‘There was a sense when we were making it that we might be on to something special’: Jeffrey Wright on his first Oscar nod for ‘American Fiction’

The actor, who previously won a Tony for his performance in “Angels in America” and an Emmy for the same role in HBO’s adaptation of the show, and is also known for his roles in: “Basquiat,” the “Hunger Games” franchise, three of the recent James Bond films, “The Batman,” “The French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City,” as well as the television series “Westworld,” discusses the nomination and how he approached playing professor and writer Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in the film, which is based on the 2001 novel ‘Erasure’ by Percival Everett.

Miniseries spotlights the heroics of Georgia-born Mighty Eighth Air Force

The docudrama “Masters of the Air” chronicles the Mighty Eighth’s contributions through the airmen of the 100th Bomb Group, or “Bloody Hundredth”, one of 40 Eighth Air Force bomber groups that battled the Nazis in the skies above Western Europe.

Less magical, but still enchanting: Lord of the Rings Roleplaying bends Dungeons & Dragons rules to fit Tolkien’s world 

For those looking for a fantasy world a lot closer to author J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, Free League Publishing has created The One Ring and The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying. The two games are basically the same, but LOTR Roleplaying relies on rules for D&D’s fifth edition – a format that’s popular for its accessibility and focus on fun.

Liner Notes: Music magazine musings

For decades, people picked up the latest issues of music magazines to read informed, trusted opinions on the newest, hippest music. It gave music fans a tiny glance into a world with which so many of us music geeks were fascinated. These days? It’s a different story.

Captions took over TV. Why can’t they win the silver screen?

The term “open captions” refers to dialogue and audio description projected like subtitles on the screen. They’re the preferred alternative to closed captions, which all theaters must provide by law, and which moviegoers access using special glasses or a cup holder-mounted machine. But getting open captions in theaters is far more complicated than toggling between menu options on a smart TV, advocates say.

A classic toy enters a new frontier

Lego Bricktales builds on its legend with a foray into virtual reality

Drummer, 98, who started band with fellow Holocaust survivors, now tours world

Since starting the Holocaust Survivor Band nearly 10 years ago, Saul Dreier — who learned to play the percussion instrument in a concentration camp — and his fellow musicians have performed nearly 100 concerts, including in countries like Israel, Germany, Brazil and Poland. In addition to providing entertainment, the band promotes unity: “My goal is peace all over the world, and no antisemitism,” Dreier said.

Latest Prince of Persia title is an upgrade of the usual formula

The Lost Crown bridges the legacies of two previous and very different chapters.

Liner Notes: ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ is a No. 1 hit 65 years in the making

The holiday standard, recorded when the singer was just 13, scores a chart victory for ubiquity.

Mickey Mouse is finally in the public domain — here’s what that means

New Year’s Day now doubles as Public Domain Day, when a fresh trove of vintage artistic creations becomes available each year for anyone to use as copyrights expire. And at least emblematically, the big game this year is the first cinematic iterations of Mickey Mouse.

The games that had the goods in 2023

Washington Post video games editor Gene Park selects his top 10 titles of the year.

Liner Notes: With 2024 nearly here, how was your 2023 in music?

Lists are great, but leave room for music books, overlooked bands and forgotten B-sides.

Michael Mann still has another gear. At 80, he's driving 'Ferrari'

Although ‘Ferrari’ is Mann’s first film since 2015’s ‘Blackhat,’ he’s lost little of his velocity. The filmmaker, an automobile enthusiast and racing hobbyist also known for ‘Heat,’ ‘Collateral’ and ‘Miami Vice,’ is currently developing ‘Heat 2,’ which he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner, as a film. ‘I know for myself, I’m better at doing a picture that has me on the frontier. Where it’s something I haven’t done before,’ he said.

Liner Notes: Gabriel still searching for answers on latest album

‘I/O’ might not be his most ambitious, but it is one of the best albums in Gabriel’s half-century career.

Jeffrey Wright, shape-shifter supreme, sees some of himself in 'American Fiction'

The actor, who plays sardonic author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in the film adapted from Percival Everett’s 2001 novel ‘Erasure,’ says: “My perspective doesn’t entirely align with Monk’s, but certainly the frustrations that he encounters we share. What I was really drawn to more so than the social commentary elements were the family dynamics, particularly the relationship with the mother.”

Liner Notes: Women rule, AI steps up and a sphere shines in 2023 music

Nothing is forever in pop culture, but a number of musical stories and themes rose to the top on 2023.

Persona 5 Tactica successfully adapts beloved series to strategy genre

Persona 5 Tactica takes the characters and elements and meshes them into a turn-based strategy game. It’s more like Fire Emblem or Mario + Rabbids than a conventional Japanese RPG

Mr. Monk is back!

Tony Shalhoub returns as everyone’s favorite OCD sleuth to solve his ‘Last Case’ in new film now streaming on Peacock.