Pat Saperstein: Last News

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorRuth Westheimer, who brought frank talk about sex into America’s living rooms for the first time as radio and television talk show host Dr. Ruth, has died. She was 96.Westheimer died on Friday at her home in New York City, a spokesperson told the New York Times.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor There’s no glossing over it, not even with extra-buttered popcorn: The mood at CinemaCon is tense this year. Brent Lang, Variety‘s executive editor who oversees film and media coverage, reports from Las Vegas on the annual gathering of movie theater owners and film studio chieftains on the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.” Lang shares his observations about how the conference is reflecting the headwinds buffeting a sector that is down significantly from its pre-pandemic highs.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorVal Kilmer, who played Bruce Wayne in “Batman Forever,” channeled as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone‘s “The Doors” and starred in several other 1980s favorites, has died, The New York Times has confirmed. He was 65.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reunited at the “SNL50” anniversary celebration for a star-studded segment framed around a Q&A segment in which they took “Saturday Night Live” questions from the audience. Among the audience members they called on were Ryan Reynolds, Cher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Quinta Brunson, Jon Hamm and Tim Meadows.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe entertainment industry has already lost several notable figures in 2025. The film world was shaken by the death of “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks” director David Lynch, with tributes to the visionary filmmaker continuing for weeks.In music, Garth Hudson, the last remaining member of The Band, died in January, while Peter, Paul and Mary lost Peter Yarrow. Notable actresses who died in January include Joan Plowright and Leslie Charleson.In 2024, the entertainment business said goodbye to stars including Shannen Doherty, Bob Newhart, Louis Gossett Jr., Donald Sutherland and James Earl Jones.Jeff Baena, a screenwriter and director whose credits include the offbeat comedies “The Little Hours” and “Life After Beth,” died Jan.

Reporting by Jem Aswad, Matt Donnelly, Angelique Jackson, Elsa Keslassy, Gene Maddaus, Marc Malkin, Pat Saperstein, Michael Schneider, Tatiana Siegel, Jazz Tangcay, Chris Willman and K.J. Yossman. Before mid-afternoon on Jan. 7, the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles was a salt-air oasis tucked into the second-largest city in the country.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Fans of “Downton Abbey” were devastated when Maggie Smith, aka the Dowager Countess, died in September. Smith had starred in both the TV series and in both movies, with the Countess character dying at the end of “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” Now executive producer Gareth Neame promises that the third film, due Sept.

