'Suicide Squad' Falls Far Short Of Its Goals
DC's "rogues-do-good" answer to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy lacks that film's energy and charm; the result is a squalid, confusing mashup of tones and characters.
Arts
In The Warm But Underdeveloped 'Little Men,' Kids Bond While Parents Feud
Ira Sachs' latest film, about a friendship between two boys, is Chekhovian in its subtlety but withholds too much and fails to attain the emotional impact for which it strives.
Great Actors Spend 'Five Nights In Maine' But It Feels More Like A Fortnight
Dianne Wiest and David Oyewolo work through grief and resentment in a plodding film our critic calls "an agonizing dirge."
Remembering Zelda Fichandler, Matriarch Of American Regional Theater
When the co-founder of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., made her theater a nonprofit, hundreds of small regional stages followed suit. Fichandler died July 29 at the age of 91.
For James Corden, 'Carpool Karaoke' Has Been An Incredible Ride
The Late Late Show host talks about belting out songs with celebrities like Elton John, Steve Wonder and Adele. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross he doesn't know what he did to deserve this great gig.
Investigating Complicated Family Myths In 'I'm Supposed To Protect You'
Nadja Spiegelman is insightful about the power and malleability of memory in her new memoir, but the book is weighed down by an aggressively artificial poignancy, all ashtrays and meaningful silences.
C Is For Contract: Longtime Actors In Grown-Up Dispute With 'Sesame Street'
Bob McGrath, who has worked on the show since 1969, says he and two other original cast members have been let go. Sesame Workshop is calling it a "misunderstanding."
Whose Side Was She On? 'American Heiress' Revisits Patty Hearst's Kidnapping
Hearst was abducted in 1974 and then declared allegiance to her captors. Legal expert Jeffrey Toobin does not believe Hearst was brainwashed, but rather, "responded rationally to the circumstances."
Marriage And Motherhood Are A 'Source Of Power,' Says Comic Ali Wong
Wong was 7 1/2 months pregnant when she filmed her first comedy special, Baby Cobra. She says that the birth of her daughter changed her career for the better.
'I Am Providence' Is A Love/Hate Letter To A Literary Subculture
Nick Mamatas takes on the legacy of H.P. Lovecraft — both Lovecraft's notorious racism and sexism, and the zealous fandom that's sprung up around him — with scathing humor in his latest novel.