Reviews: Last News

Time Bandits series charts its own clever course through history.The original movie, written by Gilliam and Monty Python mate Michael Palin, and featuring Palin and John Cleese in supporting roles, served up an eccentric, ruefully sardonic take on myth and modern times.The titular bandits, having stolen God’s map of the universe, had decided to use the all-powerful tool to hopscotch through time, ransacking wealth from the likes of Napoleon, Robin Hood, and King Agamemnon.Along the way, the Bandits, portrayed by six talented men of short stature, crashed through a time portal into the present-day bedroom of 11-year-old history buff Kevin, who was whisked off on the adventure of his life.Not only a spirited, escapist fantasy aimed at kids, Gilliam’s movie was a visual marvel that took fearless turns into dark corners of greed, consumerism, loss, and abandonment. The film’s notoriously bleak ending boldly subverted the common fairy tale that as long as the kid hero makes it home safe from Oz, then all will be rainbows and sunshine.The ten-episode series dabbles in such darkness, but series creators Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi don’t let the show live there.This Time Bandits — following the same premise of hurtling through history searching for loot and treasure — leans much harder on the humor, and that’s where it shines.

Anora is also remarkably naïve, even for a stripper with a heart of gold. Played by Scream (2022) standout Mikey Madison, Anora, or Ani to friends and customers, honestly has no idea what she’s getting herself into when she accepts an offer from one especially enthusiastic customer to be his “horny girlfriend” for the week.Loaded, in every sense of the word, 21-year-old Russian heir Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (Russian newcomer Mark Eydelshteyn) takes such a liking to Ani that he whisks her from the strip club to his mansion overlooking Brooklyn’s Jamaica Bay to a penthouse suite in Vegas.Blasting bong hits and vodka shots, they party with his friends, ball like billionaires, have raucous sex all over the place, and fully submit to their Pretty Woman fantasy.But, in fluidly shot, snappily edited scenes of the ladies at work at the club, Baker’s already shown how smoothly Ani can hustle the floor.

The Hills of California. Only here, dreams aren’t simply deferred.

fallen from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighborhood around 5pm local time.According to the Buenos Aires Police Department, Payne fell around 14 meters from a balcony. His body was found in the courtyard surrounded by tables and chairs, authorities said.In the minutes and hours following the news of his death, the hotel – described as a boutique property located in the trendy neighborhood of Palermo – was flooded with sickening comments acting as Google reviews.Among genuine feedback for the 4-star hotel, including comments praising the hotel’s stellar service and great location, trolls were quick to make disgusting jokes about the property’s third floor.“Good place, the only thing is to avoid staying on the third floor,” one person wrote.“Great hotel! The view from the third floor is to die for!” another added.“I liked the hotel, they are managing it in the right direction.

Babbitt may find Joe DiPietro’s theatrical adaptation a gratifying box-checker. However, for those who haven’t (recently or ever) read it, director Christopher Ashley’s production is too thin on the ground to resonate.In fact, dramaturg Drew Lichtenberg’s elegantly concise program essay should be seen as a companion — and required pre-curtain reading.

The Apprentice anticipating one particular turning point in the pair’s complicated relationship.Donald turning his back on Roy, when the notorious fixer was dying of an AIDS-related illness, wasn’t like the offhanded betrayal of a business interest, wife, or moral principle. Although, Abbasi (Holy Spider) and screenwriter Gabriel Sherman (Independence Day: Resurgence) supply ample scenes of their Donald, embodied spectacularly by Sebastian Stan, betraying trusts.Ranging around the film’s glamorous yet grimy 1970s/1980s New York City, Donald indulges in a near-daily diet of deceit and disloyalty, and absolutely no one is exempt from his dishonesty.

Comedy of Errors says, “We’re glad you’re here.” You will be entertained as if adored, yelled at with affection, and there will be no need to actually follow Shakespeare’s ridiculously convoluted shenanigans surrounding the reuniting of two sets of separated twins, although a pre-curtain read of the synopsis will help.Even better, you will be treated to Shakespeare delivered with a kind of natural energy, meaning you don’t have to be a die-hard fan of the Bard to fully understand the gist of what’s being said and why. Put simply, director Simon Godwin and this top-notch cast are out to give a warm and lovely embrace to anyone and everyone — and that’s a lot harder than it looks.Going for accessibility right out of the gate, Godwin opts for a flash-forward to the 1990s, cleverly predating cell phones (whose use would instantly thwart any “errors”) and allowing for a relatable vibe that invites everything from funky interludes to wittily-adapted asides.

The Roommate. With fellow stage and screen star Mia Farrow, the pair are trying to breathe fresh life into a play that has been kicking around the theater world since 2015. The result depends on your ability to overlook well-worn themes and dated humor that makes it feel more like a ’90s sitcom.“Wait a minute!” you might think to yourself.

Sebastian Maniscalco just completed his five-day run at Madison Square Garden as part of his ongoing “It Ain’t Right” tour — and we already miss him.As an authentic fan (and just as authentic Italian), seeing Sebastian live at NYC’s premier entertainment destination was appointment viewing. Thankfully, the wily observational comic lived up to my impossibly high expectations.“I feel like I’m with 17,000 of my friends when I’m back in New York,” Maniscalco shared with the sold-out stadium at the end of his Sept.

The 22+ Weddings of Hugo, currently at GALA Hispanic Theatre in José Zayas’ suspenseful D.C. premiere production.

a madcap comedy about the 90-minute dash leading up to the 1975 debut episode of “SNL,” the show’s famously enigmatic creator is lionized. Michaels, the most important behind-the-scenes comedic force of the past 50 years, is placed on an innovator pedestal alongside the likes of Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg, only without their personal downsides.He’s portrayed as an optimistic young underdog with an improbably bold vision: a completely live, weekly sketch series starring inexperienced, unpolished nobodies in a desert island of time-slots.His “This is Sparta!” speech comes during the climax, when Lorne (Gabriel LaBelle) is grilled by NBC exec David Tebet (Willem Dafoe) about what “Saturday Night Live” exactly is.Lorne, finding his confidence in real time, tells doubting David it’s discovering a hot new comic at the back of a bar downtown, or being swept up by the music at a tucked-away jazz club.“It’s everything you think is going to happen when you move to the city,” says a then-30-year-old Michaels.

Beetlejuice was, in essence, a slyly original movie about ghosts who are stuck in a kind of purgatory. So it’s fitting that a long-gestating sequel to the 1988 classic has been seemingly trapped in development hell as long as the titular bio-exorcist has been, well, dead.Nixed screenplays with titles like “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian” and “Beetlejuice in Love” have come and gone; the original screenwriters have passed into heaven’s waiting room; Alec Baldwin has long since aged out of playing 30-year-old hunks; and Tim Burton has spent decades teasing the possibility of a sequel while occupied with more pressing projects like, uh… Dumbo.Now, thirty-six years after Beetlejuice became a morbid hit — a gap equal to the passage of time between Citizen Kane and Star Wars — the aptly titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is finally shake, shake, shaking into theaters.

Soft Power echoes the David Henry Hwang who wrote the book and lyrics for the show.Jeanine Tesori, Tony winner for Fun Home and Kimberly Akimbo, composed the tuneful score, and additional lyrics, for the satire, which Hwang had originally conceived of as a “reverse The King and I.” The idea, as the M. Butterfly author explained to the audience on press night, was to have a Chinese person come to America, and, like Anna in The King and I, “teach an American ruler something important about civilizing their country.”As the collaborators first got to work on Power, in the months leading up to the 2016 election, the ruler Hwang had in mind was Hillary Clinton, who would learn something about gun violence.

is playing in select theaters, including Landmark’s E Street Cinemas. Visit www.fandango.com or www.landmarktheatres.com.

Noises Off. Serving as the country home setting of the play within the play — Nothing On — Matthew J.

