Movie Review: Wes Anderson's 'Phoenician Scheme' is as Wes Anderson as a Wes Anderson film can be
Wes Anderson has always been Wes Anderson, but with "The Phoenician Scheme" he somehow seems more Wes Anderson than ever before. Certainly that is true with the intricacy the director brings to both the production design and the plot. The former is as impressive as ever, the latter perhaps TOO intricate for some to follow along enthusiastically. The news here, writes Associated Press critic Jocelyn Noveck in her review, is the father-daughter duo amusingly and charmingly portrayed by Mia Threapleton and Benicio Del Toro, and the overdue entry of Michael Cera into the Andersonian universe. Opens Friday in theaters.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Kenyan author and dissident who became a giant of modern literature, dies at 87
NEW YORK (AP) -- One of the world's most acclaimed writers, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, has died at 87. A publicist for his U.S. publisher confirmed the death Wednesday. The Kenyan man of letters wrote dozens of fiction and nonfiction books that traced his country's history from British imperialism to home-ruled tyranny and challenged not only the stories told but the language used to tell them. Whether through novels such as "The Wizard of the Crow" or "Petals of Blood," or his landmark critique "Decolonizing the Mind," Ngũgĩ embodied the very heights of the artist's calling. He was a truth teller, rule breaker and explorer of myth.
Philadelphia honors Quinta Brunson with key, mural at alma mater that inspired 'Abbott Elementary'
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia's mayor has honored actor and producer Quinta Brunson with a key to the city in a ceremony dedicating a separate mural at Brunson's alma mater, which was the inspiration for her award-winning show "Abbott Elementary." Brunson used the ceremony held Wednesday at Andrew Hamilton School to celebrate the power of public education, teachers and music and arts education. Teacher Joyce Abbott, who inspired the name of the show's fictional school, attended. The mural, titled Blooming Features, wraps around the school's exterior. Created by artist Athena Scott with input from Brunson and Hamilton students and staff, it features real people from Hamilton.
R&B singer Cassie gives birth to third child as Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial continues
Casandra Ventura, the R&B singer and actor known simply as Cassie, has welcomed her third child. News of the birth arrived Wednesday in the midst of the ongoing Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial. Cassie has been an essential witness. She finished testifying earlier this month after four emotional days on the stand while visibly pregnant. Cassie, 38, is perhaps best known for the platinum-selling 2006 hit single "Me & U." She married personal trainer Alex Fine in September 2019. Their first daughter Frankie Stone Fine was born that same year. They welcomed their second daughter Sunny Cinco Fine in 2021.
Movie Review: A deeply disturbing portrait of grief in gory horror 'Bring Her Back'
Sally Hawkins plays a foster mother with a secret in the new horror movie "Bring Her Back." Billy Barratt and newcomer Sora Wong star as the orphaned teens unlucky enough to be placed in her care. The film, in theaters Friday, comes from Australian filmmakers Michael and Danny Philippou who were also behind the teen chiller debut "Talk to Me." In her review for The Associated Press, film writer Lindsey Bahr writes that the film is a slow burn, moody mystery featuring some great performances from Hawkins and Barratt that make up for some gaping plotholes. "Bring Her Back," an A24 release, is rated R.
Dolly Parton leans on her faith after losing husband of nearly 60 years
NEW YORK (AP) -- Dolly Parton says her faith has carried her through her fluctuating grief following the death of her husband, Carl Dean. The 10-time Grammy winner reflected on her marriage of nearly 60 years while promoting her new line of single-serve Southern-inspired frozen meals, following her popular Duncan Hines baking mixes with US-based Conagra Brands. Dean, who avoided the spotlight and inspired Parton's timeless hit "Jolene," as well as her 2023 "Rockstar" album, died in March at 82. Parton, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honoree, is also releasing a new book this fall called "Star of the Show: My Life on Stage." Her play, "Dolly: An Original Musical," will premiere on Broadway next year.
Michael Cera and Wes Anderson were destined to make a movie together
CANNES, France (AP) -- When Michael Cera was announced as joining the cast of a Wes Anderson movie for the first time, the prevailing response was: Hadn't he already been in a Wes Anderson movie? So seemingly aligned in sensibility and style are Cera and Anderson that you could easily imagine a whole fake filmography. It is, for a slightly more corduroyed corner of the movie world, an actor-director pairing as destined as Scorsese and De Niro -- even if "The Phoenician Scheme" is their first movie together. Cera and Anderson have been friends for 15 years and both say now that they've worked together, they'd like to continue doing so. "The Phoenician Scheme" is in theaters Friday.
Stunt performer sues Kevin Costner over his direction of a rape scene in his film series 'Horizon'
A stunt performer is suing Kevin Costner, saying she was compelled to perform in an unscripted rape scene in a film he was directing that broke Hollywood production rules and left her traumatized. The woman, Devyn LaBella, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles on Tuesday. She said the scene on the Utah set of the "Horizon" series of Westerns was shot without notice, without her consent and without an intimacy coordinator as required. Costner's attorney says he wants everyone to be comfortable on his sets, but both the facts and LaBella's behavior show her lawsuit has no merit.
Ex-WWE executive agrees to help accuser in sex abuse lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE
A former WWE executive who had been fighting sexual abuse allegations in a lawsuit by an ex-employee has agreed to a confidential settlement and will now help the accuser as she continues suing the company and former leader Vince McMahon. That is according to statements issued Wednesday by representatives for the executive, John Laurinaitis, and the woman who filed the lawsuit, Janel Grant. Grant sued WWE, McMahon and Laurinaitis last year in federal court in Connecticut. She alleges McMahon coerced her into a sexual acts with him, Laurinaitis and others, and claims both men sexually assaulted her. McMahon has denied the allegations and said the lawsuit is full of lies.
Trump pardons Julie and Todd Chrisley, reality TV stars convicted in 2022 of fraud and tax evasion
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) -- President Donald Trump has pardoned reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley three years after they were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. The celebrity couple are best known for the TV series "Chrisley Knows Best." Trump pardoned them Wednesday. Todd Chrisley was released from a Florida prison after his daughter showed up to meet him. Julie Chrisley was also expected to be freed later in the evening from a facility in Kentucky. Federal prosecutors said at the couple's 2022 trial that they conspired to defraud Atlanta-area banks of $30 million and tried to hide their earnings from tax authorities.