The Man Behind 'Kinsey': Filmmaker Bill Condon Fresh Air November 30, 2004 • The new biopic Kinsey takes on the story of scientist Alfred Kinsey, who pioneered research in human sexuality in the 1940s and 1950s. For the project, director Bill Condon -- who also wrote the script -- interviewed many of the scientist's colleagues.
Culture Writer Simon Nye, Reviving 'Pollyanna' November 28, 2004 • Screenwriter Simon Nye's most recent work is the Pollyanna, showing Sunday night on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre. Nye talks to NPR's Liane Hansen about the challenges -- and "glad things" -- about working with Eleanor H. Porter's 1913 novel.
'Alexander': A Classical View November 27, 2004 • NPR's Scott Simon talks with New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell and Elaine Fantham of Princeton University's Classics Department about Oliver Stone's new film Alexander.
Culture Jeunet, Tatou Team for a Romantic 'Engagement' November 27, 2004 • The latest film from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet takes place in France at the end of World War I. A Very Long Engagement is the story of a young woman's search for a fiancee she doesn't believe is dead. Audrey Tatou, who played the lead in Jeunet's 2001 comedy hit Amelie, stars again. NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.
'Guerrilla' Documents Kidnapping of Patty Hearst November 27, 2004 • The documentary Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst is the first feature-length documentary about publishing heiress Patty Hearst's 1974 kidnapping at the hands of an underground group, the Symbionese Liberation Army. David D'Arcy reports.
Summary Judgment: 'Kranks,' 'Alexander,' 'Patty Hearst' November 25, 2004 • Writer Mark Jordan Legan summarizes what the critics are saying about this week's new releases, including Christmas with the Kranks, Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst and the Oliver Stone epic Alexander.
Sizing Up the Holiday Blockbusters November 25, 2004 • The holiday movie season opens today. NPR's Bob Mondello has a preview of what's coming to the big screen, from action/adventure to biography to comedy and more. Coming titles include Ocean's Twelve, Beyond the Sea, Fat Albert and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Culture New DVDs Capture Classic Movie Themes Fresh Air November 25, 2004 • Some of classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz's favorite movie themes just happen to belong to films just released on DVD. He reviews four of them: Gone with the Wind, Freaks, I Vitelloni, and The Golden Coach.
Culture 'Alexander' Review Fresh Air November 24, 2004 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews Alexander, starring Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie.
Culture 'Alexander,' Not-So-Great November 24, 2004 • Los Angeles Times movie critic Kenneth Turan says the film Alexander, starring Colin Ferrell as the conqueror Alexander the Great, plays like a fantasy self portrait of writer-director Oliver Stone.
Plumbing the Accuracy of 'Alexander' November 23, 2004 • Director Oliver Stone's upcoming film Alexander stars Colin Farrell as the great conqueror. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Daniel Mendelsohn, lecturer in the classics at Princeton University, about the film's accuracy and the man's life.
The Winding Career of Sandra Oh Fresh Air November 23, 2004 • Actress Sandra Oh, now seen in the film Sideways, is becoming a familiar face to both TV and movie audiences. Her career spans Canadian television and the films Under the Tuscan Sun, Bean, and The Red Violin.
Culture Comedian — and Writer — Dan Aykroyd Fresh Air November 22, 2004 • As part of the first cast of Saturday Night Live, Dan Aykroyd helped bring the Coneheads and the Blues Brothers to life. We talk with Aykroyd about two new projects: the book Elwood's Blues: interviews with the Blues Legends and Stars, and the upcoming movie Christmas with the Kranks.
'Los Angeles Now': The Changing Face of L.A. November 22, 2004 • A new documentary, Los Angeles Now, looks at the evolution of the city from largely Anglo to mostly one-time "minorities" that now make up the majority of the city's residents. Director Phillip Rodriguez talks to NPR's Tavis Smiley about the black, Latino, Asian and Caucasian hearts of the city.
'California Split' Makes it to DVD November 20, 2004 • California Split, the 1974 Robert Altman film about two obsessive gamblers, is now available on DVD. It had never been made available on video for the home audience. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell.