What is the point of the George R.R. Martin extended universe?
House of the Dragon is still finding its feet and has yet to provide the visceral thrills that might be expected of it
Alexander Larman
Alexander Larman is an author and the US books editor of The Spectator.
Tuesday
Tuesday
It’s no surprise McDonald’s is struggling
From our UK edition
The news that McDonald’s sales have fallen by 1 per cent around the world between April and June might not seem, on the face of it, to be vastly significant. After all, surely there will always be a market for cheap and cheerful hamburgers, chicken nuggets and chips that even Michelin-starred chefs rave about? Apparently
Monday
The revival of Marvel
With Deadpool & Wolverine , Marvel is back, back, back, baby
Sunday
What happened to the Rishi Sunak I knew at school?
From our UK edition
Rishi Sunak’s political journey over the past few years was summed up by him well in a joke he made responding to the King’s speech earlier this month: ‘On the government benches, life comes at you fast…before you know it, you have a bright future behind you, and you are left wondering if you can
Friday
Prince Harry will never win his war on the tabloids
From our UK edition
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, according to the old adage; and so it stands that someone who you find generally objectionable can also, occasionally, be correct. Many people who would not count themselves fans of Prince Harry would find it hard not to sympathise with his ongoing campaign against more scurrilous elements
Monday
Glen Powell is your new favorite movie star
Twisters represents his latest assault on the box office and America’s affections alike
Thursday
Why New York is a city built on the written word
To have been born there and live there all your life? It is hard to imagine any author having a greater privilege
Wednesday
Emmy nominations 2024: shocks and surprises
Largely a fair judgement on a considerable year for television
What did Charles make of his King’s Speech?
From our UK edition
The protesters were out, as usual, but nobody was paying them a lot of attention. For all the angry bellowing and sign-waving of ‘Not my King!’ and ‘Down with the Crown’, most observers were not focusing on a small, disaffected rabble outside parliament, but instead on the constitutional and historical significance of the occasion. The
Monday
What does the future hold for Alec Baldwin?
He is now a free man and able to resume a career that has undergone some spectacular highs and lows over the past few decades
Wednesday
What will the relationship between Starmer and King Charles be like?
From our UK edition
When the King greeted Keir Starmer last Friday, his first words to him were: ‘You must be utterly exhausted and nearly on your knees’, to which the new Prime Minister replied: ‘Not much sleep.’ From the body language and easy rapport between the two men, most inferred that this was a relationship that was likely
Tuesday
Can Gladiator II save a genre — and a studio?
It would be nigh-on impossible to compete with the original
Monday
Has America had enough of Prince Harry?
From our UK edition
It must be a strange time to be Prince Harry. A year and a half ago, he was the most famous man in the world, thanks to the headline-grabbing publication of his autobiography Spare. Whether you thought it was brave, incisive and fascinating, or overwritten tawdry nonsense, it was hard not to have an opinion
Wednesday
The new Beverly Hills Cop hearkens to a bygone age of movies
It has the comforting throwback feel of a movie that could have been made virtually any time over the past few decades
Thursday
Paramount is in big trouble
If proper action is taken, then the situation is redeemable
Wednesday
What happened to all the celebrity election endorsements?
From our UK edition
JK Rowling’s denunciation of Labour leader Keir Starmer marked a rare moment in the election – a campaign in which the celebs have fallen quiet. At the 1997 election, Labour’s landslide was accompanied both by explicit endorsements from the great and the good. Noel Gallagher and Geri Halliwell, those two Britpop icons, both appeared alongside
Monday
Let’s hope Princess Anne makes a swift recovery
From our UK edition
This year has been one of the worst imaginable for the Royals. The King and the Princess of Wales are both battling cancer, and now Princess Anne has been hospitalised, suffering what is said to be ‘minor injuries and concussion’ following an incident involving a horse. The Princess Royal, who is 73, was rushed to
Friday
RIP Donald Sutherland, a Hollywood master
He was an actor who, even in the weakest films he appeared in, brought class and dignity
Monday
Is the hype for The Bee Sting justified?
Over the course of 600-odd pages, Paul Murray marshals elements of tragedy, black comedy and drama with consummate skill
Plenty of drama but no controversy at the 2024 Tonys
The producers will, you feel, be relieved today