MAYA Jama and Ruben Dias looked more loved-up than ever as they transformed into pirates for Halloween.
Presenter Maya, 31, took to Instagram to share snaps from her spooky night out with boyfriend Ruben, 28.
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Maya looked incredible as she transformed into a sexy pirateCredit: InstagramShe and boyfriend Ruben looked more loved up than everCredit: InstagramThe stunning presenter went all out for HalloweenCredit: Instagram
The stunning Love Island host put on a busy display in a corset-style top and flowing skirt, finishing the look with a hat.
Meanwhile Manchester City defender Ruben channelled Pirates of the Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow in his own get up.
Maya captioned her upload: “First Manchester Halloween.”
Fans rushed to comment on the photos, with one writing: “You guys smashed it!”
Dome Center LLC, the company that owns the property along Sunset Boulevard upon which the iconic movie venue stands, filed an application for a conditional-use permit to sell alcohol for on-site consumption at the Cinerama Dome Theater and adjoined multiplex Tuesday.
According to the application filed by the company’s representative, Elizabeth Peterson-Gower of Place Weavers Inc., Dome Center is seeking a new permit that would “allow for the continued sale and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption in conjunction with the existing Cinerama Dome Theater, 14 auditoriums within the Arclight Cinemas Theater Complex, and restaurant/cafe with two outdoor dining terraces from 7:00 am – 4:00 am, daily.” This would be a renewal of the current 10-year permit, which expires Nov. 5.
The findings document filed with the City Planning Department also mentions that “when the theater reopens, it will bring additional jobs to Hollywood and reactivate the adjacent streets, increasing safety and once again bringing vibrancy to the surrounding area.” No timetable for this reopening was indicated.
A representative for Dome Center LLC did not respond immediately Friday to a request for comment.
The Cinerama Dome, which first opened in 1963, has been closed since it was shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. After it was announced in April 2021 that the beloved theater would remained closed even after the pandemic, it was revealed in December of that year that there were plans for the Cinerama Dome and the attached theater complex to eventually reopen.
In 2022, news that the property owners obtained a liquor license for the renamed “Cinerama Hollywood” fueled the L.A. film-loving community’s hope that the venue was still on track to return. But the Cinerama Dome’s doors have remained closed.
At a public hearing regarding the adjacent Blue Note Jazz Club in June, Peterson reportedly indicated that while there were not yet any definitive plans, the property owners had reached out to her to discuss the Cinerama Dome next. Perhaps this new permit application is a sign plans are finally coming together.
Comedian Alan Carr has quickly become an unlikely favourite to win Celebrity Traitors, which draws to a close BBC One on Thursday, and his popularity has rocketed
Alan Carr is pictured on Celebrity Traitors alongside Joe Wilkinson, Celia Imrie and Stephen Fry(Image: BBC)
The comedian, 49, is vying to win the reality TV series, which draws to a close on Thursday night on BBC One. PR experts say his stint on the programme, a spin-off from the civilians’ version, has helped further boost Alan’s popularity, following previous success with his own titular show on Channel 4.
And now the broadcaster is being touted to step in to host Strictly Come Dancing next year, following the departures of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. One insider said: “More people are watching Alan than are watching Strictly right now. He’s been catapulted to the A-list. The star dust is practically dripping off him.”
It is said Alan, the son of a former professional footballer, thought he would have been the first kicked off The Celebrity Traitors, but he has survived to reach the final five contestants. His antics alongside the likes of Sir Stephen Fry, Kate Garraway, Clare Balding and Celia Imrie have had millions of Brits hooked since October 8.
Alan, who won a BAFTA for Alan Carr: Chatty Man in 2013, was praised for displaying his “super competitive streak” and charisma, traits insiders believe make him an ideal match for Strictly. A source told the Daily Mail: “He’s an old-fashioned showbiz pro who would be just perfect hosting Strictly. If he does manage to win Traitors it will be a sign to the BBC that he has the star quality to present its flagship show.”
He said: “It’s hard to predict. I think the BBC should go for people who are already well-known and experienced – not newcomers. Familiar faces that the audience already trusts, like Paddy McGuinness or even Noel Edmonds. If you bring in big names the public already loves, they’ll go along with the change more easily.”
Alan, a comedian for nearly three decades, has been ruthless throughout his time on The Celebrity Traitors, dispatching his close friend Paloma Faith, and similarly, actress Celia Imrie on Thursday night. The source continued: “His public persona is one of being a bit of a giggle, a bit of a pushover, but that is definitely not the case at all.”
After graduating from university, Alan moved to Manchester, with his sights on a career in comedy. He worked in a call centre for five years, while treading the boards in his spare time on the stand-up comedy circuit, winning awards and a huge following along the way.
BELOVED actor Tchéky Karyo has died of cancer at the age of 72.
Karyo was best known for his starring role in the film Nikita, James Bond hit GoldenEye and in the popular BBC series The Missing.
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French actor Tchéky Karyo has died of cancer at the age of 72Credit: AFPKaryo was best known for his stand out performance as Julien Baptiste in the popular TV series The MissingCredit: PA:Press Association
His passing was announced by his wife, actress Valérie Keruzoré, and their two children.
They released a heartbreaking statement saying the French film star had “succumbed to cancer this Friday, October 31”.
At the time, the beloved actor said about the reprisal of the role: “I didn’t expect it, but it’s flattering. This has made me feel young again.”
The creators of Baptise had even teased another season of the mystery thriller earlier this summer.
Earlier on his career Karyo found global success on several top projects.
He played the handler Bob in Luc Besson’s assassin film Nikita in 1990.
Other major roles included Ridley Scott’s historical epic 1492: Conquest of Paradise and the James Bond film GoldenEye.
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Kayro started out in French cinema in the 1980s.
His first major film role came in crime thriller La Balance in 1982.
His stellar performance even earned him a nomination for the César Award for Best Male Revelation.
One of his most recent roles came in 2023 when he joined forces with the BBC once again for the comedy thriller, Boat Story.
Kayro had 140 roles across his decorated career in both film and TV.
He was also a singer songwriter with two albums being released in 2006 and 2013.
One of his most recent roles came in 2023 when he joined forces with the BBC once again for the comedy thriller, Boat StoryCredit: PAKaryo poses during a photoshoot as part of the 54th Monte-Carlo Television Festival in MonacoCredit: AFP
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” star Jesse Eisenberg may soon one-up the film franchise’s Robin Hood-esque Four Horsemen in the giving-back department.
This December, the Academy Award nominee and longtime blood donor will give one of his kidneys to a complete stranger, he said Thursday on the “Today” show. He slipped the news into a conversation with host Craig Melvin about a recent show-sponsored blood drive.
As Melvin and his co-hosts reacted in disbelief, Eisenberg said, “I really am [donating].”
“I don’t know why. I got bitten by the blood donation bug,” he said, adding that he was “so excited” to make the nondirected (a.k.a. “altruistic”) donation, wherein a living donor is not related to or known by the recipient.
According to the National Kidney Registry, approximately 90,000 people in the U.S. are currently in need of a kidney transplant, while roughly 6,000 people donate kidneys each year. Less than 5% of those already slim donations are nondirected.
Eisenberg said he suspected that if people knew how safe the process was, those numbers would go up.
“It’s essentially risk-free and so needed,” Eisenberg said in a separate interview with Today.com. “I think people will realize that it’s a no-brainer, if you have the time and the inclination.”
“The Social Network” alum added that prospective donors need not worry about forking over a kidney and later facing a situation wherein a family member urgently needs one.
“The way it works now is you can put a list of whoever you would like to be the first [relative] to be at the top of the list,” he said, referring to the National Kidney Registry’s family voucher program. The program launched in 2019, preceded by an earlier “standard” iteration that required the voucher donor to name a voucher holder who had some form of kidney impairment. (The standard voucher option is still available to donors as well.)
