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Arts

A New Novel Makes The 'Sugar Run' Out Of Jail And Back To West Virginia

7:56am January 05, 2019

by Scott Simon

Mesha Maren's debut book follows a queer woman trying to restart her life and return to rural Appalachia. For the author, it's a place sometimes "difficult to love," but loved with "extra fierceness."

Louis C.K. in September 2017 in New York City. He jokes about Parkland shooting survivors in newly leaked audio from a comedy club.

Arts

Opinion: Louis C.K. Can Say What He Wants, But At Least Be Funny

7:56am January 05, 2019

by Scott Simon

"I don't think Louis C.K. is funny," NPR's Scott Simon says. A comic can be edgy, but one that's not funny "is no more interesting than any other muttering blowhard who craves attention."

Though her works have largely been lost, Lois Weber made at least 138 films before 1940 — many of which addressed social issues like capital punishment, urban poverty and birth control.

Arts

Lois Weber, Hollywood's Forgotten Early Pioneer, Has 2 Films Restored

7:56am January 05, 2019

by Howie Movshovitz

The first American woman to direct a feature-length drama, Weber made woman-centered films with daring commentary. She's barely known now, though the rerelease of two major works may change that.

Arts

What Fashion Trends To Watch In 2019

6:12pm January 04, 2019

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Sarah Spellings of New York Magazine about what fashion trends to watch out for in 2019.

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Director Ryan Coogler attends a London screening of his film Black Panther, the highest-grossing movie of 2018.

Arts

Black Directors Had A Big Year In 2018 — But Other Inclusion Numbers Stagnated

5:15pm January 04, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

A new study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found a huge leap in the number of black directors behind the year's biggest films. But its findings elsewhere in Hollywood weren't so rosy.

Arts

'Destroyer' Flips The Script On Gender Roles In Cop Movies

1:56pm January 04, 2019

by John Powers

Nicole Kidman gives an intense performance as a drunken, pointedly unlikable police officer in Karyn Kusama's new film. Critic John Powers says Destroyer is a flawed, but fascinating, noir thriller.

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Christian Bale stars as Dick Cheney in Vice. The film, which was written and directed by Adam McKay, has been nominated for six Golden Globe Awards.

Arts

'Vice' Traces Dick Cheney's Ascent From Yale Dropout To Political Power Player

10:11am January 04, 2019

by Terry Gross

"He's always kind of just been in the background," filmmaker Adam McKay says of the former vice president. "So I had to bring him to the foreground."

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Arts

Study Shows Women Remain Underrepresented In The Director's Chair

6:05pm January 03, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

While women had a banner year starring in box office blockbusters, their representation behind the camera remains low, accounting for just 8 percent of directors working on the top 250 domestic films in 2018.

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It's a Trap!: (l to r) Zoey (Taylor Russell), Jason (Jay Ellis), Ben (Logan Miller) and Mike (Tyler Labine) navigate puzzles in Escape Room.

Arts

'Escape Room' Serves Up Bloodless Thrills And Pallid Puzzles

5:00pm January 03, 2019

by Scott Tobias

This flat attempt to map contemporary anxieties over the template of more grisly films like Saw only "recalls the mechanized horror trend while sanding off its serrated edges."

The Masked Singer dares to dangle the question ... who is the Peacock?

Introducing 'The Masked Singer,' Featuring Television's Hottest Peacock-Hippo Battle

3:40pm January 03, 2019

by Linda Holmes

Fox's The Masked Singer, based on a South Korean show, is a little like American Idol — if all the contestants were celebrities hidden inside college mascot costumes.