Robert Carradine, ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ and ‘Lizzie McGuire’ star, dies at 71

Robert Carradine, the youngest of his prolific Hollywood family and whose biggest hit was the 1984 comedy “Revenge of the Nerds,” has died at 71.

In a Tuesday statement, his family said he lived with bipolar disorder for two decades. His brother told Deadline that Carradine died by suicide.

“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” Keith Carradine told Deadline. “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul. He was profoundly gifted, and we will miss him every day.”

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Children’s film festival showcases joy of shared experience

In a world where anyone can stream anything almost instantly at any time, film festivals such as Freeze Frame International still matter, says artistic director Pascal Boutroy.

“I am disheartened by how accessible some things are to children,” says Boutroy, who established the festival in 1996 with his wife Nicole Matiation.

“We have screens everywhere — the television, the computer, the cellphones … shared experience has disappeared over the years. But (watching a movie with an audience) is such a thrill; it’s actually like watching a game of hockey or soccer with people in a stadium or arena rather than watching it in front of TV by yourself.

“There’s something very precious about the shared experience.”

The Guess Who, Limp Bizkit, Gwen Stefani to headline Ottawa Bluesfest

The Guess Who, Limp Bizkit and Gwen Stefani are headed to Ottawa for this year's edition of Bluesfest.

The annual music festival announced its lineup on Tuesday morning, with a one-day ticket presale set for Wednesday.

Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, who recently regained control of the band name "The Guess Who" after a decades-long legal battle, will headline a night of Canadian talent on July 19 for Ottawa's 200th birthday.

Other performers that night include The Sheepdogs and Elisapie.

Ever Carradine, Martha Plimpton, Hilary Duff and more remember Robert Carradine

Castmates and family members are mourning Robert Carradine, part of a famous Hollywood family and star of “Revenge of the Nerds” and “Lizzie McGuire.” Carradine died at 71.

Ever Carradine

“Growing up in the 70s and 80 with a single dad in Laurel Canyon is not exactly the recipe for a grounded childhood, but somehow mine was. Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad. I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones, and I always knew he had my back. .... My dad was a lover, not a fighter. He was all heart, and in a world so full of conflict and division, I think we can all take a page out of his book today, open our hearts and feel and share the love.” — the actor and daughter of Robert Carradine, on Instagram.

Martha Plimpton

Rachel Reid postpones publication of ‘Heated Rivalry’ sequel ‘Unrivaled’ due to health

TORONTO - "Heated Rivalry" fans will have to wait months longer than expected to read the next chapter in Shane and Ilya's love story.

Author Rachel Reid has postponed publication of "Unrivaled," the third book chronicling the relationship first introduced in "Heated Rivalry," due in part to her health.

In a video posted to Instagram, Reid says the book is now scheduled for release on June 1, 2027, instead of this September.

Reid has Parkinson's disease, and she says her symptoms have worsened in the last couple of months, which makes it physically more difficult for her to write.

Music Review: Mitski’s haunted ‘Nothing’s About to Happen to Me’ explores solitude, death and cats

On her eighth studio album, singer-songwriter Mitski crafts a stunningly dark tapestry concerned with solitude and death, in which psychological unrest manifests physically as a spooky house.

And yes, there are cats.

Mitski has described the new 11 song collection, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me,” as a musical continuation of her celebrated 2023 release, “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We.” She again blends Americana and alt-rock with meticulous orchestral and choral arrangements.

But this is more than a simple second edition. At its core, the new release is a free-standing concept album and gothic multimedia project about a reclusive woman’s progression from lonesome despair to horror. In her telling, haunter and haunted are often one in the same — and in the same home.

Warner Bros gets a new offer from Paramount in heated fight for the storied Hollywood studio

NEW YORK (AP) — Warner Bros. Discovery says it's reviewing a new takeover offer from Paramount, but it continues to recommend a competing proposal from Netflix to its shareholders in the meantime.

Warner disclosed Tuesday that it had received a revised offer from Paramount after a seven-day window to renew talks with the Skydance-owned company elapsed Monday. Paramount confirmed it had submitted this proposal, but neither provided further details on the bid. The company was widely expected to have raised its offer.

A Warner Bros. Discovery buyout would reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape — bringing HBO Max, cult-favorite titles like “Harry Potter” and, depending on who wins the Netflix v. Paramount tug-of-war, potentially even CNN under a new roof.

Paramount wants to acquire Warner Bros. in its entirety — including networks like CNN and Discovery — and went straight to shareholders with an all-cash, $77.9 billion hostile offer just days after the Netflix deal was announced in December. Accounting for debt, that bid offered Warner stakeholders $30 per share, amounting to an enterprise value of around $108 billion.

A midtown Manhattan pop-in: Oprah Winfrey delivers Tayari Jones’ ‘Kin’ news face-to-face

NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey welcomed her latest book club author, Tayari Jones, in a personal way.

For decades, Winfrey has broken the news to her chosen authors by cold-calling them or popping up on video during Zoom meetings. For Jones and her novel “Kin,” she decided to communicate more directly, showing up at the Penguin Random House offices in midtown Manhattan while Jones was speaking with her publisher.

The two know each other well: Winfrey previously selected Jones' acclaimed 2018 novel, “An American Marriage,” for her club.

“I'm a two-fer!” exclaimed Jones, who traded high-fives with Winfrey.

The famed cottage from ‘Heated Rivalry’ will soon be bookable on Airbnb

One of the most swoon-worthy lines in “Heated Rivalry” — “I’m coming to the cottage” — is about to become a literal travel plan for fans.

The lakefront home that serves as the setting for the season finale of Crave’s hit gay hockey drama, “The Cottage,” will officially open for stays on Airbnb, the rental platform confirmed Tuesday.

Dubbed the Barlochan cottage, the three-bedroom retreat in Ontario’s Muskoka Lakes has been the subject of intense fan discussion since the episode aired.

British comedian Russell Brand pleads not guilty to new rape and sexual assault charges

LONDON (AP) — British comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to new counts of rape and sexual assault.

Brand, who was already facing similar charges involving four women, denied the new charges in Southwark Crown Court. The alleged offenses took place in 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Brand, 50, was charged in April with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. Prosecutors said those offenses involving four women took place between 1999 and 2005 — one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and three in London. Brand pleaded not guilty to those charges in a London court earlier this year.

A trial scheduled for June is expected to last four to five weeks.

Fact File: Viral video of Ghislaine Maxwell in Quebec City made with AI, creator says

A video of someone approaching a woman on a Quebec City street and asking if she is "Ghislaine" went viral after viewers noticed the woman's resemblance to Ghislaine Maxwell. The Instagram account that posted the video last week says it used artificial intelligence to place Maxwell's face on the woman. The account is known for posting prank videos that use AI-generated faces, including the late Jeffrey Epstein.

THE CLAIM

A video posted to Instagram Wednesday sparked conspiracy theories about a convicted sex trafficker supposedly surfacing in Canada.

In the video, someone walks up to a man and woman standing in front of a Snack Québ store. The Canadian Press geolocated the store to 1045 St-Jean St. in Quebec City, based on the storefront and facade of the building seen in the reflection of the store's window.