She was born “Marilyn,” but she eventually became Kim Novak. After starting out as the face of an appliance brand, she made film history with Vertigo (1958), a masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock.
Throughout Novak’s career, which spanned four prolific decades, the actress fought to be recognized for the value of her talent as a performer and not only as a beauty queen. Against all odds—humiliating directors, tyrannical studio bosses, angry partners—she managed to build a filmography that made her a legend of Hollywood’s Golden Age—the replacement (and rival) of Rita Hayworth, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe.
Novak starred in Picnic (1955), Jeanne Eagels (1957), Pal Joey (1957), Just a Gigolo (1978), and many more. But by the early 90s, her career was in decline and her roles were taking a turn for the worse. Tired of letting male actors shape her image and voice as they saw fit, she quit the business after yet another chaotic shoot for Liebestraum (1991). Far from Hollywood, she has since devoted herself to her two passions: animals and painting.
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For the past 25 years, cinema has continued to celebrate the rebellious career, fierce freedom, and grace of one of the Golden Age’s last great stars. This year, that celebration comes in the form of two awards. The first was at the Venice Film Festival, as part of the presentation of Alexandre O.Philippe’s documentary Kim Novak’s Vertigo, an intimate portrait of her retirement from public life and her extraordinary career.
To mark the occasion, Kim Novak received an honorary Golden Lion in Venice. And this weekend, Novak is expected at the Deauville American Film Festival, thirty-six years after a tribute was last paid to her on this stage. This time, she will receive the Icon Award before a screening of the documentary dedicated to her. The festival is delighted to welcome a “free-spirited pioneer and complete artist” who has become “one of the most fascinating figures in American cinema,” it said in a statement. Let’s take an opportunity to look back, in images, on the life and career of an anti-establishment star.
It’s Eat an Extra Dessert Day, so consider stopping on your way to, or on your way home from, one of our best bets for a sweet treat. This week, we’ve got a ballet returning to Houston after 17 years, two classic film restorations, and much more. Keep reading for these and all our picks of the best things to check out this week.
Go down the path of an alternate history, one where the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol was ultimately successful. In this world, a white supremacist, Christian nationalist government rules, and a father and daughter, Jewish, are living in upstate New York, hiding their identity when a 1,000-year-old Yiddish-speaking woman shows up at their door. That’s the premise of Deborah Zoe Laufer’s The Last Yiddish Speaker, a co-production between Mildred’s Umbrella Theater Company and the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, which will open tonight, September 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC. Performances will continue at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. Sundays through September 21. Tickets can be purchased here for $18 to $29.
Thirty-five years ago, in July 1990, Houston played host to the 16th G7 Summit, attended by then Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, who participated in the unveiling of a model for the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park. He also gifted funds to construct a garden pavilion, or azumaya. On Saturday, September 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Japan Festival Houston will honor this history when it returns to Hermann Park for two days of Japanese food, cultural exhibits, family-friendly activities, martial arts demonstrations, cosplay, and traditional and contemporary performances, including two performances by alumni from Takarazuka, an all-female musical theatre troupe – one on Saturday, September 6, at 8 p.m. at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The free festival will continue Sunday, September 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Artistic Director Dr. Betsy Cook Weber will lead the Houston Chamber Choir in season-opener Mozart Requiem.
Photo by Jeff Grass Photography
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the Haydn brothers, Franz Joseph and his younger brother Michael, were not only contemporaries, but at times neighbors, friends, collaborators, and rivals; Michael Haydn was once Mozart’s chief competition for the job of organist at one of Salzburg’s largest churches. Considering their intertwined lives, Houston Chamber Choir will open its season, its first conducted by new Artistic Director Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church on Saturday, September 6, at 7:30 p.m. with Mozart Requiem, a program set to feature all three composers. During the concert, featuring members of the Houston Symphony, Mozart’s titular piece will be bookended by works by the Haydns: Franz Joseph Haydn’s Te Deum, which will open the program, and “Exsurge” from Michael Haydn’s cantata Applausus, which will close it. Tickets are available here for $10 to $50.
