The first Asian-led Marvel film "has been transformed into an unwilling test case for the future of box office blockbusters, fans' commitment to the increasingly bloated Marvel universe, and superhero movies in general." - CBC
What's up with U.S. arts audiences? "We have been at war with and occupied Afghanistan for two decades, yet culturally it has been a blip." - Los Angeles Times
Climate science shows we desperately need insects to keep the planet in any kind of balance. Horror films have disagreed - but it might be time for a change. - The Guardian (UK)
In its first iteration on Spanish TV, Casa de Papel, known as The Money Heist in English, started strong and then massively flopped. Then Netflix picked it up, recut it, and ordered more seasons. - Washington Post
"The arts can be especially beneficial for public health in five key areas: collective trauma, racism, mental health, social exclusion and isolation, and chronic disease." - The Nation's Health
Red tape and regulations have largely put paid to a congenial and very possibly no-less-profitable art world, as has the workload in oppressed, ever-leaner organisations dominated by accountants or hit by government cuts. - Apollo
The study found that with a group of just eight laypeople, there was no statistically significant difference between the crowd performance and a given fact checker. - Wired
Writers flirting with the Substack idea would be better seen in footballing terms: they are probably going out on loan from their existing publishers, not transferring for good. - The Guardian
"Start with Pride And Prejudice and Dickens's A Tale Of Two Cities. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Think about Hardy. Think about Trollope. "On January 4 you will tell me what you have read and I will test you on it." - BBC
Previously, the regime has expressed official concerns and cracked down on youth online gaming, boy band culture, gambling, cryptocurrency and sports. The moves are part of discouraging what it sees as unhealthy attention to celebrities and certain distracting activities. - Deadline
Early in the 2000s. the People's Republic created a string of new mega-developments — building much faster than people were moving in. Images of wide boulevards and flashy architecture completely devoid of people spread worldwide. Finally, folks are arriving and the cities are showing some life. - Bloomberg Businessweek
Fran Drescher has been elected president of SAG-AFTRA and, in a split decision, her opponent’s running mate, Joely Fisher, has been elected national secretary-treasurer. - Deadline
Justin Davidson profiles Will Livermore, a 33-year-old baritone who'd been specializing in comic parts such as Papageno and Figaro. Now he's taking on the role of the furious Charles in composer Terence Blanchard's adaptation of Charles Blow's memoir Fire Shut Up in My Bones. - New York Magazine
Legislation proposed on Aug. 26 by Adams and New York City Council Members Keith Powers and Mark Levine would “end the city’s zoning laws over dancing and entertainment, so establishments would be regulated based on capacity venue, rather than zoning” reads a New York City Council press release. - New York Post
