Bill Maher And Larry Charles, Getting 'Religulous' Fresh Air September 30, 2008 • The new documentary Religulous offers a satirical — and critical — look at the world's religions. Directed by Larry Charles, the film features Bill Maher posing undercover as a man seeking spiritual guidance from various religious groups.
Obituaries Newman Reflects On An Acting (And Active) Life Fresh Air September 29, 2008 • Oscar Award-winning actor Paul Newman died on Sept. 26 of complications from lung cancer. In this 2003 interview, the star of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Cool Hand Luke discusses his early work — both as an actor and as a salesman.
Spike Lee's 'Miracle' A Salute To Buffalo Soldiers September 29, 2008 • Filmmaker Spike Lee's latest movie, Miracle at St. Anna, chronicles the lives of four members of the all-black Buffalo Soldiers Division. NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates recently spoke with Lee, who talks about the film's importance and his support of Sen. Barack Obama.
Obituaries Paul Newman's Gritty Loners, Moral Outlaws September 29, 2008 • Actor, businessman and philanthropist Paul Newman died Friday at the age of 83. He played men who had courage, or just as often, men who struggled to find it. Some of the characters he played included, a pool hustler, a convict, a spy behind the Iron Curtain and a cop in one of the worst neighborhoods in New York City.
Greg Kinnear Has 'Flash Of Genius' In New Movie September 28, 2008 • In "Flash of Genius," Greg Kinnear plays Robert Kearns, a professor who invented intermittent windshield wipers. Based on a true story, Kearns claimed that Detroit automakers stole his idea and sued them in a long, drawn-out battle. Host Liane Hansen chats with Kinnear about his movie.
Obituaries Newman: A Fine Actor With Even Finer Eyes September 27, 2008 • Paul Newman could be still where other movie actors had to "indicate" their feelings, because if you looked into his eyes, you knew what he was thinking. The screen legend died Friday at the age of 83.
Obituaries Legendary Actor, Philanthropist Paul Newman Dies September 27, 2008 • Screen legend Paul Newman — who navigated celebrity without scandal, gave effortlessly to charity and even made getting old a graceful process — died Friday at the age of 83 after battling cancer.
Squirm Factor Propels Two New Films September 27, 2008 • Two popular movies are making audiences squirm. Towelhead addresses cultural tensions in the story of an Arab-American girl blossoming into womanhood, and Lakeview Terrace is about a cop who is wary of the interracial couple who just moved onto his block.
Michael Cera, Making The Perfect 'Playlist' Fresh Air September 26, 2008 • Once known as the awkward kid on the cult TV hit Arrested Development, he's become a bona fide movie star with roles in the hit comedies Juno and Superbad. Next up for him: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, another music-fueled teen love story.
Summary Judgment Now Out: 'Choke,' 'St. Anna,' 'Eagle Eye' September 26, 2008 • What are critics saying about three new films? The lineup includes Choke, based on a Chuck Palahniuk novel; Miracle at St. Anna, the latest Spike Lee effort; and Eagle Eye, a thriller starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan.
Review A 'Miracle' That's Somewhat Less Than Wondrous September 26, 2008 • Spike Lee's latest highlights the oft-neglected contributions of African-American servicemen in World War II. But an overstuffed screenplay and an uneven tone undercut the effort.
Review Spike Lee's Epic Canvas, Painted With Broad Strokes Fresh Air September 26, 2008 • Miracle At St. Anna, based on James McBride's novel, follows four soldiers of the all-black 92nd Infantry Division after they're cut off by Axis forces in the Tuscan countryside during World War II.
Culture Robert Downey Sr., Underground And Off The Cuff September 26, 2008 • Robert Downey Jr. is a name well-known to moviegoers, but did you know that the actor's father also happens to be in the movie business? Robert Downey Sr. is an acclaimed director whose early underground films have just been restored.
'Miracle At St. Anna' Writer, Cast Share War Stories September 26, 2008 • Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna is about the forgotten contribution of African-American soldiers during WWII. One of the men in the all-black Buffalo Soldiers Division risks his life to save an Italian boy. Farai sits down with three stars of the film, as well as writer James McBride.
Review 'Eagle Eye': Death By A Thousand Cuts September 25, 2008 • Hyperkinetic jump-cut editing and a clangorous Mission Impossible-style score can't cover up the essential idiocy of D.J. Caruso's paranoid thriller, which seems cobbled together from random elements of far better movies.