Warner Bros. Pictures shared the official teaser for Wuthering Heights—writer, director, and producer Emerald Fennell’s forthcoming film adaptation of the famed Emily Brontë novel. The clip reveals that Charli XCX is contributing original songs to the film. Watch the teaser video below.
Wuthering Heights is Fennell’s third feature film, following 2020’s Promising Young Woman and 2023’s Saltburn. It stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. The movie is scored by Anthony Willis, who scored Fennell’s first two features. Wuthering Heights hits theaters on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
Julian Sol Jordan is an artist to his core. A multihyphenate in the process of breaking big, the 24-year-old has written, edited and starred in his new film, Real Life, which he dubs an “experimental documentary.”…
Mubi has unveiled the first teaser trailer for the new Jim Jarmusch film Father Mother Sister Brother. The clip features a lot of Tom Waits, who stars alongside Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Luka Sabbat, and others. Watch the video below.
Father Mother Sister Brother opens in U.S. theaters on Wednesday, December 24. It premieres this Sunday, August 31, at the Venice Film Festival.
Father Mother Sister Brother is writer and director Jim Jarmusch’s feature film since 2019’s The Dead Don’t Die. The new movie, according to a press release, is “carefully constructed in the form of a triptych. The three stories all concern the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents), and each other. Each of the three chapters takes place in the present, and each in a different country.”
Tom Waits has a long collaborative history with Jim Jarmusch, dating back to 1986’s Down by Law. He’s since appeared in 2003’s Coffee and Cigarettes and The Dead Don’t Die, while also doing the soundtrack for 1991’s Night on Earth.
Charlie Kaufman’s new short film, How to Shoot a Ghost, just got its first trailer. The 27-minute film is produced by Unmade, a production company that Halsey appears to have co-founded with her manager, Anthony Li, and her fiance, Avan Jogia. Unmade is credited alongside several other producers in the program for Venice Biennale, where the film is premiering. Watch the trailer below, via Variety.
Jessie Buckley and Josef Akiki star in the film, which has a screenplay by Eva H.D. and centers on a pair of outsiders, a translator and photographer, as they materialize in a realm of the afterlife that is also Athens, Greece. Rufus and Martha Wainwright have covered Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” for the film. Kaufman and Eva H.D. also collaborated on the 2023 short Jackals & Fireflies.
The first teaser trailer for The Carpenter’s Son—a biblical horror movie starring FKA twigs as Mary, mother of Jesus—is here. Nicolas Cage plays Joseph in the movie, and you can see them both in the clip below. Lofty Nathan wrote and directed the film, which stars Noah Jupe as Jesus. It is set for release this autumn, but no date has been set.
A movie synopsis shared upon the film’s announcement last year said The Carpenter’s Son “tells the dark story of a family hiding out in Roman Egypt. The son, known only as ‘the Boy,’ is driven to doubt by another mysterious child and rebels against his guardian, the Carpenter, revealing inherent powers and a fate beyond his comprehension. As he exercises his own power, the Boy and his family become the target of horrors, natural and divine.”
FKA twigs recently starred opposite Bill Skarsgård in Rupert Sanders’ remake of the 1994 cult classic The Crow. She also has a new album, Eusexua Afterglow, on the way—a standalone, full-length follow-up to Eusexua, according to her publicists.
It’s National Bow Tie Day, and in the spirit of the made-up day, why not add a snazzy little accent piece to your ensemble as we mark the transition from August to September? You can add a little style to your wardrobe as you head out to any of our best bets. This week, we have world premiere stage and dance works, a night of famous showtunes, a sumo tournament, and more. Keep reading to see all of our picks for the best things to do this coming week.
