culture

Ryan Gosling Takes Comic-Con to Space with 'Project Hail Mary'

Ryan Gosling brought the house down at Comic-Con on Saturday, offering fans a vertigo-inducing sneak peek at his new space thriller Project Hail Mary. In the film, Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a mild-mannered science teacher unexpectedly recruited for a desperate interstellar mission to save Earth from a solar catastrophe. “He’s an ordinary ...

The Fearless Genius Is Gone: Ziad Rahbani Carries Lebanon’s Memory Into the Beyond

Born on January 1, 1956, in Lebanon, Ziad Rahbani embodied the rebellious, artistic and restless soul of his nation. Raised in a musical dynasty, he built his own identity note by note, word by word. At only 17, he composed Sa’alouni el-Nass, a politically charged and deeply emotional work that marked the beginning of a prolific, independent ...

Alien: Earth Wows Comic-Con Crowd With Bold Reboot

The highly anticipated science fiction series Alien: Earth officially landed at Comic-Con in California on Friday, where thousands of fans watched the pilot of a new TV series in the franchise. The pop culture convention held annually in San Diego was the chosen setting for the world premiere of the FX series created by Noah Hawley. "This is by ...

Ziad Rahbani, Fairuz’s Son and Cultural Icon, Has Died

Lebanon is mourning one of its most influential cultural figures. Ziad Rahbani, composer, pianist, playwright, and outspoken political commentator, has died at the age of 69. Born in 1956 to the legendary singer Fairuz and pioneering composer Assi Rahbani, Ziad grew up surrounded by music. Yet, he forged his own path, blending art, satire, and ...

TV Heroines: 10 Female Characters We Love to Hate

In the world of TV series, some female characters inspire admiration. Others trigger relentless annoyance; the kind that makes you roll your eyes every time they appear, sigh with frustration, or wish for a plotline without them. And yet, they linger, impose themselves, leave their mark. Because hating a character also means acknowledging their ...

What if Superman’s Power Was Humanity After All?

The new Superman movie, featuring new actors, is all over the place. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent/Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced. Ranking number one internationally, the film attracts crowds eager to see their favorite hero’s new adventures. The plot ...

'Star Wars' Creator, George Lucas, Makes Epic Comic-Con Debut in San Diego

Comic-Con kicked off Thursday in California, with expectations running high among devoted fans keen to catch a glimpse of George Lucas at his first-ever appearance at the convention. Warriors, princesses, pirates, wizards, and all manner of costumed characters flooded the streets of San Diego on the first day of an annual event that has become one ...

Notre-Dame Gets Back St Thomas Statue Adorning Spire Base

A statue of the apostle Saint Thomas was on Thursday returned to Notre-Dame in Paris, which has now recovered all 16 statues that adorned the base of its spire before a 2019 devastating fire. The statue, three meters tall and weighing 100 kilograms, was unaffected by the blaze, having been removed from the cathedral just days before for routine ...

Madame Tussauds Honors Taylor Swift With Record 13 Wax Figures

US pop megastar Taylor Swift will be honored with 13 waxworks of her at Madame Tussauds venues around the globe, the museum said on Wednesday. In honor of Swift's lucky number, 13 of the waxwork museum's 22 branches will each receive a statue of the Love Story and Blank Space singer, in what it called the "most ambitious project" of its 250-year ...

‘Star Wars’ Creator George Lucas Makes Comic-Con Debut

Comic-Con kicks off Thursday in San Diego, California, with expectations running high among devoted fans keen to catch a glimpse of George Lucas at his first ever appearance at the convention. Other expected highlights of the gathering - one of the world's biggest celebrations of pop culture - include the world premiere of the prequel series ...

A Journey Through the Mystery of Cleopatra at the Arab World Institute in Paris

Among all the women in history, Cleopatra has stood apart through her aura of mystery, her carefully cultivated image, and her lasting legacy. She has been woven into the fabric of history as both a femme fatale and a sovereign: a queen, a seductress, a shrewd politician, and an enigma. In Paris, the Arab World Institute is currently presenting ...

Doctor Pleads Guilty to Supplying Matthew Perry with Ketamine

A doctor charged in connection with the drug overdose death of actor Matthew Perry pleaded guilty Wednesday to supplying the Friends star with ketamine. Salvador Plasencia, 43, one of five people charged over Perry's death, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Los Angeles to four counts of distribution of ketamine. Plasencia is to be sentenced on ...