Category: 5. Entertainment

The Marvel Cinematic Universe begins a new chapter this week with a reboot of one of the company’s most beloved properties, The Fantastic Four. 

Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Fantastic Four: First Steps was directed by Matt Shakman (Wandavision) and comes from a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. 

First Steps marks the fourth attempt to translate the original comic book characters of Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing to the silver screen. This time, the action will take place in an alternate history/parallel universe set in the ’60s.

Deadline’s Damon Wise described the film as a “satisfying and stylish Marvel adventure.” 

“It also benefits from a smart script and — I can’t believe I’m writing this — really quite moving performances from its four charismatic leads, being arguably the best of Pedro Pascal’s releases this year,” Wise’s review read. 

The Guardian’s review says the film has given the MCU back some of its big-screen charm following a series of duds. 

“I have expressed my dissatisfaction recently with superhero films which have to finish with AI cities collapsing – and, yes, this is what happens here, but at least this finale emerges from the established story premise, and works well with the tone of uncomplicated fun,” the paper wrote. 

Robbie Collin in The Telegraph described the reboot as “Marvel’s best film in a decade.” 

Collin also heaped praise on the film’s cast, who he says complement each other well. 

“The casting allows all four to play to their strengths – and as the team’s steadfast matriarch, Kirby is especially good value – but also because the film keeps putting them into the sort of human spaces where human behaviour naturally occurs,” Collin wrote. 

Forbes also described the reboot as a “welcome return towards form” for Marvel, adding that the film “kicks off Phase Six of the MCU with style, substance, and promise, rather than relying solely on awe and scale.”

The outlet also praised the film’s visual style, which it described as “incredible.” 

“The 1960s aesthetic is stunning. Production designer Kasra Farahani, who previously worked on Marvel Studios’ Loki, creates a sumptuous canvas that feels both classic and contemporary at the same time. It’s genuinely beautiful and IMAX highlights that off in the best possible way,” Forbes said. 

Genre outlet IGN described the film as “a little nuts” and praised its ambition, but said the film is missing some important “capital-M Moments that superhero movies need.” 

“I mean this on an emotional level: Nothing in First Steps had me on the verge of tears, happy or sad; nothing had me nervous for the survival of the folks on screen,” the outlet said. “But I also mean this on a technical level. The most heroic-looking shots are in the montages, not in the big climactic events of the film.” 

Gizmodo also praised the film, but said it lacked some superhero pizzazz. 

“There are more than a few standout moments thanks to the cast, visuals, and music. But by ultimately playing it safe, we’re left with something nice and sweet but a little underwhelming,” the outlet said.

In a four-star review for the Financial Times, Jonathan Romney offers a balanced conclusion: “First Steps doesn’t reinvent the superhero genre, but it has its own freshness — it’s uncluttered, good-natured and altogether good value — even if it might be the Marvel film ultimately remembered for its nice bathrooms and kitchen fittings.”

The film hits theaters on July 24.

By Mental Health First Aid USA on July 22, 2025

Updated on: July 22, 2025

“Doomscroll.” “Brainrot.” These terms, and more like them, refer to the amount of time we spend absorbing negativity from our phone’s news and social media feeds. And they’ve quickly become part of our everyday vocabularies.

The concern over doomscrolling isn’t for nothing: concerns persist about smartphone and social media use and mental health, particularly among teens. According to the Pew Research Center, roughly half of teens say social media sites have a mostly negative effect on people their age, and parents are often even more worried. Plus, while social media can be a great connector, it can also contribute to mental health challenges.

Knowing that, why do so many of us remain glued to our phones? Regardless of age, smartphone usage is simply a daily fact of life for most people in the U.S. We use them to shop, communicate and navigate. And sometimes, our phone usage can spiral out of control, becoming excessive and potentially harming our mental health.

Many have been quick to refer to excessive smartphone use as “phone addiction,” but that’s not currently a widely accepted mental health diagnosis. Still, many people find it hard to regulate their phone usage, which can lead to or contribute to mental health challenges like anxiety and depression.

