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Arts & Culture / Music & Film

Daniel Craig as James Bond escapes villains in the Austrian Alps in Spectre, the latest 007 movie.

Austria

The Man With the Golden Passport: Travel the World of the New James Bond Movie

Follow the trail of Agent 007 in his latest film

"I think this thing will make Beethoven," Disney once said.

Disney’s “Fantasia” Was Initially a Critical and Box-Office Failure

More than seventy-five years after its debut, a look back at the animated masterpiece

Robert Kondo, Remy in the Kitchen, "Ratatouille," 2007

The Art and Design Behind Pixar’s Animation

A new exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt in New York City draws on the rich backstory of what it takes to give computer-animated life to pen and ink sketches

Powers with a model of his cold war-era U-2, known as the "Dragon Lady." He was freed in an exchange for a Soviety spy in Germany in 1962.

Gary Powers Kept a Secret Diary With Him After He Was Captured by the Soviets

The American fighter pilot who’s the focus of Bridge of Spies faced great challenges home and abroad

Director Federico Fellini had Sutherland’s eyebrows removed, built out his nose and chin, and partially shaved his forehead for the role of Casanova.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Venice

Donald Sutherland on Fellini, Near-Death and the Haunting Allure of Venice

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Venice

What to Read, Watch and Download Before Your Trip to Venice

Know before you go

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit in The Walk

What Happens to Your Body When You Walk on a Tightrope?

It’s more than just an insane amount of courage that gets people on the tightwire

Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney, the titular "Martian" who gets left for dead on the red planet.

The Secret of “The Martian” Success? Scientific Peer Review

Andy Weir’s tale of a stranded astronaut got its start as a blog, complete with reader comments that helped shape the plot

Alice with Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Disney's 1951 film

After Giving Us a New Spin on Oz, Gregory Maguire Takes on Wonderland

Alice is 150 years old, and the world is still wondering about her

Twins Ida and Irene practice swimming in a learn-to-swim program on Eydhafushi, an island in the Maldives.

Age of Humans

Third-Graders in the Maldives Discover the Beauty Beneath Their Seas

Many tourists have experienced the Maldives’ beauty. Most Maldivians haven’t, because they don’t know how to swim

Colorado’s ‘The Shining’ Hotel Is Finally Getting That Hedge Maze

No axes allowed

The cello plays notes that correspond to changing temperatures in the equatorial zone.

Age of Humans

This Song Is Composed From 133 Years of Climate Change Data

Daniel Crawford, a senior at the University of Minnesota, has written music for a string quartet that traces rising temperatures since the 1880s

Look out from Balestrand's Kviknes Hotel over Sognefjord and feel like you are in Arendelle Castle.

A “Frozen” Summer Adventure Awaits You in Norway

If the cold really does bother you, anyway, then visit the fjords in warmer months

Jon Batiste and Stay Human perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Why Jon Batiste Is the Perfect Choice to Be the “Late Night” Bandleader

The tall, lanky jazz musician will bring his unique talents to television this fall

Lebanese-British singer-songwriter Mika performs atop a piano at Fabrique in Milan this June.

Is There a ‘Gay Aesthetic’ to Pop Music?

From Elton John to Mika, the “glam piano” genre may be as integral to the Gay American experience as hip-hop and the blues are to the African American one

Meryl Streep's a better actress than singer, but that works to her advantage in the film.

What “Ricki and the Flash” Gets Wrong About the Life of a Musician

The new Meryl Streep vehicle is the latest in a long history of movies about bar singers

Visitors enjoying the sounds of the Wanamaker Organ in the Grand Court at Macy's in Philadelphia.

The Sound and Fury of Philadelphia’s Wanamaker Organ

Get blown away listening to the largest operating pipe organ in the world

Signs welcome visitors to Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden.

When Rock Bands Flocked to Howard Finster’s Remote, Bizarre Artist Compound

Even today you can visit the site where groups such as R.E.M. found a true artistic genius

Turning New York City’s Subway Into a Symphony

Musician James Murphy wants to replace the beeps of the system’s turnstiles with beautiful music

In a still from Back to the Future: Part II Marty McFly asks his son about watching too much television

The Back to the Future Movies Are Obsessed With Television, Rightfully So

The McFlys’ constant attention to the TV was a perfect reflection of life in post-war America

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