The Guardian Culture

Memory review – a cinematic exorcism through a child’s eye view of terror in the Chechen wars

Vladlena Sandu’s extraordinary portrait of an upbringing during the 1990s Chechen wars blends surreal tableaux with flights of imagination to lament a collective loss of innocenceBorn in Feodosia, a Ukrainian city on the Crimean coast, Vladlena Sandu moved to her mother’s home town of Grozny in Chechnya when she was only six. Blue skies and cerulean waters dominated her childhood, but as the Chechen–Russian conflicts erupted into full-blown wars during the 1990s, she experienced terror, bloodshe

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Variety

Erik Poppe’s ‘Beloved’ to Open Haugesund: ‘All Eyes Are on Norway,’ Says Festival Chief Tonje Hardersen

After the World Cup where Norway made a splash with its wealth of soccer talent – led by Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard – the Nordic nation will be showcasing some of its biggest film talents at the 54th edition of the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, running Aug. 22-28.  Out of 84 feature length […]

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

Locarno Pro Takes on the Big Issues: AI, “Algorithms and Consolidation Versus Creative Freedom”

The Swiss film fest's industry strand director, Markus Duffner, explains the timeliness of "power, people, data," the return of the Locarno Investment Community, and why Uruguay gets the spotlight treatment.

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

‘Never felt so scared’: the Cats obsessive who’s created a feral dance version of the purr-fect musical

Drew McOnie skipped school to audition for the original. It launched his astonishing career. Now he’s getting his claws into a no-pussyfooting version of the classic hitAt the age of 17, Drew McOnie was so determined to be in the musical Cats that he snuck out of school to audition. Four days later, he was on a flight to Germany to join the international production. (Luckily, he was at a performing arts school and they forgave him.) It was a life-changing moment: at that point, McOnie’s stellar

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Variety

Korea Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Captures 81% Market Share in Collosal Debut

Superhero blockbuster “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has delivered a huge opening at the South Korean box office during the weekend of Jul. 31–Aug. 2. According to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, the web-slinging sequel generated a colossal $16.9 million from 2,252,930 admissions over the three-day frame across 2,409 […]

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Comically chaotic chat with no boundaries: best podcasts of the week

Fern Brady and Alison Spittle return for natter with no rules. Plus, the viral red phone is back on the bridgeComedians Fern Brady and Alison Spittle return for a second series of comically chaotic chat. Expect plenty of wildly pinballing discussions with no theme other than what pops into their heads. Topics so far include Robert De Niro’s much younger partner, podcasts about nuns playing ultimate frisbee – and Brady on how “so many of Bonnie Blue’s views are so close to mine”. Business as usua

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

The August Coup by Robert Service review – the drink-soaked collapse of the Soviet Union

This brilliant account of attempts by the old guard to take back control captures the ludicrousness of it all beautifullyMarxist-Leninist rule in Russia lasted 74 years, and in August 1991 it effectively collapsed in just three days: clear evidence of how hollowed out it had become. In the period that followed, Russia tried parliamentary democracy and unalloyed capitalism, then sank back into autocracy. Now it’s struggling under a wholly unnecessary war against its neighbour and former possessio

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Beautiful Country: Cortona international photography festival – in pictures

Cortona on the Move 2026, an international photography festival, has opened with the theme Beautiful Country. More than 30 exhibitions explore Italy in all its complexity, blending the spirit of the aristocratic grand tour with the depth of contemporary documentaries Continue reading...

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Atlas of Disappearance review – forensic quest for thousands of forgotten victims of the Spanish civil war

Researchers employ technology in a bid to identify and retrieve remains in Spain’s Valley of the Fallen, in Manuel Correa’s emotional documentaryPerched on the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range overlooking Madrid is the Valle de los Caídos, a colossal memorial site constructed under the Franco regime. Supposedly a symbol of atonement and reconciliation, it has been criticised as an emblem of fascist glorification; it was where Franco was buried until his exhumation in 2019. There are, however,

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Variety

China Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Swings to Massive $121 Million Five-Day Opening

Sony Pictures’ superhero spectacle “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” swung into the top spot at the mainland China box office during the July 31–Aug. 2 weekend, generating RMB463.5 million ($68.1 million over its three-day opening frame, according to Artisan Gateway. The tentpole project has grossed $121.3 million in the Middle Kingdom in its first five days […]

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

TV tonight: Strictly’s Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu join Celebrity Hunted

The hit survival show returns with a group of famous faces. Plus: Sally Magnusson remembers Mastermind. Here’s what to watch this evening9pm, Channel 4 Continue reading...