One reason our cellphones can be so compelling is because smartphone usage — especially social media — activates our dopamine pathways. The neurotransmitter dopamine reinforces the anticipation of rewards. Our phones are full of rewards! Social media is designed to keep you scrolling in anticipation of the ‘hit’ that makes you feel good, and dopamine makes that scrolling feel good too. While you can’t quite be addicted to dopamine, it does act as a motivator for many habits.

So what should you do? Throwing away your smartphone probably isn’t the best option, so here are six things you can do to cultivate a healthy relationship with your phone.

1. Explore your experience. Many phones can give you information about your screen time and usage: How much time are you actually spending on your phone? Which apps take up the most time? The answers might be surprising and will give you baseline knowledge of your habits.
2. Assess your needs. Check in with yourself: how are you feeling? Do you experience more stress or anxiety while using your phone? Are there things you’d rather use your time for? What do you have to use your phone for?
3. Make a phone schedule. Most of us need our smartphones too often for us to stop using them entirely. But placing boundaries over when you use your phone can help. We often wake up and grab our phones immediately in the morning, kickstarting that cycle of scrolling and anxiety. Try not using your phone for the first 30 minutes of your day. Giving yourself time away can be a great way to start the morning. Try the same thing at night! We sleep better when we reduce our screen and blue light exposure, so try not using your phone for an hour before you go to bed.
4. Set app limits. Smartphones usually have features that let you set screen time limits on certain apps, turning them off automatically. You might set a 30-minute limit on your favorite social media during the week and a bit longer on weekends.
5. Manage your notifications. If you phone is constantly buzzing and dinging, it’s hard to ignore. Try turning some notifications off, making them silent or delivering all your notifications in a bundle at a few chosen times per day. Different phones have different options, so explore yours and experiment.
6. Clean up your phone’s home screen. Clear away distracting apps so you can keep your focus on those that matter and be less tempted when you open your phone.

These steps can be a starting place for managing your phone use for a healthier lifestyle. For more resources on social media use, read our blog posts Helping Teens Build Healthy Social Media Habits and Three Ways to Use Social Media Positively. If your phone use is significantly impacting your mental health and wellbeing and feels unmanageable, seek professional help and support.

For more tips and tools for understanding and responding to mental health challenges in yourself and others, sign up for a Mental Health First Aid course today.

References:

Anderson, M., Faverio, M., Park, E. (2024, March 11). How teens and parents approach screen time. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/03/11/how-teens-and-parents-approach-screen-time/

De-Sola Gutiérrez, J., Rodríguez de Fonseca, F., & Rubio, G. (2016). Cell-phone addiction: a review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 7, 175. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175

Katzenstein, J. (n.d.). Addiction to electronic devices. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/behavior-disorders/addiction-to-electronic-devices

Pew Research Center. (2024, November 13). Mobile fact sheet. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/#find-out-more

Ratan, Z. A., Parrish, A. M., Zaman, S. B., Alotaibi, M. S., & Hosseinzadeh, H. (2021). Smartphone addiction and associated health outcomes in adult populations: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 12257. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212257

Roberts, J.A., Yaya, L. H. P., & Manolis, C. (2014). The invisible addiction: cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students. Journal of Behavioral Addictions. 3(4), 254–265. https://doi.org/10.1556/jba.3.2014.015

Westbrook, A., Ghosh, A., van den Bosch, R., Määttä, J. I., Hofmans, L., & Cools, R. (2021). Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity reflects smartphone social activity. iScience, 24(5), 102497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102497

In 1977, Sherrie Levine participated in ‘Pictures’, a group exhibition at Artists Space in New York organized by Douglas Crimp. Destabilizing the supposed authority of photography, the show examined the status of the image as the postmodern site of discourse. It set out a radical position that Levine would explore over the next two decades of her practice through the reproduction, remaking and pastiche of works that had shaped modern art. Currently on view at the Aspen Art Museum, the exhibition ‘Sherrie Levine: 1977–1988’ presents upwards of 150 of these early works. Many are executed on paper, though silver gelatin prints and c-prints also feature alongside paintings on lead, mahogany and plywood. Displacing the locus of the artwork beyond temporal boundaries, the works on view engage with meaning as a phenomenon that is deferred and constructed post facto: something ‘present or available – really, or in reproduction, or in memory’, as Michael Baxandall put it in Patterns of Intentions (1985).

