Television

By Oscar Goff
Thursday, August 7, 2025

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If this column seems thinner week to week than it might be, it’s partly because there is a literal hole in Cambridge’s cinematic ecosystem. The AMC Loews Harvard Square, known for its iconic mural on Church Street, has sat vacant for more than a decade, moldering in the portfolio of billionaire owner Gerald Chan. There was a time, of course, when the theater was a vibrant hub of the community, an intimate space to watch the latest blockbuster – and the area’s official “Rocky Horror Picture Show” venue since 1984.

With that in mind, the Harvard Square Business Association, in partnership with Cambridge Community Development and the Cambridge Arts Council, hosts a free outdoor movie night Saturday celebrating the theater’s once – and hopefully future – legacy. The festivities begin at 7 p.m. with a musical set by DJ Joey Finnz, with the film unspooling at 9 p.m. (Officially a “secret” until showtime, the film’s name was announced at Monday’s meeting of the City Council.)

This weekend The Brattle Theatre plays host to “In the Spectrum of Love,” a traveling program curated by Seattle’s nonprofit STArt Film Studio dedicated to LGBTQ+ intimacy in Asian cinema. The series begins Friday and Saturday with “Happy Together” (1997), the beloved gay romance from director Wong Kar Wai (more on whom in a bit), and Tsai Ming-liang’s impressionistic “Vive L’Amour” (1994). Rounding out the program Sunday are a new 4K restoration of Stanley Kwan’s “Lan Yu” (2001), presented with a reel of interviews with the director, and the area premiere of Ray Yeung’s “All Will Be Well.” If you find yourself inspired, you’re in luck: STArt is dedicated to helping first-time filmmakers fund and release their debut shorts!

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The Somerville Theatre’s “Great Remakes” series continues Monday with its most unexpected entry. When the great comedic filmmaking team of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker (whose cop spoof “The Naked Gun” is back on our minds thanks to its delightful reboot) made “Airplane!” in 1980, it was widely perceived as a parody of “Airport” (1970) and the all-star disaster films that ruled the box office in its wake. But the directors found more specific inspiration in a much older film: 1957’s “Zero Hour!” in which Dana Andrews plays an off-duty fighter pilot forced to land a commercial airliner when its crew succumbs to food poisoning. To avoid litigation, the ZAZ team (who lifted large chunks of dialogue in addition to the plot) simply bought the rights to the original outright, making “Airplane!” an official remake. Who wore it better? Watch both back to back on the big screen and decide!

For its annual summer repertory series, IFFBoston returns to the Somerville to visit the “World of Wong Kar Wai.” Wong’s films, known for their lush visuals and swooning atmosphere, received the full restoration treatment from the Criterion Collection in 2020, but due to certain unforeseen circumstances that year a full theatrical rerelease was scrapped; while most have screened since then, this the first time all eight restored films have screened as a set in Greater Boston. The series kicks off Tuesday, appropriately enough, with Wong’s debut film, “As Tears Go By” (1990), a smash hit in its home country that suffused the standard hyperkineticism of Hong Kong action with the aching romantic yearning on which the director would make his name. There’s never a bad time to immerse oneself in the world of Wong Kar Wai, and there’s no better place to do so than the palatial main hall of the Somerville.

Jun 5, 2025

Peter Eliopoulos
Reporter

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday, blocking nearly all foreign students from entering the country to attend Harvard University.

In the order, Trump said that the school was no longer a trustworthy steward of international students.

The move is the latest in a months-long feud between the Ivy League university and the Trump administration.

In April, Trump attempted numerous times to block Harvard’s billions of dollars in federal funding after claiming that the school “fundamentally failed to protect American students and faculty from antisemitic violence and harassment,” according to a Trump administration letter written to the school’s president.

In May, Harvard President Alan Garber refused to bow to the administration’s demands in a letter addressed to Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

“Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government,” Garber wrote.

Archon Fung, the director at Harvard’s Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, said he felt a flurry of emotions after hearing news of Trump’s executive order.

“When I first heard the news that Harvard wouldn’t be able to enroll international students, I felt confused and a little bit nervous,” Fung said.

Yonas Nuguse, a student in Ethiopia who endured the Tigray conflict, said winning admission to Harvard University fulfilled a longtime goal.

“The war affected me a great deal, and when I found out the news that I was accepted to Harvard, I was ecstatic. I knew it was a proud moment for my family, teachers, mentors and friends, who were instrumental in my achievement,” Nuguse said.

Now, he and other admitted students around the world are anxiously tracking the school’s feud with the Trump administration.

“I hope the situation is temporary and I can enroll on time to go on and realize my dream far from reality in Ethiopia,” Nuguse said.

Another Ethiopian student, Addis Ababa, was set to begin studying at Harvard in the fall, and also realizes that may no longer be the case.

“I hope it will be resolved, and hopefully, I will attend the college next fall,” Ababa said.

The executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, Denise Jillson, said the order will have a profound impact on the community as well.

“When Harvard hurts, we all hurt, and when Harvard is successful, we’re all successful,” Jillson said. “When you think about the international students, and what they bring in terms of their cultures, their food, their language, the way they dress, their curiosity, that is as devastating to us as the economic impact.”

In a statement, Harvard said that the order is “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights. Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”

The executive order came the same day as a travel ban, similar to a ban enacted during Trump’s first term.

The ban, which goes into effect Monday, will prevent citizens of 12 countries, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, from entering the United States.

