Ten years later, the cult of ‘The Nice Guys’ keeps growing
NEW YORK (AP) — When “The Nice Guys” debuted 10 years ago, the writing was on the wall for the big-screen comedy. It came out sandwiched between “Captain America: Civil War” and “X-Men: Apocalypse.” It opened against “Angry Birds.” Ryan Gosling has lamented “Angry Birds” “just destroyed us.” And yet, on its upcoming 10th anniversary this month, “The Nice Guys” has established itself as one of the most beloved comedies of the last decade in which Hollywood studios largely left the genre for dead. A 1970s-set comic noir directed and co-written by Shane Black, “The Nice” Guys” paired Gosling and Russell Crowe as private eyes in a Los Angeles crime caper that still keeps getting better.
Ashley McBryde fell off the horse and went into the 'Wild.' Her new album is her most personal yet
NEW YORK (AP) — Country star Ashley McBryde's new album, “Wild,” arrives Friday. It's her most personal album to date. A few years ago, a fall off a horse resulted in a concussion and stitches, threatening her ability to perform. The experience pushed McBryde to record songs she feared might never be heard. It all led to “Wild,” her most rock ‘n’ roll release to date. Getting sober in 2023 has also added depth to her music, with tracks exploring past struggles. She hopes “Wild” inspires listeners to embrace their dreams and take chances.
‘The Sheep Detectives’ is the starry, family-friendly whodunit you didn’t know you needed
“The Sheep Detectives” is not your average talking animal movie. This family-friendly film, featuring voices like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Patrick Stewart, follows a flock solving a murder mystery. Opening Friday, Hugh Jackman stars as a shepherd whose animals secretly understand his murder mystery bedtime stories. When he dies mysteriously, the sheep use their knowledge to help solve the case. Screenwriter Craig Mazin describes the film as more than just silly fun, with themes for families to discuss. In the almost 20-year journey to adapt Leonie Swann’s novel “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story,” Mazin says they aimed high.
In a low period for comedy films, these were the best of the last decade
NEW YORK (AP) — The last decade has not been good for big-screen comedies. Hollywood studios nearly stopped making them. Horror became the in vogue genre. Laughs were out. Good comedies have kept being made, of course, it’s just has taken a little more effort to find them. To mark the 10th anniversary of 2016's “The Nice Guys,” AP Film Writer Jake Coyle has compiled his favorite comedies of the last 10 years. His list includes a few little-seen gems like “Confess, Fletch” and “The Death of Stalin.” Greta Gerwig's “Barbie” tops his list.
Marianne Boruch wins $100,000 Jackson Poetry Prize as judges hail human genius in AI age
NEW YORK (AP) — Marianne Boruch has received the Jackson Poetry Prize for “exceptional talent.” The $100,000 award recognizes her insights into the natural world and our inner lives. Judges praised her collections, including “Bestiary Dark” and “The Anti-Grief,” as affirmations of human genius amid the rise of AI. The prize is overseen by Poets & Writers, who released the citation on Wednesday. Boruch, 75, lives in West Lafayette, Indiana, and taught at Purdue University, where she founded the MFA creative writing program. Previous winners include former U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo and current laureate Arthur Sze.
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Protesters in pink balaclavas swarm Russia's pavilion at Venice Biennale and release colored smoke
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Punk group Pussy Riot and Ukraine's FEMEN feminist organization have swarmed the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, protesting outside the venue and releasing colored smoke. They shouted “Russia’s art is blood” and “Disobey” while wearing pink balaclavas. The protesters chanted, played a punk rock song and dispersed without confrontation. This marks Russia's first participation at the famed international exhibition since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The European Union cut a 2-million-euro grant to the Biennale in protest. Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova said only dissident art should represent Russia. The Biennale defended Russia's inclusion, but the Italian government opposed it, while acknowledging the independence of the international arts show.
Met gala guests deliver works of art on the human form
New York (AP) — Guests at the annual fashion extravaganza known as the Met Gala embraced this year's theme of “Fashion is art” with outfits and costumes showing off artistic references. Beyoncé showed up in a bejeweled silver skeleton of a gown, while Emma Chamberlain wowed with a show-stopping long-sleeved dress that appeared dipped in a rainbow of colors. The theme brought drama back to the carpet for the first time since the “Camp” theme of 2019. Nancy Hall-Duncan, an art historian and author on fashion and art, says this year's gala settled the question of whether fashion is art with a resounding “yes.”
Inside the Rolling Stones' exclusive new album event: What we know about 'Foreign Tongues' so far
NEW YORK (AP) — The Rolling Stones announced a new album on Tuesday. It is titled “Foreign Tongues.” It will arrive July 10 and feature the late Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith and The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith. It is their follow up to 2023's “Hackney Diamonds.” Speculation surrounding a new Stones album has been going around for weeks. Leading up to their announcement, billboards with the band’s iconic mouth and tongue logo began appearing in major cities around the world with the words “Foreign Tongues” in various languages. On Sunday, the band shared a slide puzzle graphic fans believed to be the album artwork, depicting a cartoonish collage of the members’ faces.
‘The Lost Boys’ and ‘Schmigadoon!’ earn 12 Tony nominations each to lead the field
NEW YORK (AP) — “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” each earned a leading 12 Tony Award nominations on Tuesday. With the nominations, June Squibb becomes the oldest Tony-nominated actor at 96, and Danny Burstein is now the most-nominated male actor with nine nods. “Ragtime” follows with 11 nominations, and “Death of a Salesman” gets nine. Twenty-four shows have at least one nomination. The best new musical nominees include “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” The best new play nominees feature “Giant” and “Liberation.” The Tony Awards will be handed out June 7 at Radio City Music Hall, hosted by Pink.
Inside the Met Gala, an Olympic champion learns just how famous she's become
NEW YORK (AP) — Guests ascended the famous steps of the Metropolitan Museum and entered a lobby transformed to resemble an Italian garden, with a huge moon hanging from the ceiling. While harpists serenaded them, they waited to greet the gala co-chairs or headed to cocktails in the airy Engelhard Court. The gala attracted new controversy this year by aligning itself with Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos. Some argued, though, that billionaires have always been a part of the Met Gala. The gala is also a place where a new celebrity, like skater Alysa Liu or TV star Connor Storrie, can fully realize how famous they are.
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