Broadway fans will want to go to Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday at 8 p.m. for Broadway on the Hill, a night of popular songs from hit shows. The lineup of talent, all hailing from Houston, includes Anthony Boggess-Glover, who you may have caught last year in shows at The Ensemble Theatre; DeQuina Moore, who played the Hobby Center’s Founders Club last month; and Ashley Támar, a Grammy nominee who appeared on Broadway in Motown the Musical. Jarvis B. Manning Jr., known for Broadway shows like Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations; Jennafer Newberry, who performed in Wicked on Broadway and the touring production; and Mikey Wolfe, a local singer-songwriter, round out the lineup. The performance is free, and you can reserve a ticket here starting at 10 a.m. today, August 28. Or you can sit on the Hill – no ticket required.
Experience the first collaboration between Group Acorde and interdisciplinary artist Jasmine Hearn on Friday, August 29, at 8 p.m. during REpurpose at Houston Met Dance. The evening will feature the premiere of “A cave in the moon,” a duet danced to an original sound score for bass and cello by Group Acorde Musical Director Thomas Helton and performed on a set of recycled materials designed by former Houston Ballet first soloist Allison Miller. Roberta Paixão Cortes, one of the founding members of Group Acorde, recently discussed the performance and Hearn’s “unique voice” with the Houston Presshere. Tickets are $20 and are still available here for opening night and a performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, August 30. If available, tickets can be bought at the door, but advance purchase is recommended as each performance is limited to 25 seats.
Mercury Chamber Orchestra will open its season with Handel and Vivaldi this weekend at Miller Outdoor Theatre.
Photo by Ben Doyle
In 1717, George Frideric Handel debuted Water Music, three suites commissioned for a royal boat trip down the Thames – and King George I loved it so much, according to guest Louis Frederick Bonet, he had it “played three times in all, twice before and once after supper, even though each performance lasted an hour.” You can hear Water Music on Saturday, August 30, at 8 p.m. when Mercury Chamber Orchestra opens its 25th season with Handel & Vivaldi, a free concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Joining Handel on the program is Antonio Vivaldi, with the ensemble also set to play his Concerto for Four Violins in B minor and “Summer” from The Four Seasons. The performance is free, and you can reserve a ticket here starting at 10 a.m. Friday, August 29, or you can plan to sit on the Hill, where no ticket is required.
Pro-Palestine organizers are planning multiple protests at the Venice Film Festival from August 27 to September 6, calling on the festival to denounce “the genocide in Palestine perpetrated by Israel,” per The Hollywood Reporter. Over a dozen protesters arrived at the red carpet around 10 a.m. on August 27 ahead of the festival’s opening ceremonies, chanting “Free, free Palestine” and “Stop, stop genocide” while waving Palestinian flags. The demonstration comes in advance of an August 30 march down Santa Maria Elisabetta avenue, which will feature “hundreds of people,” according to a spokesperson for the march, Marina Vergnano. Vergnano said the goal of the march is to “shine the spotlight of the film festival in the right direction,” per Deadline. She also said the march received “hundreds of signatures from political groups, associations and groups from the Veneto region, but also well beyond,” demanding the festival take a public stance.
“At a time when the eyes of the world will be on Venice and the Film Festival, we have a duty to make the voices of all those who are outraged and rebelling heard: let us therefore turn the spotlight of the Festival on Palestine,” the Italian political groups participating in the march said in an August 25 statement announcing the protest, obtained by Deadline. “The denial of humanitarian aid, water and food is a strategy of genocide, carried out with the complicity of the U.S. and European governments, including the Italian one, which continues to support Israel economically, politically and diplomatically, continuing to supply weapons and maintaining trade agreements,” it reads.
The statement also called for Israeli actress Gal Gadot and IDF supporter and actor Gerard Butler to be disinvited from the festival. “We have been asked to turn down invitations to artists; we will not do that,” Venice chief Alberto Barbera said at Wednesday’s press conference, according to Variety. “If they want to be at the festival, they will be here. On the other hand, we have never hesitated to clearly declare our huge sadness and suffering vis-à-vis what is happening in Gaza and Palestine. The death of civilians and especially of children, who are victims, the collateral damage of a war which nobody has been able to terminate yet. I think there are no doubts in regard to the Biennale’s position on this.” A representative for Gadot told Deadline that Gadot “was never able nor was ever confirmed to attend the Venice Film Festival.”
