Arts & Life

Bradley Cooper has been nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the film Silver Linings Playbook.

Arts

Bradley Cooper Finds 'Silver Linings' Everywhere

1:18pm February 22, 2013

The actor, nominated for an Academy Award for his role in David O. Russell's film, talks about watching movies with his father as a kid in Philadelphia, his childhood fascination with soldiers and being up against Daniel Day Lewis for an Oscar.

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Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in Argo. Affleck also directed the film, which is based on events surrounding the Iran hostage crisis of 1979.

Arts

Affleck On 'Argo' And The 1979 Hostage Crisis

1:18pm February 22, 2013

Ben Affleck's Argo won Golden Globes for best director and best motion picture/drama. The film now has Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Affleck talks about his approach to the story of six diplomats who managed to escape a hostile Iran in 1979.

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Spielberg's Schindler's List will mark its 20th year in 2013. Levy was in charge of the publicity campaign for the film and still has his original press kit.

Arts

For Publicist Marvin Levy, It's All About Eyeballs

11:14am February 22, 2013

by Susan Stamberg

A publicist is responsible for making a movie known — in a good way, with any luck. It's a multifaceted job, but what does he or she really do? NPR's Susan Stamberg continues her annual Hollywood Jobs series with a story of one prolific publicist and the director he serves.

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Cinereach aims to support films that tell stories from underrepresented perspectives. The Oscar-nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild was one of those films.

Arts

From Louisiana To Versailles, Funding 'Vital Stories, Artfully Told'

6:01pm February 21, 2013

by Neda Ulaby

With its mission to tell stories from underrepresented perspectives, Cinereach has supported more than 100 movies, including Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Queen of Versailles.

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The third floor of the Warner Brothers Prop House holds a host of antiques available for rent by set decorators working on television and films. Each of the building's four floors is as big as a football field.

Arts

For Film Set Decorators, Tiny Details Count

3:07pm February 21, 2013

by Susan Stamberg

On a movie set, every piece of furniture, wall hanging or bit of desktop clutter that an actor doesn't touch is chosen by the film's set decorator. For her annual Oscar-season series on Hollywood jobs, NPR's Susan Stamberg follows a handful of these decorators from prep through "Action!"

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Books
Arts

Karen Russell's 'Vampires' Deserve The Raves

2:39pm February 21, 2013

by Maureen Corrigan

The author of Swamplandia! has a new collection of short stories called Vampires in the Lemon Grove. Critic Maureen Corrigan says the stories are daring and devastating, and with them Russell establishes herself as one of the great American writers of our young century.

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Dr. Sam Parnia researches the experiences of cardiac arrest patients who are brought back to life.

'Erasing Death' Explores The Science Of Resuscitation

2:39pm February 21, 2013

Dr. Sam Parnia researches the experiences of cardiac arrest patients in the time between when their hearts stop and when they are brought back to life. Parnia thinks of these experiences as actual-death experiences as opposed to near-death experiences.

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Arts

Oscar Documentaries: A Look Behind The Scenes

9:41am February 21, 2013

Over the last two weeks, Talk of the Nation has featured Oscar-nominated filmmakers from the "Best Documentary Feature" category. To wrap up the series, NPR arts critic Bob Mondello discusses how the Oscar business works and shares his favorites from this year's nominees.

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Aereo allows users to connect to a distant antenna — a tiny device that acts like an old set of rabbit ears — and watch broadcast TV channels on their computer, tablet or smartphone. Currently the service is available only in New York City, and it's e

Arts
Economy

Amid Lawsuits, Aereo Brings Broadcast TV To The Internet

5:52am February 21, 2013

by NPR Staff

Backed by broadcasting powerhouse Barry Diller, a new service picks up broadcast TV signals and makes them available over the Web — and the TV networks don't like that one bit. Currently available only in New York City, Aereo is planning to expand ... if it makes it through the legal challenges.

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Books
Arts

'The Dinner' Offers Food For Thought

6:11pm February 20, 2013

by Rosecrans Baldwin

The novel by Herman Koch is structured around a five-course meal shared by two couples. But it's not all fun and food. What's really going on at this meal is much more gruesome. Reviewer Rosecrans Baldwin says the novel offers a fresh, modern take on basic moral questions.

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