Maggie Gyllenhaal is “interested in monstressness.” Frankenstein’s monster and its appropriately eccentric creator, Mary Shelley, have captivated generations for over two centuries. From Boris Karloff’s seminal performance as Frankenstein’s monster in the 1931 Universal Pictures adaptation to Guillermo Del Toro’s stylistic 2025 retelling, filmmakers and actors across the ages have spun cinematic excellence out of …
Today’s punks extend the mid-1970s “big bang” of punk into 21st-century discontent. Today, wealth stratification has entrenched caste-like socioeconomic disparities; meanwhile, surveillance capitalists track dissent, box it up and sell it back as clickbait content. Across Europe and the United States, ethno-nationalist movements gain traction by viciously “othering” minorities and political opponents.
Ultimately, the rules of performance and live entertainment are being rewritten. As popular culture becomes more knitted into the new media ecosystem, seemingly timeless genres like Broadway must adapt accordingly before they become obsolete. The priority should be engaging younger theatergoers while giving actors of all backgrounds — including celebrities — the freedom to experiment within a form that demands elevated artistry and offering digital natives a meaningful, in-person creative community.
These artists, while heading in different directions, started in the same place and are all reaching for stardom.
As 2026 finds its footing, I have noticed an analog renaissance emerging in response to digital modernity. Facing constant overstimulation, hyper-automation and declining literacy rates, more and more digital natives are turning to vintage technologies.
Economic uncertainties, financial anxieties and social media have led to an uptick of deeming anything and everything — from shopping habits to groceries to pop culture — as a recession indicator. Is a return to natural hair color, the popularity of ramen and Buldak noodles or a greater interest in lip products a recession indicator? …
“I don’t know why they remade this movie,” my mom said, shaking her head in dissatisfaction. “The first one was so much better.” We had just finished the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” legacy sequel on Netflix. While my mom still thinks fondly of the 1997 original, she found herself completely bored by …
A perfect example of a building with a legacy is Smalls, a cramped, underground, basement-like club in New York City. Despite its age, Smalls’s soul permeates the room, producing a tangible feeling that washes over you the moment you walk through the door. The brownstone is decorated with autographed photos from the “Queen of Jazz,” …
I felt most at home listening to Latin music, and Spanish was the first language I learned to speak. As a kid, I heard it everywhere — in living rooms, quinceañeras and corner cafés in my parents’ native country of Colombia. My mom sang boleros and old romantic ballads as she made breakfast, and my …