“Not only does this remove an important disincentive to living kidney donation, but it is the right thing to do for the generous people who are donating a kidney to a stranger. Donors can now donate a kidney and still provide security for their loved ones should they need a kidney transplant in the future,” Dr. Jeff Veale, who helped pioneer the voucher system, said in a statement at the time of the program update.
Recovery is also a non-issue for most kidney donors, who on average return to daily activities within a few weeks of the surgery, per the Mayo Clinic.
“Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” hits theaters Nov. 14, nearly a decade after the previous installment in the franchise premiered. Eisenberg stars alongside returning cast members Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco and newcomers Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt and Rosamund Pike.
Ariana Grande has been confirmed to star in the 13th season of American Horror Story alongside a host of franchise regulars
American Horror Story season 13 has revealed its star-studded line-up will feature pop sensation Ariana Grande alongside a roster of franchise favourites.
The two-time Grammy Award winner, currently portraying Glinda in the musical films Wicked and its forthcoming sequel, will lead the series with an ensemble cast.
Whilst she’s never featured in the acclaimed horror anthology previously, she has collaborated with its creator Ryan Murphy on the cult favourite series Scream Queens, which launched a decade ago and spanned two seasons.
Grande is joined by several cast members unveiled this Halloween, including Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe and Leslie Grossman.
The official line-up was revealed on Murphy’s Instagram account through a mysterious video featuring Vera Lynn’s rendition of I’ll Be Seeing You, reports the Express.
American Horror Story’s forthcoming season will follow the Kim Kardashian -fronted Delicate, which broadcast from September 2023 through April 2024.
Fans have since started theorising that the 13th instalment could be its final chapter and revisit a previous narrative.
It’s scheduled to premiere on FX in precisely one year’s time, 31st October, 2026.
Numerous fans have already flocked to social media to express their enthusiasm, with one X user writing: “Ariana Grande will be in AHS season 13!!! What a Halloween treat!”
Another declared: “ariana in AHS alongside all the iconic actresses that carried the series… y’all IM GAGGING-“
One particularly enthusiastic Ariana fan commented: “Ariana Grande is about to be that girl yet again in the next 12 months.
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“She can essentially win an Emmy (Wicked TV special, AHS 13), an Oscar (Wicked), and another Grammy (Brighter Days Ahead MV, any ES deluxe nomination).
“She would only need the Tony to become an EGOT. She’s been that girl and I will be seated for each of her projects.”
Have you already marked the 13th season of American Horror Story in your diary?
American Horror Story season 13 premieres 31st October 2026 on FX.
Eamonn Holmes and new partner Katie Alexander, 43, are said to be ‘under strain’Credit: Simon JonesThe couple went public with their romance last yearCredit: instagram/@katster32
And it appears things are still rocky, with a source telling the Mail that they’re spending an increasing amount of time apart.
The insider said: “He’s grumpier than ever and his health problems really aren’t helping, but instead of moving closer to Katie and settling, he’s spending more time with his family in Belfast, often without her.”
The couple, who first began speaking as friends on social media platform X in 2015, became romantic last year – just months after Eamonn’s split from wife Ruth Langsford was made public.
To make matters worse, Eamonn is no longer represented by InterTalent Rights Group and his manager Jonathan Shalit, who has overseen his career since 2022.
Prior to that, Eamonn had enjoyed a fruitful relationship with YMU, who continue to represent his ex-wife Ruth Langsford.
Relations between Eamonn and YMU soured in 2021 when the GBNews star allegedly felt his telly rival Phillip Schofield was receiving preferential treatment.
This was prior to Schofield being axed from ITV for lying about a relationship with a younger male member of staff.
At the time, Eamonn was livid that he and Ruth had been let go from their Friday slot on the show after 14 years of service. They were replaced by Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary.
Now, Eamonn has lost another longstanding gig.
Virgin radio host Ryan Tubridy has replaced him as host of The Irish Post Awards in London – a role Eamonn has held since 2013.
A difficult performance last year, in which Eamonn struggled with mobility issues amid chronic health problems, reportedly prompted bosses to look for an alternative.
A source said: “The truth is that Eamonn is an Irish legend but things didn’t really go well last time – and it’s felt that it’s time he moved over for the more appropriate talent waiting in the wings.
“This time around, it just felt foolhardy to stick with him even though he’s been such a big part of things for so long.”
The Sun has contacted an InterTalent representative for comment.
Despite the reports of low mood, Eamonn isn’t resting on his laurels.
President Trump’s favorite musical is, famously, “Les Misérables,” but few fans have been storming the barricades to get into the Kennedy Center this season.
The Washington Post reports that sales for the current season of music, dance and theater at the Washington, D.C., cultural institution have declined dramatically since the president’s inauguration and his subsequent takeover of the Kennedy Center’s leadership.
The Post cites data showing the Kennedy Center has sold only 57% of its tickets from September to mid October, many of which are believed to be comped giveaways. That contrasts with a 93% ticket sale rate through the same period last year.
The venues surveyed include the Opera House, the Concert Hall and the Eisenhower Theater, with performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, touring Broadway musicals and dance troupes. Out of 143,000 possible seats for the current season, 53,000 have not yet sold. When fans have bought tickets, they’ve spent less than half as much money from September to the first half of October 2025 compared with the same time last year — the lowest total since 2018 other than the height of the 2020 pandemic.
After Trump’s election, he appointed Republican diplomat and former State Department spokesperson Richard Grenell to lead the Kennedy Center, whose board elected Trump as its president. The new leadership fired several longtime staffers, and prominent board members and leaders like Ben Folds left the organization.
““I couldn’t be a pawn in that,” Folds told The Times. “Was I supposed to call my homies like Sara Bareilles and say, ‘Hey, do you want to come play here?’”
Artists that do perform at the Kennedy Center have noted a change in the audience. Yasmin Williams, a singer-songwriter who performed in September after a contentious email exchange with Grennell, said that “During my Kennedy Center show on Thursday night, a group of Tr*mp supporters boo’d me when I mentioned Ric Grenell and seemed to be there to intimidate me,” yet “playing that Malcolm X video in that space and forcing this current administration to reckon with the damage they’ve caused, while also promoting joy and the power of music to the audience … this is why I do what I do.” (Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi told the Post that “This is an absolutely ridiculous claim.”)
Grennell, for his part, said on X that that “We are doing the big things that people want to see. We are seeing a huge change because people are recognizing that they want to be a part of something that is common-sense programming.” In August, Trump announced his picks for Kennedy Center honors, including actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone, glam-rockers KISS, singer Gloria Gaynor, country music star George Strait and English actor and comedian Michael Crawford.
Karen Hauer has hit back at the judges after her Argentine tango split the panel on last week’s heat of Strictly Come Dancing where she set an Argentine tango to an Usher track
Karen Hauer has hit back at the judges after her Argentine tango split the panel on last week’s Strictly (Image: BBC)
Karen Hauer has hit back at the judges after her Argentine tango split the panel on last week’s Strictly Come Dancing. The professional dancer, 43, crafted a routine set to Usher track Caught Up and it received a mixed reaction from Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.
During an appearance with celebrity partner Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who is known for starring on BBC’s Gladiators, on Friday’s Halloween edition of It Takes Two, Karen was asked if she will be avoiding the dance from now on. She joked: “”Probably! That’s fine.”
She added: “No, do you know what? I absolutely loved that and it’s just a shame sometimes. If you want me to do an Argentine classical, then give me the music and I’ll do it. I got the assignment!”
“That was the assignment! Literally. I was just a bit like…we had a really beautiful balance. The judges have a really hard job to do, I just wish they liked it!”
During the live show, Craig claimed that the couple, who eventually received a combined score of 30 for their efforts. seemed to simply be ‘walking’ the routine. He said: “I felt like you were walking through it, standing, placing, standing, placing and not actually dancing step to step.
