A-Town Magazine
Martin McDonagh on being scared of John Malkovich, the CIA and ‘Wild Horse Nine’
TORONTO | Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Martin McDonagh has unveiled a dark comedy of mischievous wit and melancholy soulfulness, and it’s immediately been hailed as one of the best movies of the year. Yes, the British-Irish writer-director of “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “In Bruges” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” has been […]
Movie Review: Ethan Hawke leads a tense, Depression-era thriller in ‘The Weight’
In April 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order banning the hoarding of gold and requiring Americans to deliver excess quantities to a Federal Reserve Bank by that May. The policy isn’t the subject of much discussion in the tense and earthy thriller “The Weight,” but it does set the stage for a […]
Bingo and Tickle Me Elmo nominated for Toy Hall of Fame. Will Care Bears also make it this year?
NEW YORK | Tickle Me Elmo dolls, the game of chance Bingo and the humble playground slide are among the finalists to get into the National Toy Hall of Fame this year, a lineup that also includes cuddly Care Bears, the dice game Yahtzee, the ancient game Mahjong and the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The […]
Scenes from a colonial resurrection: First-person interpretations of history draw America 250 crowds
PHILADELPHIA | Betsy Ross is a dynamo with a T-shirt cannon. America’s 250th birthday has been a banner year for the actors of Historic Philadelphia, Inc. who immerse visitors in Colonial history via first-person interpretations and true stories. In the last few months, Betsy, played by Carol Spacht, has waved the checkered flag at a […]
Buckingham Palace hits back at claims in a book by Princess Diana’s brother
LONDON | Buckingham Palace has forcefully denied a claim by the brother of the late Princess Diana that King Charles III said she would soon be forgotten after her death. In a new book, Charles Spencer recounts the traumatic days after Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 at the age […]
Movie Review: Zach Cregger and Austin Abrams find just enough humor amid the gore in ‘Resident Evil’
“I only use guns in video games,” says Bryan ( Austin Abrams), our frustrated protagonist, trying to piece together a machine gun while his impatient companion urges him to hurry. “It’s confusing in real life!” It’s the most on-the-nose remark in “Resident Evil,” a movie born of video games that’s trying to just be a […]
DoorDash and Uber Eats to offer delivery from US Costco stores
Costco said Thursday it’s partnering with DoorDash to offer delivery from its U.S. warehouse stores. DoorDash already offers Costco delivery in a few markets, including Australia, Sweden and Puerto Rico. But the nationwide partnership is a first for the San Francisco-based delivery company, which said Costco was among the most-searched retailers not yet on its […]
Movie Review: The Korean thriller ‘Hope’ is a creature feature to the tilt
Na Hong-jin makes chase movies and it can be incredible where they go. His latest, “Hope,” is his biggest and wildest movie yet. But despite its heft in scale and run time, it rarely pauses to take a breath. Though some of Na’s contemporaries are better known in the West, the South Korean writer-director has […]
A childhood rite moves indoors as kindergartners learn to ride bikes in school gyms
For generations, kids have learned how to ride a bike — a quintessential childhood milestone — in driveways, on sidewalks and in neighborhood streets. Now, they’re learning in school gyms and playgrounds. On a recent September day, kindergarteners at Terra Vista Elementary School in Rancho Cucamonga, California, were fitted with helmets and assigned a black-and-white […]
Which small SUV wins? Kia Seltos edges out Honda HR-V
Crossovers have become a popular choice for buyers who want the practicality of an SUV without the size and expense of a larger vehicle. For many shoppers, that means finding a vehicle that’s easy to live with, offers enough room for everyday duties, keeps fuel costs in check, and provides the versatility to be useful […]