'taken 2' Breaks Necks, Not New Ground, Critics Say

Sault, the prolific R&B-leaning collective helmed by songwriter-producer-multi-instrumentalist Inflo, never does anything the easy way. Their albums and rare concerts are all elaborate and self-financed; they don’t give interviews or even reveal their identities except in the credits of the albums, although it’s possible that not all of the contributors are credited.

She’s defrosted and ready to take the field. This year will mark the inaugural NFL Christmas Gameday live on Netflix, and Mariah Carey, the Queen of Christmas herself, was there to kick off the games with a prerecorded performance of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Watch her performance here.

UPDATE, 12/25, 4:30 p.m. PT: Netflix said it will provide on-demand access to the full halftime performance of “Beyoncé Bowl” as a stand-alone special “later this week.” The 20-minute spectacle — her first live TV performance in four years — featured Post Malone, Shaboozey and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter to debut tracks from “Cowboy […]

There’s a haunting quality to Ecuadorian Oscar submission “Behind the Mist,” Sebastián Cordero’s intimate documentary on scaling Mount Everest. On one hand, Cordero’s twinning of mountaineering and filmmaking reveals spiritual similarities to both endeavors. On the other hand, his visual texture reveals hidden layers through its lo-fi aesthetic — one that emerges by necessity, given […]

Hudson Meek, a teen actor who appeared in Edgar Wright’s film “Baby Driver,” died on Dec. 22 in Alabama after falling from a moving vehicle. He was 16. “Our hearts are broken to share that Hudson Meek went home to be with Jesus tonight,” read a post on his Instagram account.

Beyoncé showed out for her native Houston with her highly anticipated NFL halftime performance during the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans football game on Christmas Day. For her first live televised performance in four years, dubbed “Beyoncé Bowl,” the singer put on a meticulously confected and executed show, enlisting Post Malone, Shaboozey and her daughter […]