“And I wasn’t entirely fond of throwing all the groove stuff in there.”
But Harry was not afraid to hit back at the comments as they happened. He said: “I was given a task to do an Argentine tango to Usher. I took it on, I done it to the best of my ability and that’s all I can do.” The dance was all done as part of Icons week, and big music names like Dolly Parton, Spice Girls and Johnny Cash were also honoured, amongst a whole host of others.
Fans at home rushed to social media to defend Harry and Karen amid the negative feedback. One said: “Why have an Icons week, make the celebs dance to music that’s not really suited to the dance then criticise them for bringing a bit of the icon’s style into the dance? Bal and Harry especially.”
Another said: “what are they even talking about obviously an argentine tango to USHER is gna be a little different #Strictly” and a third added: “I dont get the “whyd you add groove/ bump n grind” comments… you gave the guy Usher to mimic?? with an argentine tango?? so like what was he supposed to do.”
Harry has already had a taste of Strictly before making his debut as a contestant on this year’s series. He appeared on last year’s Christmas special where he was partnered with professional dancer Nancy Xu.
The sports star bagged one of the highest scores in the episode but lost to RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Tayce, who had danced with Kai Widdrington.
Announcing his return for the new series, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey said: “After the Christmas Special, it was so nice I just had to do it twice! I’m so excited to be part of the Strictly family this series and I’m ready to give it all I’ve got.
“I’ll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor. Let’s hope I’m as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track.”
CELEBRITY Traitors star Tom Daley is diving head first into a pool of cash courtesy of a lucrative side hustle.
The champion diver raked in more than £100,000 from his knitting hobby in 2024 – two years on from setting up his Made With Love label.
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Tom Daley’s turned his love of knitting into a lucrative side hustleCredit: PATom was an early casualty on The TraitorsCredit: BBC
Profit eluded him for the first couple of years, but his woolly items are now coining it in.
Annual accounts for MWLTD Ltd show he made a six-figure profit in 2024 and left £57,000 in cash in the firm’s coffers.
He sells £8.99 balls of wool, patterns and leisurewear via his website and would-be buyers are told by Tom: “A lot of you know that I absolutely adore knitting.
“It’s been a journey for me that started when I first picked up my knitting needles in March 2020. Fast forward and I’m so proud to introduce these kits to you all so that you can experience the joy I found learning to knit.
“I designed these knit kits to help encourage you to pick up those needles, learn the basics, and fall in love with knitting at the same time – all whilst creating something to show off or pass on.”
Wool vest kits start at £53. A pattern and wool for a sweater costs up to £72.
Tom, who hosts Channel 4’s Game of Wool, has said he was banned from wearing his own knitwear when appearing on Celebrity Traitors.
The Olympic gold medallist, 31, revealed in a new interview that self-promotion was prohibited during filming for the BBC gameshow.
The former diving champion appeared as a Faithful contestant on the programme alongside singer Paloma Faith, presenter Stephen Fry and broadcaster Kate Garraway, with the Traitors being Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr and singer Cat Burns.
He also added that he was constantly knitting when they weren’t filming scenes for the show.
“Any time I was in the hotel, I was just knitting, knitting, knitting,” he said.
A little over a year ago, Madi Diaz lay in bed in an apartment near Dodger Stadium sweating out a gnarly case of COVID-19.
The Nashville-based singer and songwriter had traveled to Los Angeles to record the follow-up to her album “Weird Faith,” which came out in early 2024 and would go on to earn two Grammy nominations, including one for a beautifully bummed-out duet with her friend Kacey Musgraves. But after three or four days of work in the studio, Diaz became sick just as the Dodgers were battling the Mets in last October’s National League Championship Series.
“I could literally see the stadium lights — there were drones everywhere and people honking and lighting things on fire,” she recalls. “I was just like, Why, L.A. — why?”
Her suffering in a city she once called home was worth it: “Fatal Optimist,” the LP Diaz eventually completed in time to release this month, is one of 2025’s most gripping — a bravely stripped-down set of songs about heartbreak and renewal arranged for little more than Diaz’s confiding voice and her folky acoustic guitar.
In the album’s opener, “Hope Less,” she wonders how far she might be willing to go to accommodate a lover’s neglect; “Good Liar” examines the self-deception necessary to keep putting up with it. Yet Diaz also thinks through the harm she’s doled out, as in “Flirting” (“I can’t change what happened, the moment was just what it was / Nothing to me, something to you”).
And then there’s the gutting “Heavy Metal,” in which she acknowledges that enduring the pain of a breakup has prepared her to deal with the inevitability of the next one.
“This record is me facing myself and going, ‘I have to stay in my body for this entire song,’ ” Diaz, 39, says on a recent afternoon during a return trip to L.A.
What makes the unguardedness of the music even more remarkable is that “Fatal Optimist” comes more than a decade and a half into a twisty-turny career that might’ve left Diaz more leathered than she sounds here.
Beyond making her own albums — “Fatal Optimist” is her sixth since she moved to Nashville in 2008 — she’s written songs for commercials and TV shows and for other artists including Maren Morris and Little Big Town; she’s sung backup for Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum and even played guitar in Harry Styles’ band on tour in 2023.
Yet in a tender new song like “Feel Something,” about longing to “be someone who doesn’t know your middle name,” Diaz’s singing reveals every bruise.
“Music is a life force for Madi,” says Bethany Cosentino, the Best Coast frontwoman who tapped Diaz as a songwriting partner for her 2023 solo album, “Natural Disaster.” “She has to do it, and it’s so authentic and so real and so raw because it’s not coming from this place of ‘Well, guess I gotta go make another record.’ ”
“If she doesn’t put those emotions somewhere,” Cosentino adds, “I think she’ll implode.”
Which doesn’t mean that putting out a record as vulnerable as “Fatal Optimist” hasn’t felt scary.
“I was gonna say it’s like the emperor’s new clothes,” Diaz says with a laugh over coffee in Griffith Park. “But I know I’m not wearing any clothes.” Dressed in shorts and a denim shirt, her hair tucked beneath a ball cap, she sits at a picnic table outside a café she liked when she lived in L.A. from 2012 to 2017.
“For a second, I was like, Damn, I wish I’d brought my hiking shoes — could’ve gone up to the top,” she says. “I would absolutely have done that as my masochistic 28-year-old self. Hike in the heat of the day? Let’s go.”
Diaz points to a couple of touchstones for her LP’s bare-bones approach, among them Patty Griffin’s “Living With Ghosts” — “a star in Orion’s Belt,” as she puts it — and “obviously Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue,’ ” she says. “That’s just a duh.”
Like Mitchell, Diaz achieves a clarity of thought in her songs that only intensifies the heartache; also like Mitchell (not to mention Taylor Swift), she can describe a partner’s failings with unsparing precision.
“Some ‘I’m sorry’s’ are so selfish / And you just act like you can’t help it,” she sings in “Why’d You Have to Bring Me Flowers,” one of a handful of what she jokingly calls “folk diss tracks” on “Fatal Optimist.” It goes on: “Bulls— smile, in denial / We’ve been circling the block / We’ve been in a downward spiral.”
“There are definitely a couple songs on this record where I felt apologetic as I was writing it,” she says. “Then when I finished it was just like: It had to be done.” She grins. “They’re tough,” she says of her exes. “They’ll be fine.”
Asked whether any of her songs express her feelings in a way she wasn’t capable of doing with the ex in question, she nods.
“I’d say I could get about halfway there in real life,” she says. “It’s almost like I couldn’t finish the thought within the relationship, and that was the signal that we couldn’t go onward. Or that I couldn’t go onward.”
Has writing about love taught her anything about herself and what she wants?