The condition of the ‘After Walker Evans’ series (1981) – 22 reshootings of black and white photographs that Evans made in the rural US in the 1930s – testifies to a readymade-oriented system, which extends beyond the dimensional object towards a Duchampian transformative gesture. The ‘material substance of the object, of the time of looking and of the name of the artist’, as suggested by Howard Singerman in October in 2002, is here intimately bound to a methodology of art history: study, repetition, imitation. In 1982, in response to the presentation of the series at Metro Pictures in New York, Craig Owens argued that Levine had ‘assumed the functions of the dealer, the curator and the critic’, therefore taking on the particular perspectives required for the experience of the work: a knowledge of what once was embedded in the memory of the image and the medium-object, and of the reversal of its own discourse, by Levine, towards the symbolic death of its author. Denying the authority of the artist’s gaze, this inversion relocated autonomy to the subject, positioning the artwork within the space and time of the real. Caught within this referential, quotational system, the work, it seems, cannot escape its own theatricality – ‘staging a picture’, as Crimp argued.

In three charcoal drawings from ‘After Willem De Kooning’ (1981), a series recreating that artist’s gestural figures, Levine effectively denies the immediacy and expressive force associated with abstract expressionism. Through the meticulous, entirely hand-drawn reproductions of existing works, Levine creates within a deliberately slow, controlled temporality, consciously rejecting the artist’s experience of the accidental. She does something similar with Shoe Sale (1977), consisting of a pair of children’s shoes displayed in a vitrine: a reference to an actual sale of 75 identical pairs of shoes, bought from a wholesaler, that Levine ran one day in a store on Mercer Street in New York. Both projects deftly explore the notion of autonomous seriality so central to Levine’s framework.

The symbolism of the pictorial image, after Levine, is to be understood as a gesture of interpretation inherent to the artist’s experience as a spectator – and consequently to ours as well: a certain love for painting, and a particular disdain for its patriarchal authority. As such, Levine does not mechanically copy what precedes her, but rather makes it coincide with her own being – preserving it ‘against extinction, and [as] an assurance of immortality’, as she asserted in 1994, quoted in the exhibition brochure. This is the primary ambition of the work: its consequence belongs to her, as much as it does to us – intimately.

‘Sherrie Levine: 1977–1988’ is on view at the Aspen Art Museum until 29 September

^{Main image: Sherrie Levine, ‘After Walker Evans’, 1981, gelatin silver prints, dimensions variable. Courtesy: Aspen Art Museum; photograph: Daniel Pérez}

Duunnn dunnn… duuuunnnn duun.

Odds are you probably know what that line references without having to click the link. And there’s a good reason for that.

Sharks have been around for nearly 450 million years – a lot longer than humans. And in the relatively short time we’ve shared the planet with them, they’ve become a part of some of our most treasured pop culture moments. But that also means they’ve fallen victim to pop culture narratives.

Since the release of “Jaws” in 1975, sharks – especially great white sharks – have endured a reputation as aggressive and violent. But however we’re thinking about them on land, they’re struggling to survive at sea.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, nearly a third of all shark and ray species are threatened with extinction – with overfishing and harmful fishing practices at the top of the list of hazards.

We get into all things sharks, from the so-called “Jaws-effect,” to all the things we get wrong about this fascinating fish.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

Shia LaBeouf has settled a lawsuit from FKA twigs, who accused him of “relentless abuse” and knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease.