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Hollywood Reporter

John Oliver Says Taco Bell Has the Moral High Ground Over Trump Administration Amid “Explosive Diarrhea” Parasite Crisis

On 'Last Week Tonight,' the host shared his thoughts on the outbreak, blaming President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for making cuts to the FDA and CDC.

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Variety

Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Kashyap Team to Present Coming-of-Age Film ‘Bobby Beauty Parlour’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Indian auteurs Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap have come together to present “Bobby Beauty Parlour,” a coming-of-age short film premiering during Friendship Week. Directed by Shashwat Dwivedi, “Bobby Beauty Parlour” follows childhood best friends Eelu and Manu, who spend their last hours together drinking, napping and bickering in a neighborhood beauty parlor, unwilling to let […]

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

‘Am I 68? 69?’ Irvine Welsh on growing old, getting clean, bashing out his new novel – and flirting with guns

Three decades after he channelled his heroin addiction into the cult classic Trainspotting, the Scottish author has discovered the joys of yoga, breathwork and standing desks. But is he quite as ‘Zen’ as he claims?By rights, Irvine Welsh ought to be photographed somewhere gritty, looking grumpy, he says: “That’s the brand.” Beside a graffitied wall or at the docks, with a beanie pulled low, and definitely not smiling. But here he is, clear-skinned and wholesome in shorts and a T-shirt, drinking

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

‘Trumpeters? We think we’re the kings of the orchestra’: Wynton Marsalis prepares to blow the Edinburgh festival away

It has 12 movements, 200 musicians and aims to unite America. The great US trumpeter and composer talks about his All Rise symphony, his jazz great mentors – and learning humility from his wifeAt Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, Wynton Marsalis is hard to spot. When he first played this venue, in 1984, he was the prodigious 22-year-old soloist out front, blowing Haydn’s trumpet concerto under the baton of Lorin Maazel. Tonight he is embedded in the machinery: half-hidden behind ranks of strings and woo

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Variety

‘House of the Dragon’: Gayle Rankin on That ‘F — ed Up’ Aemond-Alys-Alicent Scene, ‘Unbearable’ Family Dinner and Dragon Egg Plans

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 7 of “House of the Dragon,” now streaming on HBO Max. Gayle Rankin’s Alys Rivers has dealt with an Oedipus complex before during her time at Harrenhal, but this week’s “House of the Dragon” marked the first time Alys was directly dragged into the Targaryens’ incestuous […]

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

The Guardian Culture

Spider-Man: Brand New Day makes debut to $927m box office to land second biggest opening weekend in history

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige hails ‘phenomenal’ opening, which followed box office already buoyed by The Odyssey and Toy Story 5Spider-Man: Brand New ⁠Day brought in a blockbuster $927m ⁠in worldwide ticket sales to deliver the second most lucrative opening weekend of all time both domestically and globally.The movie, which marks actor Tom Holland’s fourth ⁠outing as the web-slinging superhero, depicts Peter Parker fighting crime in a world that has forgotten he is Spider-Man. Zendaya, w

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Variety

‘Jimmy’ Review: Woozily Seductive Mood Piece Wanders Europe in Pursuit of James Baldwin’s Spirit

“If not me, who?” said actor Billy Porter in a 2024 Guardian interview, explaining the rationale for his plan to direct and star in a biopic of Black queer author and activist James Baldwin. “Who’s going to tell it better than the Black gay man who embodies that in today’s age?” Porter was right that […]

entertainment  Aug 3, 2026

Variety

Phil Collins Says He Almost Died in 2024 From Alcohol Abuse: ‘People Were Coming to Say Goodbye’

Phil Collins recently told The Times of London that he almost died in 2024 from health complications stemming from alcohol abuse. The Genesis frontman explained that he was initially admitted to a Swiss hospital for alcohol addiction in late 2023. He was discharged at first, but was brought back in shortly after and placed into […]

entertainment  Aug 2, 2026

Variety

Pima County Sheriff’s Department Made Several Mistakes During Search for Nancy Guthrie, New Report Claims

A new report from the Wall Street Journal, published Saturday night, brings to light several possible errors by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department during its search for Nancy Guthrie, which has seen little progress since it began in February. The WSJ, citing personal files and interviews with current and former federal officers and individuals close […]

entertainment  Aug 2, 2026