While Graham Nash says that he never got to know Jerry Garcia all that well, their first meeting is a part of rock history: It happened in the fall of 1969, when Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were recording their classic “Déjà Vu” album, which included what is probably Nash’s best-known song, “Teach Your Children.”
The late lyricist Howard Ashman gave us the gift of many of the most-loved Disney songs of the modern era, teaming with composer Alan Menken to write “Beauty and the Beast’s” “Be Our Guest,” “The Little Mermaid’s” “Part of Your World” and “Aladdin’s” “Friend Like Me.” In the new documentary “Howard,” streaming on Disney Plus
Since 2016, Maria Ressa and her team of journalists at the Philippines-based news site Rappler — which she co-founded and serves as executive editor — have been squarely in the cross-hairs of the country’s president Rodrigo Duterte. It’s part of an ongoing battle between the president and Pinoy journalists, Ressa included, who have covered his
When Filipino American documentary filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz saw reports of people being killed in the streets as part of newly elected Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, she knew what she wanted her next project to focus on. But when she arrived in the country, she discovered so many journalists covering the story
Back in 2007, Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube by his soon-to-be manager Scooter Braun. The two skyrocketed to fame together seemingly overnight with the 2009 release of Bieber’s first single, “One Time.” At the ripe age of 13, Bieber’s path to stardom was set – but just a few years later, it all came
Antitrust rules barring studios from owning movie theaters were swept aside Friday after a federal judge approved an effort by the Justice Department to do away with the Paramount Consent Decrees. These laws have been in effect since the golden age of movies. They were intended to break up the stranglehold that major studios such
After it was forced to scrub this year’s edition due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Tribeca Film Festival has announced it will return in 2021. Next year’s festival will run from June 9 to 20 in New York City. “We look forward to celebrating the 20th anniversary and to honoring what our founders Jane Rosenthal
If Donald Trump wanted to shore up America’s national security with his Thursday night executive orders pinpointing two Chinese apps, he has certain not achieved much. On the other hand, if he wanted to send a political message, and make it perfectly clear that China’s technological rivalry with America comes at a price, he succeeded
A new slugfest has erupted between two of Silicon Valley’s biggest corporations. Apple, after repeatedly rejecting Facebook Gaming app for iOS devices, finally approved the social giant’s app for the App Store. However, Facebook had to strip out games entirely — allegedly because of Apple’s preconditions for it to be published in the App Store.
In today’s Global Bulletin, ITV’s “I’m a Celebrity…” relocates, San Sebastián announced WIPs, Mikkelsen is honored, MY Entertainment hires, Banijay finishes German setup and Formula 1 gets an anniversary docuseries. RELOCATION ITV tentpole reality program “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” will trade the jungles of down under for a rundown castle in the
Want to get a fresh perspective on a Luke Bryan album? Play the second half first. As much as any artist in mainstream country, the affable superstar and “American Idol” judge sequences like a man with the vinyl format foremost in his mind. Ever since 2009’s “Doin’ My Thing,” Side Two — or, for streamers
Facebook has shut down one of the biggest QAnon conspiracy-theory groups on its platforms, citing repeated policy violations. The Official Q/Qanon group, which Facebook said it shut down Tuesday (Aug. 4), was identified as having violated Facebook policies prohibiting bullying and harassment, hate speech, and misinformation. “We’ve removed this group for repeatedly posting content that
The news that Lucrecia Martel was working on a new feature film — less than three years after premiering 2017’s “Zama” — was excitedly received by world cinema buffs: nine long years had separated “Zama” and her previous feature, “The Headless Woman,” and admirers of the enigmatic Argentine auteur had no reason to expect a
“Judas and the Black Messiah” writer and director Shaka King has defended the casting of Daniel Kaluuya in the role of American civil rights leader Fred Hampton. The historical biopic, produced by Ryan Coogler and endorsed by Hampton’s son, Fred Hampton Jr, positions the British actor as the iconic leader of the Black Panther Party
Exclusive Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder is trying to smoke out the person behind a rash of Internet posts falsely accusing him of being a sex trafficker with ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Snyder took his battle to federal court Friday morning seeking info on a company called New Content Media, which operates the website,
