Arts News

Americans Say Oui, Oui To Foreign Graphic Novels
Americans don't buy a lot of foreign novels, but go to any neighborhood bookstore and you'll find whole shelves devoted to international comics. In fact, more than half of the graphic novels sold in the U.S. are foreign-language imports.
In Concert, A Moment Of Sudanese Solidarity
At a time of outright genocide in Darfur, and civil unrest throughout the Sudan, an unprecedented gathering of musicians from across the war-torn country presented a contrasting picture — one of harmony and unity — at the Sudanese Festival of Music and Dance in Chicago.
'Buffy' Creator Proves Doogie Howser Can Sing
This week, in an unusual first, television producer Joss Whedon unveiled Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a musical comedy written for — and released exclusively on — the Internet.
'Mamma Mia!' Revisits The Greek Wedding
The folks directing, scripting and producing Mamma Mia! are the same ones who did the show on Broadway. They are not movie people, and it shows at times: The performers have been encouraged to overdo, play to the back row, and belt songs into each other's faces.
Summary Judgment: 'Mamma' Or 'Knight'?
Writer Mark Jordan Legan breaks down reviews of the long-awaited Batman movie, The Dark Knight. Animated feature Space Chimps is up next. And finally, Legan looks at Mamma Mia!, starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. It's as divisive as ABBA itself, he says.
Matt Weiner's 'Mad Men,' A Dazzling Product
Two Golden Globe wins, 16 Emmy nominations, and a new season on its way: The AMC television drama Mad Men seems on its way to making itself a household name. Celebrating its success is creator Matt Weiner.
A Portrait Of The Great 'Gonzo'
The documentary Gonzo remembers the strange and wild life of writer Hunter S. Thompson. Critic John Powers reviews the film.
Lifestyles & Trends: MLK Family Feud Boils Over
Farai Chideya speaks with Newsweek correspondent and News & Notes regular contributor Allison Samuels about the feud among the children of the late Martin Luther King Jr., Eddie Murphy's latest movie flop, and the recently announced Emmy nominations.
Basic Cable Shows Snag Emmy Nominations
The nominations for the 60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Thursday in Los Angeles. The surprise was that basic cable programs cleaned up. AMC's Mad Men racked up 16 nominations, including one for Best Drama, along with FX's Damages.
'The Dark Knight': Through Shadows And Hype
The Dark Knight, the new Batman film with Christian Bale in the title role, may be the most hopeless, despairing comic-book movie in memory. It creates a world where being a superhero is at best a double-edged sword and any triumph is likely to be short-lived.
'The Dark Knight' Pierces The Heart Of Darkness
In The Dark Knight, an explosively provocative Batman installment directed by Christopher Nolan, exhilaratingly straightforward action sequences are matched by moral complexity of a sort not usually associated with comic-book movie franchises.
'Dark Knight' Director Invests Years In Batman Film
Christopher Nolan brought the Batman franchise back to life in 2005 with Batman Begins. Now the young director returns with The Dark Knight. He talks about making the movie and how he and the late Heath Ledger worked to create the frighteningly menacing Joker.
Media Coverage Of Obama Irks Some
When Barack Obama's campaign made plans for him to visit Europe and the Middle East, three broadcast TV networks made plans to send their news anchors along. Conservatives accused the media of acting like groupies following a rock star on a world tour.
Basic Cable Shows Get Emmy Nods
This year's Emmy nominations for Best Series include for the first time two shows on basic cable: AMC's Mad Men and Damages on FX. Matt Weiner, creator and executive producer of Mad Men, says basic cable's relatively small audience allows some "really cool shows to get made."
'The Doorman' Bubblier Than Dance-Club Cristal
The Doorman offers a genial take on the absurdities of the velvet-rope culture, in the process gently lampooning the nightclub set. Bob Mondello calls the titular gatekeeper a "hilariously preposterous movie creature."