The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance review: Four stars
Hugh Montgomery Features correspondent Netflix This prequel to the cult puppet fantasy could have been a mere nostalgia trip. But The Age of Resistance is even better than Jim Henson’s original, writes Hugh Montgomery. The international incident that was the recent trailer for the upcoming big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, with its grotesque […]
The world’s most defiantly joyful song?
Arwa Haider Features correspondent Alamy (Credit: Alamy) One of the most infectious songs ever made was first released in 1959. Arwa Haider looks at how Pata Pata has endured over the following six decades – and what it meant for those living under apartheid rule. In a seemingly ageless clip of South African singer-songwriter Miriam […]
The extraordinary life of the 1920s Lady Gaga
Fiona Macdonald Features correspondent Alamy She was said to walk around Venice at night with her pet cheetahs, naked but for a fur cloak: Luisa Casati was both an eccentric and a pioneer, the author of a new biography tells Fiona Macdonald. In April 1917, three years into World War 1, Pablo Picasso attended a […]
29 TV shows to watch out for in 2017
BBC Culture Editors Features correspondent BBC/Sundance Nicole Kidman plays Australian mother, Julia, in Top of the Lake: China Girl (Credit: BBC/Sundance) The BBC Culture team round up the best of what’s coming up on the small screen over the next 12 months, including crime dramas, comedies and the return of Twin Peaks. Fox Corey Hawkins […]
The heretical and hopeful role of infection
David Robson Features correspondent Getty Images Is Alzheimer’s triggered by infection? (Credit: Getty Images) What if dormant microbes trigger the onset of Alzheimer’s? It’s a theory that could have profound implications for prevention of the disease, writes David Robson. It is more than 150 years since scientists proved that invisible germs could cause contagious illnesses […]
The gender biases that shape our brains
Javier Hirschfeld/Getty Images Gendered ideas perpetuate a society that unknowingly promotes values linked to toxic masculinity, which is bad news for all of us (Credit: Javier Hirschfeld/Getty Images) The toys we give to children and the traits they are assigned can have lasting impacts on their lives, writes Melissa Hogenboom. My daughter is obsessed with […]
Why ‘quirky’ people are attractive
Michal Bialozej Having an unusual appearance that stands out from those around you could be an advantage when it comes to attracting a partner (Credit: Michal Bialozej) There are some universal standards of beauty, so why has evolution not made us all beautiful? When it comes to attraction, originality can pay off. Recumbent on her […]
Con artists and disruptors – TV’s latest obsessions
Caryn James Features correspondent Beth Dubber/ Hulu (Credit: Beth Dubber/ Hulu) Why are we so fascinated by the stories of scammers and corporate rule-breakers? Because they are so charismatic, brazen and compelling to watch, writes Caryn James. “There’s only one thing you need to know about Elizabeth Holmes,” Stanford professor Phyllis Gardner (played by Laurie […]
The most comforting children’s books ever
Kamala Thiagarajan Features correspondent Alamy Although her books evoke a particular time in Britain, Enid Blyton has found an unexpected following in India. On the 125th anniversary of the author’s birth, Kamala Thiagarajan discovers what draws people to her work. On a rainy, windswept morning in August 2021, in the Western Indian city of Pune, […]
11 of the best films to watch this July
Nicholas Barber Features correspondent Universal Studios Taika Waititi’s Thor is back, Jordan Peele is directing a new film with Daniel Kaluuya and Where the Crawdads Sing is adapted for the big screen – here are this July’s unmissable releases. Universal Studios A politically-charged sci-fi horror mystery with a very short title? Yes, Nope is the […]