New this week: Arcade Fire, 'Hatching,' Three Mile Island
This week’s new entertainment releases include a new album from Arcade Fire, a documentary about Sheryl Crow that's described as an “intimate story of song and sacrifice” and a four-part documentary about the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster.
SXSW plots in-person film fest with 'Atlanta,' 'Lost City'
After the pandemic forced the South by Southwest Film Festival to turn virtual the last two years, the Austin, Texas, festival is plotting a largely in-person event this March that will feature the premieres of the third season of Donald Glover’s “Atlanta,” the latest from Richard Linklater and the Sandra Bullock-Channing Tatum comedy “The Lost City.”.
Netflix scores streaming rights to new top Sony films
Netflix further beefed up its film catalog on Thursday in a multi-year deal that will make it the new streaming home to Sony Pictures’ top releases in the U.S. Beginning next year, Sony’s new films will stream domestically on Netflix after their theatrical runs.
Health contractors vetted stars' politics for US virus ad
This photo combination shows from left: musician Christina Aguilera in Los Angeles, March 29, 2012, comedian George Lopez in Los Angeles, Dec. 25, 2012, and actor Jack Black in Las Vegas, April 25, 2012. Public relations firms hired by the Department of Health and Human Services vetted the political views of hundreds of celebrities, including Aguilera, Lopez, and Black, for a health education advertising campaign on the coronavirus outbreak. That's according to documents released Thursday by a House committee.
US vetted stars' politics to showcase Trump virus response
Director Judd Apatow believes Trump “does not have the intellectual capacity to run as president,” according to a list of more than 200 celebrities compiled by one of the firms. “I have ordered a strategic review of this public health education campaign that will be led by our top public health and communications experts to determine whether the campaign serves important public health purposes,” Azar told the subcommittee, which is investigating the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. Because public health policy around the coronavirus pandemic has become so politically polarized, it’s unclear how well a confidence-building campaign from the government would play. And Trump has alienated much of the medical establishment with his dismissive comments about basic public health measures, such as wearing masks. Antony and Quaid were among just a few celebrities who were approved for the campaign, according to the documents.
Kevin Hart: Hosting MDA telethon is a 'major level-up'
Jerry Lewis performs during the Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2005, left, and Kevin Hart arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" in Los Angeles on Dec. 11, 2017. Hart is hosting a re-imagined online fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The two-hour event will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Harts Help From the Hart charity. (AP Photo)LOS ANGELES – Kevin Hart says hosting a re-imagined online fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association is “a major level-up for me.”“It’s different from anything that you’ve really seen me do. And there’s a great reason behind it,” said the comic and actor, who is leading the MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon online on Saturday.
Greta Van Fleet channels rock legends in new album 'Anthem of the Peaceful Army'
If you've seen the movie, "School of Rock," starring Jack Black, then you'll remember Black's character teaching his students the fundamentals and history of classic rock 'n' roll. But in 2018, one new, young band must have been paying attention to "School of Rock," because they sound like no other rock band today. By channeling the greats like Led Zeppelin and Cream, Greta Van Fleet has become rock's newest students. Gretna Van Fleet gave the band her blessing and the guys dropped the "n," however, because it sounded a little smoother. Expect to see them everywhere in 2019: This past year has already been huge for Greta Van Fleet, but we have a feeling that 2019 will be a whole different kind of beast.