Separately from the march, hundreds of members of the film community had previously signed a different open letter calling on the festival to make a “clear and unambiguous stand” on August 23. “We all have a duty to amplify the stories and voices of those who are being massacred, even with the complicit indifference of the West,” the letter states. Signatories included Arab and Tarzan Nasser, who won best director in Cannes Un Certain Regard 2025 for their film Once Upon a Time in Gaza; director Ken Loach; and the Italian actor Toni Servillo, who is starring in the 2025 Venice opener, Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia.
“The Biennale and the festival have always been, throughout their history, places of open discussion and sensitivity to all the most pressing issues facing society and the world,” the festival responded on August 23, citing the premiere of The Voice of Hind Rajab, a film from Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania about the killing of a 5-year-old Palestinian girl. The festival ended the statement with “The Biennale is, as always, open to dialogue.”
Based on current projections, 2025 will be the first year since 2011 in which the top ten highest-grossing films of the year will not include an installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s possible that it won’t include any superhero films at all — while Superman has earned a hefty $580 million globally, it may fall behind highly anticipated fall titles like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Zootopia 2, and Wicked: For Good…
Bronx Fame Screening Series is teaming up with NYC indie film collective One Man Army to host a special event next month.
On Sept. 16, the two organizations will host a screening at the historic Andrew Freedman Home, located at 1125 Grand Concourse, as a part of Bronx Frame’s upcoming Fall 2025 season.
“OMA thrives on building spaces where independent voices can take center stage,” says Aaron Dalla Villa, CEO and founder of One Man Army. “Partnering with Bronx Frame allows us to bring our signature curated, high-energy programming to a community deeply invested in authentic storytelling.”
Bronx Fame is a community-driven celebration of independent film and storytelling that showcases emerging and established filmmakers from the Bronx and beyond. The fall run of screenings, which will feature an expanded roster of partners including Bronx World Film, Non Films, TBxF, Bronx Independent Cinema Center, comes after a very success spring run earlier this year.
All Bronx Fame screenings are free and open to the public. Attendees, while supplies last, will receive a complimentary beer courtesy of Voodoo Ranger. For more details and updates, follow @onemanarmy.nyc, @BronxFrame, and @afhbronx on Instagram.
One of Hollywood’s most celebrated films, “Sunset Boulevard,” was released 75 years ago this month. “CBS Saturday Morning” took a peek behind the scenes with film historian David Lubin to mark the anniversary.
Silence isn’t always golden, at least not where a new movie screening event is concerned. Let It Roll is an interactive screening meant for the “yappers.”…
Kids are back in school, and we’re well on our way to fall, even if it doesn’t feel like it temperature-wise. You can still beat the heat and avoid the rain with our mostly indoor best bets. This week, we’ve got world premiere dance works, bravura filmmaking, and live music. Keep reading for these and more below.
Saturday Night Live cast member Marcello Hernández made his first appearance as “Domingo” on the long-running sketch comedy show back in October and quickly went viral, with his “other man” character even popping up during SNL50: The Anniversary Celebration in another viral sketch featuring the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, and Pedro Pascal. Hernández continues to ride the wave of pop culture popularity with a recent role in Happy Gilmore 2 and a soon-to-be filmed Netflix stand-up special in his hometown of Miami, Florida. But if you can’t wait, on Saturday, August 23, at 7 p.m., you can enjoy Hernández’s stand-up set when he performs at Cullen Performance Hall. But if you want to see the show, you have to be quick: Only a few tickets remain here for $51 to $115.
Antidote Fest is an annual music and culture festival presented by The Antidote Studio, designed to uplift the community through music, art, and youth empowerment. Hosted in Detroit, MI the event features live performances from rising and established artists, DJs, and special guests, creating a high-energy environment for all ages.
The festival serves as a fundraiser to support youth music programming and afterschool initiatives led by The Antidote Studio and SBEV (Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village). All proceeds help provide creative resources, studio access, mentorship, and safe spaces for young artists to grow.
