HBO’s critically acclaimed The White Lotus explored privilege, power, and colonization in its first season. Now, the anthological series is placing the pressure on the roiling politics of sex, and we’re about to witness a sea change. Showrunner and director Mike White has moved the fictional five-star White Lotus resort from Hawaii to Sicily, introducing us to an (almost) all-new menagerie of...
World No 111 Dominic Stricker rode Jack Draper ranked lights-out serving past 41st in Milan, notching a 4-3(5), 4-3(5), 4-3(5) victory on his Next Gen ATP Finals debut. The 20-year-old Swiss dropped just one first-serve point in the second and third sets connected as he bounded the rising Brit in a tight battle of big serves and first strikes. Stricker becomes the first player to win a match in...
Matilda “She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.” Readers have loved Matilda since it was first published back in 1988, with a film adaptation and stage musical arriving later. Young Matilda Wormwood, a child genius with a taste for reading far beyond her years, continues to inspire audiences. BBC Culture Facebook fan Julie Cummings-Debrot says...
You might not have seen To Have and Have Not – a romantic thriller from 1944 in which Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall smoulder over each other for 90 minutes – but you’ll know its most famous scene. It starts with the pair trading barbs until Bacall suddenly leans in and kisses Bogart. “What’d you do that for?” Bogart says, a dumb smile across his face. “I’ve been wondering whether I’d like...
Over the past few years, even the most ardent comic book nerd might have wondered if there were too many superhero movies playing in the local multiplex. For every Iron Man, or Avengers, there have been a couple of less-than Fantastic Fours and enough dubious Hulks to smash the sternest spirit. Studios keep making these films because they know audiences will flock to see them, even if the heroes...
Move over, mid-century modern, and make way for Art Deco. The furniture from this earlier period is increasingly appealing to collectors and interior designers, who mix it up with mid-century and contemporary pieces for extra richness. More like this: Inside eight interior designers’ homes Ten revealing images of artists’ studios Scandalous roots of the amusement park With its sleek geometric or...
Being exceptional at something is often attributed to one’s genes. Talent is passed down from parents or grandparents it seems, whether it is musical or artistic skill, ability with numbers or being great at juggling. No doubt there are significant genetic factors involved, but there are almost certainly environmental factors in the mix too. Perhaps the two work together, one boosting the other...
AAfter Japan, Singapore was the first to suffer an outbreak. The infection? Hello Kitty mania. In 2000, a shortage of toys displaying the beloved cat at one of the city’s McDonald’s restaurants led to the unleashing of darker, violent instincts when a riot ensued. Seven people were injured and three taken to hospital for treatment. That was just the beginning. Now, what is left of our species...
People often talk about the darkness in Roald Dahl’s children’s books – and it’s true, he doesn’t hold back on references to bullying, poverty, death, and the dangers of being addicted to chewing gum. What’s talked about less often, though, is how much the darkness is balanced by Dahl’s jovial, conversational tone, Quentin Blake’s cheery, scribbly drawings, and the warm, loving parental figures...
Jim Henson’s beloved 1986 movie musical Labyrinth, one of only two non-Muppets films the legendary puppeteer directed, is famous for several reasons. Fans of David Bowie will recall visions of the late musician wearing extremely tight trousers that fail to obscure an enormously large codpiece. Bowie wrote and performed all the songs, including the iconic Dance Magic Dance. He plays a nefarious...