M. Emmet Walsh, iconic character actor known for Blood Simple and Blade Runner roles, dead at 88

M. Emmet Walsh, iconic character actor known for Blood Simple and Blade Runner roles, dead at 88

M. Emmet Walsh, the character actor who brought his unmistakable face and unsettling presence to films including Blood Simple and Blade Runner, has died at age 88, his manager said Wednesday. Walsh died from cardiac arrest on Tuesday at a hospital in St. Albans, Vt., his longtime manager Sandy Joseph said. The ham-faced, heavyset Walsh often … Read more

Prehistoric kids gathered food, helped with hunting, cared for younger siblings — and even had fun

Prehistoric kids gathered food, helped with hunting, cared for younger siblings — and even had fun

Archaeologists have been trying to piece together the full human story for a long time, but some members of prehistoric societies have been largely overlooked: kids! It turns out these little people played a much bigger part in human history than we realized. In Little Sapiens, a documentary from The Nature of Things, Sarika Cullis-Suzuki … Read more

Canada’s comedy legends celebrated in Hamilton as hall of fame dream gets revived

Canada’s comedy legends celebrated in Hamilton as hall of fame dream gets revived

A comic with a dream 20 years in the making to create a Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame is hoping he’ll soon be a step closer, as he brings comedians together to drum up support for the project this week in Hamilton.  The Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame Festival kicked off Wednesday night, with the finals … Read more

AI chatbots are sparking romance (with the chatbot, that is)

AI chatbots are sparking romance (with the chatbot, that is)

A few months ago, Derek Carrier started seeing someone and became infatuated. He experienced a “ton” of romantic feelings but he also knew it was an illusion. That’s because his girlfriend was generated by artificial intelligence. Carrier wasn’t looking to develop a relationship with something that wasn’t real, nor did he want to become the … Read more

From cult status to closure fears — what happened to The Body Shop?

From cult status to closure fears — what happened to The Body Shop?

It’s a store you know by scent. For decades, the sometimes-overwhelming aroma of The Body Shop’s satsuma soaps and coconut body butters have wafted through mall concourses, as much a staple to the culture as the food court. The U.K.-based beauty and cosmetics shop has more than 3,000 retail locations in 70 countries, including 110 standalone … Read more

Country music star Toby Keith dead at 62

Country music star Toby Keith dead at 62

Singer-songwriter Toby Keith, who twice won the Academy of Country Music’s entertainer of the year award, has died. He was 62. Keith, who had stomach cancer, died peacefully on Monday surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted on the country singer’s website. “He fought his fight with grace and courage,” the statement said. He … Read more

Finding the ‘heart space’: Director Ava DuVernay gets personal for new film

Finding the ‘heart space’: Director Ava DuVernay gets personal for new film

Director Ava DuVernay speaks with the CBC’s Eli Glasner about what compelled her to create her latest and perhaps most challenging film, Origin. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) When you sit down to interview Ava DuVernay, you quickly realize how she rose to the top of her profession in 12 short years. Before DuVernay became an Oscar-nominated director … Read more

Nerene Virgin, ‘trailblazer’ star of Today’s Special and Black history educator, dead at 77

Nerene Virgin, ‘trailblazer’ star of Today’s Special and Black history educator, dead at 77

Nerene Virgin, a former actor, public broadcaster, anti-racism advocate and educator also known for her trailblazing work, has died in Burlington, Ont., at age 77. Virgin, a sixth-generation Hamiltonian, was a teacher before gaining prominence for playing Jodie on the TVO children’s show Today’s Special in the 1980s. She was also host of the CTV public affairs show Eye on Toronto.  In … Read more

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown revives a classic series with swashbuckling success

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown revives a classic series with swashbuckling success

The Prince of Persia series has been stuck in quicksand for a few years. The original 1989 game by Jordan Mechner dazzled with its realistic (at the time) animation of a prince running and leaping across death traps. In 2003, The Sands of Time rebooted the series with widely loved action and attitude that sustained … Read more

A primer on the 2023 Emmy Awards — and why they were delayed

A primer on the 2023 Emmy Awards — and why they were delayed

The 2023 Emmy Awards are arriving in 2024. Hollywood’s two strikes meant a four-month delay for television’s annual celebration of itself — the awards were originally slated for last September. But both strikes have now been resolved and the show will go on. The event will be held Monday night at the Peacock Theater in Los … Read more