Movies

'The Brightest Star' tells Anna May Wong's life story from her imagined perspective

4:39pm June 20, 2023

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with author Gail Tsukiyama about her new novel The Brightest Star, a fictional account of the life of actress Anna May Wong.

Pixar's 'Elemental' bombs at box office

5:07pm June 19, 2023

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with critic Keith Phipps about the poor performance of Pixar's new movie Elemental and what it says about the movie industry.

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Two New Orleans-area residents wear 3D glasses for a Revenge of the Creature screening in February 1982.

Arts

If you don't love the 3D movie experience, you're not alone

7:00am June 17, 2023

by Linda Holmes

Critic Linda Holmes has always been a 3D skeptic — the glasses are fiddly and become plastic junk, the gimmicks wear off, it gets distracting, and it introduces opportunities for technical problems.

When A Martinez's new work desk looked barren, he picked up this statue of The Flash at a comic book store.

Arts

Every superhero has an origin story. So does every superhero's superfan. Here's mine.

5:03pm June 16, 2023

by A Martínez

"I always made the decision to run, and I usually got away." A Martinez found a relatable and human superhero in The Flash, and grew up to be a superfan.

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Arts

Wes Anderson has outdone himself with 'Asteroid City'

5:00am June 16, 2023

by Justin Chang

Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks star in this play-within-a-TV-show-within-a-movie that takes place in a small 1950s desert town that's hosting an astronomy convention for kids.

Wes Anderson's sci-fi 'Asteroid City' stays true to his look and feel

4:55pm June 15, 2023

by Bob Mondello

A Junior Stargazer convention is hit by world-changing events in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, a comedy with an all-star cast including Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton and Bryan Cranston.

British actor Glenda Jackson in April, 1974.

Arts

British star Glenda Jackson has died at age 87

9:43am June 15, 2023

by Jeff Lunden

Jackson was one of the finest British actors of her generation, winning Oscar, Emmy and Tony Awards. Fiercely political, she also served as a member of Parliament for decades.

Concept art for Disney and Pixar's Elemental by the director Peter Sohn.

Arts

Earth, air, fire, water — and family — are all 'Elemental' for Pixar's Peter Sohn

5:05am June 15, 2023

by Elizabeth Blair

In science class, Sohn saw the periodic table as an apartment building. The son of Korean immigrants, he felt the elements were a "beautiful metaphor" for cultures mixing in his New York hometown.

Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller) is full of running gags.

Books
Arts

'The Flash' throws off intermittent sparks

5:00am June 15, 2023

by Glen Weldon

The latest DC film seeks to reboot Warners' troubled cinematic universe. The script boasts solid jokes and knowing winks, but flat characterizations keep it from taking off.

A myriad of workers rallied in downtown Los Angeles in support of striking writers, during an event called "The Unions Strike Back" on May 26, 2023.

Arts

'It's gonna be a hot labor summer' — unionized workers show up for striking writers

4:26pm June 14, 2023

by Mandalit del Barco

Film and TV writers on strike may soon be joined by actors currently negotiating their contract. As the writers strike enters its seventh week, unions beyond Hollywood are joining the movement.