Review: Nicolas Cage-starring horror-mystery ‘Longlegs’ falls flat
Updated 14 July 2024
Gautaman Bhaskaran
CHENNAI: If one were to walk into a theater to watch “Longlegs” in the hopes of finding something even remotely novel or different from the dozens of horror films that have played in cinemas over the years, disappointment awaits.
Set to be released in Saudi cinemas on July 18, the film is set in 1990s Oregon where mist and fog creep across a deserted, snow-covered landscape. Despite the sometimes eerie set, the movie does not manage to create a sense of sheer terror. Writer-director Osgood Perkins’ work appears clumsy, relying mostly on mood and atmosphere rather than on a substantial core as it follows FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) on the trail of a notorious serial killer, played by Nicolas Cage.
Cage is completely hidden under a heavy disguise, with his expressions impossible to fathom, which is a pity because love him or hate him, he is an emotive performer.
Leaving behind coded notes signed as Longlegs — notes that Harker manages to crack as she tries to capture him — the devil on the prowl convinces fathers to murder their wives and children and then commit suicide. Dozens of families are wiped out, but the case itself is a mystery with details that do not add up to a believable whole.
Perkins has a penchant for style over substance — it’s a calling card that has marked his career, beginning with his 2015 debut “The Blackcoat's Daughter.” The director seems to lose his grip over the narrative and lets it sink into nonsensical oblivion. The dialogue is clumsy and the plot is peppered with plot holes.
If there is one plus point in the entire 101 minutes it is Monroe, who rises above a shoddily written part to convince audiences that she can offer a semblance of excellence in a story that seems to go nowhere.
Art Week Riyadh to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s dynamic cultural scene
Curatorial team includes local, regional and international contemporary art specialists
Vittoria Matarrese: Art Week Riyadh represents an extraordinary opportunity to engage with a city and region undergoing profound cultural transformation
Updated 03 March 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: The Visual Arts Commission has announced the curatorial team for the inaugural Art Week Riyadh, scheduled to take place from April 6 to 13 under the theme “At the Edge.”
The team features artistic director and curator Vittoria Matarrese, associate curators Basma Harasani and Victoria Gandit Lelandais, and public program curator Shumon Basar.
Matarrese, the former director of the Bally Foundation in Switzerland and the performing arts department at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, praised the initiative.
“Art Week Riyadh represents an extraordinary opportunity to engage with a city and region undergoing profound cultural transformation. It is a platform to explore these shifts and reveal how tradition and acceleration coexist and evolve.”
Harasani said the project “is a testament to the remarkable progress the country has made in establishing itself within the global cultural narrative, while still preserving its authenticity and showcasing the very best the Kingdom has to offer.”
Art Week Riyadh will take place at Jax district, featuring activities across the city. And a curated selection of artworks from more than 30 local, regional and international galleries and collections.
Additionally, it will have panel discussions, interactive sessions, and special events designed to showcase Riyadh’s cultural vitality, its evolving artistic landscape, and growing influence on the global stage.
Gandit Lelandais, a specialist in contemporary art from the Arab world, said the “fact that Art Week Riyadh exists demonstrates the intentional development of a thriving art ecosystem.”
There was “a clear vision to foster a healthy environment for growth among all the key players — galleries, artists, institutions, scholars, collectors, and more.
“This initiative is invaluable, offering a city-wide platform for critical discussions, dialogue, and reflection under one roof.”
Basar said: “Art Week Riyadh offers a moment to frame everything that has happened in the arts in Riyadh, in the Kingdom, and in the region over the last years and decades.
“And to dialogue that with global-scale conversations in an increasingly multipolar world.”
The curators have broadened the concept of the theme “At the Edge” to create a program uniting leading cultural institutions, renowned artists, art patrons and enthusiasts, top galleries, and prestigious art collections.
DUBAI: Australian actor Guy Pearce donned a pin in support of Palestinians at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday.
On the red carpet, “The Brutalist” actor donned a pin of a white dove holding an olive branch with the phrase “Free Palestine” written on it.
A best supporting actor nominee for “The Brutalist,” Pearce has worn pins at several public appearances since last year.
Controversy occurred when Vanity Fair France photoshopped his pin out of a photograph taken of Pearce on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet in 2024.
