Arts & Life

Arts

Philip Seymour Hoffman Leaves Indelible Bond In 'Most Wanted Man'

10:18am July 28, 2014

by David Edelstein

The late actor hit his peak in the adaptation of John le Carre's 2008 novel. The movie isn't a clean piece of storytelling, but Hoffman connects with viewers on a level most actors never approach.

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Books
Arts

'Panic In A Suitcase' Puts A Fresh Spin On A Coming-To-America Story

10:17am July 28, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

Yelena Akhtiorskaya's debut novel is about a family that emigrates from Odessa to the Russian enclave of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, N.Y. It's a funny tale full of insider knowledge and offbeat words.

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Tiphanie Yanique is also the author of the short story collection How To Escape From A Leper Colony and a picture book called I Am the Virgin Islands.

Books
Arts

'Love And Drowning' In The U.S. Virgin Islands

6:52pm July 27, 2014

by NPR Staff

In the Land of Love and Drowning, the islands are a magical setting for three generations of one family living through the modern history of the territory as it passes from Danish to American hands.

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"When I'm working on The Daily Show, I understand that I'm having a dialogue with the audience about something that is pretty charged," says Larry Wilmore. "And I'm always trying to work on: What is this really about?"

Arts

Larry Wilmore Knows: Heavy Lies The Late-Night Mantle

4:13pm July 26, 2014

by Eric Deggans

Larry Wilmore talks to NPR TV critic Eric Deggans about the pressure of moving from his job as the "senior black correspondent" on The Daily Show to his spot as host of the new show Minority Report.

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Books
Arts

'Back Channel' Turns Up White House Intrigue

1:32pm July 26, 2014

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Stephen L. Carter about his new novel, Back Channel. It's a political thriller set during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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Arts

Dressing Up As A T-Rex Is All Part Of The Job

1:32pm July 26, 2014

by Kirk Siegler

Remember in Empire Strikes Back where Han Solo slices open the belly of a tauntaun so Luke can stay warm? That's not much different from how Eli Presser climbs into his T-Rex costume.

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At Yume Wo Katare, eating ramen is treated as a path to personal fulfillment.

Can Finishing A Big Bowl Of Ramen Make Dreams Come True?

10:48am July 26, 2014

by Andrea Shea

At his ramen shop in Cambridge, Mass., chef Tsuyoshi Nishioka wants customers to follow their dreams. His philosophy? If you can finish a bowl of his ramen, you can accomplish anything in life.

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Woody Allen directs -- that's right, directs -- Colin Firth and Emma Stone in Magic in the Moonlight.

Arts

In Which Colin Firth Debunks Some Myths About Working With Woody Allen

7:40pm July 25, 2014

by NPR STAFF

Allen doesn't rehearse, and he isn't a big talker. But Firth pooh-poohs claims that he doesn't direct. He says Allen was a "very involved and meticulous director" while making Magic in the Moonlight.

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Arts

It's Time For Comic-Con!

8:14am July 25, 2014

by Nina Gregory

The annual pop culture convention underway in San Diego is not just for comic books — it brings the biggest stars from film, television and books together with their fans to talk about upcoming, and vintage, work.

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The Beatles perform one of their songs while filming A Hard Day's Night in 1964.

Arts

'A Hard Day's Night': A Pop Artifact That Still Crackles With Energy

5:19pm July 23, 2014

by John Powers

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of A Hard Day's Night, a spectacular restoration is in theaters and on DVD. The black-and-white photography of the Beatles is gorgeous, and the movie isn't half bad.

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