Cillian Murphy plays an Irish family man who feels compelled to help a “fallen woman” (Zara Devlin) escape the convent where she’s locked up in “Small Things Like These.”
Lionsgate
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When we talk about the best years for movies, you’ll hear arguments for 1939 and 1946 and 1959, 1975 and 1994 and hey what about 2007? All GREAT years for film. It’s a fun debate without right or wrong answers — but I think it’s much trickier and I would argue nigh impossible to definitively call out any given year for being among the worst. I don’t think 2024 will be remembered as one of the GOAT years in movie history, but here’s just 10 of the films that fell short of making my list of the 10 best:
“Emilia Pérez”

“Maria”

“A Real Pain”

“Blitz”

“We Live in Time”

“Saturday Night”

“Blink Twice”

“Civil War”

“Bikeriders”

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
That’s an impressive and disparate roster of films ranging from blockbusters to period pieces to sharply honed indies, from biopics to musicals to sequels and prequels — all of them well worth your time. Pretty good year. Pretty pretty pretty good.
And that’s before we even get to my Top 10!
The new version of “Nosferatu,” starring Nicholas Hoult, is the stuff of nightmares.
Focus Features
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has voiced its protest over the depiction of rats in Robert Eggers’ visually stunning, deeply disturbing and weirdly beautiful, gothic retelling of the vampire classic. Yeah, well what about the humans who had to endure arguably the most chilling cinematic depiction since “Willard”?
I mean that in the most complimentary way. Everything about “Nosferatu,” from the bone-chilling visuals to the performances by the chameleonic Bill Skarsgård as the lovestruck and blood-struck Count Orloc and Lily-Rose Depp as the human object of his obsession to, yes, those rats, is the stuff of nightmares — and the stuff of one of the best horror movies of the 21^st century. See it: In theaters starting Tuesday.

Carrie Coon (left) and Elizabeth Olsen play sisters worrying about their dad’s health in “His Three Daughters.”
Netflix
Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen shine in this brilliant set-piece by writer-director Azazel Jacobs about three siblings (one is a stepsister) who gather in the New York apartment where their father is in the room down the hall and is dying. Each of these three brilliant actors is given multiple showcase moments, and they’re spectacularly, devastatingly, memorably great. See it: On Netflix.

Colman Domingo plays a man acting and writing with a prison’s theater troupe in “Sing Sing.”
A24
The always riveting Colman Domingo gives one of his career-best performances as an imprisoned man who lives to write and act in this astonishingly original work from director Greg Kwedar, written by Kwedar and Clint Bentley. Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, “Sing Sing” joins “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Hurricane” on the short list of the best prison movies ever made. See it: In theaters (for the second time) starting Jan. 17.

Mike Faist and Zendaya star as tennis players in a complicated marriage in “Challengers.”
MGM
It’s a tennis-a-trois, done with dark humor and bruising style by director Luca Guadagnino and writer Justin Kuritzkes. This is kind of like the “Tin Cup” of the tennis genre, only without the easy warmth and charm. Zendaya is quite wonderful as a mostly terrible person who goes from tennis ace to tennis coach after a crippling injury, and Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor are terrific as the best friends who both fall for her. The last moment of this film is bonkers — and perfect. See it: On Prime Video and MGM+.

“A Complete Unknown,” about Bob Dylan’s rise to fame, stars Timothée Chalamet as the singer-songwriter.
Searchlight Pictures
We’re not supposed to compare performances because it’s an exercise in apples and oranges, yet we do it every year with all those awards shows, so I’ll jump in and say that with due respect to Rami Malek and his Oscar-winning turn in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Timothée Chalamet and the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” blow the doors off that performance and that film. See it: In theaters now.

The ABC Sports control room at the 1972 Olympics switches gears to cover an act of terrorism in “September 5.”
Paramount Pictures
Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum tells the story of the ABC Sports crew’s coverage of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics in docudrama style, with most of the action taking place in and around the control room as the legendary Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) and his team wrestle with the ethics of covering an act of terrorism in real time. This is one of the best movies about TV news coverage I’ve ever seen. See it: In theaters starting Jan. 10.


