Movies

Who Can Make Social Commentary Using Horror? The 'Candyman' (Well, Jordan Peele) Can

4:31pm August 27, 2021

by Aisha Harris

He has a hook for a hand. He's covered in bees. And we first met him in 1992. The supernatural killer in "Candyman" left a huge impact on Jordan Peele, who has now co-written and co-produced a sequel.

Bob Ross hosted The Joy of Painting for 31 seasons in the 1980s and '90s. He died in 1995. The painter is now the subject of a new documentary, Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed.

Arts

Bob Ross Documentary Filmmakers Ran Into Some Happy Little Legal Hurdles

8:00pm August 25, 2021

by Audie Cornish

Actor Melissa McCarthy and her husband, filmmaker Ben Falcone, are big fans of Ross. But they found it was difficult to land interviews about the celebrity painter — people were scared of being sued.

National

New Doc Looks At How Real The Liberty City Seven's Threat Actually Was

4:47pm August 24, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with director Dan Reed about his new movie In the Shadow of 9/11, which re-examines the case against seven men in Miami who were indicted for an alleged al-Qaida plot.

Arts

'CODA' Is An Unabashedly Formulaic And Lovely Coming-Of-Age Story

1:27pm August 23, 2021

by Justin Chang

The hit of the 2021 virtual Sundance Film Festival centers on a teenager who's the only hearing member of her close-knit family. CODA strikes some false notes, but it also delivers heartfelt emotion.

Queue Listen Now

Claudio Rojas, a 55-year-old handyman who was deported from the U.S. in 2019, poses for a photo in his home in Moreno, Argentina, on May 8. His wife, two sons and two grandsons remained in Florida.

ICE Deported Him After His Movie Came Out. Now He's Testing The Limits Of Free Speech

11:39am August 23, 2021

by Joel Rose

Lawyers for Claudio Rojas say he was deported by ICE in retaliation for his activism, which the agency denies. His case could have big implications for immigrants.

Remembering Japanese Martial Arts Star Sonny Chiba, Who Died Of COVID At 82

4:35pm August 20, 2021

by Andrew Limbong

Sonny Chiba was a prolific actor known for his Japanese martial arts movies, which featured his brutal movements and fearsome facial expressions. Chiba died at age 82 due to complications from COVID.

U.S. soldiers stand guard along the perimeter at the international airport in Kabul Aug. 16, 2021.

Arts

Our Film Critic Explores Why The Harrowing Afghanistan Images May Feel Familiar

12:52pm August 19, 2021

by Bob Mondello

Bob Mondello reflects on the portrayal and the despair of Afghanistan's story, as shown on film for decades — in The Man Who Would Be King, Rambo III, Charlie Wilson's War, Zero Dark Thirty and more.

'Homeroom' Filmmaker On New Documentary

5:27pm August 14, 2021

NPR's Don Gonyea speaks with director Peter Nicks about his latest documentary, Homeroom. It's the latest and final film in a trilogy about Oakland students.

Sundance Hit 'CODA' Is A Warm Coming-Of-Age Romance About The Child Of Deaf Parents

5:11pm August 13, 2021

by Bob Mondello

A heartwarming family drama, CODA — which stands for "Child of Deaf Adults" — won four awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival, including both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award.

Aretha Franklin's Multitudes Come To Life In Director Liesl Tommy's 'Respect'

4:34pm August 13, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

South-African born director Liesl Tommy says all of her art is political. That includes her new movie Respect starring Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, focusing on the women in the singer's life.