All Arts & Culture
鈥楽mall stories鈥� add up to big impact
First LookA mouse in every house? Mickey enters public domain in 2024.Mickey Mouse 鈥� specifically the version introduced in 1928鈥檚 鈥淪teamboat Willie鈥� 鈥� is one of several works entering the public domain next year. Disney will retain the copyright to modern versions of the mouse.
The Candy Man can: 鈥榃onka鈥� is scrumpdiddlyumptiousThe cheery prequel 鈥淲onka鈥� imagines the origin story of Roald Dahl鈥檚 chocolatier while celebrating 鈥渢he knockabout joys of unfettered high spirits,鈥� our critic says.聽
鈥楾he Zone of Interest鈥� asks us to consider the unthinkableWhat lessons lie in a Nazi officer鈥檚 effort to create an idyllic family life? 鈥淭he Zone of Interest鈥� juxtaposes the Arcadian and the hellish in what the Monitor鈥檚 critic says is the most powerful film he鈥檚 seen this year.
鈥楢merican Fiction鈥� asks: What, in our society, should a Black writer be?Full of serious-minded humor, 鈥淎merican Fiction鈥� uses satire to poke at both race and publishing in America. Will the film change the discourse on either one?
鈥楪odzilla Minus One鈥�: How a 70-year-old monster stays evergreenSetting a new record for Japanese live-action films, 鈥淕odzilla Minus One鈥� has become the highest-grossing foreign language film of 2023, with a global take of $52 million after two weeks.
First LookMassive deal puts Shohei Ohtani in orbit with other global phenomenonsBaseball star Shohei Ohtani signed a gargantuan 10 year, $700 million contract 鈥� the largest deal in sports history. Yet the Los Angeles Dodgers believe his international, inter-generational appeal will pay dividends.
First LookOates tried to sell his half of the business. Hall can鈥檛 go for that.Hall & Oates is in court. Daryl Hall is suing to stop John Oates from selling his stake of a shared business partnership. The 鈥�80s pop-rock duo has accused each other of inflammatory statements and even betrayal.
In Pictures: The surprising calm of Istanbul鈥檚 Grand BazaarIstanbul鈥檚 Grand Bazaar is a thriving hub of Turkish culture. On a visit, our reporting team found friendly conversation, vibrant color, and a cornucopia of culinary delights.
For one Swiss family, a life spent on the riverIn Basel, Switzerland, a writer spends the day with father and son Rhine River pilots, learning their craft and why a five-minute rope ferry ride casts a special charm on passengers.
Bring your appetite: Wiseman鈥檚 latest film is a feast for the eyesIn Frederick Wiseman鈥檚 latest documentary, he trains his lens on a family-run French restaurant. Besides being a delight for foodies, says the Monitor鈥檚 film critic, it鈥檚 also a moving commentary on life.聽
They can鈥檛 all be Scrooge: How holiday films shineAs two Christmas classics turn 20, we鈥檙e reminded of the genre鈥檚 true gifts. More than making you laugh or cry, good holiday films often reinforce that life has meaning.
In Pictures: In Lebanon, the art of resistance enduresProtests in the streets of Beirut may feel like a distant memory. But the spirit of the 2019 鈥淥ctober Revolution鈥� lives on in vibrant murals.
At the 100-year mark, Disney offers nostalgia, hope, and 鈥榃ish鈥�Disney鈥檚 latest animated offering leans heavily on references to a century鈥檚 worth of prior films. Our columnist suggests that the retelling of familiar narratives helps people 鈥� motivating them to work together for common goals.
America鈥檚 last lighthouse keeper is retiring. She, and her light, are ready.For many, lighthouses offer a certain nostalgic draw. But as America鈥檚 last keeper retires, she insists that the beauty of the beacon need not be locked in the past.
What鈥檚 the best way to capture Leonard Bernstein?Dramatizing the life of a great artist can be fraught. The biopic 鈥淢aestro鈥� focuses on conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein鈥檚 personal life. But what of his art?
鈥楳inister of music鈥�: Courtney Bryan fuses protest with the sacredAt a time when many people take to the streets to protest injustice, Courtney Bryan turns to her piano. The recently named MacArthur fellow calls music a way to grapple with the emotions of things, rather than become numb to others鈥� pain.
Taylor Swift is having a moment. So is girlhood.With a record-breaking tour and yet more Grammy nominations, Taylor Swift is building an unprecedented career on the nostalgia and heartache of girlhood. Yet more deeply, she is showing the power of friendship.
Battered Marvel finds an unexpected champion in 鈥楲oki鈥�Superhero films are not pulling people in the way they once did. But one Marvel TV offering 鈥� about an anti-hero who forms bonds that transform him 鈥� illustrates the importance of relationship-building, our columnist writes.聽- Battered Marvel finds an unexpected champion in 鈥楲oki鈥�Superhero films are not pulling people in the way they once did. But one Marvel TV offering 鈥� about an anti-hero who forms bonds that transform him 鈥� illustrates the importance of relationship-building, our columnist writes.聽