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains plot details for Season 4, Part 2 of “Emily in Paris.” Good-bye, Emily in Paris. Hello, Emily in…Rome? Fans of the frothy comedy “Emily in Paris” may have been shocked by the ending of Season 4, Part 2, which dropped on Netflix this week. In the season finale, Emily (Lily Collins) is assigned by her boss Sylvie Grateau (Philippine LeRoy-Beaulieu) to start a new office in Rome, where a sexy new client –– not to mention a sexy new man, Marcello Muratori (Eugenio Franceschini) –– eagerly await her presence.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe Venice Film Festival kicked off the fall festival season in style this week, with premieres of anticipated new movies like “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Maria” as well as the prestige TV series “Disclaimer.” Still to come are “Joker: Folie à Deux,” “Queer,” “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter Two,” “Wolfs” and much more.Nicole Kidman, Lady Gaga, Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig and George Clooney are just a few of the major stars set to hit the red carpet in upcoming days. Check out some of the dazzling gowns and red carpet fashion at Italy’s 81st Venice Film Festival.“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” stars Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder hit the red carpet ahead of the Venice Film Festival premiere.Sigourney Weaver was honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the opening ceremony of 81st Venice International Film Festival.“Disclaimer” stars Jung Ho-yeon and Cate Blanchett on the red carpet for the AppleTV+ series in Venice.Sacha Baron Cohen also stars in “Disclaimer.” Cate Blanchett donned an Armani Privé catsuit with pearls accenting the backless design on the “Disclaimer” carpet.Kodi Smit-McPhee sports a detailed jacket on the “Disclaimer” carpet.Patti Smith attended the premiere of “Maria,” clad in what Vogue magazine characterized as “IDGAF dressing.”Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Angelina Jolie, director Pablo Larrain and Haluk Bilginer on the “Maria” red carpet.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorRichard Simmons, the energetic, frizzy-haired TV personality and fitness coach who made exercise accessible to millions and then became reclusive in recent years, has died. He was 76. Simmons died at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, one day after his birthday.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAlice Munro, the Nobel and prize-winning Canadian author of short story collections and novels including “Lives of Girls and Women” and “The Love of a Good Woman,” died Monday night at her home in Ontario, the New York Times reported. She was 92Munro won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2013 for her short stories, the Man Booker International prize in 2009 and the O’Henry award in 2012.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorMovie, TV and music fans are already remembering notable figures who have died since the start of 2024. “An Officer and a Gentleman” Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr., “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Richard Lewis, “Starsky and Hutch” star David Soul and “Honeymooners” star Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie, are among celebrities from the world of television who have died. In film, cinephiles are remembering “Moonstruck” director Norman Jewison and “Mary Poppins” actress Glynis Johns.Last year, the entertainment community said goodbye to celebrities including musicians Jimmy Buffett, Shane McGowan, Robbie Robertson and David Crosby, actors Andre Braugher and Matthew Perry, writer-producer Norman Lear and director William Friedkin.David Soul, who starred as Sergeant Kenneth Richard “Hutch” Hutchinson in the TV series “Starsky & Hutch,” died Jan.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorIt’s fall film festival season and there’s a whole new crop of literary-minded films coming to screens through the rest of the year. Since the films that premiere at festivals like Telluride, Venice, Toronto and New York are the ones that fill awards  nominations lists a few months later, the festivals provide an early peek at the movies that will be front and center at the Oscars, film critics awards and all the other end-of-year kudosfests.But there’s a way to get to know many of these works even before they premiere at festivals and come to streaming or movie screens: get familiar with the books they’re based on.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAnne Heche, the versatile yet troubled performer who appeared in TV shows including “Another World” and “Men in Trees” and in films such as “Donnie Brasco,” “Psycho” and “Wag the Dog,” was taken off of life support on Sunday after being involved in a car crash in Los Angeles on Aug. 5, her rep confirmed.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorNearly two decades after the Frank Gehry-designed Disney Hall opened in Downtown Los Angeles, the eye-catching edifice has welcomed a sibling across the street with the Grand L.A. The Gehry-designed Grand includes luxury apartments, the Conrad Los Angeles hotel and a clutch of drinking and dining concepts from José Andrés, including San Laurel, Agua Viva and later this year, a branch of the Bazaar Meat steakhouse.Andrés, who closed L.A.’s Bazaar in 2020, continues to rack up headlines for his humanitarian work feeding disaster victims, while simultaneously overseeing a global restaurant empire.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorTony Dow, the actor and director best known for playing the stalwart older brother Wally Cleaver to Jerry Mathers’ Beaver in the iconic series “Leave It to Beaver,” has died. He was 77.His official Facebook page posted that he died Tuesday morning.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorFrom “Columbo,” “The Muppets” and “The Rockford Files” to “L.A. Story,” L.A.’s famous Tail ‘o the Pup hot dog stand has been part of the city’s cinematic history ever since it opened in 1946.In fact, the year it opened, Variety mentioned the spot in a column, saying “Tail o’ the Pup, the fancy hotdog stand, now has a $1 frankfurter.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe prime corner restaurant space at The Grove has been a French bistro, a deluxe pastry shop and now, in perhaps its most useful incarnation, Alma, a casual taco and cocktail spot downstairs with a bigger menu of dishes from several regions of Mexico upstairs. The upstairs menu was designed as a celebratory experience by chefs from Mexico City’s Grupo Hunan. Alongside traditional preparations like chicken mole, grilled skirt steak, Ensenada lobster and lamb barbacoa, don’t miss the hard-to-find escamoles.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe Palm Springs International ShortFest wrapped Sunday with juried prizes going to Estonia’s “Sierra” for Best of the Fest, South Korea’s “The Cave” for best animated short and “The Sentence of Michael Thompson” for best documentary, in both juried and audience categories. Cambodia’s “Further and Further Away” took the best live action short over 15 minutes prize and “The Right Words” from France won the best live action short 15 minutes and under category.The winners of the top awards are eligible to submit their shorts to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.Additional prizes included:Student Animated Short●     Winner: The Seine’s Tears (France) Student Documentary Short●     Winner: La Prova (Belgium)Best Student International Short – Winner received a $500 cash prize.●     Winner: Bug (Israel),Best Student U.S.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorYou might have thought that you didn’t really need to consume any more content about Andy Warhol. After all, the New York artist has been ubiquitous throughout pop culture for more than half a century.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorBefore there were Jon & Vinny’s sprinkled across Los Angeles, there was Animal. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s nose-to-tail minimalist restaurant (435 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles) put the catering duo on the culinary map and launched a slew of spinoffs before becoming a pantry goods store during the pandemic.