Movies: Movie Reviews and Commentary on New and Classic Films : NPR

'The Disaster Artist' Is 'The Room' Where It Happened

Nothing's Gonna Tear Them Apart, Lisa: Greg (Dave Franco) and Tommy (James Franco) wait for the lights to go down in The Disaster Artist. Justina Mintz/courtesy of A24 hide caption

toggle caption

Justina Mintz/courtesy of A24

Review

'The Disaster Artist' Is 'The Room' Where It Happened

November 30, 2017 • Director/star James Franco fondly — and hilariously — chronicles the making of the cult-movie fiasco The Room, evincing a deep understanding of the unhinged ambition at its core. (Go figure.)

Woodyland In Bad Decline: 'Wonder Wheel'

Kate Winslet as Ginny, a 1950s waitress on the verge of spinning out, in Wonder Wheel. Jessica Miglio/Amazon Studios hide caption

toggle caption

Jessica Miglio/Amazon Studios

Review

Woodyland In Bad Decline: 'Wonder Wheel'

November 30, 2017 • Woody Allen's film about an unhappily married woman in 1950s Coney Island strains to evoke Eugene O'Neill. Critic Andrew Lapin says Wonder Wheel "isn't merely a bad movie but a laughable one."

'The Other Side Of Hope': Finding Haven — And Hamachi — in Helsinki

Sherwan Haji as Khaled, a young Syrian refugee in Helsinki. Janus Films hide caption

toggle caption

Janus Films

Review

'The Other Side Of Hope': Finding Haven — And Hamachi — in Helsinki

November 30, 2017 • Finnish writer/director Ali Kaurismaki follows up his 2011 film The Havre with a darker, but still comic, variation on a similar theme — a character fleeing bloody conflict gets taken in by a group of outcasts.

Jim Nabors, Who Played Affable Klutz Gomer Pyle, Dies At 87

Jim Nabors, in a 1964 episode of Gomer, U.S.M.C., getting chewed out by Frank Sutton as Gunnery Sgt. Vince Carter. AP hide caption

toggle caption

AP

Jim Nabors, Who Played Affable Klutz Gomer Pyle, Dies At 87

November 30, 2017 • The actor and singer starred as Pyle for years — first in The Andy Griffith Show, then in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Nabors parlayed the stardom of the beloved goof into a long career on stage, TV and film.

Review

Gorgeous And Lyrical 'Shape of Water' Doesn't Quite Hit Its Mark

Fresh Air

November 29, 2017 • Director Guillermo del Toro's new film is both a stylized vision of Cold War paranoia and an old-school monster movie. Reviewer Justin Chang says he wanted to love The Shape of Water more than he did.

Gorgeous And Lyrical 'Shape of Water' Doesn't Quite Hit Its Mark

Listen · 7:11 7:11

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/567221683/567277789" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

In 'Disaster Artist,' James Franco And Seth Rogen Honor A Hilariously Bad Cult Hit

Seth Rogen plays the script supervisor to James Franco's writer/director Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist. Justina Mintz/courtesy of A24 hide caption

toggle caption

Justina Mintz/courtesy of A24

In 'Disaster Artist,' James Franco And Seth Rogen Honor A Hilariously Bad Cult Hit

November 28, 2017 • "Very few things are funnier than a bunch of people ... treating something with very high stakes that is ultimately incredibly dumb," Rogen says. His new film is about the making of The Room.

In 'Disaster Artist,' James Franco And Seth Rogen Honor A Hilariously Bad Cult Hit

Listen · 7:20 7:20

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/566877326/566877327" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

After A Successful Hollywood Career, Robby The Robot Sells For More Than $5 Million

November 27, 2017 • Last week Robby the Robot, the iconic Hollywood robot created for the 1956 film Forbidden Planet, sold for more than $5 million. Robby was reportedly created for $125,000 and appeared in a number of projects after his debut role.

After A Successful Hollywood Career, Robby The Robot Sells For More Than $5 Million

Listen · 2:30 2:30

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/566808613/566808614" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Bookseller's Foray Into Hollywood Is A Dickens Of A Tale

Dan Stevens as Charles Dickens and Christopher Plummer as Ebenezer Scrooge in The Man Who Invented Christmas. Kerry Brown/Bleecker Street Media hide caption

toggle caption

Kerry Brown/Bleecker Street Media

Bookseller's Foray Into Hollywood Is A Dickens Of A Tale

November 27, 2017 • Mitch Kaplan runs Books & Books in Miami, and helped start the popular Miami Book Fair. Now, he's making movies based on books, like the new Charles Dickens biopic The Man Who Invented Christmas.

Bookseller's Foray Into Hollywood Is A Dickens Of A Tale

Listen · 4:33 4:33

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/566005492/566808734" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Prince Harry And Actor Meghan Markle To Marry In Spring

Actor Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the Wheelchair Tennis on Day 3 of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 at Nathan Philips Square in September. Karwai Tang/WireImage hide caption

toggle caption

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Prince Harry And Actor Meghan Markle To Marry In Spring

November 27, 2017 • Harry, 33 — the fifth in line to the British throne, and Markle, 36, had been dating for 16 months and became engaged earlier this month, according to a statement released by Prince Charles.

'The Star' Brings Christianity To Hollywood In Animated, Nativity-Themed Film

November 26, 2017 • A new children's film The Star tells the Christmas nativity story through the eyes of the animals involved. NPR's Michel Martin talks to producer DeVon Franklin.

'The Star' Brings Christianity To Hollywood In Animated, Nativity-Themed Film

Listen · 7:01 7:01

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/566634775/566634776" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

The Complex Character Of 'Roman J. Israel, Esq.'

November 26, 2017 • Brilliant but socially awkward, criminal defense attorney Roman J. Israel (Denzel Washington) must re-enter the job market after his law firm goes under in the new film Roman J. Israel, Esq.

The Complex Character Of 'Roman J. Israel, Esq.'

Listen · 4:15 4:15

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/566566946/566566947" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Review

Movies You Missed: 'Planes, Trains And Automobiles'

November 25, 2017 • Olivia Roth takes a circuitous route home to Cleveland for every school holiday. She'd never seen Planes, Trains and Automobiles, so she watched it and discussed it with NPR's Scott Simon.

Movies You Missed: 'Planes, Trains And Automobiles'

Listen · 4:12 4:12

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/566438881/566438882" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

A Mother-Daughter Love In 'Lady Bird'

November 25, 2017 • Laurie Metcalf plays a mom to the titular character in Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig's new film about growing up in Sacramento. Metcalf tells NPR's Scott Simon about working on the film.

A Mother-Daughter Love In 'Lady Bird'

Listen · 8:12 8:12

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/566438888/566438889" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

What's $800 And Already Sold Out? This Lego Star Wars Ship

Legos have been reliably popular holiday gifts. But fans will have to wait for this 7,500-piece Millennium Falcon. It's sold out, and even when in stock, currently only available to VIP customers. Jim van Gulk/Lego hide caption

toggle caption

Jim van Gulk/Lego

The Two-Way

What's $800 And Already Sold Out? This Lego Star Wars Ship

November 24, 2017 • Released solely to Lego's "VIP" list, the Millennium Falcon sold out quickly after its September release. The company promises more models through December, but only for its most loyal customers.