Seven Stories About Buzzy New Movies
In today's reading list, spend time with our writers' takes on some of the buzziest movies of the past year.
How to Lose an Oscar in 10 Days
The star of the year's most nominated film torpedoed her chance to win the trophy—in audacious fashion.
By Shirley Li
Is Anyone Shocked by Babygirl?
Don't turn to Nicole Kidman for a frank accounting of what sexual domination looks like.
By Caitlin Flanagan
The Oscars Have Left the Mainstream Moviegoer Behind
The Academy found its nominees on the international film-festival circuit, not at the movie theater.
By David Sims
The Movie That Mattered Most in 2024
Blink Twice anticipated the culture shift that defined the year.
By Sophie Gilbert
The Failed Promise of the New Captain America
The first intriguing Marvel sequel in years quickly wastes its potential.
By David Sims
A Horror Movie About an Atheist Who Won't Shut Up
The hollowness at the center of Heretic
By McKay Coppins
The Film That Rips the Hollywood Comeback Narrative Apart
The Substance is one of several recent movies that scrutinize older female performers' struggle to stay relevant.
By Shirley Li
The Week Ahead
The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O'Brien (streaming tonight on Hulu)
Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho's new sci-fi-comedy film about a disposable space worker who dies and regenerates to help colonize an ice world (in theaters Friday)
Daredevil: Born Again, a Marvel action series about a blind lawyer who fights crime (out Tuesday)
Essay
Grad School Is in Trouble
By Ian Bogost
Jennie Bromberg was somehow still exuberant last weekend about her future career in public health. In January, she interviewed for a competitive Ph.D. program in epidemiology at the University of Washington, one of several to which she has applied. 'I loved them. It was amazing,' she told me by phone while on a walk with her Australian shepherd. But the email that arrived from UW shortly after she got home was not the acceptance letter that she'd hoped for. Nor was it even a rejection. Instead, it said that she'd been placed in grad-school purgatory.
Read the full article.
More in Culture
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America now has a minister of culture.
Six older books that deserve to be popular today
Goodbye to baseball's most anachronistic rule.
Catch Up on
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The Putinization of America
Photo Album
Take a look at the winning entries in this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year contest.
Article originally published at The Atlantic
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Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Netflix just got 'Born on the Fourth of July' — why I'm watching this Tom Cruise movie for Independence Day
Netflix has added a ton of new movies already this month, including a handful of Tom Cruise movies. But there's one that I'll be watching this Independence Day, and that's Cruise's Oscar-nominated performance in the anti-war film "Born on the Fourth of July." Now, there are a few reasons for this. First, I've never seen this movie — it's managed to be a blind spot in not only my viewings of Tom Cruise's filmography, but also director Oliver Stone's work and even acclaimed war movies. In retrospect, it's kind of shocking I've missed it. With it arriving on Netflix, though, there's no excuse not to watch it, as just about everyone has the popular streaming service. That's not the only reason I'm watching it, though. On the day we Americans celebrate our nation's independence from tyranny and imperialism, there's never been a more appropriate time to watch this critique of our nation's foray into the same things we once fought to free ourselves from. So if you're considering watching this movie as well, here's what "Born on the Fourth of July" is about, and why its message is still poignant decades after its release. "Born on the Fourth of July" stars Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic, and is based on the memoir of the real Rod Kovic, who co-wrote the movie's screenplay along with director Oliver Stone. The movie follows Ron's life as a child, then a teen, as a boy who longed to fight in a war like his World War II veteran father. He ultimately joins the Marines straight out of high school, much to the dismay of his veteran father, who knows the true cost of war. But while serving in Vietnam, the unthinkable happens. Ron is hit by enemy fire, and upon recovering, discovers he's paralyzed from the waist down. Now, he must live the rest of his life coping with the loss. Ron goes through many steps of coping with his loss before ultimately becoming an ardent anti-war activist, something we see revealed in the trailer. One line from the trailer is now probably the movie's most enduring quote. "Now, people say - people say if you don't love America, then get the hell out," Cruise tells a news reporter. "Well, I love America." That dichotomy has been relevant throughout history — a desire to remain a patriot in the face of your country's questionable, sometimes horrific acts. But as the Vietnam War raged on, it was unavoidable, as anti-war protestors like Ron were decried as communists, even if they had lost nearly everything in the very war they were not speaking out against. That dichotomy has never gone away since, at least, not fully. We saw it rear its head again as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq raged on without any end in sight, and we're seeing it again today with the conflicts in the Middle East. I'm not here to lecture you on what viewpoint you should take or on who's right and who's wrong, though I can say for myself, I find Ron's journey as someone who grows to question the value and righteousness of war a relatable one, minus the combat experience. The closest I ever got to military service was having friends and family who served in various wars. But I am here to say that, this Independence Day, you could do a lot worse than taking the time to examine these questions yourself, and watch an acclaimed masterpiece of a movie at the same time. Between Cruise's Oscar-nominated performance and Stone's Oscar-winning direction, there are worse ways to spend this July 4. Stream "Born on the Fourth of July" on Netflix now Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:


Chicago Tribune
7 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Here are 6 of Michael Madsen's best films — and where to watch them