Ganymede manages to capture the bleak horror of having to listen to a frothing anti-gay rant from some amped-up street corner preacher, or loud-mouthed bully. The kind of slur-filled noise that transmits fear and hate, and not a hint of Christian love.Too many queer and questioning teens — like the film’s protagonist, high school wrestler Lee Fletcher IV (Jordan Doww) — are subjected to that barrage every day, at home, at church, at school.

Tár” and “Blue Jasmine” is stuck as the lead of the worst movie of the year — a grueling, 102-minute endurance test that’s as lifeless as the video game it’s based on.And Blanchett is not entirely free from blame either. She reads the lines, such as they are, like a TSA agent at the crack of dawn.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa located in Atlantic City’s Marina District.Founded just a little over two decades ago in 2003, the 161,000 square-foot entertainment, fine dining, gambling and relaxation destination with surreal, bold seasonal designs has everything a weary traveler could need and more.And, rather than rest on their laurels, the Borgata continues to innovate and stay ahead of the curve.“Last year we completed a remodel and rebranding of the MGM Tower,” Borgata Director of Communications Alex Hennessey told the New York Post. “This year we’ve expanded our iconic outdoor pool with new cabanas, and refreshed menus and spaces at Long Bar and The Metropolitan.”Over a mid-June weekend, the New York Post toured the space after attending a show at the Borgata Casino Event Center and found a lot to love from its brightly lit three entertainment venues, nine exquisite restaurants, four pools, massive casino floor, salon, barbershop and luxurious spa.That’s not to mention their immaculate ocean-view rooms.Or the exciting acts like Duran Duran, Jerry Seinfeld, Boyz II Men, Gabriel Iglesias and Dave Attell dropping into headline their spacious yet intimate showrooms these next few months.Basically, it’s all your vacation love languages rolled into on and when it’s time to go, you probably won’t want to leave.Truth be told, we didn’t.

Thelma, a sweet and satisfying first-time feature from Josh Margolin. Building from a solid premise, the filmmaker finds a warmly funny mode of low-key action-comedy, driven by nonagenarian Squibb as cute but tenacious 93-year-old widow Thelma.And even a 93-year-old action hero needs a cool ride, especially on a crusade to track down a villain. Thelma’s perilous adventure will take her all over town, doggedly on the trail of a cell phone scammer who bilks her out of ten grand.They get her with a distress call from someone claiming to be her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger), her 24-year-old best buddy, and the family member charged with keeping an eye on grandma.

Thelma, a sweet and satisfying first-time feature from Josh Margolin. Building from a solid premise, the filmmaker finds a warmly funny mode of low-key action-comedy, driven by nonagenarian Squibb as cute but tenacious 93-year-old widow Thelma.And even a 93-year-old action hero needs a cool ride, especially on a crusade to track down a villain. Thelma’s perilous adventure will take her all over town, doggedly on the trail of a cell phone scammer who bilks her out of ten grand.They get her with a distress call from someone claiming to be her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger), her 24-year-old best buddy, and the family member charged with keeping an eye on grandma.

Postcards from Ihatov feels assured in its design and craftsmanship.Created and directed by multi-faceted visual theater artist Natsu Onoda Power, the world-premiere production skillfully blends music, poetry, puppetry, calligraphy, cutout animation, and, of course, drama to explore Iwatov, the imaginary universe where most of Miyazawa’s stories take place.The writer, known for his classic fantasy novel Night on the Galactic Railroad, named this fictional plane, filled with philosophical kids and talking animals who express deep inner lives, after his beloved hometown of Iwate.And, according to the be-whiskered professor (Matthew Vaky), who teaches lessons on Miyazawa to the play’s protagonist, an Unknown Author (Matthew Marcus), Miyazawa is still recognized as a favorite son of Iwate.The author’s affinity for home is reflected in his fiction, in the persistent images of the alder trees and fields of pampas grasses that characterize the Iwate landscape. Power reflects that landscape in her textured scenic design, which also features a front scrim curtain upon which pages of Miyazawa’s writing are projected.