Kathryn Bigelow unveils political thriller ‘A House of Dynamite’ at Venice Film Festival
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Kathryn Bigelow tackles geopolitics in her new film “A House of Dynamite.” The movie premieres Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival. The film explores an imminent missile strike on the U.S. and the White House response. Bigelow says she grew up during a time when hiding under desks was a protocol for atomic bombs. She aims to confront the paradox of living under the shadow of annihilation. This is Bigelow's first film since 2017's “Detroit.” The film was written by Noah Oppenheim. It stars Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson. The film will be released in theaters on Oct. 10.
Oscar buzz builds for Dwayne Johnson’s role as Mark Kerr in ‘The Smashing Machine’
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Dwayne Johnson takes a serious turn as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine,” that has premiered Monday at the Venice Film Festival. Johnson is already sparking Oscar buzz for his transformation in the film from Benny Safdie. Venice has launched several recent best actor Oscar winners, including Brendan Fraser and Adrien Brody. The festival’s artistic director praised Johnson and Emily Blunt, who plays Kerr’s wife. Kerr is a retired UFC fighter who struggled with addiction. “The Smashing Machine” opens in North American theaters on October 3rd.
Halsey bids big and Colman Domingo hosts Venice amfAR gala
VENICE (AP) — Singer Halsey says the cause of the amfAR Venezia fundraiser on Sunday could not be closer to home. The star, who’s been diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases, said that amfAR contributes to autoimmune research, which allows people without the access she has, “to get treatment that they really, really need to live the lives that they deserve to live." Halsey placed the winning bid on a plate portrait by filmmaker and artist Julian Schnabel. Hosted by Colman Domingo and featuring performances by Paris Jackson and Ava Max, the live auction of artworks, jewellery and vacations raised $3.4 million.
How to draw every president and first lady in 4 steps
WASHINGTON (AP) — An art history professor from North Carolina has developed a unique method for drawing portraits of U.S. presidents and first ladies. John Hutton starts each portrait with an egg-shaped frame, adding facial features, hair, and shoulders in a four-step process. Hutton's technique is detailed in his new book, “How to Draw the Presidents & First Ladies,” published by the White House Historical Association. He believes anyone can learn to draw by following patterns. Hutton has been drawing since childhood and also illustrates children's books. His method aims to make drawing accessible to everyone.
'Weapons' regains the top spot as the summer box office winds down
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Weapons” crawled its way back to the top of the box office during the Labor Day weekend. The movie generated $10.2 million during its fourth weekend in theaters. Universal’s 50th rerelease of “Jaws” also made a splash in theaters, securing the second spot with $8.1 million domestically. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore, says this summer's box office is likely to narrowly miss last year's summer earnings, and failed to meet the typical pre-pandemic summer box office benchmark of $4 billion. He says that “there were casualties this summer. It’s a very crowded summer, very competitive."
PBS, NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts
NEW YORK (AP) — A month after Congress voted to strip public media of public money, PBS and NPR stations are working to cope — and survive. More than 500 radio and television stations are affected, and while some have issues in common, most have problems and strategies unique to their own area. For example, the PBS station in Spokane, Washington, has turned to viewers for emergency donations, but a significant part of their membership is from Canada, and many are already angry with the U.S. because of President Donald Trump's drive to make the country the 51st state. Many stations are heartened by the way viewers are responding, and different ideas to save money are emerging.
Celebrity birthdays for the week of Sept. 7-13
Celebrities having birthdays during the week of Sept. 7-13 include singer-guitarist Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, comedian Leslie Jones from ″Saturday Night Live” and model Angie Everhart. Songwriter Diane Warren hits 69, rapper Wiz Khalifa reaches 38 and actor Gaten Matarazzo from “Stranger Things” celebrates 23. Other celebrities with big days include actor-comedian Adam Sandler, jazz singer Michael Bublé and actor Michelle Williams from “Brokeback Mountain.” Director Guy Ritchie turns 57, singer Harry Connick Jr. reaches 58 and actor Taraji P. Henson hits 55. Others celebrating are actor Laura Wright from “Guiding Light,” singer Ruben Studdard from “American Idol” and singer-actor Jennifer Hudson.
Man is found dead at annual Burning Man festival in Nevada, a sheriff's office says
RENO, Nevada (AP) — Authorities say a man has been found dead in a pool of blood at Burning Man, and the death at the yearly art and music festival in the Nevada desert is being investigated as a homicide. Deputies were alerted Saturday about a deceased man Saturday at the gathering in the Black Rock Desert about 110 miles northeast of Reno. A sheriff's statement Sunday said officers found the single white adult male lying dead on the ground. His identity wasn't known. The sheriff’s office said it appeared to be a singular crime and urged festivalgoers to be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances. The festival ends on Monday.
What to Stream: 'Lilo & Stitch,' 'The Paper,' MTV Video Music Awards and a Hollow Knight sequel
A follow-up TV comedy of “The Office” called “The Paper” and the buddy live action comedy “Lilo & Stitch” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time for the week of Sept. 1 as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are Mark Ruffalo starring in the new cat-and-mouse thriller “Task,” a sequel to the indie legend video game Hollow Knight arrives called Hollow Knight: Silksong and David Byrne releases a new album, “Who Is the Sky?”
Jude Law debuts portrayal of Vladimir Putin in 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' at Venice Film Festival
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Jude Law transforms into Vladimir Putin in “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” which premiered Sunday at the Venice Film Festival. The film, directed by Olivier Assayas, adapts Giuliano da Empoli’s bestselling book about Putin's rise to power. Paul Dano plays a fictional adviser inspired by real political strategist Vladislav Surkov. The film's release coincides with Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. This marks Assayas’s English-language debut. Filming took place in Latvia due to restrictions in Russia. Assayas describes the film as a reflection on modern politics and its deceptive nature.