“As the Palestinian people are already suffering great trauma and loss due to the vengeful regime of Netanyahu,” Pearce wrote in an email to CNN at the time, “it is most unfortunate that a reputable publication like VF attempts to eliminate support that I or anyone chooses to offer.”
‘No Other Land’, a collaboration of Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, wins Oscar for best documentary
“No Other Land” highlights Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by Israeli military
The documentary has not found a US distributor after being picked up for distribution in 24 countries
Updated 03 March 2025
AP
LOS ANGELES: “No Other Land,” the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military, won the Oscar for best documentary on Sunday.
The collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers follows activist Basel Adra as he risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown, which Israeli soldiers are tearing down to use as a military training zone, at the southern edge of the West Bank. Adra’s pleas fall on deaf ears until he befriends a Jewish Israeli journalist who helps him amplify his story.
“About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now, always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions and forcible displacements,” said Adra.
“No Other Land” came into the night a top contender after a successful run on the film festival circuit. It did not, however, find a US distributor after being picked up for distribution in 24 countries. For the Oscar, it beat out “Porcelain War,” “Sugarcane,” “Black Box Diaries” and “Soundtrack to a Coup d’État.”
Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham accept the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film for "No Other Land" during the Oscars show in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 2, 2025. (REUTERS)
The documentary was filmed over four years between 2019 and 2023, wrapping production days before Hamas launched its deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the war in Gaza.
In the film, Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham embeds in a community fighting displacement, but he faces some pushback from Palestinians who point out his privileges as an Israeli citizen. Adra says he is unable to leave the West Bank and is treated like a criminal, while Abraham can come and go freely.
The film is heavily reliant on camcorder footage from Adra’s personal archive. He captures Israeli soldiers bulldozing the village school and filling water wells with cement to prevent people from rebuilding.
Residents of the small, rugged region of Masafer Yatta band together after Adra films an Israeli soldier shooting a local man who is protesting the demolition of his home. The man becomes paralyzed, and his mother struggles to take care of him while living in a cave.
Oscars fashion round up: Arab designs and standout looks on the red carpet
Updated 03 March 2025
Arab News AFP
DUBAI/ LOS ANGELES: After a long season of red carpet events, Hollywood's top stars brought their best fashion yet to the Oscars on Sunday.
A handful of designers represented the Middle East, with Saudi couturier Mohammed Ashi, Lebanon’s Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad, and Egyptian-helmed label Marmar Halim dressing attendees.
Ashi, the founder of Paris-based fashion house Ashi Studio, dressed US actress Meg Ryan, as well as French Algerian author and YouTube star Lena Mahfouf. US actress and director Anna Kendrick opted for a Fall/Winter 2024 ready-to-wear look by Ashi Studio at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, held after the Academy Awards.
French Algerian author and YouTube star Lena Mahfouf. (Getty Images)
At the ceremony, Danish actress Connie Nielsen and English star Annabelle Wallis opted for looks by Elie Saab, with Nielsen sporting a soft pink gown from his Spring/Summer 2025 couture collection and vintage Joseph Saidian and Sons jewelry.
Annabelle Wallis opted for a look by Elie Saab. (Getty Images)
Co-countryman Zuhair Murad dressed TV host Kelly Ripa and actress Keleigh Teller in bright orange and pale blue, respectively. Ripa’s gown hailed from the fashion house’s ready-to-wear Resort 2025 collection, while Teller showed off a look with floral beaded details from Murad’s ready-to-wear Fall 2024 collection.
Zuhair Murad dressed TV host Kelly Ripa and actress Keleigh Teller in bright orange and pale blue, respectively. (Getty Images)
US actress Ryan Michelle Bathe showed off a gown by Dubai-based Egyptian-led label Marmar Halim
While some A-listers matched their looks to their roles (hello, cast of “Wicked”), others went for classic old school Hollywood glamour.
Ariana Grande has worn an array of Glinda-coded pink gowns since kicking off a long press tour for the hit musical and then for awards season. But the nominee for best supporting actress saved the best for last, floating down the red carpet in a sculptural pale Schiaparelli peplum gown. The strapless bodice flounced at the waist and laced up the back. The dress then cascaded to the floor in a glimmering cloud of tulle.
Ariana Grande in a sculptural pale Schiaparelli peplum gown. (Getty Images)
Co-star Cynthia Erivo, a nominee for best actress, went for her Elphaba moment in a majestic dark green velvet Louis Vuitton gown with a high pointed collar, a wide neckline, a full skirt and her signature long nails.
