Movies

Jack Black and R.L. Stine on the set of the film adaptation of Goosebumps.

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Arts

The Deep, Dark Secret Of R.L. Stine: 'I Never Planned To Be Scary'

6:37pm October 18, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

After more than 20 years of frights, Stine's Goosebumps series is finally getting a big-screen adaptation, starring Jack Black. For Stine and Black, the key to the nightmare is in keeping things fun.

Arts

Attack Of The Spooky Script! R.L. Stine, In Life And On The Screen

6:37pm October 18, 2015

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with R.L. Stine, author of the children's horror book series Goosebumps, about his long — and surprising — writing career, and the new film based on his books.

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The Assassin isn't just a change of form for its director, Hou Hsiao-Hsien; it also puts a twist on the classic story of the roaming swordsman — or swordswoman — in medieval China.

Renowned Director Breaks The Mold, With An 'Assassin' No One Saw Coming

1:22pm October 18, 2015

by Neda Ulaby

Hou Hsiao-Hsien has built worldwide fame, but he's done so with realistic films about normal people. In The Assassin, he upends expectations (and genre conventions) with a medieval action tale.

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Brie Larson as Ma and Jacob Tremblay as Jack in the new movie adaptation of Room.

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A Mother Balances Truth And Survival In 'Room'

10:38am October 18, 2015

by NPR Staff

Actress Brie Larson speaks to NPR's Rachel Martin about the new film Room. She plays a woman held captive for seven years, who finally escapes with her son — who's never seen the outside world

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Arts

In Bringing 'Goosebumps' To The Big Screen, Jack Black Gets His Creepy On

5:06pm October 17, 2015

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Black about playing R.L. Stine, the beloved children's horror author, in the new Goosebumps movie.

Alfred Newman stands between actor Eddie Cantor (left) and director Norman Taurog, listening to a playback on the set of Strike Me Pink, circa 1935.

When John Williams Can't Go, Whom Does Spielberg Call? Thomas Newman

2:28pm October 17, 2015

by Tim Greiving

It's been decades since Steven Spielberg directed a film without Williams' help. With the composer unable to do his latest, Bridge of Spies, Spielberg kept it in the "extended family," tapping Newman.

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James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is a reluctant but principled insurance lawyer drafted to do a hugely unpopular job: defend a Soviet spy at the height of the Cold War.

Arts

'Bridge Of Spies': Solid Storytelling And Atmospherics

6:29pm October 16, 2015

by Bob Mondello

Director Steven Spielberg — with some help from script polishers Joel and Ethan Coen — brings echoes of our own modern day to the Cold War.

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Arts

'The Knick' Redefines Oscar-Winning Director's Role In Television

5:25pm October 16, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The Knick returns for its second season on Cinemax Friday night. And with it, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh seems to be making good on his vow to turn his back on the film world and work exclusively in TV. He also has a new show on Amazon called Red Oaks, a comedy set in the 1980s. NPR reviews both and says Soderbergh's success is enabling him to shift power in the TV business from writer/producers to director/producers, and that power shift has a lot of repercussions.

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Idris Elba and Abraham Attah in the Netflix original film Beasts of No Nation.

Arts

In The Midst Of War, A Boy Becomes A Soldier In 'Beasts Of No Nation'

3:38pm October 16, 2015

by NPR Staff

The new film tells the story of Agu, a young boy in an unnamed African country, who is conscripted into a regiment of child soldiers led by a coldblooded commandant played by Idris Elba.

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Books
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Early On, Comedian John Cleese Says, He Had Good Timing But Little Else

2:47pm October 16, 2015

The co-founder of the Monty Python troupe admits he wasn't "naturally gifted" at physical comedy. His memoir, So, Anyway..., covers his boyhood and early career. Originally broadcast Dec. 16, 2014.

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