Pop Culture

What can the Stanley cup craze tell us about marketing trends, social media tastes, and the role of randomness in the economy? Derek consults the experts to find out. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images It’s just a steel tumbler with a straw and side handle. But the Stanley cup is a social media phenomenon and

A long conversation with the legend about returning to the stage, being in a grandpa chat with Bruce Springsteen, and working with Arnold Schwarzenegger again. By Gabriella Paiella November 3, 2023 Danny DeVito as Sam in I Need That.Joan Marcus The phrase “national treasure” gets thrown around a lot. But who deserves it more than

A new Netflix doc plants a flag for the creative bona fides of the Hollywood icon who gave us Rocky, Rambo, and The Expendables. By Esther Zuckerman November 3, 2023 Sly. Sylvester Stallone in Sly. Cr. Rob DeMartin/Netflix © 2023Rob DeMartin/Netflix Mention the name “Sylvester Stallone” to a casual fan, and it’s probably unlikely that

The youngest member of BTS finally ventures out on his own. By Lucy Ford November 3, 2023 When Jung Kook released his first solo single “Seven” back in July, he went somewhere he’d never gone in his more than decade-long career with South Korean group BTS – he went explicit. The collaboration with rapper Latto

The Max Payne creator’s latest is a meta-masterpiece worth getting lost in. By Scott Meslow November 3, 2023 At a glance, Alan Wake II might seem like the kind of story you’ve seen a few dozen times already. A corpse has been discovered in Washington State. A couple of FBI agents — one gruff and

“People used to say, ‘Everyone’s a critic.’ Now, no one’s a critic,” the writer tells GQ columnist Chris Black. By Chris Black November 3, 2023 This is an edition of the newsletter Pulling Weeds With Chris Black, in which the columnist weighs in on hot topics in culture. Sign up here to get it in

The up-for-anything Gos who gave us Ken is back, and he’s brought fights, explosions, sexual tension, Emily Blunt, and a cute dog? Strap us into a front-row seat! By Esther Zuckerman November 2, 2023 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 26: Ryan Gosling promotes the upcoming film “The Fall Guy” during the Universal Pictures and Focus

Thomas Mars of Phoenix talks to GQ about doing the music for wife Sofia Coppola’s latest film, and shares his favorite movie needle drops of all time. By Gabriella Paiella November 2, 2023 Photographs: Getty Images, Everett Collection; Collage: Gabe Conte How do you make an Elvis movie without any Elvis songs? When it’s Sofia

At a New York press conference, premiere dates for True Detective, Curb, House of the Dragon, and (eventually) Euphoria and The White Lotus. By Grant Rindner November 2, 2023 HBO, which has been in a state of flux since April’s high-profile merger between HBO Max and Discovery+, seems poised for a mammoth 2024 and beyond

In their latest films, the directors of Fight Club and Election put new twists on the familiar. By Jesse Hassenger November 1, 2023 Photographs: Netflix, Focus Features It’s nearly 2024, and that rumbling you hear in the distance is an avalanche of 25th-anniversary pieces looking back at the films of 1999. The final year of

The production designers and set decorators of Sofia Coppola’s new film on creating interiors fit for a King—right down to the porcelain tiger. By Matthew Jacobs November 1, 2023 Sofia Coppola was determined to get the clock right. This wasn’t just any clock. It was an imposing starburst clock, a grander version of the kind

Hey, it worked really well the last time they tried it. By Grant Rindner November 1, 2023 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 02: Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speaks onstage during the LOKI Season 2 Launch Event – Los Angeles at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on October 02, 2023. (Photo by Alberto E.

Does any other cinematic take on a nonfiction bestseller hold a candle to Martin Scorsese’s bleak American epic? A living legend of the form weighs in. By Vince Mancini November 1, 2023 1976, Promotional portrait of Robert Redford, right, and Dustin Hoffman standing in front of the Washington Post Building in a still from director

With no ads, few apps, and no infinite scrolling, it’s “designed to be used as little as possible.” Amazing, brother. By Frazier Tharpe October 31, 2023 Kendrick Lamar at Life Is Beautiful 2023 on September 23, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)Christopher Polk/Getty Images The mystery of pgLang deepens.

Fools Rush In, also starring Salma Hayek Pinault, points to what might have been. By Esther Zuckerman October 31, 2023 Getty Images This past Monday, Salma Hayek Pinault posted a tribute to Matthew Perry, who died over the weekend at the age of 54. “I was very moved last year when Matthew shared on his

Ryan Gosling’s bomber was the grailiest movie merch of 2011 and spawned a thousand Halloween costumes. We talked to some real human beings for whom it remains a (somewhat) daily driver. By Jack King October 31, 2023 FilmDistrict/Courtesy Everett Collection Ryan Gosling is a part of the furniture each and every Halloween – and not

The Hollis, Queens legend and gambling enthusiast talks fantasy football, going all-in on a “Don’t Pass,” and getting killed on the spread by Gilbert Arenas By Abe Beame October 31, 2023 As Kenny Rogers established long ago, life itself is a gamble. The odds are long, the stakes are high, and the house always wins,