Amelia Merrill

As states have limited abortion rights and courts across the country have upheld or overturned these decrees, the past year has seen a marked increase in theater, film, and other media about abortion. Myths and madness surrounding the right to choose return in WP Theater's production of The Appointment, which played at Next Door at New York Theatre Workshop in 2019.
The musical satire from Philadelphia devising company L...

We might be in the middle of a new age of Jewish horror: Films like last year’s “Attachment” and 2019’s “The Vigil” explore the rich world of Jewish demonology and mysticism, with scenes in Yiddish to boot. The films echo the stories of spirits and possession from writers like S. Ansky and Isaac Bashevis Singer, employing demons, dybbuks and golems to confront the everyday monsters of modern life.
It was the original “Golem” silent film from 1915 that attracted British filmmaker Oliver Park t...

As a historic hub for both theatre and international immigration, New York is unsurprisingly home to many theatres created by and for ethnically specific audiences: Ma-Yi Theater Company develops new works by Asian American artists; multiple companies, from Teatro Latea and Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater to Repertorio Español, produce works in Spanish; the Irish Repertory Theatre and Irish Arts Center are key outposts for drama by and about this signature New York population.
Another...

In Cristian Mungiu’s drama R.M.N., there is something scary in the woods. Perhaps it is a bear, hungry in midwinter, or perhaps a monster, a kidnapper, an omen of dark days to come. Whatever it is, it has scared young Rudi (Mark Edward Bienyesi) into a state of speechlessness that angers his volatile father, Matthias (Marin Grigore). If Rudi were more like the other boys, Matthias believes, then he wouldn’t be so scared of the woods that he can’t sleep or walk to school alone. Whatever is in ...

January 9 is designated National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in the U.S. The holiday tended on Twitter today.
While politicians and law enforcement agencies shared their thanks online with the hashtag #EnforcementAppreciationDay, other Twitter users flooded the tag to discuss police brutality and accountability.
“Happy law enforcement appreciation day!” activist Bree Newsome Bass said in a quote tweet about the arrest of a Black journalist. Police arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Di...

Avatar: The Way of Water, the sequel to the iconic 2009 sci-fi film, is making waves in the movie industry: James Cameron’s epic enjoyed a $435 million opening weekend worldwide and is sitting at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Though Cameron has already promised three more Avatar tales (one has already wrapped filming), not all viewers are excited at the prospect. Indigenous activists have taken to Twitter to share how the franchise disrespects Native cultures.
Ezra Miller has issues an apology for ...

Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, 42, is trending on Twitter due to sexual assault allegations. Despite the grim accusations from at least five women, the hashtag #IStandWithNickCarter was trending on Friday.
I really tried so hard to not even say anything but this needs to be said Nick is innocent I’m so sick and tired of people accusing him of unspeakable things that man has saved my life women are money hungry and will do anything for attention #istandwithnickcarter pic.twitter.com/6uRzq...

With the help of guest Mia Merrill, we discuss the pilot episode of Gossip Girl (2021), from the show's update to match a more Gen Z audience, to some interesting set-up that doesn't reach its full potential, to why all of these teachers deserve jail time.
Follow Mia on Twitter @ameliamerr_.
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Each film festival season brings with it at least one title that charms with the charisma of its child actors. Carla Simón’s Alcarràs, which comes to the New York Film Festival after a Golden Bear-winning run at the Berlinale, dares you not to fall in love with the tenacious, somewhat pigheaded young Iris (Ainet Jounou), the ringleader of a playgroup made up of her cousins. Through the eyes of a child, the unforgiving heat and rodent-ridden farmland of Alcarràs, a town in western Catalonia, t...

Storytelling. Innovation. Jewish Values. Leadership. Midrash. Entrepreneurship. Mixology. Community. Engagement. Torah. This is a podcast about YOU. Each week we invite an incredible guest or two (or more!) to join us in conversation about the values that drive their incredible work and how a tumbler of Torah might make a magnificent mixed drink. We’re shaking—not stirring—things up with a classic twist on a millennia-old tradition. So raise the volume and your glass ...

Though he’s barely used his Twitter account since Elon Musk reactivated it, former President Donald Trump still trends on the platform often. On Tuesday, #TrumpIsDone began trending just after the Trump Organization was found guilty on 17 counts of tax fraud and other crimes. #GUILTYONALLCOUNTS also trended, along with #TrumpCrimeFamily.
The New York lawsuit hinged on whether the Trump Organization and its subsidiaries had committed a tax fraud scheme to write off personal vehicles, apartment...

The release of Spotify Wrapped is one of the most entertaining, highly anticipated days online, with Spotify listeners flocking to Twitter and Instagram to share screenshots of their music streaming habits. The interactive graphics launch memes about how groups like Taylor Swift fans, people with depression, or members of the LGBTQ community consume music, and #SpotifyWrapped is still trending a day after 2022’s drop.
Pretending to be shocked when I open my Spotify Wrapped and see my top arti...

In the wake of the mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ bar and nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., Twitter users have laid blame on Libs of TikTok. The controversial account posts homophobic and transphobic content daily.
Libs of TikTok is most active on Twitter after Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have suspended the account multiple times. The page often editorializes screenshots from transgender TikTok users and healthcare professionals who work with LGBTQ people.
As a frequent critic of d...

Swifties have taken to Twitter to express their frustration and amusement over the ticket buying process for the Eras Tour. Taylor Swift super fans received verified ticket presale codes from Ticketmaster this week before more seats on the multi-city stadium tour open. But the presale experience wasn’t all that easy. Not every fan received a presale code, and Mashable reported Tuesday morning that Ticketmaster crashed due to overwhelming demand.
what is joe biden’s plan to unpause the ticketm...

After a campus shooting left three dead at the University of Virginia, discussions about gun rights, gun control, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) are trending on Twitter.
On Sunday night, UVA student Chris Jones Jr. killed three students in a parking garage on campus and wounded at least two others. All three victims—junior Devin Chandler, junior Lavel Davis Jr., and senior D’Sean Perry—were members of the UVA Cavaliers football team. Jones Jr. was on the Cavaliers football roster in...