Arts

Monkeys on Castle Rock from Disneynature's Monkey Kingdom.

Arts

'Monkey Kingdom' Is Best When It's All Monkeys All The Time

4:44pm April 17, 2015

by Mark Jenkins

There's some too-cute narration and some suspiciously convenient footage in this sort-of documentary from Disneynature, but when the monkeys are at their best, they're quite charming.

Ethan Hawke and January Jones in Andrew Niccol's Good Kill.

Arts

The Challenges Of War At A Distance

4:32pm April 17, 2015

by Linda Holmes

The new film Good Kill is a little too blunt in its treatment of drone warfare, but strong work from Ethan Hawke as a troubled pilot helps it along.

Tatiana Maslany (center) plays several different clones on the BBC America series Orphan Black.

Arts

Clone Drama 'Orphan Black' Returns, As Complex And Complicated As Ever

3:25pm April 17, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The BBC America series returns for a third season on Saturday. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says the show's dense stories are immensely absorbing, but can make it hard to follow for casual viewers.

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Lauren Lattimore (left), Wi-Moto Nyoka, Edmund Alyn Jones and Courtney Harge rehearse a scene from Blue-Eyed Black Boy, a play about lynching that was written around 1930.

Deaths Of Unarmed Black Men Revive 'Anti-Lynching Plays'

2:06pm April 17, 2015

by Hansi Lo Wang

The recent killings of unarmed black men by police have inspired a Brooklyn theater company to stage new readings of dramas written in the early 1900s about the lynching of African-Americans.

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Arts

"No Dwelling: Homeless in America", Jerry Douglas, "Heart of Wilderness", and UNCG Spring Dance

1:41pm April 17, 2015

by David Ford

No Dwelling: Homeless in America

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Arts

In 'True Story,' A Shamed Journalist Interviews A Fugitive Who Stole His Identity

1:17pm April 17, 2015

by David Edelstein

In 2001, Michael Finkel was fired for making up a story. Then he learns that a suspected murderer is posing as him, so he gets to know him. The best word for the drama is "dumb," says David Edelstein.

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A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Daredevil' And Credulity

11:28am April 17, 2015

by Stephen Thompson

The gang discusses the new Netflix superhero series, what happens when the audience knows too much and, as always, what's making us happy this week.

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Shelley Henning stars as Blaire in Unfriended.

Arts

The Internet Of Spooky Things Is Alive In 'Unfriended'

10:41am April 17, 2015

by Andrew Lapin

It's a tradition for horror films to find teenagers where they live, so it makes sense that Unfriended would find them saying nasty things to and about each other online.

Books
Arts

'Natural Born Heroes' Is Self-Help The Special Operations Way

10:16am April 17, 2015

by Jean Zimmerman

Writer Christopher McDougall digs into the exploits of Britain's legendary World War II commandos to form a new definition of heroism: It's a skill you can learn, if you push your body to the limit.

Happy Fangs drummer Jess Gowrie, getting it done.

Drum Fill Friday, With Jess Gowrie Of Happy Fangs

10:00am April 17, 2015

Our recurring puzzler for careful listeners, this week featuring a selection of fills handpicked by Jess Gowrie, drummer for the band Happy Fangs. Hear the fill and match it to the song.