Movies

Director Gillian Robespierre (left) co-wrote Obvious Child as a short film in 2009 with an empowered female lead in mind. Jenny Slate, who stars as Donna in the feature film, says she was excited about the role.

Arts

The Women Behind 'Obvious Child' Talk Farts, Abortion And Stage Fright

4:16pm June 26, 2014

For her first feature film, director Gillian Robespierre says she wanted to cast Jenny Slate in the role as an empowered, funny woman. They tell Fresh Air what shaped them as women in comedy.

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Prolific Character Actor Eli Wallach Dies At 98

12:48pm June 25, 2014

by Tom Vitale

In a career spanning seven decades, Wallach appeared in over 200 films, plays and TV shows. His roles ranged from Mr. Freeze on TV's Batman to Kilroy in Tennessee William's Camino Real on Broadway.

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When Ben Stiller hears "chicken in the gate," rarely does he actually present someone with a live chicken.

Arts

A Tip From Ben Stiller: On Set, A 'Chicken' Is Not What It Seems

12:14pm June 25, 2014

by NPR Staff

To kick off the series "Trade Lingo," the actor decodes terms distinctive to filmmaking. He shares the meanings behind such cryptic phrases as "10-100" and "chicken in the gate."

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Arts

'Jersey Boys' And 'Venus In Fur' Are Just As Intense On Screen

3:00pm June 20, 2014

by David Edelstein

Two veteran directors adapted the Broadway shows to film. And while many such translations are too stage-bound, critic David Edelstein says Clint Eastwood and Roman Polanski got the balance right.

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While cities are still competing for the not yet built Lucas Cultural Arts Museum, parts of the collection are already on display. The "Star Wars Identities" traveling exhibition, currently at the Cite du Cinema in Saint-Denis, France, features 200 object

Never Tell Them The Odds: Cities Vie To Host 'Star Wars' Collection

7:12pm June 19, 2014

by Richard Gonzales

Star Wars creator George Lucas wants to build a museum full of movie memorabilia and fine art. But where? Both his hometown of San Francisco and Chicago, his "second home," are vying for it.

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Jenny Slate plays Donna, a standup comic who gets pregnant after sleeping with an earnest, Vermont-bred business student named Max (Jake Lacy).

Arts

'Obvious Child': A Momentous Film Of Small, Embarrassing Truths

4:33pm June 16, 2014

by David Edelstein

The indie film depicts a standup comic who decides to have an abortion after a one-night stand. David Edelstein lauds director Gillian Robespierre's courage.

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Ansel Elgort (Augustus) and Shailene Woodley (Hazel) star in The Fault in Our Stars, the film adaptation of John Green's bestselling young adult novel about two teens with cancer.

Arts

Beautiful Acting Aside, It Isn't Hard To Find Fault In 'Our Stars'

3:40pm June 10, 2014

by David Edelstein

The adaptation of John Green's bestselling young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars — about two teens with cancer — is among the year's most anticipated films, but David Edelstein wasn't impressed.

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In Supermensch, talent agent Shep Gordon recalls arriving in Los Angeles in 1968, dropping acid and getting slugged by a woman who later identified herself as Janis Joplin.

Arts

Invisible 'Supermensch' Avoided The Spotlight While Making Others Famous

4:48pm June 09, 2014

Mike Myers' documentary Supermensch chronicles the work of Shep Gordon, who has "jump-started" the careers of superstar musicians and chefs. Now, it's Gordon's turn for a taste of celebrity.

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Allan Jones plays debonair leading man Gaylord Ravenal and Irene Dunne is the enchanting Magnolia in the 1936 film version of Show Boat, which has just been released on DVD.

Arts

1936 'Show Boat': A Multiracial, Musical Melodrama, Now Out On DVD

9:32am June 06, 2014

by Lloyd Schwartz

With an unforgettable story and score, the 1927 musical tackled complex racial issues. Music critic Lloyd Schwartz says the 1936 film version of Show Boat is the best — and it's now out on DVD.

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Arts

Multiplexes Heat Up For Summer Blockbuster Season

10:54am May 28, 2014

by Bob Mondello

From apocalyptic sci-fi adventures to musical biopics and road-trip comedies, Hollywood has more than 80 would-be box-office behemoths on tap for moviegoers between now and Labor Day.

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