Solitary confinement, theoretically used only when a prisoner is at high risk of harm to or from others, has long been regarded as a severe punitive measure best applied in small doses. The United Nations’ “Mandela Rules” recommend inmates be placed in such conditions for no more than 15 days, to avoid significant damage to…

Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” has lived up to its blockbuster potential and then some. Billboard reported Sunday that, per data provided by Luminate, the new release racked up 2.61 million album-equivalent units in its first week out — the best one-week figure for any album in nine years. The last album to debut…

For more than half a century, “Cabaret” — the iconic American musical set in Nazi Germany — has been produced, revived and revived again. This story, which touches on sex work, abortion and a complex female protagonist in Sally Bowles, has spoken to audiences generation after generation.  But another element of the production stayed true…

“The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth film in the Don Lee-starring crime action franchise, earned $20.8 million between Friday and Sunday and punched out all competition at the South Korean box office. “Challengers,” which headed the box office this weekend in North America, with $15 million, opened fourth in Korea a 0.5% market share. “Punishment” accounted…

European powerhouse Mediawan has acquired Leonine, a leading production and distribution group active in German-speaking markets. With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range….

Beyonce did not show up. Reba did. And it was enough. At least it was for the 70,000 in Indio watching the Stagecoach festival live, if not necessarily all of the probably hundreds of thousands more tuned in at home strictly in hopes of a Bey sighting. As single ladies doubling up, Miranda Lambert and…

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains plot details for “Challengers,” now playing in theaters. Josh O’Connor never had a churro until he shot “Challengers.” The British actor and his co-star Mike Faist enjoy the fried doughy treat in one of the film’s most suggestive scenes. In short, Patrick (O’Connor) is visiting his girlfriend Tashi (Zendaya) and…

Game, set, and now what to make of this match? “Challengers,” a sexy, subversive, R-rated drama set in the world of tennis, easily took first place at a sluggish domestic box office this weekend with a so-so $15.2 million. On the one hand, it’s a respectable result for an artsy movie aimed at discerning, adult…

A pair of Warner Bros. releases have achieved some important box office milestones. “Dune: Part Two,” the acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s monumental sci-fi novel, has passed $700 million worldwide, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” the latest installment in the long-running monster franchise, eclipsed $500 million at the global box office. Both films were produced…

Colman Domingo never imagined he would be “a 100 of anything.” “The fact that I’m one of the 100 most influential people in the world feels like I have a lot to live up to, and I want to because I don’t take that lightly,” Domingo told Variety on the red carpet at the Time100 Gala…