Movies

Arts

Director Alexander Payne On Mining Every Film For Comic Potential

2:18pm December 02, 2013

Payne tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that he first read Nebraska — a film about an old man who is beginning to show signs of dementia — as a comedy "with moments of gravity." Payne also directed Election, About Schmidt, Sideways and The Descendants.

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After 20 years in captivity, Joe (Josh Brolin) is released into the world with a hammer and an appetite for revenge in Oldboy, a Spike Lee remake of the 2003 South Korean film.

Arts

A Korean Cult Thriller Gets A Spike Lee Makeover

10:04am December 02, 2013

by David Edelstein

Oldboy, the director's remake of a 2003 film of the same name, follows a man who's held captive for 20 years — and out for revenge after his release. Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen and Samuel L. Jackson star.

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In The Great Beauty, director Paolo Sorrentino surveys the city of Rome through the eyes of jaded journalist Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo), taking in the city's degeneracies alongside its eternal beauties.

Arts

Finding 'Great Beauty' Amid Rome's Corruptions

6:49pm November 29, 2013

by Bilal Qureshi

The Great Beauty is the latest portrait of the city onscreen, in all its wonder, decadence, sinfulness and ugliness. The film, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, is also Italy's official entry for this year's Academy Awards.

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Idris Elba Portrays Mandela In 'Long Walk To Freedom'

11:42am November 29, 2013

A new movie captures the story of one of the world's great leaders. It's a classic biopic of a towering figure: Nelson Mandela. And it takes audiences through the many chapters of his sweeping life. Morning Edition's Renee Montagne talks to Idris Elba about playing the legendary South African leader.

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Theater Chains Upgrade To Attract Homebodies

11:42am November 29, 2013

Movie theater seats are getting more deluxe. A couple chains are installing recliners in the latest effort to give movie goers more of the comforts of home.

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Y'Jazzmin Christopher, 7, takes up target practice at Archery in the Wild in Longmont, Colo. "She used to be a really shy person, but now she's opening socially," says Alicia Christopher, Y'Jazzmin's mom, about her daughter's archery.

More Girls Target Archery, Inspired By 'The Hunger Games'

12:32pm November 27, 2013

by Grace Hood

The popularity of The Hunger Games book and film series is leading to an uptick in the popularity of archery, especially among girls. USA Archery says membership is on the rise, and some sporting equipment outfitters have seen a big boost in bow and arrow sales in the years since the series began.

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Hollywood's version of Iron Man 3 shown in China played down the rather unfortunately named baddie, The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley.

Hollywood's New Strategy: Supporting Chinese-Made Blockbusters

1:11pm November 25, 2013

by Neda Ulaby

American studios are working hard to play well in China's gigantic — and growing — movie market, all while negotiating complex rules and competing with popular domestic films.

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The new Disney film Frozen is the tale of sisters Anna and Elsa, whose relationship is captured in music by songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

Music & Culture

In A Tale Of Two Sisters, The Story's In The Songs

5:52pm November 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

Iconic Disney moments aren't just about the characters, but the songs they sing. Husband-and-wife team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez composed music for the new Disney film Frozen, capturing the friendship of sisters Elsa and Anna.

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Toni Servillo plays a jaded journalist and perpetual partier in The Great Beauty, Italy's submission for the best foreign language film Oscar.

Arts

'Great Beauty,' 'Narco Cultura': Excess, Succeeding Wildly

3:36pm November 19, 2013

by John Powers

Critic John Powers says Italy's submission for the best foreign language film Oscar and a documentary about the Mexican drug war got him thinking about a William Blake proverb: "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom."

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Joel Allen Schroeder dove into the world of Calvin & Hobbes for Dear Mr. Watterson, an admiring documentary about the strip.

Arts

On The Timeless Appeal Of 'Calvin & Hobbes'

6:39pm November 16, 2013

by NPR Staff

The documentary Dear Mr. Watterson explores the world of the classic comic strip. NPR's Don Gonyea spoke with director Joel Allen Schroeder about the film and the strip, which still has devoted fans long after the final panels appeared in the paper.

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