A powerful CEO (Nicole Kidman) has an affair with an intern in “Babygirl.”
A24
We’ve often heard the term “Elevated Horror” — but is there such a thing as “Elevated Erotic Thriller”? Writer-director Halina Reijn’s sexy, stylish and unnerving workplace drama certainly fits the bill, with Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson igniting the screen as a powerful, married CEO and the intern with whom she has a torrid and dangerous affair. It’s somehow classy and wonderfully trashy at the same time. See it: In theaters starting Wednesday.

Jax (Lily Gladstone, right) hopes to keep custody of her niece (Isabel-Deroy Olson) in “Fancy Dance.”
Apple Original Films
Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) gives one of the most resonant and authentic performances of the year as Jax, a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation in Oklahoma who is prone to getting into trouble and is desperate to maintain custody of her 13-year-old niece Roki (Isabel-Deroy Olson) after her sister Tawi (Hauli Sioux Gray) disappears. Equal parts thriller, police procedural, cultural study and family drama, “Fancy Dance” never hits a wrong note. See it: On Apple TV+.

A Russian oligarch’s son (Mark Eydelshteyn) married a Brooklyn stripper (Mikey Madison) on a whim in “Anora.”
Neon
Writer-director-editor Sean Baker’s frantic and raw and searing crime drama/romance/comedy reminded me of the Safdies’ “Uncut Gems” in that it’s so visceral and so intense that it’s almost uncomfortable to watch. After getting memorably charred, literally, in both “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” and “Scream” (2022), Mikey Madison gives a nomination-level performance as the adult dancer who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. (Mark Eydelshteyn is electric in the role.) A wholly original piece of work that is reminiscent of the best original indie of the 1970s. See it: In theaters and on demand.

Once again, we’ll compare performances. As much as I admire
Cillian Murphy’s Oscar-winning turn in “Oppenheimer,” I’m an even bigger fan of Murphy’s quietly heartbreaking work in this instant masterpiece from director Tim Mielants about a simple and decent family man in the small-town Ireland of 1985 who cannot turn his back on a scandal that’s been playing out in the local convent for as long as anyone can remember. Murphy’s Bill Furlong is the most unlikely hero you’ll ever see in one of the best movies you probably haven’t seen, but my hope and prayer is that you give it a look. “Small Things Like These” is one of the prime reasons why this was actually a damn good year for the movies. See it: On demand.