“I travel a lot — I’m all over the place,” she says. “And I really like to come and go as I please. But it’s funny: In retrospect, I think maybe I was chasing a relationship that was a little more traditional, even though I don’t know if I can actually be that way. So that’s a weird thing to be aware of.”
Madi Diaz in Pasadena.
(Annie Noelker / For The Times)
Diaz grew up home-schooled in a Quaker household in rural Pennsylvania and learned to play piano and guitar when she was young; when she was a teenager, her talent took her to Philadelphia’s Paul Green School of Rock, whose founder was later accused of abuse and sexual misconduct by dozens of former students, including Diaz. (“It was a really toxic place,” she told the New York Times.)
She studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston before dropping out and heading to Nashville, where she started making her name as a singer-songwriter operating at the intersection of country and pop. After a few years of fruitful grinding, she came to L.A. to “see how high the ceiling was,” she says, and quickly fell in with a group of musician friends.
“We used to love going to the Smog Cutter,” she says of the shuttered Silver Lake dive bar, “to have a couple Bud Lights and sing Mariah Carey really poorly.”
Diaz was making money writing songs — Connie Britton sang one of her tunes on the soapy ABC series “Nashville” — but she struggled to achieve the kind of liftoff she was looking for as an artist. “Turned out the ceiling was quite high,” she says now with a laugh.
Along with the professional frustrations came “a nuclear explosion of a breakup” with a fellow songwriter, Teddy Geiger. “They were going through a huge identity shift,” Diaz says of Geiger, who came out as transgender, “and we worked in the same industry, and it just kind of felt like there wasn’t a place for me here.”
Diaz returned to Nashville, which didn’t immediately super-charge her career. “I was bartending at Wilburn Street Tavern and making Jack White nachos,” she recalls. “He would never remember this, but I remember. I was like, This is my life now.”
In fact, her acclaimed 2021 album “History of a Feeling” — with songs inspired by the complicated dynamics of her and Geiger’s split — finally brought the kind of attention she’d been working toward. She signed with the respected indie label Anti- (whose other acts include Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman) and scored the road gig with Styles after he reached out via DM; she also became an in-demand presence in Nashville’s close-knit songwriting scene.
“I don’t know of anybody in town that doesn’t love Madi,” says Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, who adds that Diaz “has instincts about melodies that are all her own. Sometimes I’m thinking, ‘How’s she gonna fit that into the phrasing?’ But she always does.”
For “Fatal Optimist,” Diaz took an initial pass at recording her songs with a full band before deciding they called for the minimalist setup she landed on with her co-producer, Gabe Wax, at his studio in Burbank.
“We did it with no headphones, no click track, no grid,” she says. “It speeds up and slows down, and it goes in and out of tune as instruments do.” (One unlikely sonic inspiration was a singles collection by the pioneering riot grrrl band Bikini Kill, which she hailed for its “still-kind-of-figuring-it-out energy.”)
Diaz describes herself as a perfectionist but says “Fatal Optimist” was about “trying to find our way through the cracks of imperfection to break the ground and sit on the surface. I feel so proud that we let it live there.”
She’s touring behind the album this fall, playing solo shows — including a Nov. 20 date at the Highland Park Ebell Club — meant to preserve the album’s solitary vibe.
“I don’t know if I’d really thought that through when I made the decision,” she says with a laugh.
As good as she is on her own — and for all the torment she knows another relationship is likely to hold — “I’m a die-hard loyalist,” Diaz says. “I’m still looking for connection more than anything else.”
An underrated period drama based on one of the most influential books of all time is available to watch for free
‘Must-watch’ period drama based on classic book is free to watch(Image: ITV/PBS)
Viewers shouldn’t miss out on this incredible four-part drama based on a classic novel, as it’s available to watch without spending a penny.
This breathtaking adaptation was originally aired in 2023 on ITV and PBS Masterpiece in the US and has developed a passionate cult following despite not receiving critical fanfare at the time.
Based on the novel by Henry Fielding, Tom Jones brings the seminal 1749 novel to life like never before with an ensemble cast of British legends.
William Tell’s Solly McLeod portrays the titular downtrodden hero, a young man with mysterious parentage who falls in love with his spirited neighbour Sophia Western (played by Sophie Wilde).
Sophie decides to flee her arranged marriage to be with Tom, but the pair are kept apart by a series of increasingly fraught misadventures.
They’re accompanied by some of the most recognisable names from the British screen, including Coronation Street’s Lucy Fallon, Harry Potter’s Shirley Henderson, New Tricks’ Alun Armstrong and Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham.
Many viewers consider the drama an essential watch and it’s still currently available to stream for free on ITVX.
One 10/10 review from an IMDb user declared it “Gorgeous viewing with a top notch cast”.
They continued: “The cast list is like a who’s who of the cream of British talent, topped by two lovely and good looking leads.
“The episodes fair gallops on its way, cutting through the boring exposition and getting quickly to the important stuff, the love story between Tom and Sophia.”
The review continued to particularly praise Waddingham’s performance as Lady Bellaston, declaring “Seriously, put this woman in EVERYTHING”.
“If you get a chance, watch it in one go, it’s perfect lazy weekend viewing,” the reviewer concluded.
Another warned that fans of the book should expect some changes to the narrative, but admitted: “Even though the story is not like really really the one from the book is one pretty entertaining and very fun to watch. The choice of actors was really good and they did a great job.
“I really recommend for you to watch it if you want some light series combined with romance, a bit of jealousy and of course some British scenery.”
And a 9/10 review said: “This is what you want from English costume drama – and more. I really liked it.
“Fans of historical dramas and literary adaptations will find Tom Jones a must-watch, as it stays true to the spirit of the novel while making it accessible and enjoyable for modern audiences.”
In the mood for a cosy period romance with plenty of laughs and scenery-chewing performances from British greats? Look no further.
A COUPLE from a huge rock band have SPLIT after 22 years of marriage and historic “sexual misconduct” allegations.
The two members of a Canadian indie group have decided to call time on the relationship after over two decades together.
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A couple from a huge Canadian rock band have split after 22 yearsCredit: GettyThe couple in question are Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Regine ChassagneCredit: GettyThe pair have been wed since 2003 but are now separatingCredit: Getty
The couple in question are Arcade Fire‘s Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, who wed in 2003.
The pair announced their shock split on the band’s official Instagram page.
The statement read: “After a long and loving marriage, Win & Regine have decided to separate. They continue to love, admire and support each other as they co-parent their son.”
They added that their “bond as creative soulmates will endure, as will Arcade Fire. The band send their love and look forward to seeing you all on tour soon.”
Their split comes three years after Win was hit with misconduct claims from three women and a gender fluid individual.
The allegations included the sending of unsolicited explicit messages, coercive control, emotional abuse and physical assault.
Win responded to the allegations in 2022, admitting to having had relations with all of the claimants, however, he insisted each was consensual.
In a statement given to Pitchfork, he said, “While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behaviour.
“As I look to the future, I am continuing to learn from my mistakes and working hard to become a better person, someone my son can be proud of. […]
“I’m sorry I wasn’t more aware and tuned in to the effect I have on people – I f**ked up, and while not an excuse, I will continue to look forward and heal what can be healed, and learn from past experiences.”
The band’s avant-garde sound has always been an acquired taste, though they have conquered the mainstream, headlining festivals such as Glastonbury and scoring three number one albums in the US.
The band performed two tracks from their forthcoming sixth album, Pink Elephant, in what was their second appearance on the show this series.
However, musically, their performance on May 10, left many viewers cold.
Others weren’t comfortable with the band getting such a prominent television gig after the troubling claims.
One person wrote on X, “If different people accusing you of sexual misconduct is not enough to prevent you being on this show twice in one season, how many people is?”
Another said, “Arcade Fire landing on SNL in the big 2025 is wild. Who the hell did Win Butler pay?”
