LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama bin Laden thriller “Zero Dark Thirty,” Steven Spielberg’s Civil War epic “Lincoln” and Christopher Nolan’s superhero tale “The Dark Knight Rises” are among the American Film Institute’s top-10 movies of the year. Also on the AFI top-10 announced Monday: Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage-crisis drama “Argo;” Benh Zeitlin’s low-budget […]

Judging part one of Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” prelude “The Hobbit” is a bit like reviewing a film after seeing only the first act. Yet here goes: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is stuffed with Hollywood’s latest technology — 3-D, highspeed projection and Dolby’s Atmos surround sound system. The result is some […]

BATH AMERICAN GIRL BOOK CLUB, for ages 8 and up, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Patten Free Library, 33 Summer St., Bath, 443-5141 ext. 17. Fridays September through May, except December. AUTHENTIC MOVEMENT CLASS, with Kay Mann, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Bath Dance Works, 72 Front St.; $10; 725-9997 or dancingfool@pobox.com. First and third Saturdays. BATH AREA SENIOR CITIZENS, […]

LOS ANGELES The Civil War saga “Lincoln,” the musical “Les Miserables” and the comic drama “Silver Linings Playbook” boosted their Academy Awards prospects Wednesday with four nominations apiece for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. All three films were nominated for overall performance by their casts. Also nominated for best ensemble cast were the Iran hostage-crisis […]

NEWCASTLE — DaPonte String Quartet will present its annual Christmas gift to the Mid-coast with its free Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 16., at Second Congregational Church, River Road, at 3 p.m. They will be joined by soprano Mary Sullivan, singing Bach arias from “The Magnificat.” The Quartet will play Corelli’s “Christmas Concerto” and bring […]

HALLOWELL — Kennebec Valley Art Association presents its annual artist member’s Holiday Art Show and Sale starting today at the Harlow Gallery, 160 Water St. The public is invited to the opening tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. This holiday tradition dates back to the founding days of the Harlow Gallery in 1963. During this […]

FREEPORT — Holiday music lovers will get to hear Portland’s community band, the Italian Heritage Center Concert Band, at a bigger, better venue this year. The band will perform “An All-American Christmas” at Freeport Performing Arts Center, 30 Holbrook St., Saturday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. This will be the 25th holiday concert for the […]

BRUNSWICK — Gulf of Maine Books, 134 Maine St., will host a poetry reading on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 4 p.m. The readers will be Camden poet Kristen Lindquist and Rockland poet Kendall Merriam, reading moon poems from their new collaborative book “Moon Viewing At 50 MPH,” a collection of 26 mooninspired poems by the […]