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Launching with a tribute to the founding of Czechoslovakia a century ago, the 53rd edition of the Karlovy Vary film fest kicked off Friday amid gymnastic stunts, fireworks and a call to action by Tim Robbins, who lambasted President Trump for his maltreatment of refugee children. The actor-director joined in the commemoration of Czech freedom, paying tribute to the leading voice of the Velvet Revolution of 1989, Vaclav Havel. The courage of such men is as needful today as it was when the masses turned out in Prague to demand the end of communism, Robbins said.

Recalling his unsuccessful bid in 1985 to land the role of bullying Biff in “Back to the Future,” Robbins confessed that lately, when reading the news, he has been struck by the image of a “petulant, overblown, child monster.”

He explained that the time travel concept in the Michael J. Fox film is relevant today because...

This past weekend, Sherlock Holmes fans from all over the world gathered in New York City to celebrate Holmes’ birthday at the annual Bsi Weekend, hosted in main part by The Baker Street Irregulars, a Sherlockian literary society founded by Christopher Morley in 1934. As a longtime Holmes fan myself, this was my third year attending, and, as before, I had a great time with Sherlockian friends old and new, discussing and honoring the great detective, his faithful chronicler Dr. Watson, and the peripheral cast of characters (including the original Bsi, Holmes’ group of street urchin informants) created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I first attended the Bsi Weekend in January 2012 after organizing a Sherlock Holmes Night at The National Press Club and learning in the process about our local Sherlockian scion society, The Red Circle, and the Bsi Weekend celebrations. And in honor of the Bsi and Sherlock Holmes, today...