A-Town Magazine
Movie Review: ‘Masters of the Universe’ does not have the power
“Masters of the Universe” might not know who its audience is. Sure, yes, perhaps “everyone” is the goal. Modern blockbusters are usually aiming for those golden four quadrants that might justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars to make a movie about an old toy. But as far as beautiful, blond Mattel products go, He-Man […]
The year in review: Influential people who have died in 2026
He was a brash and outspoken media mogul who gave the world the 24-hour news cycle when he launched CNN. Ted Turner, who died in May, built a media empire that also included TNT, the Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies. In addition, he was a philanthropist, conservationist and owner of the Atlanta Braves baseball […]
Feeling a little bleak about the world? There’s a film festival for that
Bleak Week, a film festival celebrating “cinema of despair,” started as a contrarian response to cries for feel good movies after the pandemic. Programmers at the American Cinematheque, a non-profit arts group that curates for several historic theaters in Los Angeles, heard the cries for comedies and thought, well, what if they did the opposite? […]
Tens of thousands are making annual peony pilgrimage to University of Michigan’s garden
ANN ARBOR, Mich. | Nicole Calvin has been visiting the University of Michigan campus annually over the past 16 years to catch a peek — and a whiff — of the school’s sizable peony collection. She even came twice this year. “I just love walking through the gardens,” Calvin said Monday. “I love that they […]
YouTuber box office boom: ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ draw Gen Z to theaters
Young audiences turned out in droves to movie theaters around the country this weekend. It wasn’t for the big budget “Star Wars” movie, “The Mandalorian and Grogu, ” which fell sharply in its second weekend, however, but for a small budget horror from a 20-year-old first-time filmmaker that began on the internet. “Backrooms,” released by […]
A mop, a broom and a calmer mind. Why some find mental health benefits in everyday tasks
NEW YORK | Amid spring cleaning season, it can be easy to dismiss housework as drudgery, so dreaded or anxiety-inducing that it’s best delegated to others if at all possible. But experts from Zen monks to psychologists say there are mental health benefits to be found in such manual chores as sweeping, mopping and clearing […]
How do you make vampires fly effortlessly on Broadway? Strong wires, harnesses and lots of practice
NEW YORK | For their third Broadway show, husband-and-wife choreographing team Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher “Cree” Grant faced a high-stakes challenge: They were asked to make vampires fly. Not just fly, but also fight and hang upside-down, 60 feet off the stage. Not just that but also make it effortless, like gliding. And, of course, […]
Flower gardens endure hot, dry summers better if you choose these plants
When summer temperatures soar, we humans can take shelter indoors. Our garden plants, however, have no such respite. Some may droop, wilt or get crispy, while others may simply refuse to bloom. Although there’s not much we can do to counter extreme weather, we can equip our gardens to stand up to it better by […]
Steampunk festival creates an unlikely capital for Victorian style and sci-fi oddity in New Zealand
ŌAMARU, New Zealand | The woman in the pink frock coat announced herself as steam curled from a strange brass contraption on her back. “I am Lady Sarsaparilla Ovabyte, of the Coventry Ovabytes,” she said. “We are purveyors of fine cordials.” Her companion peered through glasses made from fused-together forks. “Captain Bob McSpoon, inventrepreneur,” he […]
Lawyers for Lively and Baldoni battle in a New York court despite settling claims weeks ago
NEW YORK | The legal battle between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni isn’t quite over yet. Just a month ago, the two announced a settlement that avoided a trial over Lively’s claims that Baldoni led a campaign to smear her reputation after she accused him of sexually harassing her on the set of their […]