigan recalls playing with the iconic doll on the sidewalk in Queens in the 1960s. She says Barbie didn't teach girls to be of service; she taught the giddy pleasures of a seeming autonomy.

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies was recently nominated for two Emmys but it was canceled after one season and has been removed from Paramount+. Above, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy Nakagawa, left, Marisa Davila as Jane Facciano, Cheyenne Wells as Olivia Valdovinos and Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia Zdunowski.

Arts

The streaming model is cratering — here's how that's hurting actors, writers and fans

5:35pm July 24, 2023

by Elizabeth Blair

Streamers have been removing content from their platforms lately — and they're canceling series after just one season. "It's soul-crushing," says one creator. "There is nothing we can do."

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A daughter's story of pushing to try a new experimental drug for her mom's cancer

5:25pm July 24, 2023

Julia Minson dove into research when her mom got lung cancer, and discovered a new experimental drug that had a small chance of helping her mom. The doctor was skeptical, but Minson pushed back.

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Barbenheimer's rising tide seemed to lift all boats at the box office

4:46pm July 24, 2023

by Bob Mondello

The films Barbie and Oppenheimer blew past predictions to spark the fourth biggest box office weekend in Hollywood history. What does their success say about the state of the movie business?

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Nolan fans are traveling hours to see 'Oppenheimer' in its intended 70mm IMAX format

4:29pm July 24, 2023

by Bilal Qureshi

Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer dominated IMAX screens. Only 19 cinemas in the country are showing it in its intended 70mm IMAX film format, leading some fans to several travel hours.

Books
Arts

Colson Whitehead channels the paranoia and fear of 1970s NYC in 'Crook Manifesto'

1:43pm July 24, 2023

by Terry Gross

"My early '70s New York is dingy and grimy," the Pulitzer Prize-winning author says. Whitehead's sequel to Harlem Shuffle centers on crime at every level, from small-time crooks to Harlem's elite.

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Books
Arts

Two books capture the comedic genius of TV legends George Schlatter and Ernie Kovacs

1:43pm July 24, 2023

by David Bianculli

Schlatter's autobiography Still Laughing is a compendium of stories about entertainers he's known and worked with. Ernie in Kovacsland is a treasure chest of memorabilia from Kovacs' shows.

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The Grove theater marquee announcing the opening of Barbie is pictured in Los Angeles last week.

'Barbie' beats 'Oppenheimer' at the box office with a record $155 million debut

12:51pm July 24, 2023

by Emily Olson

Combined, the two films brought in the biggest revenue since the start of the pandemic, besting out the usual superhero franchises Hollywood has come to depend on.

Arts

Set phasers to fun. A Star Trek musical episode is coming to Paramount Plus

5:10am July 24, 2023

by Leila Fadel

The Star Trek franchise has explored countless new worlds since its 1966 debut. But the oddest one yet might be coming. The show "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" will have a musical episode next month.

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Critic's corner: Blur's 'The Ballad of Darren'

4:53pm July 23, 2023

by Matthew Perpetua

British band Blur, lead by singer-songwriter Damon Albarn, has a new album. It's called The Ballad of Darren.