Movies

James Franco stars as the Wizard of Oz before the Wizard meets Dorothy in Oz the Great and Powerful.

Arts

'Oz': Neither Great Nor Powerful

1:34pm March 08, 2013

by David Edelstein

There are three reasons to see this prequel to the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz: the trio of witches played by Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. But James Franco, who stars as the wizard-in-the-making, disappoints — and the film as a whole is a bit snoozy.

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Will 'Oz The Great And Powerful' Gain Emerald Status?

5:19am March 07, 2013

by Mandalit del Barco

The newest movie version of The Wizard of Oz, opens this weekend. Oz the Great and Powerful stars James Franco as the wizard. The movie goes beyond the Technicolor wonder of the famous MGM film to a full-blown 2013 treatment with 3D and surround sound.

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In HBO's Enlightened, Laura Dern stars as corporate executive Amy Jellicoe, who returns from a post-meltdown retreat to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Series creator Mike White stars as Tyler, Amy's friend and co-worker.

Arts

Mike White On Creating HBO's 'Enlightened' Whistle-Blower

2:51pm March 04, 2013

On the HBO series Enlightened, a naive corporate executive played by Laura Dern wants to change the world. The series' creator and writer, Mike White, says the show's whistle-blowing plot line was inspired, in part, by his own father's experience.

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A film still of New York City from 1952's This Is Cinerama. The film was meant to introduce audiences to the new Cinerama widescreen.

Arts

Cinerama Brought The Power Of Peripheral Vision To The Movies

2:51pm March 04, 2013

by Lloyd Schwartz

In the 1950s, as movie directors were trying to offer TV watchers something they couldn't get on a small screen, Cinerama films threw three simultaneous images onto a curved screen to create peripheral vision. Two classic Cinerama films — This Is Cinerama and Windjammer — are now out on DVD.

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Arts

The Movie Alex Karpovsky Has 'Seen A Million Times'

4:35pm March 03, 2013

by Lily Percy

Actor-writer-director Alex Karpovsky could watch Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love a million times. "I saw it with a friend of mine, and we both absolutely loved it and immediately started quoting it," he says.

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Rachel Weisz plays the witch Evanora in director Sam Raimi's upcoming Oz: The Great and Powerful. The film is one of nine upcoming Oz adaptations and tackles more frightening and adult themes than those that came before it.

Arts

Fairy Tales For Grown-Ups? More Are On The Way

8:01pm March 01, 2013

by Bob Mondello

A slew of new fairy tale films is on the way to your nearest cineplex, but the intended audience might not be what you'd think. Bob Mondello explains how these movies, like their audiences, are growing up, taking on adult themes and dealing with the fears of a new generation of young adults.

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Nicole Kidman (left) and Mia Wasikowska star as Evelyn and India Stoker in Park Chan-wook's new thriller.

Arts

A Disappointing Thriller Channels Hitchcock And Bram 'Stoker'

2:26pm March 01, 2013

by David Edelstein

The film is ripe with a creepy-crawly feel that would be affecting if the tone weren't so arch. Directed by Park Chan-wook, written by Wentworth Miller and starring Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode, Stoker is a vile little chamber horror, says critic David Edelstein.

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Acclaimed writer-director-producer Robert Zemeckis has worked on more than 30 films, including the Back to the Future series and Forrest Gump, for which he won an Oscar for best director.

Arts

'Flight' Takes On Questions Of Accountability

2:22pm March 01, 2013

The Robert Zemeckis film, out now on DVD, stars Denzel Washington as a pilot with a secret substance-abuse problem who successfully crash-lands an airplane while high on drugs and alcohol. He must then ask himself tough questions about whether his heroism is undermined by his addiction.

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Director Dror Moreh was nominated for an Academy Award for his documentary The Gatekeepers.

Arts

'The Gatekeepers' Offer Candid Assessment Of Israel's Security

1:30pm February 28, 2013

Director Dror Moreh interviews six former heads of the Israel's Shin Bet security service in his Oscar-nominated documentary. The men look back on their work and conclude that continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinians will not resolve the conflict.

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Movie trailers can drive people to the theaters or keep them away altogether.

Arts

Movie Trailer Math: Getting 'Butts In The Seats' In Minutes

3:05pm February 27, 2013

by NPR Staff

Before films hit theaters, they are heralded by trailers that can either drive people to the box office or keep them away. Stephen Garrett, owner of the trailer production company Jump Cut Creative, talks about what it takes to lure audiences without spoiling a film.

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