All Culture
Five comedians walk into a barbershop. Why secret shows are selling out worldwide.Don’t Tell Comedy’s success reflects the remarkable boom of live comedy since the pandemic. Held on boats or in boxing gyms, the pop-up shows sell out to audiences that don’t know whom they’re seeing – or where they’re going.
First LookMaggie Smith, grande dame of British actors, remembered for her wit and intellectMaggie Smith, who died on Sept. 27, was world-renowned for bringing to life characters in “Downton Abbey” and the Harry Potter films. With a shelf full of awards, she was a monolith of British acting in a generation that includes Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench.
Francis Ford Coppola spent $125 million on ‘Megalopolis.’ How is it?“Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola waited 40 years to make his passion project. After seeing it, the Monitor’s film critic wonders, “What in tarnation has he wrought?”
The ‘other’ Alaska cruise: Got a week? Pitch your tent on deck.Alaskan ferries are a vital connection for remote communities and a rare and charming disconnect for tourists.
Start your engines, grab some earplugs: Old cars race loud and proudIt's easy to get revved up watching old race cars go roaring down the rack.
First LookIn New Hampshire, African refugees get a plot of their own to farm crops from homeAfrican refugees who escaped wars are now finding community as small business owners growing and selling crops in New Hampshire with the help of a local nonprofit. They offer staples like corn and tomatoes and also African favorites such as okra and sorrel.
A bittersweet farewell: I’m a New Yorker, but Mississippi has my heartWhen a born-and-bred New Yorker prepares to move back to the big city, he discovers that Mississippi has made itself at home in his heart.
One week, 20 movies, and Springsteen: Our critic’s picks from TorontoAt the Toronto International Film Festival, our critic detected an overarching mood that coming together is better than breaking apart. “If I’m right in believing that filmmakers these days are looking more to unite audiences than divide them,” he writes, “who is a greater uniter than The Boss?”
‘Water connects all of us’: Black artists create a new relationship with the seaThe relationship between Black people and the Atlantic Ocean is often a heavy, tragic one. But artists in “Becoming the Sea” use the exhibit as an opportunity to reclaim and transform the water narrative.
As summer wanes, I'm chasing flickers of nostalgia by the campfireI yearned for my childhood summers by the lake. With my son, I have a chance to revisit that enchantment.
How James Earl Jones’ iconic voice became our voice of conscienceJames Earl Jones’ legacy as a voice of reason is a reminder of what we might overcome when we face our trauma and find our purpose. His voice was a well of dignity, a reservoir of resonance that echoes not only from his career, but in all of us who heard him.
Commentary‘1992’ says something important about race in America – and Tyrese GibsonThe new film “1992” is a reminder of America’s cycles of racism and rebellion. Actor Tyrese Gibson stands out as a portrait of hope.
Burton and Keaton resurrect the fun in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’Tim Burton and Michael Keaton are clearly having a good time in this sequel to the 1980s cult classic – and fans of the original will, too. Just watch out for those plot holes.
First LookNo need to stream classics. Old movies are dominating at the box office.Theaters have cracked the code on getting visitors back into their reclining seats: re-released movies. In the past two weeks, the cherished stop-motion Laika Studios film “Coraline” first released in 2009 has grossed more than $25 million.
The lighthouses of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are beacons of historyThe lighthouses of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula might be artifacts of history, but from their catwalks the same sight remains centuries later: a seemingly endless blue horizon.
Politicians are embracing ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Tolkien had something different in mind.J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” has become entangled in culture war sparring. Yet some say the text has universal qualities that transcend politics.- Politicians are embracing ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Tolkien had something different in mind.J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” has become entangled in culture war sparring. Yet some say the text has universal qualities that transcend politics.
In fair Boston, where we lay our scene: Free Shakespeare comes to the CommonA free summer show on Boston Common of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” is magical for the actors – and for audience members, who arrive up to six hours early.
Georgia unveiled a statue of John Lewis. It stands on symbolic ground.A statue of civil rights icon John Lewis now stands in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur, Georgia, on the site of a former Confederate monument.
Food forests rise in Boston. Edible lots create green space – and community.Boston Food Forest Coalition hopes to create 30 sites across the city by 2030. The tiny forests collectively provide climate resiliency and spaces to forge connections between neighbors.
