How to Design a World-Killing Comet

Asteroid nomenclature is regulated by the International Astronomical Union, based in Paris, and vanity naming, Mainzer said recently, is “one of the perks” of her field. She is the principal investigator for NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission , which NASA calls “the largest space-based asteroid-hunting project in history,” and teaches at the […]

Saturday Night Live Leans on Tom Hanks, Tina Fey After Covid Half-Shutdown

And then, ho ho ho!: tonight’s episode of Saturday Night Live was literally pre-empted with a local breaking news alert that the mall 10 minutes away had been locked down with Christmas shoppers trapped inside, because of “gunshot” reports. Upon hearing the news, I happened to tweet that the cancellation triggered in me a similar […]

1883 Gives Yellowstone Fans a Bleak Backstory for the Dutton Family

Yellowstone fans who’ve wondered why, exactly, the Dutton clan are such an ornery bunch are about to discover what therapists have been trying to tell us about our own dysfunction for years: It’s all in the family origin story. Country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill take the leads, playing great-grandfather John Dutton and wife […]

‘1883’ hits the trail to ‘Yellowstone’s’ roots with a gritty western prequel

For fans of westerns, “1883” certainly looks like the real deal, coming from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan and featuring Sam Elliott as a gnarled cowboy. Writing and directing the premiere, Sheridan has orchestrated some high-profile cameos, and Elliott remains born for these kind of roles, providing the absolute best reason to give “1883” a shot. […]

Shadows of a difficult 2021 loom over Royal Family ahead of next year’s Platinum Jubilee

“They’ve really sort of stepped up, I think, to a whole new level. “I mean, Harry has taken a swipe at everybody in the family, mostly his father. The Crown in Canada has also had its difficult moments of late, with the controversy surrounding Julie Payette’s time as the Queen’s representative here. Through a request […]

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Ensnares Audiences and Refills Studio Coffers

So the sense of relief — elation — that washed through the movie capital over the weekend, as “Spider-Man: No Way Home” arrived to sensational ticket sales, was palpable. “No Way Home” collected an estimated $253 million at theaters in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore, which compiles box office data. It was […]

The 1947 ‘Nightmare Alley’: A Dark View of Class as Destiny

At the premiere of his new drama “Nightmare Alley” this month, the director Guillermo del Toro told the audience he had read the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham — the film’s official source material — before seeing the classic 1947 adaptation with Tyrone Power. Like the update, the 1947 version picks up some tricks […]