Culture
![](jpg/20231230_cup501-2.jpg)
Beyond the screen
Hollywood studios are finding new ways to bring stories to life
Watch “Stranger Things” on stage, eat at a Batman-themed restaurant—or take your chances at “Squid Game”
![](jpg/20231223_cup504.jpg)
Back Story
A cultural guide to new year’s resolutions
Lots of writers and fictional characters make them. Fewer keep them
![](jpg/20231216_cup503.jpg)
Home Entertainment
Paganism is on the rise. It all started with “The Wicker Man”
Human sacrifice apart, the film made a life shaped by ancient traditions seem rather appealing
![](jpg/20231223_cup502.jpg)
Battle of the GOATs
The contrasting paths of Michael Jordan and LeBron James
Two books show the basketball greats’ differing attitudes to racial politics
![](jpg/20231223_cup503.jpg)
Product replacement
“Ferrari” is the latest example of Hollywood’s love of brands
Like superhero franchises and sequels, films about famous products are safe choices
![](jpg/20231223_cup003.jpg)
Back Story
Holding out for a hero in 2024
In a jaundiced age, screen heroes are often coated in irony. That is a shame
![](jpg/20231223_cup002-2.jpg)
Holiday history
“’Twas the Night Before Christmas” turns 200 this year
How a poem created our modern Christmas customs
![](jpg/20231223_cup001.jpg)
World in a dish
For a Christmas drink, eggnog does not have a heartwarming history
The creamy tipple inspired a riot in the 19th century
![](jpg/20231209_blp521.jpg)
The sports page
A problem at the heart of Formula One
How can any sport combine fun, spectacle and viewers’ demand for more greenery?
![](jpg/20231216_cup004.jpg)
Pandemic fiction
Some thought covid would change literature. It has not
Two new novels by Michael Cunningham and Sigrid Nunez offer proof
![](jpg/20231216_cud004.jpg)
A hymn for all seasons
“Amazing Grace” is a 200-year-old song with a surprising history
It is sung an estimated 10m times each year