A lawyer for FKA twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, on Monday notified the court of a deal. Terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed. A trial was scheduled to start in September.

The singer-songwriter filed a lawsuit in 2020 bringing claims of sexual battery, assault, emotional distress and negligence. She alleged that the actor has a long history of abusing women.

According to the complaint, the pair met in 2018 around the time LaBeouf finished filming Honey Boy, with Barnett moving in with him shortly after. LaBeouf then engaged in a “continuous stream of verbal and mental abuse” before escalating to physical violence. In one incident, LaBeouf slammed Barnett against his car and strangled her, said the lawsuit, which noted that he kept a loaded rifle by their bedside.

Barnett was “subjected to a torrent of physical abuse from LaBeouf,” wrote Bryan Freedman, a lawyer for the musician, in the complaint. “After she had gone to bed, Tahliah awoke to LaBeouf towering over her and violently squeezing her body and arms against her will. LaBeouf then grasped his hands around Tahliah’s neck and began strangling her while whispering, ‘If you don’t stop you are going to lose me.’”

Karolyn Pho, a former girlfriend of LaBeouf’s, was also named in the lawsuit as having been allegedly abused by the actor.

At the time the lawsuit was filed, LaBeouf told the New York Times, “I’m not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.”

The actor was represented by Shawn Holley of Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP, who’s represented Michael Jackson, Danny Masterson and Justin Bieber.

In 1975, the Grateful Dead found themselves at Bob Weir’s home studio in Mill Valley, California, recording a new album. This time, though, was a bit different than their previous sessions: they recorded almost entirely without any pre-written material. “The whole idea was to get back to that band thing, where the band makes the main contribution to the evolution of the material,” Jerry Garcia said.

The result was the experimental Blues for Allah — an album that’s jazzy, otherworldly, and at times straight swamp-rock — that arrived after a rare hiatus from the road. For the 50th anniversary, the album will be celebrated with a deluxe edition, out Sept. 12.

Blues for Allah (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) contains 3 CDs: the remastered album (you can hear “The Music Never Stopped” below), rehearsals/soundcheck from their Aug. 12, 1975, show at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, and performances from their June 21, 1976, concert at Pennsylvania’s historic Tower Theatre.

The second CD contains portions of the Dead’s set at Bill Graham’s SNACK (Students Need Athletics, Culture, and Kicks) Benefit at Kezar Stadium on March 23, 1975. That show featured one of the only three known performances of the groovy instrumental “King Solomon’s Marbles,” and was a wild, three-keyboard set with Keith Godchaux, Ned Lagin, and Merl Saunders. (The benefit is also famous for Neil Young and Bob Dylan’s performance, the first time the two rock icons played together.)

In addition to the 3-CD set, Blues for Allah (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) will be available in a variety of formats, including a picture disc, limited-edition “Midnight Fire” vinyl (which features a replica lyric sheet with English and Arabic translations, like the original LP), and more.

“Blues for Allah is the Dead’s unique vision, a deeply humane parable that framed their own artistic renewal in the most inclusive, expansive terms,” Nicholas G. Meriwether, Executive Director of the Grateful Dead Studies Association, wrote in the liner notes. “Fifty years later, it remains one of their most musically successful and resolutely experimental albums.”

Editor’s picks

This year also marks the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary, which is being commemorated in a number of ways, from the massive 60-CD box set Enjoying the Ride to a screening of 1977’s The Grateful Dead Movie on IMAX. Dead & Company will also perform three nights at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park next month. As we’ve always known, the music never stopped.