Citizens from seven other countries, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, will face heightened restrictions.

Feb 13, 2025

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —

While you’ve still got time, don’t wait too long. All the shops WCVB heard from on Feb. 13 say they expect long lines on Friday, saying to get there the earlier – the better.

The patio and winter menu at Harvest in Harvard Square will warm you up so well that you’ll forget you’re outside

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Al fresco dining in the winter months? It exists! In the heart of Harvard Square, Cambridge, Harvest offers a unique outdoor dining experience that defies the frigid winter months. Its patio has heaters above nearly every table, a roaring fireplace, and blankets.

Harvest’s contemporary American cuisine has been a Cambridge mainstay for 50 years. In the chillier months, cold weather cocktails and a winter menu aim to warm the tummy, including classics like clam chowder, broccoli and cheddar bisque, and a classic cheeseburger, all made with locally sourced ingredients.

By Paul Burton

Updated on: January 12, 2025 / 1:43 PM EST / CBS Boston

CAMBRIDGE – As wildfires continue to cause destruction in California, people and businesses in Massachusetts are looking for ways to help victims. One restaurant in Cambridge is doing its part to support relief efforts by donating proceeds from part of their menu.

Donating to wildlife victims

Source Restaurants, located on Church Street in Harvard Square, is donating all the money from their Perfect Harmony Drink.

“We are going to be donating our proceeds from the Perfect Harmony to go out to the families and all of the people out in California to help get them back on their feet,” owner Brian Kavorkian said.   

The restaurant is partnering with World Central Kitchen, which provides hot food and cold drinks to first responders on the frontlines of the fires. 

Kavorkian says he’s happy to know their impact is now being felt and fed across the country. 

“Terrifying and one of the worst things I’ve ever seen, and I lived in California, so seeing that makes me feel so sad for all the people that I know out there,” he said.

Source Restaurants prides itself on supporting nearby communities by using products that are within 100 miles of their restaurant, so they said they are more than happy to help people who will need to rebuild in other communities.

“It means a lot to me to give back there, especially to the communities, because you know the struggles that the people are going through, and it’s going to be so hard to get your life back on track,” he said. 

Brian says Source Restaurants will be donating the proceeds from The Perfect Harmony Drink from now until the end of the month.

By Dana Gerber Globe Staff,Updated December 24, 2024, 9:03 a.m.

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1:00WATCH: Reporter Dana Gerber talks about her experience with arcades and their growing popularity

Decades out from their heyday, arcades are once again becoming space invaders.

From a 300-square-foot storefront in Somerville to a former pizza joint off Route 140 in Taunton, a spate of these electronic playgrounds have opened their doors across Greater Boston in the past few years.

Why the extra life? In the aftermath of the pandemic, operators found a public clamoring for experience-based brick-and-mortar spots, and communities hungry for businesses that could bring people out to play.

“Coming out of COVID, it was really clear that people had taken experiences for granted,” said Sean Hope, who got “good deals” on leases to open two locations of an arcade, called Dx, in Cambridge this year. “I felt that people really would be attracted to a curated experience that was something different than before.”

And though their inspiration may be retro, this new generation of arcades isn’t mere nostalgia bait. It’s more like a leveling-up,with these venuesoffering a mix of classic and high-tech games, modern pricing models, and on-site bars and restaurants.

One needs only step in the Dx location in Central Square to see that it’s playing a very different game than its grungy forebears. Gone are Frogger and his ilk, replaced by machines like a bunny-themed virtual reality experience and a two-person StepManiax dance floor. A small bar stocked with White Claws and Heinekens is nestled next to the prize selection — which includes stuffed animals, yes, but also grown-up novelties such as Bluetooth headphones and marbled water bottles. And there’s no need for pocketfuls of quarters; all machines accept only pre-loaded play cards.

It’s not the first arcade to arrive to the neighborhood; Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, which has an arcade bar in the back, is just a short walk away from Dx.

Michael Monestime, president of the Central Square Business Improvement District, was glad to see the all-ages hangout take over one of the neighborhood’s vacant storefronts.

“We have the foot traffic. They just need places to go and more reasons to stay, and this is one of them,” said Monestime. “That’s been a hard corner . . . now we have this great small business on a corner that sometimes feels hard, and now it will feel playful. I think that’s a big win for the Square.”

By Samantha Chaney

Updated on: December 20, 2024 / 7:02 PM EST / CBS Boston

CAMBRIDGE – A romance bookstore – the first in the Boston area – has opened its doors in Cambridge, giving fans of the genre the chance to revel in romantic reads.

A first for the Boston area

“We’re the first brick-and-mortar romance-focused bookstore in the Boston area,” Rachel Kanter, owner of Harvard Square’s new Lovestruck Books, said.

For customer Birukti Tsige, there’s no better feeling than cuddling up with a good romance novel.

“There’s just something comforting about it. I love the hallmarks of the genre,” she said. The twists and turns of a good love story are what keep her flipping through the pages. “I probably read, like, two or three a week sometimes.”

According to Kanter, the store is stocked with 10,000 books. “We have Romantasies; we’ve got sports, dark romance, historical books … I mean literally everything,” she said.   

Books aren’t the only thing available on the bookshelves. “We’ve got everything meant to enhance the reading experience: We’ve got tea; we’ve got things for a cozy night in. We’ve also got craft activities if you want to take a mental break from the things going on in your life.”