Movie Interviews

The Purge films are about a large-scale psychological experiment: What if every year the country allowed one night of complete lawlessness? Nya (Lex Scott Davis) and Isaiah (Joivan Wade) star in the fourth installment of the series, The First Purge, which

Arts

The Success Of Society Run Amok: What Does 'The Purge' Say About Us?

6:04pm July 04, 2018

by Neda Ulaby

The fourth installment in the dystopian movie series comes out July 4. Neda Ulaby considers why this grim horror franchise resonates so strongly with audiences right now.

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Boots Riley Mines His Experiences As A Telemarketer In 'Sorry To Bother You'

3:27pm July 02, 2018

by Terry Gross

The social satire takes aim at corporations that underpay and exploit workers. This is Riley's first film — he has a long career as a rapper — and his band, The Coup, plays on the film's soundtrack.

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In Woman Walks Ahead, an artist and activist from New York City (Jessica Chastain) travels to North Dakota to make a portrait of Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes).

Arts

'Woman Walks Ahead' Lead Sees A Sea Change For Indigenous People On Film

8:14am July 01, 2018

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Michael Greyeyes, a Cree actor from a First Nation in Canada, plays the great Native American chief Sitting Bull in a new film. He says it's the role of a lifetime — and a portent of things to come.

At first, the reunion was joyous, as the triplets discovered all the quirks and similarities they shared. But "the events that happened to them and their reunion caused a lot of tragedy as well," says Tim Wardle. Above, Eddy Galland, left, and his brother

Arts

Separated Triplets Offer A Glimpse Into 'The Wild West Of Psychology'

8:13am June 30, 2018

by Scott Simon

Would they have been better off not knowing about each other? That's the question director Tim Wardle keeps asking himself — he's the director of a documentary called Three Identical Strangers.

Actress Holly Hunter Discusses Her Approach To Her Supermom Role

4:59pm June 15, 2018

Fourteen years after she first gave voice to the animated superhero Elastigirl, Holly Hunter is back at it with Incredibles 2. Hunter speaks with NPR's Audie Cornish about how she approached the role a second time around.

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Arts

A Filmmaker's 'Quest' For A Quiet Family Portrait Is Pierced By Unforeseen Trauma

1:38pm June 15, 2018

by Terry Gross

Jonathan Olshefski spent 10 years filming Christopher Rainey and his family, who run a recording studio in North Philadelphia. Then their daughter was shot. Originally broadcast Dec. 20, 2017.

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In Bao, a Chinese woman with empty-nest syndrome finds relief when one of her dumplings springs to life.

Arts

In Pixar's First Female-Directed Short, A Dumpling Child Fills An Empty Nest

11:09am June 15, 2018

by Rachel Martin

Bao was written and directed by Domee Shi, who started working at Pixar as an intern. It tells the story of a woman who discovers joy — and sorrow — when a steamed bun she makes comes to life.

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Music & Culture

Ben Gibbard Talks About Death Cab For Cutie's New Album And First Single, 'Gold Rush'

8:47am June 13, 2018

by Bob Boilen

Death Cab for Cutie is coming out with a new album called Thank You For Today. Lead singer Ben Gibbard talks with All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen about the first single, "Gold Rush."

Ethan Hawke stars as as a troubled minister who counsels a parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) in First Reformed.

Arts

Paul Schrader And Ethan Hawke Test Their Faith In 'First Reformed'

1:56pm June 12, 2018

by Terry Gross

Ethan Hawke's performance is purposefully understated in the film written and directed by Paul Schrader. At 47, Hawke has "a number of lessons in his face that he doesn't have to act," Schrader says.

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Millie Shapiro, Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne and Alex Wolff play the troubled family at the center of Hereditary.

Director Ari Aster Says 'Hereditary' Is A Family Drama At Its Core

1:00pm June 12, 2018

by Mallory Yu

Critics and audiences have called the film "traumatizing" and "terrifying," and Aster says that was his intention: to upset audiences deeply. But he wanted to focus on family drama before horror.

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