Movies

Actor Frank Vincent, Who Portrayed Mobsters In 'Goodfellas' And 'The Sopranos,' Dies

4:38pm September 14, 2017

by Mandalit del Barco

Actor Frank Vincent, who was best known for his portrayal of mobsters in Martin Scorsese's, Goodfellas and the HBO series, The Sopranos, has died.

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Arts

'Call Me By Your Name' Stands Out Among Dozens At Toronto Film Festival

4:38pm September 14, 2017

The Toronto International Film Festival wraps up this week and NPR's critics have seen dozens of movies. They provide a sneak peek at films getting early buzz for Oscars, some hidden gems and others to avoid.

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Sareum Srey Moch plays a young Loung Ung in Netflix's First They Killed My Father.

'This Is Their Film': Angelina Jolie Tells A Story Of Khmer Rouge Survival

10:57pm September 13, 2017

by Kelly McEvers

Jolie's new film, First They Killed My Father, is based on a memoir by Loung Ung, who was 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge rose to power in Cambodia.

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Screen shot from The Sign, a documentary in which biblical literalists claim the end is coming on Sept. 23 with a specific planetary alignment.

Is The Apocalypse Coming? No, It Isn't!

2:24pm September 13, 2017

by Marcelo Gleiser

Biblical literalists affirm in The Sign that Sept. 23 is the day the end comes as prophesied in Revelation. Fortunately, the film doesn't only present this version of the story, says Marcelo Gleiser.

Politics & Government

When Hollywood Went To Washington: The History Of Politics In Movies

8:26am September 10, 2017

by Ron Elving

When it comes to Washington and the silver screen, there's more than Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Arts

A Young Doctor Turns Detective In 'The Unknown Girl'

10:59am September 08, 2017

by Justin Chang

A woman turns up dead the day after a doctor, Jenny, ignores the woman's after-hour visit to her clinic. Jenny's sense of guilt pushes her to conduct her own investigation.

In Brad's Status, a father (Ben Stiller, right) takes his son (Austin Abrams) on a college tour and starts thinking about his own college friends, who are much more successful that he is.

Arts

Director Mike White Unpacks The Impulse To Compare In 'Brad's Status'

5:26pm September 07, 2017

by Terry Gross

In White's new film, a father starts to experience status anxiety while taking his son on a college tour. White says it's a universal situation, "but it's definitely a waste of time and energy."

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Reese Witherspoon stars as Alice Kinney, a recently separated mother of two who moves back in with her mother (Candice Bergen) for a fresh start.

Arts

You Can't Go 'Home Again' — Or At Least, You Shouldn't

5:00pm September 07, 2017

by Ella Taylor

The writing/directing debut of Hallie Meyers-Shyer (daughter of Nancy Meyers) features tired tropes, stiff acting and lots of hand-wringing about how tough it is to break into Hollywood.

One luftballon down, 98 to go: Bill Skarsgård stars as Pennywise in director Andy Muschietti's horror thriller It.

Arts

'It' Happens, Again And Again And Again

5:00pm September 07, 2017

by Scott Tobias

Stephen King's tale of a shape-shifting clown who haunts a small Maine town gets an adaptation that features fine performances, but relies on a barrage of repetitive jump-scares.

Home Again stars Reese Witherspoon as a freshly separated woman who opens her home to three young filmmakers. "She can make any word relatable," Meyers-Shyer says of the actress. "She can really say anything and you are with her."

Arts

Mother-Daughter Filmmakers Continue Rom-Com Family Tradition In 'Home Again'

6:00am September 06, 2017

by Linda Holmes

Hallie Meyers-Shyer says she doesn't mind being compared to her mom, Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give, The Intern). "She's synonymous with the genre and I think it's been a positive influence."

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