Eric Althoff

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Indignation’ translates Philip Roth’s novel into searing screen melodrama

Philip Roth's book "Indignation" is now a film directed by James Schamus. "Indignation" has the strength of its convictions and creates living, breathing characters in a setting that is fully inhabited by its denizens. Its highs are earned, and its lows, as aching as they are, have a certain poetry underpinned by the longings of tragedy.

August 4, 2016

Donald Trump purchase of improv theater was life imitating art of ‘Don’t Think Twice’ film

In improv, anything can happen. And what happens up there can either lead to comedy gold or to uncomfortable silence. Improvisation workshops have also been the launching pad for many of Hollywood's top comedians. Indeed, one of them, Keegan-Michael Key, stars in the new film "Don't Think Twice," a comedy-drama about a New York improv troupe trying to make their name in a rather crowded field that is the Gotham comedy scene.

August 1, 2016

Laura Chenel’s and Marin French Cheese embrace spicy cheese trend

For those who like their fromage a little bit on the hot side, artisanal Northern California cheesemakers Marin French Cheese and Laura Chenel's are incorporating jalapeno, pimento and even chili peppers into their summertime products.

July 31, 2016

Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin says band is on its farewell tour

They've still go the beat -- and the Go-Go's are bringing it back to the the Warner Theatre in nation's capital Friday as part of their farewell tour.

July 31, 2016

Cirque du Soleil show ‘Kurios’ in Washington, D.C., provides entertainment at its finest

If the combined dreams of Guillermo Del Toro, Terry Gilliam and Jean-Pierre Jeunet had a baby that crossbred with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and then raised by P.T. Barnum, you would have the magnanimous, singularly amazing show from Cirque du Soleil called "Kurios -- Cabinet of Curiosities," playing at Tysons II in Tysons, Virginia, through Sept. 18.

July 31, 2016

TRAVEL: Charleston, West Virginia, offers adventures, culture and cuisine

West Virginia defies easy categorization. The capital city of Charleston and its environs offer hidden gems of nature, cuisine and culture that are but a few hours' drive from the nation's capital. The Washington Times was recently invited to "almost heaven" to experience the treasures of the southwestern part of the state. Along the way, so much wonder and adventure was found in the hills and vales of the Mountain State.

July 28, 2016

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Star Trek Beyond’ fails to lift off

After an outstanding outer space action thriller reboot in "Star Trek" (2009) and a mediocre, if valiant, attempt to redo the gospel standard of all Trek films in "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013), here we now have "Star Trek Beyond," a tepid, bland exercise that recycles some familiar Trek tropes but is, in the end, just another sophomoric action movie.

July 22, 2016

The Bacon Brothers to play in D.C. for three-night stand at Birchmere

Right about the time the pre-IMDB "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game was making the rounds, Mr. Bacon and older brother Michael, a career guitarist and songwriter, decided to take their lifelong love of American music on the road. Two decades later, The Bacon Brothers are going strong, with a weekend-long residency at The Birchmere bowing on Friday.

July 20, 2016

Fox 5 WTTG anchor Jim Lokay throws out first pitch on ‘Jim Appreciation Night’

Fox 5 anchor Jim Lokay threw out the first pitch at last Thursday's game between at Baltimore Orioles' AA affiliate the Bowie Baysox as part of "Jim Appreciation Night," whose purpose is to celebrate people named James or Jim in the sports and pop culture worlds.

July 18, 2016

Ketel One unveils Citroen cocktails for ‘Legally Blonde’ 15th anniversary

In honor of the crystal anniversary of the Reese Witherspoon-starring "Legally Blonde," Ketel One Vodka is offering up ways for you to celebrate Elle's journey from airhead to attorney with four specially crafted cocktails -- all of them concocted with the lemony Ketel One Citroen Flavored Vodka.

July 18, 2016

‘Martial Arts Kid’ reunites Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock

Even within the martial arts genre, there are subcategories of familiar plots: the revenge story, the tournament drama and the master-student relationship story. It is the latter that has been revisited in the new film "The Martial Arts Kid," starring two warhorses of the martial arts film world, Don "The Dragon" Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock.

July 18, 2016

‘Life, Animated’ shows autistic son relating to world through Disney cartoons

Owen is now a young man with an easy smile, and is wholly unafflicted by self-seriousness. He and his New York family -- father Ron, an award-winning journalist, mother Cornelia and brother Walter -- were in the nation's capital recently for AFI Docs fest, where their incredible story was shown in "Life, Animated." The documentary, directed by Roger Ross Williams, follows this singularly wonderful family unit as they transition Owen from child into young adult.

July 7, 2016

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘The Innocents’ shows horror of post-World War II Poland

Based loosely on real events, "The Innocents" tells a tale of haunting moral choices and the calculus of attempting to understand "God's plan" even in the face of unimaginably horrid events. Films like "The Innocents," which is so rich in substance, moral complexities and clashes of faiths and rectitude, are a rarity, and should be rightly celebrated.

July 7, 2016

Emil de Cou to conduct Indiana Jones movie concert at Wolf Trap

Growing up in Southern California, it's only natural that Emil de Cou would gravitate toward movies. And while his career turned to music rather than the silver screen, the National Symphony Orchestra's summer conductor found a way to marry his two passions.

July 7, 2016

‘Bridges of Madison County’ touring show runs at Kennedy Center in July

"The Bridges of Madison County" has crossed many rivers to get to the Kennedy Center -- and not just the Potomac. From its humble beginnings as a novel by Robert James Waller, the book became a critically acclaimed film starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, who also directed, in 1995. The musical will be at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theatre through July 17.

July 5, 2016

‘Shark Week’ coincides with centennial of Jersey shore shark attacks

I absolutely love "Jaws," but I hate what it's done for sharks. July of 1916 forever lionized the shark as an enemy of human entries into the ocean. And the Jersey incidents were part of what inspired author Peter Benchley to pen a potboiler about an insatiable white shark that preys on a New England community over the Fourth of July -- as was, he also claimed, a newspaper report of a massive white shark caught off of Montauk on Long Island.

July 4, 2016

‘Ghostbusters’ Lyft promotion allows patrons to hail ECTO-1

To promote the upcoming remake of "Ghostbusters," set to hit theaters next month, Sony and Lyft are sending replicas of the iconic ECTO-1, a souped-up, ghostbustin' Cadillac, into the streets of various cities, including here in the District.

June 29, 2016

Guns N’ Roses concert review: Reunited band rocks ‘Not in This Lifetime’ at D.C.’s FedEx Field

It was the concert I'd waited my whole life for. Axl, Slash, Duff together again on one stage playing through the Guns N' Roses catalogue. Sunday night, the time had come. At FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, following a stirring warmup from Alice in Chains, Guns took the stage for what would be a spirited, nearly three-hour travelogue through their well-known archive of slammers, plus some deeper delves into the repertoire, as well as a few inspired surprises.

June 27, 2016

Judd Apatow show at Kennedy Center brings director back to comedy roots

Judd Apatow, known for "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up," "Trainwreck" and producing and writing many others, will be appearing in a stand-up comedy showcase alongside pals Michael Che and Pete Holmes at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theatre Saturday evening. The event will serve both as entertainment for District audiences as well as a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

June 25, 2016

AFI Docs fest features social issues films

AFI Docs fest has rolled back into the nation's capital. Here are a few entrants to keep your eyes open for this weekend. More information can be found at AFI.com/afidocs.

June 23, 2016