Diane

In August, 2014, Diane Foley went to church in Rochester, New Hampshire. Her son, Jim, a photojournalist, had then been a hostage of Islamic State in Syria for almost two years. It was late at night, and she was exhausted and alone. The US government, insistent that it would not pay ransoms to terrorists, would do nothing for her family; it was hellish living in fear of the sound of the telephone; the waiting and the wondering could drive a person mad. And so, here she was, clicking her rosary beads, kneeling to repeat…

The legendary songwriter Diane Warren was presented with an honorary Oscar in November 2022, but if you think that means that the 67-year-old is done pursuing a competitive Oscar, well, then you don’t know Diane Warren. Indeed, for her latest tune, “The Fire Inside,” which is featured in Eva Longoria’s feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot, Warren is nominated for the best original song Oscar for the 15th time, seventh year in a row and ninth time in 10 years! No woman in Oscars history has ever…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeThe songwriter Diane Warren has spent more than four decades conjuring overwrought bangers by the bucketful – power ballads that plead and mourn and crescendo, the kind irresistible to office parties and chintzy karaoke machines. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me” drunkenly warbled by the most overconfident person you know from HR. A handful of…

The 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala will feature a special appearance from Diane Warren, who has been named this year’s recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award. The award, to be presented at the ceremony on June 13, is considered to be the institution’s highest honor. It is reserved for songwriters and songwriting teams that have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame and whose catalogue of work matches the quality and standards set by esteemed songwriter Johnny Mercer. “I’m beyond honored…

To westerners, the public beheading of the US journalist James Foley in Syria was grim confirmation of the brutality of Islamic State and, more specifically, of the cruelty of a trio of British militants nicknamed “the Beatles”. For Foley’s mother, Diane, who since his kidnapping two years earlier had been pressing Barack Obama’s government to rescue him or negotiate his release, his death was incomparably more painful. But that didn’t deter her from meeting Alexanda Kotey, the man found guilty of conspiracy to murder her…

Among the raft of reissues from heritage imprints, this one stands out, partly because the author’s writing career lasted little more than six months before her death in a motorcycle accident in 1966 at the age of 22. Diane Oliver published four stories in her lifetime and two more posthumously; they are all included here along with eight stories previously unpublished.Oliver’s subject is the black female experience in 1960s America, in the period when racial segregation was illegal but prejudices remained ingrained – but…

In one of the tightest races for best original song at the 2024 Oscars, Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste, Diane Warren, “I’m Just Ken” and surprise contender “Wahzhazhe” from Killers of the Flower Moon have emerged as the nominees for the prestigious songwriting prize. That means a number of top-notch acts who made the shortlist, including Lenny Kravitz, Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, Halle Bailey and more, didn’t make the cut. Eilish, who wrote “What Was I Made For?” with her brother-producer Finneas, is…

Scottish drag queen Lawrence Chaney was scrolling idly through their inbox one day when an email caught their eye. “It went, ‘Hi Lawrence. We’ve got this role in this film called Arthur’s Whisky and we’d love to invite you to be in it. You’d be starring alongside Diane Keaton, Boy George, Lulu …’” Chaney had become a bit of a celebrity on the drag circuit since winning RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2021, but it hadn’t gone to their head. “I thought, I know how the next email will go, ‘Great. I’m so glad you want to be a part…

Viciously anodyne but not entirely unamusing, this older-folk-skewed comedy puts a gentle spin on a well-worn device, the magical-body transformation. In some genteel corner of England, retirees Joan and Arthur are leading a life of quiet resignation. She does gardening and whatnot; he potters with inventions in his shed. One night, his latest concoction, a formula mixed with whisky that will de-age a person back to the body she or he had in her or his early 20s, actually works. Arthur goes outside to holler triumphantly…

Screenshot: Adult SwimRick and Morty’s seventh season wrapped up Sunday night with “Fear No Mort,” another standout episode in what’s been one of the Adult Swim series’ strongest installments yet. But if you don’t have Adult Swim access and have been dying to see what you’ve been missing—including the new voices for Rick and Morty—here’s some good news: the show will be streaming on Max next month.Hulu’s Hellraiser Reboot Has So-So Sights to Show YouAnnounced yesterday, Rick and Morty season seven will arrive on Max…