Alejandro González Iñárritu, the director of “Digger,” a roiling satire about climate change, corporate overlords and propaganda that stars Tom Cruise as an unrepentant, larger-than-life oilman, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, Calif., Sept. 29, 2026. Iñárritu reflects on the ups, downs and risks in the making of the polarizing film. (Sinna Nasseri/The New York Times) By MELENA RYZIK “We have confused, in my point of view, reality with truth,” filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárri

Donna Summer performs at the taping of the VH1 special, “VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross” in New York, April 9, 2000. A new box set strives over seven CDs or 10 LPs to capture the musical breadth Summer spent much of her career trying to prove. (Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times) By STEVE KNOPPER The story of how Donna Summer’s heavy-breathing “Love to Love You Baby” expanded to 16 minutes, 48 seconds, is one of the classic yarns of the disco era. Neil Bogart loved th

Peppino Mazzullo and Topo Gigio in 1961 (Wikipedia) By KAJA ANDRIC Peppino Mazzullo, an Italian actor who for more than 40 years provided the endearing voice of floppy-eared mouse puppet Topo Gigio, a TV character beloved by children all over the world, died last Wednesday at his home in Santo Stefano di Briga, Sicily. He was 100. His death was confirmed by Matteo Arrigo, a journalist and family spokesperson. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mazzullo performed in

“Verity” (Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Releasing International) By DERRICK BRYSON TAYLOR Until this year, Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway had not appeared in a major studio film in nearly a decade. But when she returned, she did so in monumental fashion. Since April, Hathaway has starred in five major films, and after this past weekend’s success of “Verity,” she appears to be the first woman to have leading roles in three films that opened at No. 1 at the box office

“Lurker” (Mubi, Universal Pictures and Focus Features) By ERIK PIEPENBURG This month brings cool girl witches, bad boy cutthroats and sinister political agitators. ‘CAMP’ Trauma, belonging and witchcraft wrestle with each other in this strange and sublimely supernatural summer camp drama from writer-director Avalon Fast. Haunted by a tragic accident in her past, Emily (Zola Grimmer, wonderful) takes a job as a counselor at a Christian camp “for damaged kids kinda like you,”

“NAZA” (Dogwoof) By MANOHLA DARGIS The new documentary “NAZA” is tough to watch, and impossible to ignore. A shattering inquiry into Israel’s military actions in the war in the Gaza Strip, it was directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who also codirected the 2024 documentary “No Other Land,” about military and settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Since the premiere of “NAZA” on Sept. 10 at the Venice Film Festival, their new movie has ignited pus

“Star Trek”’s intergenerational fan base shares more than just quotes; after 60 years, the series gives families a chance to pass down not only shared language but values, too. (Erik Carter/The New York Times) By SAM CORBIN At 76, Fran Friedrich knows the words to every episode of the original “Star Trek.” In fact, she’s pretty sure she could recite them by heart if she had to. “I say the lines with them, ’cause I’ve seen them a zillion times,” Friedrich said, referring to th

“True Stories” (1986) By BRANDON CRUZ There are the true stories, the stories we tell and the fog of everything in between. The films this month all circle around the power of stories: their ability to obscure the truth or shift the way we see ourselves. Maybe most of all, stories say that we were here. ‘True Stories’ (1986) Out in the plains of Texas, there is a town called Virgil. There you’ll find a soothsayer, a cowboy looking for love and a woman so rich she never needs

The Mighty Sparrow performs at the Harbourfront Center in Toronto in 2006. (Wikipedia/John Leeson) By MARGALIT FOX The Mighty Sparrow, known for more than 60 years as the king of calypso, who almost single-handedly gave the music of his Trinidadian homeland an electrifying international appeal, died Sunday in New York City. He was 91. The death, at a hospital, was announced by his daughter Karen Francisco. A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Sparrow — his given name was Sling

Céline Dion fans participate in an open-air karaoke event in Paris, on Sept. 11, 2026. The diva from Quebec has long been an adored cultural figure in France, but Dion’s comeback tour, beginning with a 16-day residency in Paris, has seen such a fever of attention that Le Monde compared it to Beatlemania. (Dmitry Kostyukov/The New York Times) By CATHERINE PORTER and GIULIA IMBERT Paris hasn’t just opened its arms to Céline Dion. It has declared its fevered, undying love for he