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As TCM is promoted in Hong Kong, a primer on the cultural ‘treasure’  South China Morning Post
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Bitcoin falls 9%, dropping below $93,000 as sell-off intensifies  CNBC
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Interview. Church historian Yann Raison du Cleuziou discusses the church’s historical debates on popular religion, highlighting tensions between modernization efforts during Vatican II and traditional practices.
Pope Francis’ participation in a conference on popular religion in Corsica underscores the evolving role of grassroots faith practices within the Catholic Church. Yann Raison du Cleuziou, a scholar of the church’s historical debates, discusses the complex relationship between popular religion and official church doctrine.
Since the post-war era, popular religion has sparked intense debate, especially during the 1950s, when missionary concerns about the dechristianization of workers led to critiques of what was called the “sacramental illusion.” Practices such as solemn communion and infant baptism were sometimes viewed as pagan misappropriations of Christian rituals. The debates intensified during Vatican II in the 1960s, as the church sought modernization. Popular devotions, including candles, saint statues, and pilgrimages, were eliminated in favor of a focus on Christ and the Eucharist.
Yet, this was met with resistance from both traditionalists and ordinary parishioners, notes Raison du Cleuziou, also a professor of political science at the University of Bordeaux in France.
Yann Raison du Cleuziou: That’s true. Since the post-war period, popular religion has sparked numerous debates, reflecting shifts in pastoral priorities. In the 1950s, missionary concerns about the dechristianization of workers led to critiques of what was termed the “sacramental illusion.” Practices like solemn communion and infant baptism were suspected of being pagan misappropriations of Christian ritual. At the same time, ethnographic studies by figures such as André Varagnac revealed that where ancient pagan rites faded, Christian religiosity soon followed. In 1965, French Jesuit cardinal and theologian Jean Daniélou (1905–1974) wrote in L’oraison, problème politique (“Prayer, a Political Problem”) that “a Christian is never more than a pagan on the path to conversion.”
Indirectly. During the 1960s, popular religion became entangled in broader discussions about modernizing Catholicism. Efforts to reaffirm Christ and the Eucharistic liturgy’s centrality prompted an iconoclastic movement among parts of the clergy—candles, saint statues, pilgrimages, and votive celebrations were eliminated. Popular devotions came to symbolize resistance to the church’s aggiornamento.
In June 1968, Father Louis Coache organized a Corpus Christi procession without his bishop’s authorization, giving the liturgy a rebellious dimension. [Editor’s note: Father Louis Coache (1920–1994) was a French Catholic priest known for his staunch traditionalist stance and opposition to the liturgical and doctrinal changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council.] But traditionalists weren’t alone in their resistance. In May 1972, in the Communist municipality of Outreau, an “inter-parish self-defense group” rallied 50 families against a priest’s decision to cancel solemn communion. These were ordinary parishioners defending their traditions. In response, they invited an external priest to conduct an unofficial solemn communion after a clandestine three-day retreat.
Yes, his work was deeply shaped by observing the piety of Polish and Italian Catholics working in Lorraine’s steel industry. Bonnet saw that Christian freedom was embedded in private life, family celebrations, and customs surrounding the sacraments. He condemned the clergy’s arbitrary decisions to cancel celebrations or deny baptisms, noting the laity had no recourse for appeal. “The new baptismal pastoral care,” he wrote, “places the power to admit entry into the church solely in the hands of one cleric, without recourse to appeal. To whom can one turn when a priest refuses to baptize a child?” Bonnet criticized how clergy “speak for the people without giving them a voice,” decrying this subtle neo-clericalism.
Certainly, especially with youth autonomy emerging as a significant factor in the early 1970s. Pastoral reflections on youth ministry culminated in the 1973 manifesto of the catechumenal movement. Jesuit Joseph Moingt argued that chaplains should prioritize teaching adolescents autonomy. He believed only authentically free, responsible adults could develop genuine Christian faith. [Editor’s note: Joseph Moingt (1915–2020) was a French Jesuit priest and theologian renowned for his progressive and innovative approach to Catholic theology.] Conversely, Father Robert Pannet region contended that young people’s innate religious sense should not be dismissed, as it offered valuable resources for evangelization. [Editor’s note: Father Robert Pannet known for his contributions to pastoral care and theological thought. His writings often explore the relationship between tradition and modernity within the Catholic faith.]
By the mid-1970s, debates over popular religion became entwined with the political divides between Catholicism’s left and right. The Christian Left accused popular devotions of distracting from social justice and infantilizing the faithful. Progressives from the Lettre magazine advocated dismantling popular religion, labeling it an “ideology that turned Christ into an idol serving the dominant classes.” The Marxist ideal of a united, militant working class justified their disdain for popular culture and individualistic devotions. However, Pope John Paul II, elected from Eastern Europe, championed popular religion as a tool for individual and collective resistance to oppression, marginalizing such critiques.
Yes, but with shifted priorities. Pope Francis views the inculturation of Christianity as vital, arguing that sacramentals (candles, medals, blessings) sustain a sense of wonder in life. Popular devotions—honoring angels, saints, and the Virgin Mary—help believers see God as close and responsive to their prayers and sacrifices. This piety fosters hope, generosity, solidarity, and resistance to materialism and selfishness.