Blues For Allah 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) CD Track List
Disc One
2025 Remaster
1. “Help On The Way” / “Slipknot!”
2. “Franklin’s Tower”
3. “King Solomon’s Marbles”
4. Part I: “Stronger Than Dirt”
5. Part II: “Milkin’ The Turkey”
6. “The Music Never Stopped”
7. “Crazy Fingers”
8. “Sage & Spirit”
9. “Blues For Allah”
10. “Sand Castles & Glass Camels”
11. “Unusual Occurrences In The Desert”

Disc Two
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA Soundcheck/Rehearsal (8/12/75)
1. “Help On The Way” >
2. “Slipknot!”
3. “Franklin’s Tower”
4. “Help On The Way” >
5. “Slipknot!”
6. “Franklin’s Tower”
7. “King Solomon’s Marbles”
8. “Crazy Fingers”
9. “Sage And Spirit”

Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA (3/23/75)
1. “Blues For Allah”
2. “Stronger Than Dirt (Or Milkin’ The Turkey)”
3. “Drums”
4. “Stronger Than Dirt (Or Milkin’ The Turkey)”
5. “Blues For Allah”

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Disc Three
Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA (6/21/76 and 6/22/76)
1. “The Music Never Stopped”
2. “Help On The Way” >
3. “Slipknot!” >
4. “Franklin’s Tower”
5. “Crazy Fingers”
6. “Comes A Time”
7. “Eyes Of The World” >
8. “Dancing In The Street”

Edinburgh Fringe’s annual funniest joke award has been scrapped for this year’s comedy festival, organisers have confirmed (no joke).

The award, launched in 2008 – providing many humorous headlines – is usually presented by the TV channel U&Dave [formerly Dave], which is owned by UKTV.

But its bosses said in a statement it was on pause “as our commissioning focus evolves”, so it could “reflect on how we continue to support comedy in the best way possible.”

It added: “While we’re resting the award this year, we remain committed to championing great comedy across U&Dave and beyond, and we’ll always look for ways to bring laughter to audiences in exciting ways.”

A witty pun about a sailing trip, listed below, was named as the funniest joke at last year’s event.

The prize has been criticised in some quarters for its tendency to always favour one-liners, while others have noted its ability to shine a light on newer comics.

UKTV noted it had been “originally created to celebrate and spotlight grassroots comedy talent.”

The esteemed but seperate Edinburgh comedy award recognises the best performance and routine overall each year.

But the funniest joke gong has been a mainstay of the festival for the best part of two decades, apart from during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The jokes are usually chosen by a panel of comedians and critics, then sent anonymously to 2,000 members of the public to collectively choose their favourite.

Here is a selection of winners from recent years that you can pass off as your own in the pub later on:

Following the announcement that the award was to be “rested”, production company Need to Know Comedy announced that it was reviving its (Some Guy Called) Dave award, calling for festival acts to email across one-liners from their show in exchange for a potential cash prize.

Miriam Margoyles, Jenny Eclair and Bill Bailey are among the performers appearing in more than 3,000 shows at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which begins on Friday 1 August.

Countless films and filmmakers have been influenced by auteur filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s body of work, especially his 1954 epic “Seven Samurai.”

The film, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, follows a group of seven samurai warriors who save a little village from annihilation at the hands of a group of bandits in 15th-century Japan.

Whether it’s Kurosawa’s storytelling, blocking, camera movement or even the use of weather as a character, his influences can be directly traced in modern cinema.

Quentin Tarantino’s films, such as “Kill Bill” and “Hateful Eight,” all have influences that were pulled from the film. In the 2012 film “Django Unchained,” hooded raiders come over a crested hill on horseback, which was a scene directly lifted from “Seven Samurai.”

Kurosawa’s film is the latest to screen as part of Variety 120 Screening Series presented by Barco, a summer-long program hosted by Jazz Tangcay that celebrates Variety‘s 120th anniversary by showing iconic films such as “All About Eve” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “The Dutchman” filmmaker Andre Gaines joined Tangcay for the conversation.

Speaking about the film’s impact and Kurosawa’s filmmaking style being so influential, Gaines said, “The degree of difficulty of what Kurosawa did for this film in 1954 cannot be overstated. The composition, the symmetry of the shots, just everything about it. Every shot has something, whether it’s rain, a clear sky, that shot through the trees that everybody has seen in multiple movies, or some mist. It’s just enchanting to watch.”