“Lovecraft Country,” a new drama on HBO, begins with a scene of degradation; soldier Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) emerges from a foxhole to see a winged, tentacled creature flying overhead. Another fantastical monster is destroyed by Jackie Robinson, then reconstitutes itself to devour the pathbreaking baseball player when Atticus wakes up from this dream in
Jordan Fisher got quite emotional when he saw the poster for his new Netflix coming-of-age comedy “Work It” because the cast is so diverse. Of the nine actors featured on the poster, seven are people of color. “It literally made me shed a tear,” the actor, who is multiethnic, says on this week’s episode of
Andreas Fontana’s “Azor,” the latest production between Switzerland’s Alina Film and Argentina’s Ruda Cine, partners on Locarno Golden Leopard winner “Back to Stay,” has scored a world sales deal from Brussels-based Be For Films. A scathing take on Swiss banks’ shady dealings during Argentina’s Junta dictatorship, “Azor” is one of the 10 Swiss titles featured
The Lithuanian Film Center will present five classics of Lithuanian cinema in the Locarno Film Festival’s online screening room as part of Heritage Online, the festival’s recently launched, first-of-its-kind platform that will serve as a database of films that premiered prior to 2005. A highlight will be “The Girl and the Echo,” by Arūnas Žebriūnas,
TikTok responded to Donald Trump’s executive order issued Thursday night — to effectively ban the app if its parent company cannot complete a sale to a U.S. entity within 45 days — saying it was “shocked” and that TikTok would launch a legal fight against the president’s move. TikTok, owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance,
The coronavirus outbreak eased the pace of cord-cutting at Dish Network in the second quarter of 2020, but the company continued to bleed subscribers on both its satellite TV and Sling TV internet services. Dish exceeded Wall Street financial forecasts, but warned that the COVID-19 crisis could cause further erosion in its pay-TV subscriber base.
As the fate of TikTok continues to dominate the news cycle comes word that Simon Fuller, the veteran music manager, creator of “American Idol” and founder of XIX Entertainment, is teaming with the short-form video app to launch a talent search to finding the next supergroup. The audition process will be conducted via an in-app
Following a two-year absence, France will be back among the partner countries of Locarno Pro’s Alliance 4 Development platform that facilitates cooperation between existing co-development funds in Switzerland, Italy, Germany and – well – France, once again. Launched by the Locarno fest’s industry side in 2014, the initiative aims to test market potential and to
What surely would have made a good reality-TV series — three juvenile delinquents from the big city, plus an awkward kid with no friends, are dropped in the Scottish Highlands and left to find their way back to civilization — works even better as a dark comedy goof when a couple of lunatics start shooting
The premiere of the Rolling Stones’ “Scarlet” video Thursday on YouTube was preceded by a chat between its sole star, Paul Mescal — currently an Emmy nominee for “Normal People” — and a jovial Mick Jagger, who appeared happy to have left the heavy lifting (or the spontaneous stunt work) to someone else. “You were
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued executive orders banning transactions with two leading Chinese apps; controversial video sharing app TikTok; and WeChat, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. The separate orders, citing national security concerns, were published late Thursday and take effect in 45 days. They prevent any transactions with WeChat or
“Cheer” superstar Jerry Harris is the ultimate “Bring it On” fan. The expert mat talker and Navarro College cheer team alum has always loved the 2000 cheer-centric drama, specifically Gabrielle Union. “She’s the perfect blend of intelligence, class and strength,” Harris told Variety during the “Power of Young Hollywood” presentation streamed on Facebook. Variety wanted to
Call it a match made in internet heaven. Some six years after JoJo Siwa, 17, first started tinkering with music on her computer and happened upon her pop predecessor JoJo, who, at age 13, had a No. 1 hit with the 2004 song “Leave (Get Out),” the two met IRL at the Variety offices —
Once in a weird while, a movie mimics the flaws — and charms — of its protagonist’s journey to an uncanny degree. Like high schooler Quinn Ackermann, a two-left-footer who does a crash course in dancing in order to get into her first-choice college, “Work It” often feels like it too crammed in hopes a
The reorganization of NBCUniversal’s television business was prefaced by a windup that company insiders characterized as tortuous and demoralizing. When the moment finally came, it provided only some clarity as to whom the internal winners and losers would be in a restructuring that is expected to be broad in scope. But it did demonstrate that