2025 Details:
Date: Saturday August 23, 2025 6-11:30PM
Location: Detroit Shipping Company, 474 Peterboro St. Detroit, MI
Highlights: Live performances, DJ sets, food, giveaways, and community engagement
Antidote Fest is more than just a concert, it’s a movement that merges music with mission, building a platform for youth voices and positive change.
One time change later, and it’s another week, another list of best bets. This week, we’ve got an immersive theater experience, a musical trip back to the Harlem Renaissance, and a celebration of Islamic arts. Keep reading for these and more events that got our pick for the best things to do this coming week.
Delve into Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi’s eighth book of madrigals, published in 1638, during Ars Lyrica’s latest program, Madrigals of Love and War, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 8, at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Six singers – bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca, countertenor Michael Skarke, sopranos Amia Langer and Erica Schuller, and tenors Steven Brennfleck and Thomas O’Neill – will join eight musicians playing period instruments to perform a selection of Monteverdi’s part-songs, including one of his most famous works Lamento della Ninfa, as well as instrumental pieces from fellow Italians from the early Baroque period like Giovanni Paolo Cima and Bartolomeo Montalbano. Tickets to the in-person concert can be purchased here for $15 to $80, or you can stream the performance from home with a $20 digital ticket.
Step back in time to the Harlem Renaissance for a jazzy evening inspired by nightspots like the Cotton Club and Savoy Ballroom when the Houston Symphony presents It Don’t Mean a Thing: Swingin’ Uptown Classics with Byron Stripling at Jones Hall on Friday, November 8, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. Conductor, trumpeter, and singer Stripling will lead the Symphony, along with guests Carmen Bradford and Leo Manzari, in a program of jazz standards from artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway. The concert will also be performed on Saturday, November 9, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 10, at 2 p.m. In-hall tickets to any of the performances can be purchased here for $40 to $115. If you can’t make it, you can access a livestream of Saturday night’s show here for $20.
For the first time, the 11th Annual Islamic Arts Festival, a two-day celebration touted as the largest festival of Islamic arts in the country, will be held at the University of Houston starting this Saturday, November 9, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. In addition to more than 5,000 works of art on display, a variety of activities for children, and live demonstrations of calligraphy, henna, and ebru, this year, festivalgoers can attend a spoken word program, a film festival celebrating Muslim voices in cinema, a performance by the Spain-based Al-Firdaus Ensemble, and a Muslim comedy show. The festival continues on Sunday, November 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission to the festival is free, but a $15 ticket (or $45 VIP seating ticket) is needed to attend Saturday’s comedy show and performance by Al-Firdaus Ensemble.
Celebrate the Latin American collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and be present for the unveiling of new sculptures by six local Latinx artists on Sunday, November 10, from 1 to 5 p.m. during the Myths and Leyendas Fall Festival in the museum’s Brown Foundation, Inc. Plaza and the Cullen Sculpture Garden. The family-friendly festival will feature art activities, music and dance performances, plenty of food vendors, film screenings from the Houston Latino Film Festival, and a game of lotería. Admission to both the festival and general admission to the museum will be free all day, and you must reserve a ticket here. If you can’t make it, the sculptures – created by artists Loriana Espinel, Diana Gonzalez, Francisco Pereira, Jean Sandoval, Alma Soto, and Ashley Raquel Trejo – will remain on view through November 17.
Actor Demi Moore sits down with Tracy Smith to discuss her latest film “The Substance” and how she has felt pressure to conform to society’s beauty standards. Then, Seth Doane travels to Matera, Italy, to learn about the town full of hotels, restaurants and bars situated inside ancient caves. “Here Comes the Sun” is a closer look at some of the people, places and things we bring you every week on “CBS Sunday Morning.”
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Harris and Trump campaign in battleground states in election’s final stretch; Chef attracts diners from around the world with seasonal Scottish cuisine.
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Stand-up comedian Sindhu Vee stars in the new TV series about an Indian family navigating life and neighborhood drama in America. Vee joins “CBS Mornings Plus” to discuss her role.
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