The former couple confirmed they will continue to tour togetherCredit: Getty
If you’re like me, you spent a lot of time over the last few weeks reading about the unbelievably brazen Louvre museum heist. Not only did it provide a welcome respite from obsessing over the destruction of the East Wing, it also supplied an adrenaline boost for the imagination: Who on earth had the nerve to literally cut through a window in broad daylight and leap into the world’s most famous museum in order to grab nearly $102 million worth of crown jewels before escaping on a motor scooter?
My favorite article about the fiasco ran in the Atlantic under the headline “The Louvre Heist is Terrific,” with the subhed, “Here was a dreamy little crime in which no one really got hurt.” The French people beg to differ. In many circles, the crime signaled a glaring national failure. Either way, seven suspects have now been detained by police in connection with the crime, and we will have answers soon enough — even if nobody will ever see the jewels again.
The heist seemed ripped from the script of a Hollywood blockbuster — something along the lines of “Ocean’s Eleven,” starring Vincent Cassel and Omar Sy instead of George Clooney and Matt Damon. As such, it spawned a paroxysm of frenetic, click-sticky activity on social and legacy media alike. Newly-minted CBS news chief Bari Weiss reportedly suggested to staff that they interview “The Da Vinci Code” author Dan Brown about the heist. And an online platform called Action Network that analyzes odds, mostly for betting and sports books, released a new U.S. study called “Top 10 Museums Most Vulnerable to a Heist.”
“The study estimates each museum’s implied probability of a heist, showing how visibility, value, and public access combine into a theoretical ‘heist appeal.’ It reflects exposure, not vulnerability. To be clear: we’re not predicting theft. We’re measuring where culture meets risk,” Action Network explained on its website.
It turns out that in Los Angeles, Getty Center and Los Angeles County Museum of Art have the most “heist-appeal,” according to the study. The former comes in at No. 4 on the list, and the latter at No. 7. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art sits in the top place, followed by Washington D.C.’s National Gallery of Art.
The study puts the implied probability of a heist at Getty Center at 3.9%, and gives this sunny description of the campus, “A hilltop postcard with galleries. Open vistas, bright courtyards, and art that draws camera phones nonstop, all under movie-worthy security.”
Movie-worthy security has me thinking: I might write a screenplay featuring a gang of criminals who make a daring escape on the Getty tram with Titian’s Venus and Adonis.
I’m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, planning my next great adventure. Here’s your arts and culture news for the week.
On our radar
Composer Sarah Kirkland Snider’s opera “Hildegard” will be performed at the Wallis.
(Sarah Kirkland Snider)
Hildegard With her new opera, “Hildegard,” which has its West Coast premiere as part of Los Angeles Opera’s Off-Grand series, Sarah Kirkland Snider joins a broad range of artists enraptured by the earliest remembered composer, Hildegard von Bingen. Her otherworldly sacred vocal music, along with her visionary writing, has made the 12th century mystic philosopher, medical doctor, natural historian and Benedictine abbess a source of late 20th and 21st century fascination. She shows up in texts about gardening, numinous Christianity and the Kabbalah. David Lynch was not the only filmmaker obsessed with the abbess. Her 900th birthday in 1998 was observed by a feminist composer and singer collective, Hildegurls, by inventively staging Hildegard’s luminous “Ordo Virtutum.” Now it is Snider’s turn, assisted by Elkhanah Pulitzer, for a full-scale Hildegard opera. – Mark Swed 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Nov. 8; 2 p.m. Nov. 9. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. laopera.org
Janet Leigh in the famous shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic thriller “Psycho.”
(Associated Press)
Psycho The American Cinematheque celebrates the 65th anniversary of the unleashing of Norman Bates on moviegoers. “Alfred Hitchcock’s terrifying 1960 landmark forever upended the audience’s narrative expectations, changed theatrical exhibition models and probably led to reduced water bills nationwide,” wrote former Times film critic Justin Chang in 2016. “Accept no substitutes.” 7:30 p.m. Friday. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. americancinematheque.com
Gail Bean, Biko Eisen-Martin, seated, and Michael Rishawn, standing, star in “Table 17” at Geffen Playhouse.
(Corey Olsen)
Table 17 The West Coast premiere of this rom-com by Douglas Lyons (author of the Broadway comedy “Chicken & Biscuits”) concerns a formerly engaged man and woman who reunite at a restaurant to sift through the past with calm, friendly, objective detachment. What could possibly go wrong? This MCC Theater production, directed by Zhailon Levingston (“Cats: The Jellicle Ball”) features Gail Bean, Biko Eisen-Martin and Michael Rishawn in a play the New York Times described as “comfort food” that “satisfies a genuine craving.” – Charles McNulty Wednesday through Dec. 7. Geffen Playhouse’s Gil Cates Theater, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood. geffenplayhouse.org
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The week ahead: A curated calendar
FRIDAY Halloween What better way to experience “All Hallows’ Eve” than by gorging on John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic and its chillingly insistent piano score with a group of like-minded souls. Jamie Lee Curtis laid the groundwork for the generations of scream queens to follow. 4:15 and 7 p.m. Vidiots, Eagle Theatre, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd. vidiotsfoundation.org
SATURDAY Bluebeard’s Castle The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble presents the American debut of this dark musical thriller laced with romance and horror. A hit in Europe and based on a medieval French fairy tale, it was written and directed by Sofia Streisand and features music by Sergey Rubalsky and Artem Petaykin; lyrics by Elena Hanpira; and choreography by Irina Lyahovskaya, with songs adapted for the English production by Nancy Magarill and Terra Naomi. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; through Nov. 23. Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. odysseytheatre.com
Día de Los Muertos The Wallis delivers its first Family Fest of the season with a free celebration of the holiday featuring story time with Lil’ Libros authors, plus arts, crafts and learning activities; altar-building workshops with Self Help Graphics & Art; face painting by Color Me Face Painting; and a dance workshop and performance by the Pacifico Dance Company, highlighting traditional styles. 11 a.m. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
The People’s Party Civics Is Sexy and the NAACP bring together artists, activists and community leaders for two days of film, music and comedy featuring Yasmin Elhady, Chris Dowd of Fishbone, Nic Novicki, Peyton Edmonds and many more. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. NAACP Hollywood Bureau, 5757 Wilshire Blvd. peoplesparty.civicsissexy.co
Pony Cam The experimental Australian collective presents “Burnout Paradise,” in which four performers on treadmills attempt to complete a series of increasingly difficult, boundary-testing tasks in a comedic absurdist interpretation of overachievement. 8 p.m. Saturday; 6 p.m. Sunday. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu
“What we lost in the Ocean,” 2022 (video still) by Ann Le.
(Ann Le)
A Tender Excavation Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions presents a group show of artists working from historical and familial photographic archives to create transformative new stories from Afro-Latinx, African American, Chinese American, Gabrielino/Tongva Nation, Korean American, Iraqi American, Latinx, Mexican, Mexican American, Peruvian American, Thai, Turkish American and Vietnamese American cultures and communities. Opening reception, 2-5 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, through Feb. 21, 2026. Cal State L.A., Luckman Gallery, 5151 State University Drive. theluckman.org
Faye Webster performs Saturday and Sunday at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)
Faye Webster The Atlanta-based singer-songwriter, backed by the 40-piece Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, performs her indie-folk, alt-country and jazz R&B-infused songs. 8 p.m. Saturday; 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
SUNDAY Written On Heaven A musical portrait of Emahoy Tsege-Mariam Gebru, an Ethiopian nun and composer who died in 2023, featuring performances by pianists Thomas Feng and Gloria Cheng. 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Shatto Chapel at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, 540 S. Commonwealth Ave. mondayeveningconcerts.org
MONDAY
Actor Jeff Goldblum.
