Reuters Entertainment News Summary

09/12/2016 16:57

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Fight over the Holocaust explored in movie 'Denial'

"Denial" is the true story of a Jewish woman who had to prove in court that the Holocaust had taken place, but it also has a timely message for present day society, according to director Mick Jackson. "Denial," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last weekend, recounts how Deborah Lipstadt, a prominent historian, writer and professor, was sued for libel in Britain in 1996 by Holocaust denier David Irving after she called him a liar in one of her books.

Piano prodigy Joey Alexander, 13, talks about second album

In the first decade of his life, jazz pianist Joey Alexander released his first album and became the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Grammy at age 11. Now, at 13, Alexander has a second album, "Countdown," which he said shows more exploration. But the Bali native, who at the age of eight had impressed Herbie Hancock during the U.S. jazz legend's visit to Indonesia, remains modest.

Fantasy meets tragedy in surreal drama 'A Monster Calls'

A teenage boy's struggle with his mother's terminal illness takes a surreal turn when he finds comfort in a giant talking tree monster, in the emotional fantasy drama "A Monster Calls." The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, follows the story of Connor, a quiet, artistic teenage boy who becomes a target for the school bully.

Nose-to-nose with the actors: Spain's micro-theater has global appeal

Six people stand almost shoulder-to-shoulder in a black room - the entire audience for a play unfolding just an arm's length away. With minimal set and a cast of only two, this is theater stripped to its bare bones. The micro-theater trend has exploded since a first production in a former Madrid brothel in 2009. "Microteatro" is now an established brand, with theaters in 13 cities in Spain and the Americas.

New Amanda Knox film meant to push past headlines, makers say

A new documentary about Amanda Knox, an American who was cleared of the murder of her British roommate after multiple trials in Italy, is meant to push past the sensational coverage of the case and understand the real people involved, its directors say. The movie, titled simply "Amanda Knox," premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, ahead of its release on streaming service Netflix this month.

Roald Dahl's 'The Twits' comes to life in London show

Roald Dahl's "The Twits," a children's tale about a cruel and spiteful married couple, is being brought to life through an immersive theatrical show in London. The book told the story of the horrid Mr and Mrs Twit who keep their pet monkeys standing on their heads in a bid to form an upside-down monkey circus.

Truth is stranger than fiction in Emmy's political TV shows

It is election year in America and television has risen to the challenge, producing a range of award-worthy politically-themed shows - and the more outrageous, the better.

The Emmy awards, the highest honors in television, have embraced politics across the spectrum, from scheming drama series like "House of Cards," historical re-examinations such as the Lyndon B. Johnson film "All the Way," and spoofs of the 2016 U.S. presidential candidates on "Saturday Night Live."

Rapper Travis Scott gets first Billboard No. 1 album

American rapper Travis Scott scored his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 charts on Monday with "Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight," knocking Barbra Streisand into sixth place. Scott's album sold some 87,000 units in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, while rock band A Day to Remember debuted in the No. 2 spot with 66,000 album units for its new release "Bad Vibrations."

Hits keep coming as 'Sing' premieres at Toronto Film Festival

Comedy animation feature "Sing" premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Sunday to an enthusiastic reception from filmgoers before Academy award winner Jennifer Hudson and singer-songwriter Tori Kelly performed songs from the movie. The film tells the story of Buster, a Koala bear show-biz impresario voiced by Matthew McConaughey, who tries to save his struggling theater by hosting an "American Idol"-style singing competition. His idea quickly spreads throughout the animal kingdom, attracting a wide range of contestants, from a mother of 25 piglets, played by Reese Witherspoon, to a porcine punk rocker, played by Scarlett Johansson.

'Queen of Katwe' brings uplifting underdog chess tale to Toronto

Chess may not be the most visual of sports to watch in a film, but the true story of an impoverished Ugandan girl overcoming obstacles to become a chess champion transcends the game, according to the cast of "Queen of Katwe." The Walt Disney Co film, out in theaters on Sept. 23, is a "life-affirming African story," star David Oyelowo told Reuters at the red-carpet premiere on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival.

09/12/2016 16:57