Movies

World News

'A Hero' tells the story of how complicated a good deed (and a small lie) can be

5:28pm January 07, 2022

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Iranian director Asghar Farhadi about his new film, A Hero. The story examines the complexity of what appears to many to be a good deed.

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Sidney Poitier was far more than just a symbol of racial progress

2:20pm January 07, 2022

by Aisha Harris

For much of his career, the actor represented many different things to many people, but a constant was his sheer artistry.

L to R: Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and Peacemaker (John Cena) play mercs who are jerks in Peacemaker.

Arts

'Peacemaker' takes aim at a broad, stationary target — with machine guns

5:01am January 07, 2022

by Glen Weldon

A game John Cena takes the lumbering, emotionally stunted mercenary he played in The Suicide Squad to the small screen. The cast lunges at every repetitive joke, but fans of the movie will eat it up.

World News

Iranian Oscars entry 'A Hero' explores the complexity of a good deed

5:25pm January 06, 2022

by Bob Mondello

The Iranian film A Hero is about a man who becomes a celebrity after doing a good deed. In filmmaker Asghar Farhadi's hands, what seems to be a black and white morality tale becomes more gray.

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In 1973's Soylent Green, New York City is in the grips of widespread pollution and overcrowding. It takes place in 2022.

Arts

Decades ago, movies imagined a futuristic 2022

5:55pm January 04, 2022

by James Doubek

In 1973, Soylent Green imagined a New York City of 2022 — polluted, overcrowded, and facing environmental catastrophe. Other movies offered their own take on what was in store.

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Arts

For Kirsten Dunst, 'The Power of the Dog' is a cinematic love letter to her children

1:50pm January 03, 2022

by Terry Gross

Dunst says acting opposite her husband, Jesse Plemons, in Jane Campion's new Western is an experience she'll never forget: "It was very special. ... He's my favorite actor to work with."

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Max Julien, as he appeared in the groundbreaking 1973 film The Mack.

Arts

Max Julien, star of Blaxploitation classic 'The Mack,' has died at 88

2:11pm January 02, 2022

by Andrew Limbong

Julien starred opposite a young Richard Pryor in the 1973 movie The Mack. In addition to his pivotal work onscreen, he co-wrote and co-produced Cleopatra Jones.

Betty White at the 41st Annual People's Choice Awards in 2015.

Arts

Remembering the smart, sharp, naughty Betty White

6:00pm December 31, 2021

by Linda Holmes

Betty White was smart and sharp, sexy and versatile, for decades. Anyone who saw her as just a salty-mouthed grandma missed out.

Arts

Here are Bob Mondello's picks for the year's best 10 films

4:41pm December 31, 2021

by Bob Mondello

In a year when many films didn't even open in theaters, there were still plenty worth talking about. NPR film critic Bob Mondello celebrates the best of 2021.

Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd stars as Amleth and Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga in director Robert Eggers' Viking epic The Northman.

Books
Arts

What's making us happy: What to watch, read and listen to this weekend

3:01pm December 31, 2021

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the trailer for The Northman, the novel The School for Good Mothers and more.