(Scott A Garfitt / AP)
An Evening with Jeff Goldblum A conversation with the popular actor, musician and raconteur is followed by a 4K screening of Robert Altman’s 1976 country and gospel music epic “Nashville.” 7 p.m. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org
TUESDAY Moulin Rouge! The Musical This Tony-winning jukebox spectacle inspired by the 2001 Baz Luhrmann movie, adapted for the stage by John Logan featuring anachronistic pop hits Elton John, Beyoncé, Madonna, Rihanna, Katy Perry and more, focuses on the star-crossed romance between a songwriter from a Ohio and the star of the titular nightclub. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, through Nov. 16. Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. broadwayinhollywood.com
WEDNESDAY Listening by Moonrise This seasonal series returns for an evening of music, culture and community with performances by Azucar LA, Juan Gabriel impersonator Marco Ortiz and King Dance. 6:30-9 p.m. Wednesday. Los Candiles Night Club, 2100 Cypress Ave., Glassell Park. clockshop.org
Mariology The West Coast premiere of this collaboration between playwright Nancy Keystone and Critical Mass Performance Group explores all things Virgin Mary in a fifth-grade classroom that erupts into fantasy and rebellion. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, through Dec. 7 (check days and times). Boston Court Pasadena, 70 N. Mentor Ave. bostoncourtpasadena.org
THURSDAY Marilyn Minter A solo exhibition of the artist’s work features paintings from four separate but related bodies of work: large-scale portraits (including Nick Cave, Jane Fonda, Jeff Koons and Cindy Sherman), the “Odalisque” and “After Guston” series, and a selection of Minter’s signature magnified mouths. Opening, 6-8 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday, through Dec. 20. Regen Projects, 6750 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. regenprojects.com
Music Restored Violinist Adam Millstein and pianist Dominic Cheli perform works by Martinů, Kaprálová, Smetana and Schulhoff. 7 p.m. Colburn School, Thayer Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. colburnschool.edu
New Original Works (NOW) REDCAT’s annual festival of experimental performance kicks off with a program of works by Maylee Todd, Jacob Wolff, Diana Wyenn and Ammunition Theatre Company. NOW 2025 continues with additional programming Nov. 13-15 and Nov. 20-22. 8 p.m Thursday-Saturday. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown L.A. redcat.org
Culture news and the SoCal scene
Alan Edmunds, a psychologist, is the librettist and writer of “Perfect World,” a musical that tells the story of literary child prodigy Barbara Follet, at the El Portal Theatre.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
A ‘Perfect’ mystery The little-known story of a child literary prodigy named Barbara Follett — who published her first novel at 12 and disappeared without a trace at 25 — is the subject of a world-premiere musical, “Perfect World,” at El Portal Theatre. I sat down with librettist and co-lyricist Alan Edmunds to talk about his interest in Follett’s story, and how a deep dive into her archives at Columbia University led him to believe it would be a good candidate for the stage.
Pasadena Playhouse classes ramp up A bustling theater school is rising on the century-old campus of the Pasadena Playhouse. More than 400 students per semester are now participating in 14 classes tailored for kids as young as 4 years old, as well as adults in their 80s and everyone in-between. “Education is as core to us as the shows on stage,” producing artistic director Danny Feldman told me in a recent interview.
LACMA unionizes Employees at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced earlier this week that they are forming a union, LACMA United, representing more than 300 workers from across all departments, including curators, educators, guest relations associates and others. The move comes just six months before the museum is scheduled to open its new $720-million David Geffen Galleries.
Suntory time for Dudamel Times classical music critic Mark Swed flew to Tokyo to watch Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform two concerts of works by John Adams, Stravinsky and Mahler in Suntory Hall. The stop was part of an Asian tour that also includes Seoul and Taipei.
Manuel Oliver is photographed at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Oliver lost his son Joaquin “Guac” Oliver in the Parkland shooting. Manuel Oliver is now bringing his love of his son and his gun-reform activism to the stage in a one-man show called “Guac.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
A father grieves Times theater critic Charles McNulty caught a performance of “Guac” at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Manuel Oliver’s powerful one-man show examines the death — and celebrates the life — of his son, 17-year-old Joaquín Oliver, who was one of 17 people killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. “The production, written and performed by Oliver, turns a parent’s grief into a theatrical work of activism,” writes McNulty.
Theater hot spot If you know, you know — that’s the verdict on tiny New Theater Hollywood, which has lately taken on an outsize presence on formerly sleepy Theatre Row. “Opening post-pandemic, at a time of rising costs, dwindling audiences and little financial aid, New Theater Hollywood feels like an anomaly. It’s an intricate support system for practitioners to hone their craft in a space dedicated to original theatrical work,” writes Times contributor Emma Madden.
The girl is still having fun A new musical adaptation of the 1988 film “Working Girl” is premiering at La Jolla Playhouse with score by ‘80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper. Ashley Lee has the scoop.
Wine meets art The Donum Estate is home to 60 monumental sculptures by artists including Jaume Plensa, Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, Doug Aitken, Robert Indiana and Anselm Kiefer, making it quite possibly “the largest private sculpture collection of any winery in the world,” writes Times contributor Sam Lubell in a story about the unique vineyard in California’s Carneros wine region.
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La Jolla, launchpad of musicals La Jolla Playhouse announced its 2026/2027 season, featuring three world-premiere musicals: The Playhouse-commissioned “The Family Album” (book by Sam Chanse and music and lyrics by MILCK, a.k.a. Connie Lim); “GRIM” (book by Joey Orton and Brad Silnutzer, music and lyrics by Petro AP, Scott Hoying, Joey Orton and Brad Silnutzer): and David Henry Hwang’s “Particle Fever,” with music and lyrics by Bear McCreary and Zoe Sarnak, directed by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman.
D.C. arts purge continues The White House fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts earlier this week, according to an exclusive in the Washington Post. That independent federal agency would have reviewed a number of President Trump’s construction projects, “including his planned triumphal arch and White House ballroom.”
Nobel laureate stripped of visa The first African writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature has been stripped of his U.S. visa by the Trump administration. The Nigerian author and playwright, Wole Soyinka, received notice of the decision from a U.S. consulate in Lagos on Oct. 23, calling it a “rather curious love letter.”
— Jessica Gelt
And last but not least
Happy Halloween! Looking for something truly scary to watch? Try Game 6 of the World Series, which takes place in Toronto tonight.
The horror film is hands down considered to be one of the scariest movies of all time and it’s only available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer for 16 more days.
The movie is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer
The legend of the Blair Witch is easily one of the scariest tales to do the rounds in modern memory — and it all stemmed from a harmless horror film.
The Blair Witch Project (1999), written, directed and edited by Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, is hands down considered to be one of the scariest documentary-style horror movies of all time.
It not only introduced the ‘found footage’ genre to horror films — seen since then in blockbuster hits like the Paranormal Activity franchise — but it’s also one of the most successful independent films of all time, originally made on a budget of $35,000–$60,000, with the final cost rising to between $200,000 and $750,000 after marketing and post-production.
The pseudo-documentary centers around three students, played by Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams, who set off on a hike into the Appalachian Mountains near Maryland’s Burkittsville to film a documentary about the Blair Witch — a local urban myth of the community.
Currently available to watch for free on BBCiPlayer for the next 16 days, the legend of the fictional Blair Witch was conceived by Sánchez and Myrick in 1993. The director-editor duo developed a 35-page screenplay in which the dialogue was to be improvised. Entering production in October of 1997, principal photography of The Blair Witch Project lasted all of eight days in total.
Close to 20 hours of footage was shot for the docu-film, which was then edited and whittled down to 82 minutes. The film first premiered at midnight on January 23, 1999 at the famed Sundance Film Festival and received rousing acclaim, following which its distribution rights were acquired for $1.1million.
