Movies

Rosewater is Jon Stewart's directorial debut. He filmed much of the movie in Jordan, and he says he grew a beard because after wearing a suit and shaving for most of his career, he wanted to let his "freak flag fly."

Arts

Jon Stewart's Debut Film Shows 'Humor Survives' In The Bleakest Conditions

3:00pm November 13, 2014

Rosewater is based on Maziar Bahari's experience of being tortured in an Iranian prison. "His humor sustained him," the Daily Show host says. "And I found that incredibly empowering."

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Michelle MacLaren, seen here accepting an award as a producer on Breaking Bad, may direct the upcoming Wonder Woman movie.

Arts

A Great Director — Who's Also A Woman — Might Direct 'Wonder Woman'

12:06pm November 13, 2014

by Linda Holmes

Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones veteran Michelle MacLaren is reportedly a strong candidate to direct the upcoming Wonder Woman movie.

Arts

The Challenge Of 'Big Hero 6': How To Make A Huggable Robot

4:27pm November 11, 2014

by Elizabeth Blair

Baymax, the lovable robot in the new Disney movie, was inspired by inflatable robots being developed at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.

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In Interstellar, Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway are part of a team of explorers who have identified several potentially habitable planets accessible via wormhole.

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For Christopher Nolan, Making 'Interstellar' Was A Childhood Dream

2:39pm November 10, 2014

by NPR Staff

"I got to do a lot of things in this film that I've been wanting to do since I was a kid," Nolan says. His new movie has explorers traveling through space to find a new home for humanity.

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Eddie Redmayne plays astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.

Arts

In 'The Theory Of Everything,' Science Takes A Back Seat

8:48am November 10, 2014

by Mark Jenkins

The new Stephen Hawking biographical film The Theory Of Everything takes such a starry-eyed view of love and life that it seems to be from another era.

'Occupy The Farm': In Berkeley, The Revolution Will Be Irrigated

4:25pm November 09, 2014

by Allison Aubrey

A new documentary film follows protesters who occupied a research farm owned by the University of California. The film has become a symbol of the subversive possibilities of urban farming.

A black hole might be the key to humankind's future in Interstellar.

Arts

Tripping Into A Black Hole In This Week's Movies

8:43pm November 08, 2014

by Bob Mondello

NPR film critic Bob Mondello gets blinded by science this week at the movies, what with The Theory of Everything, Interstellar, Big Hero 6 and some really cool black holes.

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Over a span of six decades, Doris Payne has stolen some $2 million in jewels. She is the subject of a new documentary called The Life & Crimes of Doris Payne: A Tale of Carats, Cons and Creating Your Own American Dream.

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Inside The 'Life And Crimes' Of A Career Jewel Thief

6:33pm November 08, 2014

by NPR Staff

International jewel thief Doris Payne, now 84, has a criminal history that dates back to the 1950s. A new documentary tells her story and goes inside one of her more recent trials.

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Eddie Redmayne plays Stephen Hawking in director James Marsh's The Theory of Everything.

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New Stephen Hawking Biopic Explores Love, Not Science

12:33pm November 08, 2014

by NPR Staff

The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne, focuses on the theoretical physicist's relationship with his wife more than his professional accomplishments.

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A jaded politician plays hooky in Viva La Libertà, so his campaign replaces him with his identical twin brother. You know where this is going, right?

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'Viva La Libertà' Offers Harmless Electoral Fun

8:11pm November 07, 2014

by Bob Mondello

NPR film critic Bob Mondello reviews Viva la Libertà, a lightweight Italian election comedy that might provide even Democrats with a smile this week.

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