Arts, Entertainment, Culture

Strand Bookstore, one of New York's oldest bookstores, recently asked its customers for help on social media after sales have gone down during the pandemic, writing "for the first time in The Strand’s 93 year history, we need to mobilize the community to buy from us so we can keep our doors open until there is a vaccine."

After Strand's call for help, the store received over 25,000 online orders over the weekend and made a total of $170,550 in in-store sales on Saturday and Sunday.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who recently had to undergo a pulmonary valve replacement at the Cleveland Clinic, has told fans he was feeling "fantastic."

"Thanks to the team at the Cleveland Clinic, I have a new aortic valve to go along with my new pulmonary valve from my last surgery. I feel fantastic and have already been walking the streets of Cleveland enjoying your amazing statues. Thank you to every doc and nurse on my team," so Schwarzenegger on Ttwitter.

MGM explored the possibility of selling "No Time to Die," the upcoming James Bond movie, to a streaming service on a $600 million deal. The movie was originally slated to debut last April, but was postponed initially to November and then to April 2021.

MGM took a $30 to $50 million hit as a result of the postponements, so far.

An MGM spokesperson stated: "We do not comment on rumours. The film is not for sale. The film’s release has been postponed until April 2021 in order to preserve the theatrical experience for moviegoers."

James Randi, a magician and respected paranormal investigator, has died at 92. The James Randi Foundation confirmed his death on Tuesday in a post on Twitter, saying he died of "age-related causes."

The filmmaker and environmental activist James Redford has passed away at the age of 58, his wife Kyle has confirmed.

James, who was the son of actor Robert Redford, died of bile-duct cancer in his liver on October 16.

Kyle Redford posted on Twitter: "Jamie died today. We’re heartbroken. He lived a beautiful, impactful life & was loved by many. He will be deeply missed."

Channing Dungey, former President of ABC Entertainment, will take over as chairwoman of Warner Bros. Television Group. Dungey will replace the veteran television executive Peter Roth, who will step down next year.

Ten days ago it was announced Channing Dungey had stepped down as VP Original Content and head of drama at Netflix after 20 months at the streamer.

Dungey will start her tenure early next year and will report to Ann Sarnoff, chief executive of Warner Media Studios and Networks Group.

The British graffiti artist Banksy has confirmed Saturday a piece of art that appeared on a wall in Nottingham depicting a young girl using a bicycle tyre as a hula-hoop is his work.

The work went up on Tuesday on the red brick wall of a beauty salon, next to a bicycle that was locked to a metal signpost and missing its back wheel.

Herbst Kretzmer, a London journalist and lyricists, has died Wednesday in his London home at the of 95. Kretzmer was known for writing the English-language musical adaptation of Les Misérables.

AMC Theatres, the world’s largest movie theatre chain, announced Tuesday that its cash resources "would be largely depleted by the end of 2020 or early 2021."

The company has reopened more than 80% of its US cinemas since March, but the lack of a vaccine and with few new movies to show, the attendance has been abysmal -- a decline of 85% compared to the same period last year.

AMC said it has two ways out of its cash crisis: Either more customers need to buy tickets, or it will have to find new ways to borrow money.

The singer of the band The Wanted, Tom Parker, age 32, has announced on his Instagram that he has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.

He stated that "There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a Brain Tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment". In an interview, he said that he has started radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment to prolong his life.

After abruptly closing on March 12, 2020, the Broadway theatres will be shut down at least until May 30, 2021. There is no exact date for the performances to resume, but producers are offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for shows through May 30.

Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said: "We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again."

Benedict Cumberbatch will be reprising his role as Doctor Strange in Marvel's third installment of Spider-Man, starring Tom Holland in the title role.

The "Jurassic World: Dominion" production will be halted for at least two weeks after multiple cases of Covid-19.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a spokesperson for Universal Pictures said that "due to our rigid protocols and to ensure that the safety and well-being of our entire cast and crew is paramount at all times, those who initially tested positive are currently self-isolating, as are those who they have come into contact with. As a result filming has been temporarily paused and will resume in accordance with established safety guidelines."

The movie, the third film in the new Jurassic trilogy, had been scheduled for release June 11, 2021, but it has now been moved to June 10, 2022.

As a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Cineworld Group has announced that all operations in the United States and the United Kingdom will be suspended.

They stated that "In response to an increasingly challenging theatrical landscape and sustained key market closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cineworld confirms that it will be temporarily suspending operations at all of its 536 Regal theatres in the U.S. and its 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse theatres in the U.K. from Thursday, 8 October 2020".

The closures will impact around 45,000 employees, and it is not clear when the cinemas will reopen.

Eddie Van Halen, virtuoso guitarist and co-founder of the popular rock band Van Halen, has died Tuesday at the age of 65. The musician had been undergoing treatment for throat cancer.

Celebrity news website TMZ, which first broke the news of his death, said Van Halen died at St Johns Hospital in Santa Monica on Tuesday surrounded by his family.

Eddie's son, Wolfgang, wrote on Twitter: "I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning."

Spotify has implemented a new feature for iOS and Android phones. Users can now search for song lyrics and Spotify will automatically show the matching songs. The new feature is called "Lyrics match" and according to Spotify designer Lin Wang has been shipped to the phones already.

Japanese designer Kenzo Takada, creator of the clothing and perfume brand "Kenzo", died Sunday, aged 81, a victim of the Covid-19. The information was announced by his spokesman.

