The latest in headlines in the syndicated world of the arts.
NPR Arts & Entertainment
- A 'Ninja Assassin,' Out For Blood (And Revenge)
Splattered blood and severed limbs abound, but James McTeigue's new martial-arts extravaganza is more video game than convincingly violent action flick. Hardly realistic, but still a hoot for martial-arts fans, Ninja Assassin makes an entertainingly edgy option among more saccharine seasonal fare.
- Exploring The Politics Of 'Defamation'
Israeli filmmaker Yoav Shamir's documentary is a bracing inquiry into arguments about the prevalence of anti-Semitism today. If the filmmaker displays an anthropologist's openness to complicated truths, he also has a contrarian's impish appetite for the opposing view — the more intemperately expressed the better, it would seem.
- In 'Me And Orson,' Welles Is Quite A Character
Zac Efron is the nominal draw in Me and Orson Welles, a backstage drama set during the iconic director's 1937 production of Julius Caesar. But while Efron might bring the audiences, it's Christian McKay's turn as Orson Welles that's the real crowd-pleaser.
- In China, Creating A Menagerie Through Mimicry
Professional mimics in China used to imitate sounds as a form of entertainment. Not many practitioners are left, but one family is trying to preserve the art. Cheng Jiaqiang, who learned his skills from his grandfather, has a barnyard repertoire but specializes in bird songs.
- For First Lady, Protocol Critical For State Dinner
The Obamas host Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday night at the most formal of all dinners. First lady Michelle Obama said she and the president will be like swans, gliding with poise and serenity — while paddling furiously to get things right.
- Excerpt: 'Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire'
Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire collects celebrity answers to deep (and not-so-deep) questions.
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- Julie Powell's revelations in 'Cleaving' cut to the bone
Writer Julie Powell, the Julie of the hit book and movie Julie & Julia, looks like a butcher.



- 'Imperial Cruise' hits rough waters in attack of Roosevelt
Just two months after Ken Burns canonized Theodore Roosevelt, James Bradley comes along to demonize him.



- Five great memoirs, according to author Ben Yagoda
"We live in an age of memoir," says Ben Yagoda, who traces their development in his new book, Memoir: A History. Yagoda names ...



- Book Buzz: What's new on the list and in publishing
Sarah Palin's memoir is selling huge; a measure of the power of Oprah's Book Club; and Colum McCann's award winner goes paperback.



- A chat with Howie Mandel, author of 'Don't Touch Me'
USA TODAY talks with Howie Mandel, comedian and host of 'Deal or No Deal,' about his new book, 'Here's the Deal: Don't Touch ...



- Crichton's 'Pirate Latitudes' has the loot: Gore, sex, action
Michael Crichton's posthumous novel, Pirate Latitudes, is a lusty, rollicking 17th-century adventure that should make for an ...



USA Today Music
- Julian Lennon, decade later, back in music biz with 'Lucy'
A few years ago, Julian Lennon pictured himself as a man who could write music again. Recently, he saw himself as someone who ...



- 25 recordings inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame
The Doors' Riders On The Storm and the Beach Boys' California Girls are among 25 recordings being inducted into the Grammy Hall ...



- Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora honored in N.J.
The New Jersey town where Richie Sambora grew up says Bon Jovi's lead guitarist can come home whenever he wants.



- Sade to release new album
Sade is making music again. The soulful English group fronted by 50-year-old singer Sade Adu will release a new album Feb. 8, ...



- Listen Up: Lady Gaga's 'Fame Monster' is so cool, it's cold
The overnight sensation who went from a Manhattan lounge act to, well, a fame monster, replenishes her 2008 debut with eight ...



- 'A Very Special Christmas 7' features fresh young voices
Sean Kingston, Mitchel Musso and the Carter Twins are very special choirboys, young arrivals to a holiday legacy of all-star ...



USA Today Movies
- 'Old Dogs' barely makes a whimper
'Old Dogs' has no new tricks. But there are predictable yuks. And then there are the other yucks.



- First look: 'Shrek Forever After': Fourth, final film is first in 3-D
Even fairy tales must come to an end. The once-upon-a-time spoofing that began with 2001's 'Shrek' will conclude when 'Shrek ...



- 'The Road' traverses bleak, yet hopeful, terrain
If civilization were obliterated, what shreds of humanity would remain in those who survived? The Road tries to answer that question.



- 'Me and Orson Welles' could use a little direction
Awkward syntax aside, 'Me and Orson Welles' would be a much better movie if the first part of the title were excised, or at ...



- Disney's 'Princess and the Frog' is royally charming
What a pleasure, after a season of bland computer-generated tales, to be swept up in the visual magic of The Princess and the ...



- Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart: Are they or aren't they?
'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' is a hit, but fans seem to be almost as obsessed with news about whether stars Robert Pattinson ...


