Movies

Moore (photographed at New York Fashion Week in February 2013) has earned Oscar nominations for her roles in Boogie Nights, The End of the Affair, Far From Heaven and The Hours.

Arts

Julianne Moore, Relishing Complicated Characters

4:03pm May 23, 2013

In What Maisie Knew, Moore plays a troubled rock star who might initially seem like a rotten person, but Moore's performance humanizes the character, highlighting her human frailties — something Moore has done in many parts.

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Documentary Shows George Plimpton's Best Story Was His Own

6:40pm May 22, 2013

by Joel Rose

A new documentary about writer George Plimpton uses its subject's own voice to tell the story of his career as a path-breaking "participatory journalist" and longtime editor of the Paris Review. The film also uses the voices of Plimpton's friends and colleagues to defend him against the charge of dilettantism that dogged him throughout his career. NPR's Joel Rose reports.

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Once vehemently opposed to the idea of being the subject of a documentary, Brooks had a change of heart. The result is a new American Masters episode, Mel Brooks: Make a Noise.

Arts

Mel Brooks: 'I'm An EGOT; I Don't Need Any More'

11:54am May 22, 2013

The screenwriter, producer, director and actor, whose name has become synonymous with American comedy, talks about his penchant for spoofs and his decades-long friendship with Carl Reiner. Brooks, who is among a handful of people who've won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, is the subject of a new documentary on PBS.

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David Cross and Portia de Rossi in a scene from Arrested Development, which returns on Netflix on May 26.

Arts

'Arrested Development' Leads The Charge For Old Brands In New Media

5:43pm May 21, 2013

by Neda Ulaby

Brands that found their original audiences in traditional, old-media platforms are finding ways to keep going in the world of new media.

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Beth Lapides (with music director-producer Mitch Kaplan) is the founder and ringmaster at UnCabaret, a Los Angeles comedy institution that's marking its 25th anniversary this year.

Arts

At L.A.'s UnCabaret, 25 Years Of Letting It All Hang Out

9:07pm May 20, 2013

by Art Silverman

Launched as an alternative to the stale stylings of the '80s stand-up circuit, Beth Lapides' event bills itself as a venue for "idiosyncratic, conversational comedy." It's helped establish careers for performers from Kathy Griffin to Randy and Jason Sklar.

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Sony's Entertainment Access Glasses, seen here in a prototype image, display captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing moviegoers.

New Closed-Captioning Glasses Help Deaf Go Out To The Movies

3:30pm May 20, 2013

by Rachel Rood

This is a big moment for the deaf, many of whom haven't been to the movies in a long time. The new glasses display closed captions just for the wearer, and they're headed for 6,000 screens across the country.

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Actors Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze in Kathryn Bigelow's 1991 action film, Point Break.

Arts

The Movie Katie Aselton Has 'Seen A Million Times'

6:18pm May 19, 2013

by Lily Percy

Actor-director Katie Aselton could watch Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break a million times. "It totally scoops you up and takes you for a ride," she says.

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Zachary Quinto as Spock, with Chris Pine as Kirk, in Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Arts

New 'Trek' Goes 'Into Darkness,' But Not Much Deeper

7:47pm May 18, 2013

by Bob Mondello

NPR's Bob Mondello says J.J. Abrams' latest Star Trek film knows how to make the sparks and feelings fly, but doesn't bother making the sparks and feeling matter very much.

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Serena (right) and Venus Williams pose with their gold medals during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Sports
Arts

'Venus And Serena': An Extraordinary Story, Told On Film

6:52pm May 17, 2013

by Elizabeth Blair

The amazing tale of two sisters from a poor neighborhood — who play tennis unlike anyone before them and each reach No. 1 in the world — is one we're not likely to see again.

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Zoe Saldana is Uhura and Zachary Quinto is Spock in the new J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek: Into Darkness, the 12th installment in the franchise.

Arts

'Into Darkness,' Boldly And With A Few Twists

2:04pm May 16, 2013

by David Edelstein

The 12th film based on Gene Roddenberry's '60s sci-fi TV show is the second to star a new group of actors as Kirk, Spock and their crew. J.J. Abrams returns as director, and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch plays the memorable villain.

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