Entertainment briefs 10/4/17

Oceanside blue named color of year

NEW YORK -- The paint experts at Sherwin-Williams have chosen a deep sea-blue hue called Oceanside as their 2018 color of the year. The company described the pick Tuesday as evoking a wanderlust in an "opulent and mysterious" shade that serves as counterpart to a range of hues, from neon pink to desert taupe. Sue Wadden, the company's director of color marketing, said people today have a growing sense of adventure, "and it is making its way into even the coziest corners of our homes." She said there's a craving for "things that remind us of bright folklore, such as mermaids and expeditions across continents." The color has been embraced in the design styles of mid-century modern, Mediterranean and ultra-contemporary. Poised Taupe was Sherwin-Williams' 2017 color of the year. It was Alabaster in 2016.

Colosseum opens top levels to public

ROME -- Visitors to the Colosseum now can enjoy even more of the ancient amphitheater and the spectacular views it offers of Rome. Officials on Tuesday showed off the newly restored fourth and fifth levels of the Colosseum, which are opening to the public for guided tours starting Nov. 1. Included in the visit is a connecting hallway that has never before been open to tourists. Italian culture minister Dario Francheschini was on hand Tuesday to visit the new levels, which during ancient Roman times were the cheap seats, since they were farthest away from the spectacle. Today, however, the top two levels of the 171-foot-high Colosseum offer priceless views of the stadium itself, as well as the nearby Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the rest of Rome.

-- From wire reports