Across the board, attendance has not surpassed three-quarters of pre-pandemic levels in the past six months. Between February and July 2022, visitor numbers remained between 35% and 75% of those during that same period in 2019, with many hovering near 50% or 60% of pre-pandemic levels. - Crosscut
Sure, the service mostly died in 2019 - but it's being revived now, and a lot of hardcore users still have their MoviePass cards. "It was a badge that gave you permission to see the worst that Hollywood had to offer while creating a buffer," one says. - Wired
Clément Chéroux arrived just two years ago, and during his time MoMA "was closed for the coronavirus pandemic and its programming was disrupted." He's leaving to direct the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in Paris. - The New York Times
"As a veteran of long-running shows, I’ve found there comes a point with the greatest show where the only thing you can do is to tell people it isn’t going to be there indefinitely." - The New York Times
In 1975, Penny Wolin took photos of everything at the St. Francis residential hotel, "from an American man in his 70s and his new French-born girlfriend, to the empty room that had belonged to a stuntman until he died the night before Wolin was due to photograph him." - NPR
Richie Weeks - aka the Love Magician - lived his working life sorting the mail, but his other working life producing and creating music all night. But "I could not give up my pension," he said, "because I thought the music thing might be frivolous." - The New York Times
The judge "decided two of three claims that Mitchell filed against the producers — assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress — could not proceed." - Los Angeles Times
"The new report by the Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW) identified 108 medieval and early modern Armenian monasteries, churches, and cemeteries in Nakhichevan that were completely destroyed between 1997 and 2011 — an eradication." - Hyperallergic
So does every other country's belief in its war history, of course. "Versions told by autocrats and family men trample diary entries and letters. Stories, or rather silences, around the Siege have haunted Leningrad-native Barskova her entire life." - LitHub
Apparently, some people can't predict when a Black woman-led (and directed) action film might truly perform at the theatre. But "The Woman King received rapturous reviews. More important, ticket buyers gave the PG-13 movie an A-plus grade in CinemaScore exit polls." - The New York Times
As the musical closes, the production team says they're proud of the work that the musical has done to bring teen mental health forward in pop culture. And they give tribute to the twin sisters who saw the show, everywhere, hundreds of times. - American Theatre
"The Native American activist, who endured decades of harassment after declining Marlon Brando's best actor prize at the 1973 Oscars ceremony, received a formal apology from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences." - CBC
"The academy is looking for more experienced TV veterans to steer the Oscars, which has been dogged by declining ratings for years, and hopes to establish an ongoing relationship with producers over multiple years." Then there was the Slap. - Los Angeles Times
The fire "was first reported shortly after 11 p.m. involving 10 trees at the location of Highland Avenue and the Hollywood Freeway, near the storied outdoor concert venue." No injuries were reported, and the fire was quickly extinguished. - The Hollywood Reporter
