Movies

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, shown here in 2018, has been fascinated with monsters since he was a child.

Arts

Guillermo del Toro says his future was set the first time he saw 'Frankenstein'

11:50am February 01, 2022

by Terry Gross

The Mexican filmmaker says seeing the 1931 Frankenstein as a child was like being "struck by a lightning bolt." Del Toro's latest film, Nightmare Alley, stars Bradley Cooper as a carnival grifter.

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On March 3, Hulu will premiere the series The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes, the Theranos founder recently convicted of defrauding her investors.

Your favorite celebrity could be playing your least favorite tech villain on TV

7:00am January 31, 2022

by Linda Holmes

There's a lot that unites these projects: high-profile stars playing people who fell from grace. Specifically, people who shared the trait of having been being ambitious when it came to money.

Ady Barkan and Nicholas Bruckman during the making of the documentary Not Going Quietly.

Progressive activist Ady Barkan says his ALS has increased his platform

9:27pm January 30, 2022

Activist Ady Barkan and director Nicholas Bruckman talked with NPR about the new documentary Not Going Quietly. It follows Barkan as he deals with ALS while also maintaining his activism.

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Music & Culture

'We Don't Talk About Bruno,' the surprise hit from Disney's 'Encanto'

5:09pm January 30, 2022

by Glen Weldon

Pop Culture Happy Hour's Glen Weldon talks about the chart topping success of the song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from the new Disney film Encanto.

Music & Culture

Renowned conductor Marin Alsop gets her own documentary

8:34am January 29, 2022

by Scott Simon

Scott Simon speaks with renowned conductor Marin Alsop about the new movie, "The Conductor," about her storied life and career in classical music.

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Sundance Film Festival: Suggestions for dramas and documentaries to watch

6:10am January 27, 2022

The festival, which is an all virtual event this year, wraps up this weekend. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to film critic Kenneth Turan, who reveals his favorite dramas and documentaries.

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Peter Dinklage attends the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater in 2019 in Los Angeles.

Arts

Disney defends its 'Snow White' remake after criticism from Peter Dinklage

12:01pm January 26, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

The actor was "taken aback" by the studio's plan to revisit a story with problematic representation of dwarfs. Disney says it is taking "a different approach" to the live version.

Books
Arts

'Camera Man' unspools the colorful life of silent film star Buster Keaton

2:00pm January 24, 2022

by Dave Davies

By age 5, Keaton was a star in his family's vaudeville act; he went on to star in and direct silent films, performing jaw-dropping stunts. Slate film critic Dana Stevens profiles Keaton in a new book.

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Books

Catching up with the author of 'Journal For Jordan,' a memoir turned movie

5:04pm January 22, 2022

The new film is based on the bestselling memoir by Dana Canedy. She tells NPR's Michel Martin about the film's release and the story of love and devotion at the center of it.

Singer Meat Loaf performs in support of Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at the football stadium at Defiance High School in Defiance, Ohio, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012.

Meat Loaf, Grammy-winning singer famous for 'I'd Do Anything For Love,' dies at 74

12:39pm January 21, 2022

by Harrison Jacobs

Meat Loaf, born Marvin Lee Aday, was best known for Bat Out Of Hell, one of the best selling albums of all time.