Arts

A Wake-Up Call Comes 90 Years Early: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt in Passengers.

Arts

'Passengers' Has A First-Class Sci-Fi Premise, But The Script Flies Coach

5:00pm December 22, 2016

by Chris Klimek

The Chris Pratt/Jennifer Lawrence film about two beautiful people alone on a vast spaceship doesn't have the courage of its creepy convictions, and devolves into rote rom-com sentiment.

Strangers on a Train: Julieta (Adriana Ugarte) and Xoan (Daniel Grao) share a compartment.

Arts

Sex And Death, Shot Through A Colorful Lens: Almodovar's 'Julieta'

5:00pm December 22, 2016

by Ella Taylor

Pedro Almodovar brings his lush visual exuberance to this adaptation of three Alice Munro stories marked by spare, interior struggles. The odd fusion results in a surprisingly quiet, somber film.

Arts

In Mike Mills' Rich, Brilliant Comedy, Three '20th Century Women' Raise A Teenager

5:00pm December 22, 2016

by Andrew Lapin

Our critic adores this small, sharply observed film starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig as boarding-house residents who shape the life of a young man (Lucas Jade Zumann) in 1979.

Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae, left), Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) in Hidden Figures.

Arts

The 'Hidden Figures' Who Crunched The Numbers In The Space Race

5:00pm December 22, 2016

by Scott Tobias

Janelle Monae, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer star in this drama about the brilliant African-American women whose mathematical skills NASA eagerly exploited ... without publicly acknowledging.

Charles Aidikoff, Who Ran Popular LA Screening Room, Dies

4:28pm December 22, 2016

by Susan Stamberg

Hollywood insiders mourn the death of 101-year-old Charles Aidikoff, who ran one of the most popular small, private screening rooms in Los Angeles.

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling dance in the musical, La La Land, critic David Edelstein's pick for the best film of the year.

Arts

In 'An Excellent Year' For Film, Critic David Edelstein Shares His 12 Favorites

1:40pm December 22, 2016

by David Edelstein

Edelstein estimates that he saw 400 films in 2016 — more than enough to fill "a couple of 10-best lists." He talks about a dozen of them with Fresh Air's Terry Gross.

The third season of the Netflix anthology drama, Black Mirror, featured six different stories that centered on technology. It comes in at No. 2 on David Bianculli's list of favorite TV shows in 2016.

Arts

'A Lot Going On': Critic David Bianculli Picks The Best TV Of 2016

1:40pm December 22, 2016

by David Bianculli

Fresh Air's TV critic says that mini-series and anthology shows are expanding the types of stories that can be told on the small screen — and the benefits to the viewers "are huge."

Row upon row of marzipan trumpets at the Mazapanes Manzanero bakery in San Martin de Pusa, located about 75 miles south of Madrid. Marzipan is a highlight of the Spanish holiday season, and many say the best versions are made in convents and small bakerie

Marzipan, The Sweet Taste Of The Holidays In Madrid

11:58am December 22, 2016

by Margarita Gokun Silver

One legend has it that marzipan emerged during an epic 13th-century Spanish battle. Today, it is a highlight of the holiday season. And the best stuff comes from convents and small family bakeries.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 2016 Favorites And Unfinished Business

6:00pm December 21, 2016

by Linda Holmes

Sam Sanders joins the PCHH roundtable for a conversation about some of our favorite writing, television and movies of the year.

Books
Arts

'Certain Dark Things' Takes Vampire Story In New Direction

4:43pm December 21, 2016

Silvia Moreno-Garcia took the genre of vampire novels to a different place this fall with the release of her book, Certain Dark Things. Set in modern day Mexico, the story tackles themes of immigration and otherness.