Movies

I Don't See A Lot Of Kibble Here: Bodi (Luke Wilson) attempts to impress Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard) in Rock Dog.

Arts

Amiable But Generic 'Rock Dog' Chases Its Own Tail

5:00pm February 23, 2017

by Mark Jenkins

This Chinese-U.S. co-production, based on a graphic novel by Chinese rock star Zheng Jun, pads its way through a familiar story about a mastiff who wants to make it big in the music industry.

Smells Like Teen Spirit: Jack (Owen Campbell), Mark (Charlie Heaton), and Sarah (Amandla Stenberg) forge complicated relationships in As You Are.

Arts

3 Teenage Outsiders Navigate Friendship And Desire In 'As You Are'

5:00pm February 23, 2017

by Ella Taylor

An intimate portrait of high school friends caught up in the aftermath of a violent incident places us inside their heads with sensitivity and restraint.

Allison Williams and Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out.

Arts

'Get Out' Offers Sharp Satire Along With The Scares

4:26pm February 23, 2017

by Bob Mondello

Get Out is an impressively accomplished directorial debut says NPR film critic Bob Mondello.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone at a jazz club in the movie "La La Land".

Music & Culture

A Jazz Fact Check Of 'La La Land'

12:46pm February 23, 2017

by Nate Chinen

There are many takes about what La La Land gets right or wrong about jazz. This episode explores how the tension between illusion and disillusion plays out among real musicians in Los Angeles.

Director Seijun Suzuki, center, died last week at age 93. He's seen here with actors Zhang Ziyi, left, and Joe Odagiri, right, as they arrive for a screening at the Cannes film festival in 2005.

Arts

Seijun Suzuki, Director Of Delirious Thrillers, Dies At Age 93

10:28am February 22, 2017

by Bill Chappell

These days, Suzuki's Branded to Kill is widely seen as a masterpiece; when he made the absurdist thriller in 1967, he was fired.

Of the 25 Best Picture nominees Stacy Smith examined, she found only two examples of an actor over 60 who was essential to the story. The characters appeared in Birdman and Spotlight -- and both were played by Michael Keaton.

Arts

In A Film Industry Focused On Youth, Older Characters Are Tough To Find

8:12pm February 21, 2017

by Ina Jaffe

A study of the 25 films nominated for Best Picture Oscars over the past three years found less than 12 percent of the characters were people over the age of 60.

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Gary Cooper plays the sheriff in the 1952 film High Noon. Author Glenn Frankel says the film can be viewed as a parable for the Hollywood blacklist era.

Books
Arts

What A Classic '50s Western Can Teach Us About The Hollywood Blacklist

2:58pm February 21, 2017

Author Glenn Frankel says the 1952 film High Noon was inspired by the toxic political climate of the time. "People ... felt they want to get their country back," Frankel says.

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Choreographer Mandy Moore was lying underneath a car on the LA freeway, counting and calling out steps, throughout the 47 takes it took to shoot La La Land's fun-filled opening scene.

Arts

Behind This Exuberant Dance Number? Planning, Precision And Practice

9:47am February 21, 2017

by Susan Stamberg

Choreographer Mandy Moore was lying underneath a car on the LA freeway, counting and calling out steps, throughout the 47 takes it took to shoot La La Land's fun-filled opening scene.

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Song Exploder: 'Moonlight' Composer Describes Process

7:03pm February 20, 2017

Nicholas Britell, the composer for the Oscar-nominated score for Moonlight, describes the story behind his music.

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Writer/director/producer Jordan Peele on the set of Universal Pictures' Get Out.

National

In 'Get Out,' Jordan Peele Tackles The 'Human Horror' Of Racial Fear

11:03pm February 19, 2017

by NPR Staff

Jordan Peele discusses his new film in which he addresses the politics of race. It's about an African-American man meeting his white girlfriend's family for the first time and the horror that ensues.

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