Movies

Rita Moreno won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Anita in the 1961 film West Side Story.

Arts

Rita Moreno On 'West Side Story' And Becoming The Role Model She Needed

3:09pm June 07, 2021

by Terry Gross

Moreno moved to New York from Puerto Rico as a child. She says her West Side Story role is "the only part I ever remember where I represented Hispanics in a dignified and positive way."

Queue Listen Now

Marcus (Noah Jupe), Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Evelyn (Emily Blunt) brave the unknown in A Quiet Place Part II.

Arts

Listen Carefully: The Tense 'Quiet Place' Sequel Speaks To Our Present Time

12:38pm June 04, 2021

by Justin Chang

John Krasinski's follow-up to his 2018 thriller about aliens who hunt by sound showcases humanity at its best and worst — and feels particularly relevant as we slowly emerge from the pandemic.

Arts

Summer Movie Season Roars Back, From Action-Packed Blockbusters To Biopics

4:58pm May 31, 2021

by Bob Mondello

Film studios have lots of enticements to get people back in theaters, now that they're back in business. We look at the art house treasures and would-be blockbusters Hollywood has in store.

NPR's Scott Simon recommends Da 5 Bloods as one film to watch this Memorial Day.

Arts

3 Memorial Day Movie Recommendations From NPR's Scott Simon

6:08pm May 30, 2021

by Scott Simon

Memorial Day is to remember those who have died in military service. NPR's Scott Simon picked three films he found particularly resonant for this weekend.

"Little Africa on fire, Tulsa Race Riot, June 1, 1921"

Arts

3 Documentaries You Should Watch About The Tulsa Race Massacre

4:54pm May 30, 2021

by Eric Deggans

Monday is the 100th anniversary of one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history. A spate of books and documentaries are marking the moment; we round up three to watch this weekend.

Movie Review: 'A Quiet Place Part II' Resonates

4:41pm May 28, 2021

by Bob Mondello

A Quiet Place Part II, among the first films delayed due to the pandemic back in March of 2020, has finally opened. Was it worth the wait?

Is Cruella de Vil (Emma Stone) meant to come off as misguided, unhinged or genuinely unscrupulous? A new film tries to suggest a complicated mix of all three and winds up feeling mostly confused.

Arts

A Kinder 'Cruella'? Film Reimagines The Dalmatian Villain With Spotty Success

9:47am May 28, 2021

by Justin Chang

Emma Stone gives her all in a tricky role as the puppycidal fashionista of Disney's Dalmatians franchise. Cruella isn't a bad movie, but it fails to make its protagonist bad enough.

Lupe (Victoria Moroles) and Sunny (Kuhoo Verma) are snubbed at the pharmacy when Lupe needs a morning-after pill.

Arts

'Plan B' Is A Winning Comedy With Some Painful Truths

5:00am May 28, 2021

by Linda Holmes

The new film Plan B follows two teenagers on a trek to obtain a morning-after pill. Surprisingly warm but also broadly funny, it's a tricky balance executed very well.

Samuel E. Wright, Voice Of Sebastian The Crab In 'The Little Mermaid,' Has Died

4:44pm May 26, 2021

by Bob Mondello

Samuel E. Wright, the voice of Sebastian the crab, Ariel's sidekick in Disney's The Little Mermaid has died at age 74.

National

Amazon To Acquire Hollywood Movie Studio MGM

4:17pm May 26, 2021

by Eric Deggans

A deal was announced on Wednesday in which Amazon will acquire MGM, the storied Hollywood movie studio.