Review Love Blooms Late, But Sweet, For 'Elsa And Fred' June 30, 2008 • In the summer, with school out, teen flicks abound. But occasionally a bit of counterprogramming, like the Spanish film Elsa and Fred, finds its way through. It's a romance — about folks who meet when they're in their 70s.
In Character 'King Kong': The Eighth Wonder of the World June 29, 2008 • In 1932, director Merian Cooper approached Fay Wray about playing a lead role in a new movie he was planning — King Kong. But when Cooper first proposed the film in 1931, not everyone thought it was a good idea.
Summary Judgment Summary Judgment: 'Finding' vs. 'Wall-E' June 27, 2008 • Writer Mark Jordan Legan sorts through the latest movies. Wall-E, an animated feature about a young robot searching for a home in outer space draws rave reviews. Finding Amanda, is a bit less satisfying.
Review 'Wall-E,' Speaking Volumes with Stillness and Stars June 27, 2008 • Crazily inventive, deliriously engaging, emotionally true, Pixar's latest is a gratifying look back at the silent-film twilight of 70 years ago — and a cautionary look 700 years ahead, at what our silent planet's twilight might be. 'Wall-E,' Speaking Volumes with Stillness and Stars Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/91894500/91975507" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Wall-E,' Speaking Volumes with Stillness and Stars Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/91894500/91975507" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Review Crazy Love: In Paris, a Fatally Attractive 'Mistress' June 27, 2008 • L'amour fou has rarely been crazier than in Catherine Breillat's splendidly perverse period romance, whose kisses come dipped in poison — and whose lead (the mesmerizing Asia Argento) is no lady.
Review From a Trash-Heap Future, a Romance for the Ages Fresh Air June 27, 2008 • Pixar has always focused on loss, decay, and the dark side of materialism. Here that theme extends to the ruination of the planet — and Wall-E ranks among the most sublime feature-length works of animation ever made in this country.
Review Culture 'Wanted' Man: A Milquetoast Gets His Burn On June 27, 2008 • Walter Mitty meets Lara Croft, and then both pretend they're in The Matrix. That's Hollywood's latest hymn to hit men, a brutal but lazily plotted actioner from Russia's Timur Bekmambetov.
Review 'Wall-E': A Robot Love Story with Heart to Spare June 27, 2008 • Robot love story and human cautionary tale, the film is daring and traditional, groundbreaking and familiar, apocalyptic and sentimental. It's a tonic in these times — and it proves Pixar still has its touch. 'Wall-E': A Robot Love Story with Heart to Spare Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/91896053/91955560" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Review 'Tell No One' a Twisty Tale, and Worth Untangling June 26, 2008 • The French box-office smash is overstuffed with conspiracies, but beautifully constructed and thematically rich — so it remains a pleasure even as the story becomes increasingly implausible.
Saluting AFI's Great American Genre Films: Part 2 Fresh Air June 26, 2008 • The American Film Institute has issued a list of the Top 10 American films within 10 favorite genres. Fresh Air continues a series exploring those film greats, featuring interviews with notables represented on the list.
Beastie Boy Yauch on 'Gunnin' to the NBA June 26, 2008 • Adam Yauch's new documentary, Gunnin' For That #1 Spot, follows NBA basketball prospects through high school. "Normal" life means intense scrutiny for these kids, Yauch says.
Sports Basketball Documentary Focuses on New York City Court June 26, 2008 • Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has directed a documentary about a high-profile basketball game at the Rucker Park courts in New York City.
Media In Cluster of Teen Pregnancies, 'Juno' Comes to Life June 26, 2008 • After 17 girls from one Massachusetts school turned up pregnant, some wondered about a possible "Juno Effect." The idea is that Hollywood glamorizes teen pregnancy, and one professor says her research shows it's very real.
Pop Culture Christie's Auctions Pop Culture Artifacts June 25, 2008 • Today in New York, buyers will get a chance to own Tony Soprano's bathrobe, Marilyn Monroe's canceled checks, and Jack Kerouac's ashtray. The items are all part of a pop culture auction taking place at Christie's.
World Documentary Sheds Light on Young Iraqi June 23, 2008 • Operation Filmmaker is a documentary about Muthana Mohmed, a young Iraqi who caught the eye of actor Liev Schreiber. Schreiber invited him to work as an intern on his new film and he invited documentarian Nina Davenport to make her own movie about Mohmed's experience. Andrea Shea reports from WBUR in Boston.