Entertainment

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Those looking for a fun time will soon have that chance this time next week.

The Rastelli Circus will be performing in Liberal, with shows taking place at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. All performances will be at the Seward County Activity Center at 810 Stadium Ave. Performer Denisse Santos said she and her crew are excited to be bringing the show to Southwest Kansas.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

I’ve been a fan of Lady Gaga’s since I was in college, and hearing almost any song of hers will help put me in a good mood.

Since then, she’s ventured into acting projects, including the upcoming “Joker: Folie à Deux” as Harley Quinn and when I heard she was releasing a companion album to the movie, titled “Harlequin,” I knew I’d have to give it a listen. I recently read how, at the film's premiere in London, she said "When we were done with the movie, I wasn't done with [Harley Quinn]. Because I'm not done with her, I made ‘Harlequin.’” She also said the album is supposed to be "indicative of a complex woman that wants to be whoever she wants to be at any given moment," and that’s definitely the vibe I got as I listened, because I heard happiness, fun, sadness, obsession, and everything in between throughout the album’s 13 songs.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

As much as I enjoy my job here at the paper, I fully admit there are days that end up being busier and/or more difficult than typical, and on those days, I want to do nothing more than collapse in my chair at home and find something to watch that will help me unwind from everything.

For whatever reason(s), animated shows and movies in particular help with that and in the past few years, there are some particular animated gems I’ve discovered I felt have absolutely not gotten the full attention they deserve. I’ve included movies and shows, and as always, if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to send them to me!

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Fall is in the air, which also means a new season of movies for people to go see at their local theater.

As Mitchell Theaters Owner Brian Mitchell tells it, 2024 has been good so far for the movie business.

“We knew, starting the year off, there would still be a bit of fallout from the SAG/AFTRA strikes that took place last year, and there were multiple releases that got pushed back,” Mitchell said. “A big example of that is 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' which was actually supposed to be our big kickoff in May, but ultimately got pushed back to near the end of July. We were still dealing with a bit of a shortage of product, but then in the middle of June, 'Inside Out 2' was released and turned everything around for us, which was great. We're still not back to a completely full slate of films, but we are working our way back to those levels now that the strike is over. We're seeing quite a diverse array of movies, and the summer ended up really strong.”