NEW YORK – Close to eight decades ago, William Moulton Marston – whose name seems more suited to a stodgy novelist than a writer of comic books – created Wonder Woman. In the years since, the character has, of course, become a staple for DC Comics.

CANNES, France – When films by Fellini and Rossellini topped the list of Pope Francis’ favorites, it should have been clear that, when it comes to cinema, this is an unusually discerning pontiff.

NEW YORK – Iconic and eccentric buccaneer Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) hoists the black flag for a fifth time in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Disney). The result is a flashy but ultimately unsatisfying journey for the theme park ride-based franchise that first set sail in 2003.

VATICAN CITY – The Eiffel Tower, the Roman Coliseum, the Statue of Liberty, the Taj Mahal; are just some of the universal monuments that a Colombian teacher makes to scale out of little wooden sticks (toothpicks).

WASHINGTON – If you’re an ardent fan of U2, you may know that lead vocalist Bono loves the Psalms. The 57-year-old Irish musician has spoken out several times about the inspiration that he draws from reading the Biblical hymns.

NEW YORK – Once you've seen one vicious extraterrestrial gnaw its way out of a human body from the inside, you've seen 'em all. Or so at least the jaded – or squeamish – moviegoer might be tempted to think.

BALTIMORE, Md. – No one knows who killed Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik.

Ernesto Castro believes in putting his art where his faith is.

Somehow I managed to miss the film Jackie during the Christmas season, but I watched it, twice, on recent long flights to and from the East coast. Like many others, I was struck by its moody, more “European” style, the high quality of the acting, especially on the part of Natalie Portman, and its historical verisimilitude. But what particularly impressed (and surprised) me were the scenes between Mrs. Kennedy and a sympathetic priest.

NEW YORK – Early on in "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" (Warner Bros.), the audience is treated to the sight of magically generated giant elephants swinging boulder-size wrecking balls at the ramparts of Camelot. It's an apt visual considering how ponderous this action fantasy turns out to be.