Search results for

Independent filmmaker John Sayles' latest picture, about an election campaign in a Midwestern state, is called Silver City. NPR's Bob Mondello says it's a political lampoon in which similarities to real campaigns and campaigners are entirely intentional.

The former cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 once again teams up to offer humorous commentary on the movies. Under the moniker 'The Film Crew,' Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy and Michael J. Nelson are "dedicated to making bad movies fun, and good movies even more fun." They provide a reading of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

As many as 3,000 "mental hygiene" films were shown in schools in the years after the Second World War. They provide lessons about dating, manners and delinquency, all wrapped up in a tidy 10-minute package. Lost and Found Sound got a tour through these films from author Ken Smith.

They went on-air October 29, 1955, in Memphis, Tennessee, and stayed there for 17 more years -- WHER: The First All-Girl Radio Station in The World.

Andrew Wallenstein of The Hollywood Reporter reviews the new reality television show Outback Jack. Wallenstein says the show incorporates many elements from other successful series, but fails to find any unique qualities.

Slate writer Mark Jordan Legan reviews what the critics are saying about this week's major new movie releases: Catwoman, The Bourne Supremacy and At Home at the End of the World.

In the 1950s, jazz legend Benny Golson emerged as one of the best tenor saxophonists around. But a famous photograph he posed for in 1958 has brought him new attention.

Marlon Brando, an American movie legend known for his revolutionary method acting in such classics as A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront, dies at age 80. Brando won an Oscar for his performance in the latter film, and went on to win another for the role of the iconic Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. NPR's Steve Inskeep and Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan recall Brando's life and legacy.

A documentary film called The N-Word is sparking controversy across the United States. Celebrities and everyday people bat around what the "n-word" means politically and socially. NPR's Tavis Smiley talks with writer-director Todd Williams and Helena Echegoyen, the film's executive producer.

In the 1800s, community brass bands were a prime source of entertainment in America. Damon Talley and the Dodworth Saxhorn Band recreate 19th century bandstand music on period instruments.