Cynthia Erivo, a nominee for best actress, went for her Elphaba moment in a majestic dark green velvet Louis Vuitton gown. (Getty Images)
Jeff Goldblum -- who plays the Wizard -- wore a cream double breasted Prada jacket, dark pants, floral shirt and a purple floral brooch.
For mere mortals, wearing white is a challenge. For Hollywood stars, it screams old-school glamour.
Elle Fanning (“A Complete Unknown”) wore a lacy white Givenchy gown with a prominent black bow at the waist -- and a vintage Cartier diamond necklace. Her blonde tresses were swept into a sleek up-do.
Lupita Nyong'o, who voiced Roz in the animated feature “The Wild Robot,” rocked a white Chanel gown with pearl-encrusted straps, a silvery bodice overlay and a sweet bow at the waist.
The red carpet sparkled with glittering confections.
Demi Moore may not have won the best actress Oscar for her gripping turn in body horror flick “The Substance,” but she was dressed for the moment, wearing a body-skimming silver Armani gown with a plunging neckline and full train. And past best actress winner Emma Stone shimmered in a sequined nude Louis Vuitton gown, her pixie cut slicked back.
Amid a flurry of nude, shimmering gowns, a few stars stood out for wearing bold hues fit for royalty.
Zoe Saldana, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for her work in “Emilia Perez,” reigned supreme in a burgundy tiered Saint Laurent bubble gown. (Getty Images)
Zoe Saldana, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for her work in “Emilia Perez,” reigned supreme in a burgundy tiered Saint Laurent bubble gown with sheer black opera gloves.
And Colman Domingo, who often wins the red carpet for Hollywood's men, wore a custom Valentino belted red jacket with black lapels and a sparkling brooch over black trousers.
‘No Other Land’, a collaboration of Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, wins Oscar for best documentary
The collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers follows activist Basel Adra as he risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown
In the film, Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham embeds in a community fighting displacement
Updated 03 March 2025
Arab News and AP
DUBAI/ LOS ANGELES: “No Other Land,” the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military, has won the Oscar for best documentary.
The film’s co-directors, Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham used their speeches to call for an end to the “ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
The collaboration between the Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers follows activist Adra as he risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown, which Israeli soldiers are tearing down to use as a military training zone, at the southern edge of the West Bank.
Adra’s pleas fall on deaf ears until he befriends a Jewish Israeli journalist who helps him amplify his story.
“About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now, always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions and forcible displacements,” Adra said on stage in Los Angeles.
“‘No Other Land’ reflects the harsh reality that we have been enduring for decades and still resist as we call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people," he added.
Abraham, an Israeli journalist, spoke at length about why their film was a collaboration between Israelis and Palestinians.
“We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together, our voices are stronger,” he said.
“We see each other, the destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end, the Israeli hostages, brutally taken in the crime of Oct. 7, which must be freed.”
In his speech, Abraham added that he and Adra lived “unequal” lives.
“We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life and he cannot control,” he said.
“There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people.”
Abraham stated that US foreign policy under the administration of President Donald Trump “is helping to block this path.”
“Why can’t you see that we are intertwined, that my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe?” he added.
“No Other Land” came into the night a top contender after a successful run on the film festival circuit.
It did not, however, find a US distributor after being picked up for distribution in 24 countries.
For the Oscar, it beat out “Porcelain War,” “Sugarcane,” “Black Box Diaries” and “Soundtrack to a Coup d’État.”
The documentary was filmed over four years between 2019 and 2023, wrapping production days before Hamas launched its deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the current war in Gaza.
In the film, Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham embeds in a community fighting displacement, but he faces some pushback from Palestinians who point out his privileges as an Israeli citizen. Adra says he is unable to leave the West Bank and is treated like a criminal, while Abraham can come and go freely.
The film is heavily reliant on camcorder footage from Adra’s personal archive.
He captures Israeli soldiers bulldozing the village school and filling water wells with cement to prevent people from rebuilding.
Residents of the small, rugged region of Masafer Yatta band together after Adra films an Israeli soldier shooting a local man who is protesting the demolition of his home. The man becomes paralyzed, and his mother struggles to take care of him while living in a cave.