In recent times, the film has been called the first “Avengers” by some. “Well, this is the first movie that established an ensemble to fight the bad guys,” Gaines said. “It rounds up a bunch of heroes to come together to defeat a villain. What’s interesting is that you don’t see the villain very much.”

Over the years, the film has seen numerous alternate versions including the initial North American release, which was cut to 158 minutes and retitled “The Magnificent Seven.” Variety screened the film’s original version — the full 207-minute film — and some members of the audience, many of whom were experiencing the film for the first time, were shocked to hear the runtime. Gaines discussed the film’s pacing. “He, Kurosawa, famously said, ‘I kind of edit myself into a corner and force the editors to like pull me out of it.’ A lot of people don’t give him as much credit as he deserves as a writer, that’s where he always believed that’s when you start directing is when you can actually sit down on the blank page and really visualize your thoughts in a way that is easy to convey to your crew and easy for people, for an audience to understand. Like that’s the real essence of a story.”

Kurosawa’s genius also lies in how he shot an entire battle in rain and places the camera in the middle of the dirt and action of the battle. Since then, countless films have borrowed from that, such as “John Wick” to center a fight in pouring rain. Even Gaines used rain as a character in his latest feature “The Dutchman.” He said, “Rain is very much a character in the story, and that was a direct influence from Kurosawa and his body of work.” In shooting his thriller, he said he used rain and the elements “to heighten, expand and push emotion along.”

The “Star Wars” universe is filled with nods to Kurosawa, whether it’s plot, dialogue or even camera work. Most notably, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Season 2’s “Bounty Hunters” feature Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano partnering with bounty hunters to protect a village. And “The Mandalorian” Season 1 episode “Sanctuary” where Din Djarin and Cara Dune fight off raiders threatening krill farmers on an alien planet.

Gaines pointed out the reason filmmakers continue to borrow from “Seven Samurai” is that the film is “a masterclass in craftsmanship at the end of the day.” He added, “You can, you can borrow something from this movie for an entire directorial career and still not reach the heights that it did.”

They were the home decor equivalent of a vacation photo album. “Plate walls are a way to showcase creativity and also create a unique display of personal memorabilia—places visited, objects picked up along the way,” shares Olympia Irving of tableware brand Carolina Irving & Daughters. Adds Lauren McGrath, of New York-based interior design studio Studio McGrath: “Plate walls have a warm and nostalgic feel to them, and people are looking for ways to make their spaces feel incredibly personal, which vintage and collected plates definitely do.”

Throughout the years, collectors often peppered their walls with hand-painted blue-and-white pieces—ranging from Dutch delftware to prized pieces from the Ming Dynasty—layering artistry and global influence into a single display. But over time, as styles shifted and mass production came into the picture, they began to read a little less Grand Palais and more grandma’s house.

Now, interior designers are bringing them back—albeit in thoughtful and contemporary ways, or as personal design statements with depth. “They offer a rare mix of impact and intimacy,” says Alice Russotti, co-founder of Porta. “They can fill a wall with presence and personality—without the cost or formality of traditional artwork. People are always looking for ways to express themselves at home, and plate walls allow for that through the tactile, personal nature of curating and arranging each piece.”

“It’s about the choice and the story behind the plates,” says designer Clare Vivier, who has plate walls in both her homes. “The ones I have in our L.A. house are from Kneeland & Co. and they are vintage Michoacán plates—a nod to my Mexican heritage. And in our France house, we have Malicorne plates, which are local to the Loire Valley region.”

Jennifer Perez of Italian dinnerware brand Ivo Angel, who recently installed a plate wall in her new Cortona shop, agrees. “I think the comeback of the plate wall is really about the movement to surround ourselves with meaningful pieces and to evoke memories of places and experiences,” she shares. “Living in Italy, I see plate walls in many Tuscan homes and villas and while they certainly carry a sense of nostalgia, they also continuously tell a story.”

The plate wall at the Ivo Angel store in Cortona.

Photo: Elia Misesti