Life and Art from FT Weekend

December is here, and we’re here to help you sort your holiday shopping. Need to make a last-minute gift feel thoughtful? Searching for something for your dad? Want to give a cheap gift a glow-up? Hoping to also actually enjoy December? Lilah has invited two experts onto the show: HTSI’s deputy editor Louis Wise and FT Magazine’s Food & Drink editor Harriet Fitch Little, the brains behind the FT’s two annual holiday gift guides. Please enjoy our most chaotic episode to date.-------As you know, the show is ending in early January – we’re still collecting your cultural questions. We have access to critics, reporters, artists and more – and Lilah is determined to find you the most interesting answers she can. What’s rolling around in your head? How can we help? Email her at [email protected] or send her a message on Instagram @lilahrap.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The FT Magazine’s gift guide, in price order, is here. We also love their advent calendar, with tips for every day of December– HTSI’s holiday gift guide highlights: here is Louis’ Christmas buys for stylish guys (which includes the Prada jumprope), HTSI editor Jo Ellison’s guide for fashion lovers, Drinks columnist Alice Lascelles’ for booze lovers and Laila Gohar’s for party hosts– The HTSI guide to black hoodies for men– Harriet’s cheese interview (you cut the cheese in the shape of the cheese!)– Vox’s article on buying the perfect gift is here– Harriet is on Instagram @huffffle. Louis is @louisquinzeRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filmmaker Richard Linklater’s movies span blockbusters, such as School of Rock, cerebral indie classics like Boyhood, and a hard-to-define The Before Trilogy. His most recent film, Hit Man, is a thriller, but it picks up on many themes that Linklater has explored before, such as identity and masculinity. Today, he reflects on the film in conversation with Lilah. -------Our film critic Danny Leigh’s review of Hit Man is here: https://on.ft.com/4fGIDidDanny also spoke with Richard Linklater in 2018 about his portrayal of masculinity in the movie Last Flag Flying: https://on.ft.com/3Va6v5L-------The show is ending in early January. But we want to know your cultural questions! Write to Lilah at [email protected] or on Instagram @lilahrap. And – thank you.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eli Zabar is the youngest son of the Jewish grocery family behind the famed New York food emporium, Zabar’s. Fifty years ago, he left the family business to open his own shop, where he would pursue the “best”: the best breads, cheeses, jams. He was inspired by the markets of Europe and quickly realised that to get the quality he wanted in America, he would have to do a lot of it himself. Eli is now 81 years old, and over the decades, has watched the food scene catch up. Today, Lilah chases him around one of his markets on the Upper East Side, where they make a sandwich, explore what quality food means and reflect on how food culture has changed.-------Lilah’s profile of Eli’s EAT restaurant is here: https://on.ft.com/4eKrSSj-------The show is ending in early January. But we want to know your cultural questions! Write to Lilah at [email protected] or on Instagram @lilahrap. And – thank you.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we’re taking on the much-hyped film adaptation of the musical smash Wicked. Starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum, the story is a loose prequel to The Wizard of Oz, following its two star witches before they become Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. Why is this film such a big deal? How does it hold up to the Broadway show? And what makes a musical work well onscreen? Lilah is joined by the FT’s Anna Nicolaou and Eric Platt, who attended the New York premiere together, to discuss.-------The show is ending, and we’re collecting your cultural questions. We have access to critics, reporters, producers and experts. What’s rolling around in your head? Let Lilah know by email at [email protected] or on Instagram @lilahrap. And – thank you.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The FT’s four star review of Wicked is here: https://on.ft.com/3CDHvgW – Anna is listening to The Good Whale, a New York Times podcast about the whale from Free Willy– Eric does not recommend the show House of Villains – available on E! and Hayu – but Lilah and Anna think it sounds pretty good– Anna Nicolaou is on Instagram @annanicolaou. Eric is on Bluesky, Instagram and X @EricGPlatt-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Clips copyright Universal PicturesRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.