First Japanese stylist to be successful in Paris, where he developed his entire career and made his name famous, he died at the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Kenzo was famous not only for his clothes but went on to create a global brand of perfume and skin products. At the time of his death, he was acting honorary president of the Asian Couture Federation.

In a post, Facebook has taken a stance towards the accusations from the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma".

Facebook stated that "the film’s creators do not include insights from those currently working at the companies or any experts that take a different view to the narrative put forward by the film" and added that "it gives a distorted view of how social media platforms work".

No Time to Die, the 25th James Bond film, had its release delayed until April 2, 2021. Supposed to arrive in April 2020, the movie release had already been postponed to November 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans, but we now look forward to sharing NO TIME TO DIE next year."

The movie marks Daniel Craig's final appearance as British secret service agent, 007.

Australian singer Helen Reddy has died at the age of 78. Her passing was announced in a statement on her official Facebook page by her children. Reddy had spent the last years of her life in a care home in Los Angeles after being diagnosed with Addison's disease and dementia.

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of September 29th 2020 in Los Angeles. She was a wonderful Mother, Grandmother and a truly formidable woman. Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever," her children Traci and Jordan wrote.

Reddy was the singer behind the feminist anthem "I Am Woman" which became prominent in the women's liberation movement in the 1970s.

Graphic artist Joaquín Salvador Lavado, known as Quino, died at the age of 88. Quino rose to fame for his comic strips and for his most widespread character globally: little Mafalda.

He had an extensive and acclaimed career that led him to receive distinctions such as the Official Order of the Legion of Honor in France and the Prince of Asturias Award in Spain. "When I think that I am going to open the newspaper and my drawings will not be there, it gives me more anguish and I continue drawing. It is like that stationmaster who retires, but returns every day to see if the trains run on time", he said once.

Canadian filmmaker and director James Cameron has recently confirmed that filming on Avatar 2 and 3 is almost done after the Covid-19 pandemic had delayed shooting.

"We've got about 10 percent left to go. We're 100 percent complete on Avatar 2 and we're sort of 95 percent complete on Avatar 3," Cameron said in a video call with Terminator friend Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Covid hit us like it hit everybody... We lost about four and a half months of production. As a result of that, we've rolled around one more full year for a release in December of 2022. That's been announced already. Now that doesn't mean I have an extra year to finish the film, because the day we deliver Avatar 2 we'll just start working on finishing Avatar 3."

Famous Indian singer SP Balasubrahmanyam died on Friday after being in intensive care following a Coronavirus infection. He was 74.

Balasubrahmanyam recorded over 40,000 songs in his 50-year-long career, for which he held a Guinness world record. He later become the singing voice for Bollywood superstars.

Pro skateboarder and founder of the streetwear company Huf Worldwide Keith Hufnagel has died at the age of 46 in his Los Angeles home after battling brain cancer for two and a half years.

"We are absolutely heartbroken to deliver the news today that HUF founder Keith Hufnagel has passed away. Keith battled brain cancer for the past 2.5 years. And though he beat the odds and fought back much longer than his diagnosis permitted, he ultimately and unfortunately lost the fight," Huf Worldwide wrote in an Instagram post. "Keith paved the way for all of us – as a respected professional skateboarder, shop owner, brand founder, footwear and apparel designer, creative director, and industry leader. He showed us how to do it, and how do it right."

Epic Games has announced that the choreopgraphy video for the single "Dynamite" by the K-pop group BTS will be first shown in the online game Fortnite.

On September 25th players will be able to see the video ingfame on Fortnite’s party royale island. In addition, two new ingame emotes that were "choreographed by BTS" will go on sale starting September 23rd.

Ron Cobb has died of Lewy body dementia in Sydney at the age of 83, his wife Robin Love reports.

Cobb influenced the making of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and was a part in building the worlds of Back to the Future, Conan the Barbarian and Alien.

Cinematographer and two-time Oscar nominee Michael Chapman has died of congestive heart failure at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 84.

Chapman worked on various movies, including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Fugitive, The Last Waltz and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

The 24-year-old Zendaya won the Emmy for best lead actress in a drama for her role as Rue on HBO's "Euphoria", becoming the the youngest actress to win in that category.

"I know this feels like a weird time to be celebrating, but I just want to say there is hope in the young people out there," so Zendaya. "I know our TV show doesn't always feel like a great example of that, but there is hope in the young people, and I just want to say to all my peers out there doing the work in the streets, I see you, I admire you, I thank you."

Canadian comedy show Schitt's Creek won seven Emmys on Sunday night for its sixth and final season, including best comedy series, best actor in a comedy series (Eugene Levy), best actress in a comedy series (Catherine O'Hara) and best contemporary costumes (Darci Cheyne and Debra Hanson). It set the record for most wins in a single season for a comedy.

HBO's family conglomerate drama Succession was won the award for best drama series and outstanding lead actor in a drama series (Jeremy Strong).

HBO's Watchmen wins the award for outstanding limited series, outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie (Regina King) and supporting actor in a limited series or movie (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

Tatiana Maslany has been cast as the title character of Marvel's She-Hulk series for Disney+. Maslany, who is known from Orphan Black, will be joined by Jessica Gao (Rick and Morty) as lead writer and Kat Coiro as director.