Movies

Jesse (Cesar De Sutter) is a Belgian teen dealing with the aftermath of an attack in Violet.

Arts

In 'Violet,' A Deadly Assault And A Dispassionate Survivor

5:00pm May 11, 2017

by Andrew Lapin

Flemish writer-director Bas Devos' visually striking, enigmatic tale of sudden violence and internalized emotion dares audiences to empathize with its closed-off teen protagonist.

Easy Targets: Matthews (John Cena) and Isaac (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) seek cover in The Wall.

Arts

A Mysterious Iraqi Sniper Pins Down Two U.S. Soldiers In 'The Wall'

5:00pm May 11, 2017

by Scott Tobias

John Cena and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star in Doug Liman's stripped-down, real-time thriller. Despite its script's many contrivances, critic Scott Tobias says Liman's direction is tense and unrelenting.

National

Michael Parks, TV And Movie Character Actor, Dies At 77

5:00am May 11, 2017

by Mandalit del Barco

Parks had more than a hundred film and TV credits as villains and antiheroes in a career lasting more than 50 years. He was a favorite of directors Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and David Lynch.

Amy Schumer And Goldie Hawn Team Up In 'Snatched'

5:00am May 11, 2017

by Linda Holmes

Beloved comic actor Goldie Hawn is back on the big screen with the movie Snatched. She stars alongside Amy Schumer, who had a breakout comedy a couple years back with Trainwreck.

Muhammad Ali throws a playful punch at Chuck Wepner, ahead of their 1975 fight.

Sports

'I'm A Brawler,' Says Chuck Wepner, The Boxer Who Inspired 'Rocky'

8:12am May 10, 2017

by Andrew Limbong

Chuck Wepner fought the biggest boxer of the time — Muhammad Ali. He didn't win, but went 15 rounds, becoming the inspiration for the movie Rocky. Now he's got his own biopic coming out called Chuck.

Queue Listen Now

Indian Film 'Baahubali 2' Is Breaking Box Office Records

4:53am May 10, 2017

The new movie Baahubali 2: The Conclusion has broken sales records in India and is even a big hit at U.S. box offices. Shashank Bengali of the Los Angeles Times explains the phenomenon.

Queue Listen Now

Composer Jerry Goldsmith, shown in 2000, wrote the scores for more than 200 films over a 50-year career.

Music & Culture

Jerry Goldsmith, 'The Composer's Composer,' Honored With Hollywood Star

4:36pm May 09, 2017

by Tim Greiving

Goldsmith scored more than 200 films, including Alien, Chinatown and the first Star Trek movie. While his career paralleled that of John Williams, he never enjoyed the same kind of name recognition.

Before landing her first film role, Gabourey Sidibe struggled to find work. "This is my path, and I'm really grateful that I'm on it," she says of acting.

Books
Arts

Actress Gabourey Sidibe On Anxiety, Phone Sex And Life After 'Precious'

3:21pm May 08, 2017

by Terry Gross

As a young woman, Sidibe struggled to find work before landing the film role that would change her life. "This is my path, and I'm really grateful that I'm on it," Sidibe says of her acting career.

Queue Listen Now

Liev Schreiber plays the boxer Chuck Wepner, who fought Muhammad Ali in 1975.

Arts

Liev Schreiber On The 'Unsafe' Obsession With Celebrity And The Story Of 'Chuck'

12:20am May 07, 2017

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with actor Liev Schreiber about his new film Chuck, which tells the story of boxer Chuck Wepner, the real-life inspiration for the Rocky film franchise.

Queue Listen Now

Actor Richard Gere says of his new character, "I think there's a kindness and softness in Norman, where he really believes these schemes are going to be good for people."

'Every Culture Has A Norman': Richard Gere On Playing A Fixer And Wandering Jew

7:48am May 06, 2017

by Scott Simon

Gere's latest film, Norman, is about a Jewish man who pops up on the streets of Manhattan dropping names, handing out cards and promising to connect people.