It eventually received a theatrical release and went on to become a sleeper hit, grossing close to a whopping $250million at the global box-office. The Blair Witch Project is consistently listed as one of the scariest movies ever, and consistently ranks as the best found footage movie of all time on several prestigious lists. However, despite the movie’s success, the three main actors of the film reportedly lived in poverty till they sued the film studio that acquired its rights, eventually reaching a settlement worth $300,000 in 2000.
With a 86 per cent critics approval rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the documentary-style film is widely critically lauded. One reviewer says of the film: “[The Blair Witch Project is] the most effective and unsettling horror movie in quite a long time. Just to clarify: after seeing this, you will not sleep well. Invest in a night-light.”
While another writes: “The Blair Witch Project” is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. Not the goriest, the grossest, the weirdest, the eeriest, the sickest, the creepiest or the slimiest… Just flat out the scariest.”
A third critic has said: “No sequel or remake will ever match the power of what The Blair Witch Project managed to do a quarter of a century ago.”
While a fourth critic said: “I could tell you the story — give away every detail — and The Blair Witch Project would still freeze your blood.”
Viewers are equally impressed by the film, with one writing: “This movie is pure horror, it’s the scariest movie I have ever seen in my life, at the end, I was terrified. It all connects — the legend and the film. The Blair Witch Project is a masterpiece of pure terror, horror and suspense. Daniel Myrick is a genius!!”
Another audience review says: “Absolute classic, one of the most raw horror films out there.”
The Blair Witch Project is currently streaming for free on BBC iPlayer till November 16.
JoJo Siwa stripped to a bikini as she shared an embrace with boyfriend Chris Hughes on the beachCredit: InstagramThe couple appear to have enjoyed a beach getaway together, which she described as a “beautiful week”Credit: Snapchat
She hinted at “hard moments” in the caption, while heaping praise on her boyfriend Chris, describing herself as a “lucky girl”.
In the caption, she wrote: “In the last week I’ve realized more than ever that I’m a lucky girl who is in love with the one who I laugh the loudest with, have the most fun with, and enjoy time the most with.
“Beautiful days are here and they are gorgeous [Chris Hughes] thank you for this beautiful week, and for every day since we’ve met continuing to make me smile through even the hard moments.
The CBB star can be seen sharing an embrace with Chris in one sun-soaked beach snap as the pair both don swimwear.
The couple are also seen enjoying a dance in a sweet video shared within the post, which included a series of highlights from their trip.
The post has already clocked over 100,000 likes, with fans quick to show support for the couple in the comments section.
One wrote: “You both deserved a love like this. I’m so happy you both chose to do big brother”.
Another added: “We are all so happy you’ve found love with Chris. You deserve someone who sees your heart the way he does. You’ve been through so much, and it’s beautiful to see you finally loved the way you deserve.”
JoJo and Chris – who are already discussing marriage plans – first became incredibly close during their 19-day stint in ITV‘s spy house back in April.
Viewers were continually left confused over Chris’ seemingly “flirty” behaviour towards JoJo – who had a partner, Kath Ebbs, at the time – before the pair secretly held hands in the bedroom.
But last week, Chris revealed that just weeks after the interview, during their Mexico trip in May, they made things official.
He spoke openly about their connection on the Question The Default podcast with Harry Corin, in which he shared “nothing was rushed or forced, it just happened.”
JoJo and Chris beamed in a selfie included in the series of snaps, which included footage of the pair dancing togetherCredit: Instagram
He then confirmed it was when he flew to Mexico to surprise her at a festival she was playing at which happened few weeks after CBB – with her family there – where they became an item.
Chris said they “rekindled and met up in Mexico” and said: “I flew out to surprise her, which was nice.
“I spent a few days with her and her family in Orlando as well before flying home and that’s where it all started.”
Later in the chat, he said: “I went to Mexico and met up with her which is where the whole feelings developed and things changed.
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“Bread of Angels,” Patti Smith’s mesmerizing new memoir, only deepens the mystery of who this iconic artist is and where her singular vision originated. I’ve long been struck by her magnetism on stage, her fearless approach to her craft, and the stark beauty of her words on the page, including the National Book Award-winning “Just Kids.” She has a preternatural belief in her own instincts and a boundless curiosity that, taken together, help explain the extraordinarily rich life and oeuvre she’s constructed. This transcendent — and at times terrifying — account of that evolution enriches that understanding. And yet, Smith’s persona remains veiled — sphinx-like — an ethereal presence whose journey to fame was fueled by her questing spirit and later detoured by tragedy.
Like Jeanette Walls’ classic, “The Glass Castle,” Smith’s saga begins with a hard-scrabble childhood she relates as if narrating a Dickensian fairy tale. In the first four years of her life, her family relocated 11 times, moving in with relatives after evictions, or into rat-infested Philadelphia tenements. Smith’s mother was a waitress who also took in ironing. Her father was a factory worker, a World War II veteran scarred by his experience abroad. They shared their love of poetry, books and classical music with their daughter, who was reading Yeats by kindergarten.
Smith, who was born in 1946, was often bed-ridden as a young girl, afflicted with tuberculosis and scarlet fever, along with all the usual childhood ailments. She writes: “Mine was a Proustian childhood, one of intermittent quarantine and convalescence.” When she contracted Asian flu, the virus paralyzed her with “a vise cluster of migraines.” She credits a boxed set of Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” recordings her mother bought with tip money for her return to health.
As a 3-year-old, Smith recalls grilling her mother during evening prayers, posing metaphysical questions about Jesus and the soul, immersing herself in Bible study and later joining her mother as a Jehovah’s Witness. She didn’t confine herself to a single religious discipline, though. For example, while still a young child, she saw the movie “Lost Horizons” and became entranced by Tibet and the teachings of Buddhism — “an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things.” While “this seemed beautiful,” she writes, “it nonetheless troubled me.”
There is a romantic quality even to the deprivations Smith chronicles, an effect heightened by what she chooses to highlight or withhold. With little money for toys, she and her siblings entertained themselves using the knobs on a dresser as instruments on a ship, sailing on faraway seas. She and her younger siblings regularly set out with their mother to the nearby railroad tracks, where they harvested leftover lumps of coal to fuel their pot-bellied stove — the apartment’s sole source of heat. Under the floorboards of her closet, Smith conceals “glittering refuse I had scavenged from trash bins, fragments of costume jewelry, rosary beads,” along with a blue toothbrush she’s invested with magical powers.
Their apartment building overlooks a trash-strewn area dubbed “the Patch,” which is bordered by “the Rat House.” There, Smith proclaims herself general of the neighborhood’s Buddy Gang, fearlessly fending off bullies twice her size, while at school, she was viewed as odd by her teachers, “like something out of Hans Christian Andersen.”
Within this urban setting, Smith often paused to marvel at nature. Taking a short cut on the long walk to school, she stumbles on a pond in a wooded area. A snapping turtle emerges and settles a few feet away. “He was massive,” she recalls, “with ancient eyes, surely a king.”
It’s impossible to know if Smith was really this self-possessed and ruminative as a child or if nostalgia has altered her perspective. What’s undeniable, though, is that her extraordinary artist’s eye and soulful nature emerged at an age when the rest of us were still content to simply play in our sandboxes. She recollects fishing Vogue magazines out of trash cans around age 6 and feeling “a deep affinity” with the images on their pages. She’s immersed in Yeats and Irish folk tales while being bored at school reading “Fun With Dick and Jane.” On her first visit to an art museum, viewing Picasso’s work produces an epiphany: She was born to be an artist. A decade later, she boards a bus bound for New York City.