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Latest developments in trade secrets strategy and enforcement
20 December 2024
IAM looks back at litigation highlights in the United States and how the world is moving to bolster rights for IP owners
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Community Education Program offering variety of classes for winter/spring 2025 season  Tomahawk Leader
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The Magazine of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Field
The Internet Archive (IA) has elected not to further appeal its loss in the copyright infringement case upheld by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in September.
Now that the case is settled, IA will remove infringing books from their “lending library” and pay an undisclosed monetary sum to the plaintiff publishers, which the Association of American Publishers says should “substantially” cover the attorney fees and court costs.
The IA released a statement that reads,
While we are deeply disappointed with the Second Circuit’s opinion in Hachette v. Internet Archive, the Internet Archive has decided not to pursue Supreme Court review. We will continue to honor the Association of American Publishers (AAP) agreement to remove books from lending at their member publishers’ requests.
The suit was first brought in 2020 by HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, and Wiley, alleging “willful mass copyright infringement” by IA’s “National Emergency Library,” which offered unlimited borrows of over a million ebooks. Judge John Koeltl of New York Federal Court issued a summary judgment against IA on March 24, 2023, and the Second Circuit upheld the judgement on appeal in September 2024.
While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.
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Bitcoin’s price dipped Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank is not looking to hold the digital currency and signaled a more cautious approach to rate cuts in 2025.  
“We’re not allowed to own bitcoin. The Federal Reserve Act says what we can own, and we’re not looking for a law change,” Powell said at a Wednesday press conference. “That’s the kind of thing for Congress to consider, but we are not looking for a law change at the Fed.”  
Powell’s comments were in response to a question on whether he saw any value in the U.S. building a reserve of bitcoin, an idea floated by President-elect Donald Trump as a way to stay ahead of the competition as other countries embrace crypto. Bitcoin prices fell more than 5% Wednesday afternoon following the press conference.
While experts have warned of risks associated with volatile cryptocurrencies, bitcoin’s value has soared in recent months as President-elect Donald Trump appears poised to create a more welcoming regulatory environment.
Trump in July said he would make the United States the “crypto capital of the planet and the bitcoin superpower of the world.” In September, Trump helped roll out a new cryptocurrency business with ties to his family, and earlier this month named former PayPal executive David Sacks as his “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” He also nominated cryptocurrency ally Paul Atkins as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. 
Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Bitcoin’s price was above $101,000, up more than 125% from the start of the year. The cryptocurrency hit a record high above $108,000 earlier this week.   

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The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 results for each game:
Day: 1-7, Wild: 0
Evening: 5-7, Wild: 9
Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 4-0-2, Wild: 0
Evening: 5-7-8, Wild: 9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 1-3-1-4, Wild: 0
Evening: 1-9-8-3, Wild: 9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 8-3-0-5-4, Wild: 0
Evening: 5-2-0-7-8, Wild: 9
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
25-30-45-51-58, Cash Ball: 02
Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
07-12-18-23-42
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
09-10-14-20-22
Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.
08-20-25-26-29-40
Check Match 6 Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Lottery Headquarters is currently not open to the public. Visit the PA Lottery website for other office locations near you.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Pennsylvania editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Photo: EUROKINISSI
The Greek prime minister described Greece’s important role in Syria, stating that Greece is de facto playing the role of spiritual protector of the Greek Orthodox, whose security is a primary concern for Athens, during the press conference late on Thursday in Brussels after the end of the European Union Summit.
Responding to Turkiye’s involvement in Syria, Mitsotakis stressed that it is too early to draw safe conclusions about its role and its future implications for Syria. “Everyone should be interested in ensuring the territorial integrity of Syria and the protection of religious minorities in the country,” Mitsotakis noted.
He explained that himself and the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, briefed European partners about the risks that could arise for the stability of the wider region from any attempt by Turkiye to delimit an Exclusive Economic Zone with the new regime in Syria, clearly reiterating that the Turkish-Libyan memorandum is illegal.
Regarding migration, he spoke of voluntary returns to Syria, stressing, however, the need to ensure that those who wish to return to the country will have their basic needs covered.
In response to a question about Ukraine, Mitsotakis stressed that the European Union reaffirmed its will for multi-level support for Ukraine, in order to prevent Kiev from finding itself in a position of weakness when the peace talks begin.
Regarding the established Greek position on increasing resources towards common European defense, the prime minister, after announcing that an informal Summit will be held in early February on Belgian territory at the initiative of Greece with the exclusive topic of European defense on the agenda, he spoke of the need for a geopolitical and defense awakening of our continent.
Mitsotakis noted that more European resources should be mobilized, as well as the creation of a European defense fund. “It will also send a message to the US that in the European Union we take our responsibilities seriously,” he stated.
Source: ANA-MPA / Photos: EUROKINISSI

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