Movies

'Black Mass,' Starring Johnny Depp, Leads Off Fall Movie Season

10:06pm September 21, 2015

by Kenneth Turan

Black Mass is based on the life of Whitey Bulger, the notorious South Boston organized crime boss. Johnny Depp's portrayal is described as "some of the best, most chilling work he's done in awhile."

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Johnny Depp plays James "Whitey" Bulger, a notorious gangster who collaborated with the FBI to take down a rival Mafia family.

Arts

In 'Black Mass' And 'Sicario,' The Collision Of Law And Violence

2:08pm September 18, 2015

by Mark Jenkins

Johnny Depp and Emily Blunt lead two new gangster epics that feature extreme violence bumping up against both ethical and unethical law enforcement.

'Sicario' Offers A Stupendous, Morally Chaotic Dive Into The Drug Wars

1:28pm September 18, 2015

by David Edelstein

A military task force takes on a notorious drug lord in Denis Villeneuve's new film. Critic David Edelstein says, Sicario works "like gangbusters ... except you're haunted by what thrilled you."

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Books
Arts

'Step Aside, Pops' Lampoons History With Humor And Wit

8:45am September 18, 2015

by Amal El-Mohtar

From Kate Beaton (the creator of Hark! A Vagrant) comes a new collection of comics that combines deadpan humor with minimalist style, drawing inspiration from often surprising historical figures.

Arts

The Ups And Downs Of The Toronto International Film Festival

7:59pm September 17, 2015

by Linda Holmes

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with NPR's film critic Bob Mondello and pop culture blogger Linda Holmes about the films they loved — and didn't — at Toronto International Film Festival.

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M. Night Shyamalan Embraces Latest Hollywood Trend: Low-Budget Films

8:17am September 17, 2015

by Steve Henn

Shyamalan's film The Visit has earned more than $25 million so far. It cost $5 million to shoot. We examine why the new movie might be better because it was made on a micro-budget.

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Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright Frank D. Gilroy Dies At 89

3:00pm September 14, 2015

by Doreen McCallister

Gilroy also won a Tony Award and a Drama Critic's Circle Award for The Subject Was Roses, a play about a World War II veteran returning home from war. He died Saturday.

Matt Damon plays an astronaut accidentally abandoned on Mars in Ridley Scott and Drew Goddard's The Martian.

Arts

Matt Damon On Mars: A Toronto Diary, Part 1

9:46am September 14, 2015

by Linda Holmes

Three days and 13 films in, we've got the good word on Matt Damon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Helen Mirren and lots more.

"I don't want you in the frame. I don't want you in the window. I want you through the window. I want you on the other side, in the world, inhabiting the world." — Chris Milk

Science
Arts

What Happens When We Step Inside The Screen?

9:13am September 12, 2015

by NPR/TED STAFF

Filmmaker Chris Milk uses cutting-edge technology to create a film experience that immerses the viewer. He explains how virtual reality has allowed him to create the "ultimate empathy machine."

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Ravi Patel and his sister, Geeta, worked together on the documentary Meet the Patels, in which Ravi struggles to find a partner both he and his parents love.

'Meet The Patels': One Man's Quest To Find Love, The Old-School Indian Way

6:43pm September 11, 2015

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Ravi Patel had tried and failed to find "The One." So he reluctantly let his parents arrange for him to meet dozens of prospects. And his sister has filmed the whole thing — for our viewing pleasure.

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