7 h. ago Forever review – an absolutely adorable TV take on Judy Blume’s banned teen sex classic

The 1975 novel might be barred from US schools and libraries, but it gets a hugely important telling here. It’s powerful, sweet – and with a cast as excellent as Heartstopper’sA couple of years ago, Judy Blume noted that book banning was not only undergoing a resurgence in the US, but was at that point “much worse” than she had noticed during the 1980s. Blume is one to know: her 1975 novel Forever..., about teenage sex and desire, continues to be banned by school districts and libraries, as repression and censorship gallop on at a pace. This Netflix adaptation of Blume’s novel, which loses the ellipsis, is not only timely but important: through it, the story continues to be told, even if it is in a different medium.This eight-part series, created by Girlfriends showrunner Mara Brock Akil, is sensitive and winningly sweet, while still managing to maintain its defiance and bite. It doesn’t so much update its source material as treat the novel as loose inspiration: details are shuffled...

Events

25 h. ago Summer of 69 film review – charming, if overfamiliar, teen sex comedy

Awkward teenager strikes deal with stripper played by SNL’s Chloe Fineman in moderately entertaining throwbackIn Summer of 69, a comedy that premiered at SXSW in March, poor Bryan Adams doesn’t even get a mention. Rather than coasting on the nostalgia summoned by his 1985 hit, the title is instead a reference to the top-and-tail sex position (Adams has claimed, much to the annoyance of his co-writer, that the song was also referring to the same thing).It’s the unusual focus of awkward teen gamer Abby (relative newcomer Sam Morelos) who has a long-running obsession with her classmate Max (Disney star Matt Cornett). The best she’s been able to manage throughout their time at school is small talk, but when he breaks up with his longtime girlfriend, she sees an opportunity. Through the grapevine she hears that Max is a fan of the 69 position and Abby, whose experience of kissing has been limited to the back of her hand, seeks assistance. It arrives in the form of Santa Monica (Saturday ...

Culture

25 h. ago Summer of 69 review – charming, if overfamiliar, teen sex comedy

Awkward teenager strikes deal with stripper played by SNL’s Chloe Fineman in moderately entertaining throwbackIn Summer of 69, a comedy that premiered at SXSW in March, poor Bryan Adams doesn’t even get a mention. Rather than coasting on the nostalgia summoned by his 1985 hit, the title is instead a reference to the top-and-tail sex position (Adams has claimed, much to the annoyance of his co-writer, that the song was also referring to the same thing).It’s the unusual focus of awkward teen gamer Abby (relative newcomer Sam Morelos) who has a long-running obsession with her classmate Max (Disney star Matt Cornett). The best she’s been able to manage throughout their time at school is small talk, but when he breaks up with his longtime girlfriend, she sees an opportunity. Through the grapevine she hears that Max is a fan of the 69 position and Abby, whose experience of kissing has been limited to the back of her hand, seeks assistance. It arrives in the form of Santa Monica (Saturday ...

Politics

6 d. ago Florida woman, 20, accused of sex with underage boy she met at a funeral

Ayla Gonzalez Salinas was arrested after allegedly messaging the boy on social media and then meeting up with him

Politics

6 d. ago Florida woman, 20, accused of having sex with underage boy she met at a funeral

Ayla Gonzalez Salinas was arrested after allegedly messaging the boy on social media and then meeting up with him

Politics

8 d. ago Husband walks in on naked wife having sex with his son, 15, on sofa before teen legs it

Alexis Von Yates, 35, is awaiting a criminal trial for the alleged statutory rape of a minor who was visiting his father in Florida for summer vacation last July, it has been reported

Politics

1 week ago Teen found in 23st sex offender's wardrobe after sending SOS Instagram message

After the 16 year old girl had been missing for months, the teen sent a desperate Instagram message to her friend which helped police track her to the registered sex offenders house

Events

1 week ago Virginia Giuffre's brother releases 'last' smiling photo before her death

Virginia Giuffre died by suicide at the age of 41, after years of seeking justice for being sex trafficked as a teen - accusing both Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, the royal continually denying claims

Events

2 w. ago Étoile review – a ballet show that’s absolutely not on pointe

This drama about dancers could have been as fun as Fame in tutus. Instead, it is a jarring, cringe-inducing mess. Wait till you see Simon Callow as an evil billionaire!At first, Étoile looks as if it’s shaping up to be Fame in pointe shoes. One character even knowingly quotes the “This is where you start paying, in sweat” speech. This would be fine – great, even, because who didn’t love the quintessential 80s series about the high-energy kids from New York City’s High School of the Performing Legwarmers? The problem is that, as the new venture from Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino progresses, it doesn’t seem to be sure what it is. Apart from Whimsical with a capital W, an attitude that rarely works out well for anyone.The setup is simple. Two dance companies – Le Ballet National in Paris and the Metropolitan Ballet Theater in New York City – are struggling after Covid and assorted other modern pressures such as anti-eliti...

Politics

2 w. ago Kanye West details sickening sex act with teen cousin who inspired new song

Rapper Kanye West has taken to X/Twitter to confess that he previously performed a sexual act on his cousin after they "looked at dirty magazines together" when they were kids

Politics

3 w. ago The Last of Us season two review – Bella Ramsey is absolutely wonderful

The actor’s take on a damaged young soul fighting for autonomy is a punchy, watchable delight. The second season is slower and narrower in scope, but it is just as gutsy and thoughtfulSeason one of The Last of Us was a lot. It must have surprised some viewers to find that an adaptation of a video game was among the best dramas of 2023 – although it wasn’t too unexpected for anyone who noticed that it was co-created by Craig Mazin, writer of the magnificent Chernobyl. More to the point, The Last of Us was relentless, constantly shifting and weaving to deliver devastation and heartbreak in brutal new ways. On its return for a second season, it has earned the right to take a breath and slow down.A quick recap. A fungus-based pandemic has splintered civilisation as we know it, turning the millions of “infected” into groaning, lurching sub-humans who are not undead but are still monsters whose only impulse is to bite the healthy. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a man whose 14-year-old daughter died...

Politics

3 w. ago Teen's shock sex confession after missing girl found undearneath his bed

Police heard hushed voices saying "shhhh" after gaining entry to a flat in Rochdale a day after a young girl was reported missing, and discovered her hiding under a bed

Events

3 w. ago Teen had sex with missing child before police found her hiding under his bed

Toby Ashley, now 21, has shown 'genuine remorse', a court heard

Events

4 w. ago Teacher reveals why she had sex with teen student – and she's blaming her 'cruel' hubby

Perv teacher Emily Nutley is facing up to a decade in jail after admitting an illicit affair with a pupil. It has now emerged she told divorce lawyers her husband 'neglected' her during their marriage

Society

4 w. ago Dinner lady embroiled in teen sex scandal swaps cafeteria for prison as she's banged up

Nicole Wiggington admitted to bringing a student back to her home for 'sexual encounters' behind her husband's back on two occasions. The age of the student is not known

Events