At this point, about a third of the way into the book, we enter the vortex that is Patti Smith’s talent and ambition on fire. The pace of the memoir accelerates. An alchemy infuses each chance encounter. Opportunities abound. Everywhere she turns there are talented photographers, poets, playwrights and musicians encouraging and supporting her. She writes poetry and finds a soulmate in Robert Mapplethorpe. She meets Sam Shepard, who features her poem in a play he’s writing. She meets William Burroughs, performs a reading with Allen Ginsberg. She forms a musical partnership with Lenny Kaye, and begins performing her poetry, with the 19th century French poet Arthur Rimbaud as her spiritual inspiration.
Smith’s story unfolds as a bohemian fairy tale. Luck is with her, bolstered by a fierce conviction in her own bespoke vision. “There was no plan, no design,” she writes of that time, “just an organic upheaval that took me from the written to the spoken word.” Bob Dylan becomes a mentor. Her fame grows enormous with the 1975 release of “Horses” and the international touring that followed, yet she retains the bearing of an ascetic. She writes: “We hadn’t made our record to garner fame and fortune. We made it for the art rats known and unknown, the marginalized, the shunned, the disowned.”
Smith’s rock star trajectory is diverted by her love affair with Fred Sonic Smith, for whom she ditches her career at its height, against the advice of many of those closest to her. But as with every decision she’s ever made, she can’t be dissuaded. In this intimate portion of the book, we receive glimpses of two passionate artists hibernating, in love. They marry, have two children, and cultivate an eccentric version of domestic bliss. But harsh reality intervenes and the losses begin to accumulate. One after the other, Smith loses the men she loves most — Robert, then Fred, then her beloved brother, Todd. These losses haunt the memoir; she grapples with them by returning to the stage with a fierce new hunger.
The book’s final pages reveal Smith continuing to grieve, mourning the loss of other loved ones — her parents, Susan Sontag, Sam Shepard. I wish I could simply reprint those pages here — they moved me deeply. At 78, she reflects on the process of “shedding” — which she describes as one of life’s most difficult tasks. “We plunge back into the abyss we labored to exit and find ourselves within another turn of the wheel,” she writes. “And then having found the fortitude to do so, we begin the excruciating yet exquisite process of letting go.”
“All must fall away,” she concludes. “The precious bits of cloth folded away in a small trunk like an abandoned trousseau, the books of my life, the medals in their cases.” What will she retain? “But I will keep my wedding ring,” she writes, “and my children’s love.”
Haber is a writer, editor and publishing strategist. She was director of Oprah’s Book Club and books editor for O, the Oprah Magazine.
Decades since it’s release fans continue to hail this 90s sci-fi movie as both ‘groundbreaking’ and ‘breathtaking’ and they can watch it once again on ITV tonight
Fans have called the film ‘ground-breaking’ for its visual effects
Film fans have dubbed this 1991 movie as the “best action movie of all time”, scoring it an impressive 91% on the review site Rotten Tomatoes – and it’s on ITV for free tonight.
The classic American science-fiction movie is set to appear on TV tonight,for the perfect slice of nostalgia as you gear up for the Halloween weekend. Terminator 2: Judgement Day is the second instalment in the famed Terminator series, with Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the leading role, in what viewers are calling the best sequel to exist.
In the film, directed by James Cameron, the malevolent artificial intelligence network, known as Skynet, sends a highly advanced killing machine, The Terminator, back in time. It finds itself in 1995, on a mission to kill the future leader of the human resistance while he is still a child in order to protect the future of humanity.
One fan of the film wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: “This is one of those stellar classic action movies, and it was the best action movie of the 1990s. It was significantly ahead of its time! Groundbreaking special effects, a relentless and threateningly powerful villain, humorous and awesome moments, and entertaining action set pieces and sequences that looked convincingly real!”
Another viewer simply says: “In my opinion, this is the greatest action movie of all time. And the greatest movie sequel of all time.” Meanwhile, someone else wrote: “My favourite movie of all time, no notes.”
The film went on to be an instant classic, as a box office boom and critical success, grossing $519–520.9 million. It went on to become the highest-grossing film of 1991 across the globe and the third-highest-grossing film of its time.
Decades later, Terminator 2 is still considered to be one of the best science fiction films ever made, as a trailblazer for visual effects and computer-generated imagery. Not to mention, it has an all-star cast made up of Edward Furlong, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick and Dean Norris.
A viewer praised the cast’s performances in the sequel, writing: “Judgment Day elevates the franchise with groundbreaking visual effects and breathtaking action. Arnold delivers one of his most iconic performances, while Linda Hamilton’s transformation into a fierce and determined Sarah Connor is unforgettable.”
If viewers’ raving reviews aren’t a convincing enough reason to kick back tonight and have a movie night in, the film’s numerous accolades may prove it worthy. Terminator 2 went on to receive an impressive six Academy Awards, as well as a BAFTA Award and four Saturn Awards, honouring its visual effects, hair and makeup and, of course, the best sound effects.
A review says: “Best Terminator movie, period. This is the one that all others are judged on, and it’s a high bar.” If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, flick over to ITV4 tonight at 9pm to see an all-time classic movie from the comfort of your sofa.
VICK Hope looked incredible as she made a return to work after giving birth to her first child with Calvin Harris.
The TV and radio host, 36, welcomed son Micah with the Scottish DJ in an Ibiza home birth back in July, and returned to the spotlight at the Glamour Women Of The Year Awards last night.
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Vick Hope returned to the red carpet after giving birth to son Micah at her and Calvin Harris’s stunning Ibiza farm residenceCredit: SplashShe looked stunning in a pink satin floor-length gown as she stepped out for the first time since motherhoodCredit: GettyThe TV and radio host shared sweet unseen snaps of her and hubby Calvin with their little one last weekCredit: vickhope/Instagram
The mum-of-one, who looked radiant in a strapless pink satin gown, admitted she was “bricking it” as she stepped out on the red carpet for the first time since giving birth.
She pleaded that the crowd “be gentle” with her as she took to the stage to cheers following her return from maternity leave.
The star said she hadn’t slept for 13 weeks, and admitted that she’d been covered in “bright yellow s**t” since giving birth.
And addressing a graphic snap of her placenta, posted by hubby Calvin, she joked: “‘It was posted by my husband but placentas are amazing. I am keen to celebrate motherhood after what my vagina has done – it’s f***ing majestic.
The post, which included images of Vick in a birthing pool, had snaps of her placenta with capsules, suggesting they had it encapsulated, which is an increasingly popular trend.
He wrote in the caption: ““20th of July our boy arrived. Micah is here! My wife is a superhero and I am in complete awe of her primal wisdom! Just so grateful. We love you so much Micah.”
Last week, Vick posted a series of summer highlights on Instagram, and looked radiant as she cradled the couple’s three-month-old son Micah at the couple’s sprawling Spanish residence.
Vick shared a series of snaps with hubby Calvin, along with close family and friends, as she marked the end of summer.
The Radio 1 host was still pregnant in a large chunk of the pics, before sharing adorable snaps with Micah post-birth.
In the caption, she wrote: “A womb with a view, a summer of love and another trip around the sun [sunshine emoji]”.
In one of the pics, Vick is seen cradling her huge baby bump in the Spanish sunshine, with a number of the snaps showcasing her and Calvin’s life as new parents.
The pair are seen pushing young Micah in a pram on the farm residence, along with Calvin holding their son during a seaside walk.
Vick is then seen beaming as she holds their three-month old, wearing a green and yellow halterneck one-piece bikini.
Calvin Harris shared a sweet image holding son Micah in the birthing pool at the couple’s stunning Ibiza residence, after announcing the birth of their first childCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
The post received over 40,000 likes as celeb pals and fans showered the new mum-of-one with love in the comments section.
The snaps also reveal a deeper look into Calvin’s huge rural Ibiza property, which he bought after selling his two multi-million pound mansions in Los Angeles.
Kate Garraway has revealed she was ‘flabbergasted’ after making it to the semi-final of the Celebrity Traitors before she was dramatically banished from the Scottish castle