Michael Madsen, the actor best known for his decades-spanning collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, died on Thursday at the age of 67. While the talented character actor had nearly 350 credits to his name, including more than a dozen upcoming projects completed or in post-production ahead of his death, his earlier roles have proved the most enduring of his 43-year career onscreen. For fans looking to revisit Madsen's most memorable moments, as well as those who want to get acquainted with his work, here are six of his best films and where to watch them. Thelma & Louise (1991) In Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning film 'Thelma & Louise,' Madsen plays Louise's loyal boyfriend Jimmy, who flies 'across two states' to deliver her money and a marriage proposal. Of course, Jimmy is unaware that Louise (Susan Sarandon) is now on the run after fatally shooting a man trying to rape her best friend Thelma (Geena Davis). Where to watch: Available to stream on MGM+, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel and Tubi; also available to rent for $3.89 on Prime Video Reservoir Dogs (1992) No list about Madsen would be complete without 'Reservoir Dogs,' Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut about a botched jewelry heist and the chaos that ensues amongst the skeptical thieves who survive. Madsen stars as the blade-wielding Mr. Blonde, best known for a torture scene in which he cuts off a man's ear while grooving to the tune of 'Stuck in the Middle with You,' asking after, 'Was that as good for you as it was for me?' Where to watch: Available to stream on Paramount+ or rent for $3.79 on Prime Video Species (1995) Madsen leads a starry cast — including Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Forest Whitaker and a young Michelle Williams — as an assassin in this sci-fi horror about scientists trying to trap a sultry alien human hybrid (Natasha Henstridge) who's on the hunt for a human male to sate her extraterrestrial baby fever. Where to watch: Available to stream on MGM+, Pluto TV and Tubi; also available to rent for $4.19 on Prime Video Donnie Brasco (1997)Madsen further cements his image as an imposing tough guy in 'Donnie Brasco,' the Oscar-nominated drama about an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates the mobs — and finds himself seduced by a life of crime at the expense of his regular one. Madsen stars as mobster Sonny Black opposite Al Pacino's hit man Lefty and Johnny Depp's titular agent Donnie. Where to watch: Available to rent for $3.59 on Prime Video Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2 (2003 and 2004) Following his defining role in 'Reservoir Dogs,' Madsen reunited with Tarantino for the 'Kill Bill' films, in which he plays 'bouncer in a t-tty bar' Budd (aka Sidewinder), brother to David Carradine's Bill, the target of The Bride's wrath. 'That woman deserves her revenge,' Budd tells Bill in the second chapter, as he's warned that The Bride (Uma Thurman) is continuing her quest of vengeance against her former lover and the team of assassins who betrayed her. Where to watch: Both available to stream on AMC+ and Philo; also available to rent for $3.79 on Prime Video.


Chicago Tribune
7 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Demi Moore, Miley Cyrus and Timothée Chalamet to receive stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame
LOS ANGELES — They can buy themselves … stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Miley Cyrus, Timothée Chalamet and Demi Moore were among the 35 honorees announced Wednesday by Eugenio Derbez and Richard Blade. Inductees were selected across five categories: motion pictures, television, live theater and live performance, recording and sports entertainment. There were no radio honorees. Others who made the class of 2026 include actors Emily Blunt, Rachel McAdams, Molly Ringwald, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Rami Malek and Noah Wyle; former NBA star turned sports analyst Shaquille O'Neal; and 'Good Morning America' co-anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, who will have a double ceremony. Italian special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi and director Tony Scott will be posthumously honored. Cyrus, who released her ninth studio album, 'Something Beautiful,' in May, rolled around the Walk of Fame for the music video for her aptly titled single 'Walk of Fame,' later revealing on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' that she developed an infection on her kneecap from the bacteria on the famed Hollywood Boulevard sidewalk. Still, the singer shared some of the footage on Instagram shortly after her star was announced. 'When I first came to LA from Nashville as a little girl, my family would stay at a hotel on Hollywood Blvd, and I would go on late night walks with my dad when no one would recognize him. We'd have the gift shops to ourselves & buy knock off Oscars and Marilyn Monroe merchandise,' she wrote. 'To now be cemented on this legendary boulevard, surrounded by the icons who inspired me, feels like a dream.' Her father, singer Billy Ray Cyrus, doesn't yet have a star on the Walk of Fame. Meanwhile, Chalamet is coming off the success of the Bob Dylan biopic 'A Complete Unknown.' He earned an Oscar nomination for his role as the legendary singer-songwriter. He's set to begin filming the third installment of the 'Dune' film franchise, titled 'Dune: Messiah,' this summer, according to Deadline. Moore, who rose to prominence with the 1985 film 'St. Elmo's Fire,' earned her first Oscar nomination this year for her role in 'The Substance,' in which she starred opposite Margaret Qualley. She and Ringwald will be the latest of the Brat Pack to join the Walk of Fame, following Rob Lowe in 2015. It's also a family affair for Blunt and brother-in-law Stanley Tucci, who appeared in 'The Devil Wears Prada' together and are set to return for the sequel. Once selected, honorees are expected to cover an $85,000 sponsorship fee to pay for the creation and installation of the star, as well as maintenance of the Walk of Fame. Recipients have up to two years to schedule their ceremonies before the offer expires. Demi Moore Emily Blunt Timothée Chalamet Chris Columbus Marion Cotillard Keith David Rami Malek Rachel McAdams Franco Nero Deepika Padukone Molly Ringwald Stanley Tucci Carlo Rambaldi (posthumous) Tony Scott (posthumous) Greg Daniels Sarah Michelle Gellar Lucero Gordon Ramsay Melody Thomas Scott Bradley Whitford Noah Wyle Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos (double ceremony) Air Supply Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Paulinho da Costa The Clark Sisters Miley Cyrus Josh Groban Intocable Angélique Kidjo Lyle Lovett Live Theater and Live Performance Lea Salonga Gabriel 'Fluffy' Iglesias Sports Entertainment Shaquille O'Neal