Smart moves: Set in 1930s Texas during the Jim Crow era, the story of The Great Debaters was brought to national attention in a 1997 American Legacy magazine article. It became a passion project for Denzel Washington, who directed and starred in the 2007 film, inspired by the experiences of the all-Black Wiley College debate […]
Smart moves: Set in 1930s Texas during the Jim Crow era, the story of The Great Debaters was brought to national attention in a 1997 American Legacy magazine article. It became a passion project for Denzel Washington, who directed and starred in the 2007 film, inspired by the experiences of the all-Black Wiley College debate […]
Movie date: If you think dating during a global pandemic is difficult, consider the plight of Casablanca’s main characters, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), the ill-fated lovers attempting to escape German-occupied Morocco in the midst of World War II. Yet for all their obstacles, can you think of a more swoon-worthy […]
Seeing is believing: Close your eyes and imagine boarding The Polar Express, where everyone is dreaming of a “White Christmas” and “Rockin’ On Top O the World,” leading us to “Believe” that all will be well “When Christmas Comes to Town.” As the train conductor, Tom Hanks provides comforting narration while leading a group of […]
Biting humor: If you’ve been binge-watching TV over the last eight months (and really, who hasn’t?), you probably have a “Fleabag” story. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s clever, outrageous, sex comedy-drama had everyone talking about their own relatable experiences when it jumped from an award-winning one-woman play in London to an Emmy-sweeping Amazon Prime series in 2019. See the […]
Wheeling and dealing: It’s a time of economic desperation in post-World War II Rome as Antonio Ricci sets out on his bicycle to begin a job that will offer some financial relief for his family of four. But when his back is turned, the bicycle is stolen—and Ricci’s hopes along with it. Fortunately, he does […]
Stepping back: It’s been 25 years since Riverdance busted Irish dancing out of a Dublin arena and hooked the world into its Vegas-style showcase of step dancing to infectious Celtic rhythms. Filmed in February 2020, Riverdance in HD brings us back to that pre-masked time when arm-in-arm high kicks were taken for granted, and sweaty spins […]
Show going: Do you miss the excitement of watching a story unfold on the big screen? A sense of communion with fellow audience members? The iconic concessions? With new releases on hold, the Paramount is bringing some classics back to the theater, starting with Christopher Guest’s riotous satire Best in Show. The ensemble cast features […]
Remember live music? Us, too. There’s reason to be extra grateful for recorded music right now (and for all the artists streaming sets into our living rooms), but it’s not the same as packing into a whatever-sized room with a bunch of other people to hear some tunes played just for you. Sweating, swaying, swooning, […]
Art of war: Austrian composer Alban Berg drew inspiration for his apocalyptic opera Wozzeck (Met Live in HD broadcast), when he attended a production of the drama Woyzeck, a German play left incomplete by Georg Büchner at his death. Berg constructed his libretto for the production while on leave from his regiment in World War […]
Kingdom of frenemies: Sir Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench star in The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s tragicomedy in which King Leontes appears to have everything, but his jealousy sets in motion a series of tragic consequences. Originally broadcast in November 2015, the play is co-directed by Rob Ashford and Branagh, and is being re-screened thanks […]