Movies

National

How 'Oscars' Screens The Salty Moments

7:54am February 27, 2016

Live events aren't for sissies. That's especially true for the sound guys at the Oscars. NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro speaks with Dolby's Steve Venezia about what can go wrong, but usually doesn't.

Still from Last Day of Freedom shows a line-drawing of Bill Babbitt.

In Animated, Oscar-Nominated Doc, A Man Turns His Brother In For Murder

5:07am February 27, 2016

by Karen Michel

Last Day of Freedom uses more than 30,000 hand-drawn images to tell the story of Bill and Manny Babbitt. The film raises questions about trust, family, mental illness and the criminal justice system.

Oscars Preview: A Look At The Diversity Problem, Performances And Predictions

6:51pm February 26, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with NPR's pop culture blogger Linda Holmes and movie critic Bob Mondello about Sunday's Oscar awards.

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Neel Sethi plays Mowgli in the upcoming film adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. During filming, Neel worked with studio teacher Lois Yaroshefsky to get at least three hours of school in every day, as the law requires.

Arts

Directors Know: When Child Actors Are On Set, The Studio Teacher Is In Charge

5:18pm February 26, 2016

by Susan Stamberg

All sorts of laws govern the use of children in movies, and studio teachers like Lois Yaroshefsky are in charge of enforcing them. As Jungle Book director Jon Favreau puts it, "Lois is the boss."

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Willie Harris and Alex Brown, photographed in Stockton, Calif.

For 2 Black Stuntmen Breaking Into Hollywood, 'You Were Subject To Get Hurt'

2:25pm February 26, 2016

by NPR Staff

In the 1960s, when jobs were rare for black stuntmen, Willie Harris and Alex Brown had to teach themselves how to take a punch. But they couldn't prepare themselves for the vitriol they felt on set.

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Arts

Adam McKay Of 'Funny Or Die' Dissects The '08 Economic Crash In 'The Big Short'

1:53pm February 26, 2016

Not only do the characters in McKay's Oscar-nominated film warn about the collapse of the global economy — they make money off of it. Originally broadcast Dec. 23, 2015.

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Arts

Film Shines A 'Spotlight' On Boston's Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal

1:53pm February 26, 2016

Director Tom McCarthy and former Globe editor Walter Robinson discuss Spotlight, the Oscar-nominated film about Boston's clergy sex abuse scandal. Originally broadcast Oct. 29, 2015.

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Leonardo DiCaprio is considered a frontrunner for an Oscar for his lead role in The Revenant.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Our 2016 Oscars Preview

12:01am February 26, 2016

by Stephen Thompson

It's time once again for our annual Oscars Omnibus: a roundup of every Best Picture nominee, many notable performances, and the movies we'd have nominated to improve the awards' diversity.

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Gene Cernan reflects beside an A-4 Skyhawk from VA113 squadron.

Arts

A 'Last Man' Imperfectly Remembered

6:16pm February 25, 2016

by Andrew Lapin

A new documentary recounts the story of Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, with warmth but a bit too much reverence.

The Russian mob plans a 999, code for "officer down", to pull of a heist in Triple 9.

Arts

Silly Accents And Too Many Shadows Sink 'Triple 9'

6:00pm February 25, 2016

by Mark Jenkins

Despite a big cast that includes some terrific actors, this thriller about a group of criminals and their convoluted heist plot falls flat.