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The best films of 2026 (so far): experiments in big-swing cinema
You hear it all the time. Hell, you might have even said it yourself (I know I have): “Hollywood’s out...
You don’t need AI to write a love letter
For the past year or so, I’ve been checking in semi-regularly with the corner of Reddit in which people crowdsource...
Kim Thayil’s “A Screaming Life” will make you hear Soundgarden differently
2026 has been a year of great music books, and another contender for that list has arrived. Soundgarden founding member...
Wait, is “Backrooms” actually about Silicon Valley?
“Backrooms,” the No. 1 movie in the country currently, is a horror movie that takes place in a seemingly endless...
Only in New York: Trump, Mamdani and Elmo talk NBA finals
The New York Knicks return home Monday night for Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a 2-0 series lead,...
Earth, Wind & Fire’s music is universal
There’s an Earth, Wind & Fire song to suit every mood and memory. Hip-hop artist and producer Anderson .Paak associates...
Ryan O’Connell is his own inspiration porn
“I’m normalizing taking interviews from bed,” says writer/actor/showrunner Ryan O’Connell, cheerfully and horizontally. “I think it’s time.” The 39-year-old author-actor-screenwriter...
What Salon’s DJs are spinning this summer
When I started The Swell newsletter last December, I wanted the bonus culture recommendation to start with Salon’s staff before...
How “Cars” ruined Pixar
It’s rare for a children’s movie to leave the viewer with more questions than answers. Brevity is their whole point....
Nat and Alex Wolff were Beatles fans before they were born
Actors, musicians and self-proclaimed “Beatles fanatics” Nat and Alex Wolff joined host Kenneth Womack to discuss being introduced to Beatles...
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