Lost & Found Sound Portrait of An Artist as An Answering Machine April 30, 2005 • The telephone answering machine is each person's own domestic preservation device -- a virtual cedar chest of treasured messages -- collections of monologues and small self portraits, that when listened to closely add up to an informal oral history of our lives.
Review Culture An Inside Look at Enron April 29, 2005 • Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan reviews Alex Gibney's award-winning documentary, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. Gibney adapted a book that chronicles the fantastic rise and demise of the company that was engulfed in scandal when its outrageous accounting practices were exposed.
Review Culture Slate's Summary Judgment: 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,' 'XXX,' 'Ladies in Lavender' April 29, 2005 • Slate contributor Mark Jordan Legan looks at what movie critics are saying about this weekend's major movie releases, including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, XXX: State of the Union and Ladies in Lavender.
Review David Bianculli on 'The Hitchhiker's Guide' Fresh Air April 29, 2005 • David Bianculli, usually Fresh Air's small-screen critic, takes a look at the long-awaited big screen adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Opinion Analysis Slate's Hollywood Economist: Movie Tax Loopholes April 29, 2005 • Madeleine Brand talks with Slate contributor Edward Jay Epstein about a loophole in Germany's tax code that Hollywood movie studios use to lower the cost of producing big-budget films.
Culture 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' Hits Movie Screens April 29, 2005 • A movie adaptation of Douglas Adams' science-fiction spoof The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy arrives in theaters this weekend. Bob Mondello says it's a mildly amusing movie.
Culture A 'King's Ransom' for Anthony Anderson April 28, 2005 • Comic actor Anthony Anderson tells Ed Gordon about his starring role in the film King's Ransom, as well as his dramatic roles in the independent film Hustle and Flow and TV's crime drama The Shield.
Culture The Brothers Who Made Mary Poppins Sing April 28, 2005 • Generations of children have grown up singing the music and lyrics of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. Their hugely popular film musicals, Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang have now been adapted for the stage.
Review Business Documentary: 'Smartest Guys' of Enron Fresh Air April 28, 2005 • Film critic David Edelstein reviews the new documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.
'Hitchhiker's Guide' and the Answer to Everything April 28, 2005 • The executive producer of the new film, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the editor of the series' late author, Douglas Adams, talk about the new film, the legacy of the series and, of course, the answer to everything.
Culture Ridley Scott on 'Kingdom of Heaven' April 26, 2005 • Ridley Scott has made a name for himself in Hollywood directing blockbusters such as Alien, Black Hawk Down and Gladiator. (And don't forget about Blade Runner.) He talks about his latest film, Kingdom of Heaven, an exploration of the Crusades.
Culture Actor Anthony LaPaglia Fresh Air April 25, 2005 • He currently stars on the drama series, Without a Trace as the head of the FBI division that focuses on missing persons. Before that he won an Emmy Award for his guest-starring role as Simon, Daphne's drunken brother on Frasier.
A Conversation with Director Sydney Pollack April 23, 2005 • Director Sydney Pollack tells Scott Simon about his new movie The Interpreter -- the first film shot on location at the United Nations -- and reflects on his long career, including his work as an actor. He also weighs in on the impact of big-time Hollywood movies.
'The Smartest Guys in the Room' April 22, 2005 • Enron went from the country's seventh-largest company to the country's second-largest bankruptcy. So who was responsible? Director Alex Gibney gives us a behind-the-scenes look and talks about his new film, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.
Culture Slate's Summary Judgment: 'The Interpreter,' 'King's Ransom, 'A Lot Like Love' April 22, 2005 • Writer Mark Jordan Legan looks at what the critics are saying about this week's major movie releases, including The Interpreter, King's Ransom and A Lot Like Love.