Theater Chains Upgrade To Attract Homebodies
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.
Movies
More Girls Target Archery, Inspired By 'The Hunger Games'
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.
Hollywood's New Strategy: Supporting Chinese-Made Blockbusters
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.
In A Tale Of Two Sisters, The Story's In The Songs
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.
'Great Beauty,' 'Narco Cultura': Excess, Succeeding Wildly
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."
On The Timeless Appeal Of 'Calvin & Hobbes'
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.
Steve Coogan, Tacking Toward The Funny Side Of Serious
In Philomena, the British comedian plays a journalist helping an older woman track down the son she was forced to give up for adoption. Coogan tells NPR's Robert Siegel about the project — one with a bit more weight than his usual work.
Across 'Nebraska,' On A Journey That Goes Beyond The Trip
Critic David Edelstein calls the film, in which an elderly man sets out to claim a million-dollar sweepstakes prize, a "superb balancing act" from director Alexander Payne.
Bruce Dern's 'Transcendent Performance' In 'Nebraska'
It's the letter everyone's received. The one that says you've won $1 million but is actually about selling magazine subscriptions. But what if someone truly believed they'd won that million? And what if that individual was your cranky father and he insisted on going to prize headquarters to collect his money.
Actor Bruce Dern Gets Up Close And Personal In 'Nebraska'
Dern's new film follows a man named Woody who is starting to show signs of dementia. When Woody falls for one of those junk-mail sweepstakes come-ons, he becomes convinced that he's won $1 million and sets out on foot to collect the cash. Dern tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross, "[Nebraska] is the most personal movie I've ever done in my career."