Eric Althoff

‘Rogue One’ uncanny valley of Grand Moff Tarkin likely to continue in ‘Star Wars’ for years

It is not news that Grand Moff Tarkin and Peter Cushing, the actor who portrayed the Imperial stooge in 1977, are no longer with us, through means both Rebel Alliance-caused (in the former) and, through cancer and natural old age (the latter). By now, with "Rogue One" raking in a half-billion and counting for Disney, it is likewise no longer secret that Tarkin has been resurrected for the new "Star Wars" standalone film.

December 20, 2016

TRAVEL: Williamsburg, Virginia, offers craft beer and whiskey, oyster trail, food and relaxation

Chances are when you mention Williamsburg, Virginia, those within hearing range are likely to respond, "Oh, you mean that place where they recreate Colonial times?" While, yes, Colonial Williamsburg is indeed a major attraction in the riverside city 150 miles south of the nation's capital, there is far more culture to this town sandwiched between the James and York rivers beyond the (absolutely thorough) recreation of 18th century American life.

December 13, 2016

Memphis band Snowglobe tries experimental rock in a blues town

Memphis is certainly not short on musical talent, and local boys Snowglobe are keeping at with this self-titled effort, their sixth album.

December 13, 2016

Movie review: ‘Rogue One’

Well, here it is, then: a story you didn't know that maybe didn't need to be told.

December 13, 2016

Watergate Hotel’s luxury whiskey bar gets its name from a Doors song

The Watergate Hotel -- forever linked to the scandal that brought down President Nixon and lending the suffix "gate" to any brouhaha since -- recently underwent a $200 million renovation to bring the iconic waterfront property up to date and lure in luxurious travelers to the District. As part of that major facelift, the Watergate now features The Next Whisky Bar, a ground-floor bar fully stocked with American and Scotch whiskies for every palate, and a mixology program to match.

December 11, 2016

Natalie Portman performance as Jacqueline Kennedy praised by ‘Jackie’ screenwriter

"John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy led private lives that were completely off-limits to the press and to the American public in a way that would be incomprehensible right now," said Noah Oppenheim, screenwriter of the new film "Jackie." "In the Kennedy era, the idea that the public would have first-hand knowledge of every conversation taking place in the halls of government would have seemed preposterous."

December 7, 2016

‘Office Christmas Party’ directors hope Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman film will be holiday classic

Chances are, your company's holiday shindig will not be quite as uproarious as the one that takes hilarious center stage in "Office Christmas Party." Or, at the very least, not as much as an HR nightmare waiting to happen. "Just as 'The Hangover' was the fantasy version of a bachelor party, I think this is the fantasy version of an office Christmas party," co-director Will Speck told The Washington Times of the comedy romp, which opens Friday.

December 6, 2016

MGM National Harbor theater to showcase Cher, Boys II Men, Bruno Mars

The MGM National Harbor casino and resort is set to open this week on the capital's doorstep. The Philadelphia-based R&B group Boyz II Men is set to break in the new venue on Dec. 15, with contemporary favorites Bruno Mars and the Impractical Jokers headlining there in the final weeks of 2016. Superstar Cher, who is undertaking a residency at MGM properties, will give at least a dozen performances at National Harbor in 2017.

December 5, 2016

Jessica Chastain says ‘Miss Sloane’ character allowed to be more like a man

"Her MO is different from mine, because I would have a lot of difficulty doing the things she does," Jessica Chastain said of her lobbyist character in "Miss Sloane," seen on the film's poster glowering over a representation of the U.S. Capitol. "She justifies everything with the good of the many or the good of the few."

December 4, 2016

TRAVEL: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello provides peek into complicated president

The legacy of Thomas Jefferson, our nation's third president, presents a complicated narrative when seen from the hindsight of two subsequent centuries of progress. How can it be that the same man who penned the almighty words "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights" could also, over the course of his lifetime, own hundreds of enslaved blacks at his estate but 120 miles from the nation's capital?

December 1, 2016

Nobel laureates hope to inspire young students, combat anti-intellectual environment

The Embassy of Sweden, known colloquially as the House of Sweden, hosted its annual Nobel Laureate Symposium Wednesday, honoring four of the 2016 laureates who, despite being natives of the U.K., are now all based in America.

November 30, 2016

‘Westworld’ star Evan Rachel Wood says she was raped twice: report

"Westworld" star Evan Rachel Wood said in an interview with Rolling Stone that she has been raped twice in her life, once by a significant other and once by a bar owner, CNN is reporting. "I don't believe we live in a time where people can stay silent any longer," the 29-year-old actress wrote in a Twitter post.

November 29, 2016

Cristophe salon in Washington, D.C., has grand reopening with founder in attendance

Luxury haircutter Cristophe salon has unveiled a classy new look for its District location in Northwest. The District location -- one of four in the company's profile -- has been patronized by the likes of the Clintons and other politicos for decades. The founder himself will even be on hand Wednesday evening as the business celebrates its grand reopening.

November 28, 2016

TRAVEL: Oklahoma City offers restaurants, cowboy history, craft beer and bombing memorial

The Washington Times spent a weekend in Oklahoma City to experience its cuisine, its culture, its history and its ever-evolving present. What I found amazed, inspired and upended any preconceived notion I brought along with me to the 46th state to enter the union.

November 27, 2016

Documentary ‘The Connected Universe’ shows how all is intertwined

The new documentary "The Connected Universe," now available on demand, explores the truly interconnected nature of, to put it bluntly, all things. Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart -- who better to take a trip to the final frontiers of space, time and knowledge? -- the film from director Malcolm Carter shows physicists, philosophers and teachers explaining precisely how it all comes together.

November 24, 2016

Christian Thanksgiving film ‘Winter Thaw’ brings Tolstoy’s message says star John Rhys-Davies

Based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy called "Martin the Cobbler" -- alternately known as "Where Love Is, God Is" -- "Winter Thaw" stars John Rhys-Davies as Martin Avdeitch, a disbelieving, penurious cobbler who, through a series of interactions with strangers, begins to again feel the touch of the divine.

November 23, 2016

Thanksgiving wine deals offered by Windrun, Santa Margherita

The holidays call for drinking, but then what doesn't these days. Many vintners are unearthing special holiday-related deals that will help lubricate family gatherings as 2016 winds down -- and thus help those verboten discussions about politics and religion, if not go smoother, at least hopefully be sooner forgotten.

November 21, 2016

TRAVEL: Beatles tours in Liverpool offer peek into Fab Four’s youth and legacy

The Beatles and Liverpool Rail Day Trip is an all-day, self-guided sojourn to the northwest of England to a city that was on the map for hundreds of years before the Fab Four made it world-famous -- enshrining it, and its highly talented native quartet -- forever in the popular imagination.

November 16, 2016

The Fray tours behind greatest hits compilation

Hard to believe, but The Fray has been rocking out since 2002, and has put out enough material for their first greatest-hits collection, "Through the Years." It includes staples "Over My Head (Cable Car)," "How to Save a Life," "You Found Me."

November 15, 2016

Goat cheese maker Cypress Grove offers tips on pairing products with beers

One typically thinks of cheese being paired with wine, but Northern California artisan goat cheese maker Cypress Grove, who recently held court at Great American Beer Festival, is enriching the lives of beer enthusiasts with its recommendation for pairing some of its products with certain of the more popular kinds of craft beers.

November 13, 2016