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Lewis Black is a playwright, stand-up comic, actor, and a commentator on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He's been described as having the mouth of a shock-jock and the heart of a liberal. His new book is entitled Nothing's Sacred.

Adolescent superheroes, dog lovers and an intelligent airplane are vying for your movie dollar this weekend -- but are any of them worthy? Slate contributor Mark Jordan Legan looks at what film critics are saying about this week's movie releases, including Sky High, Must love Dogs and Stealth.

Film critic Kenneth Turan, takes a look at the restoration of the iconic French film, Elevator to the Gallows. Made in 1957, it is a melding of French cinematography and American music that Turan is thrilled to see in theaters.

The Aristocrats, a documentary by magician/comic Penn Gillette and comedian Paul Provenza, follows the genesis of "the filthiest joke ever told." The real joke is, it's not a joke -- the "humor" comes in how the joke is told, and the dirtier the better.

The American Music Center has commissioned six composers to write original compositions for its phone system. The idea is to make sitting on hold a more stimulating experience, and create new venues for electroacoustic composers. Robert Siegel talks with Joanne Cossa, the executive director of the American Music Center.

Carolyn and Mary Jane DeZurik grew up on a Minnesota farm, but they rose to musical fame in the 1930s. Their special talents included yodeling and imitations of birds and barnyard animals. Their story is told again by writer John Biguenet in the music issue of Oxford American magazine.

Day to Day television critic Andrew Wallenstein reviews Over There, a war drama premiering tonight on the FX channel that follows the lives of GIs fighting in Iraq.

Alex Chadwick talks with Slate contributor Edward Jay Epstein about how movie studios build franchises. Epstein says that studios sometimes take enormous risks to build a successful movie franchises, like the Spider-Man and The Lord of the Rings, but the rewards for success can be enormous. He also details the "Midas formula" for reaping huge profits through licensing and merchandising.

The daughter of a Tamil revolutionary, Sri Lankan M.I.A. is now a rap sensation in England. The 28-year-old is known as much for her music as her life story. She combines the rhythms of global cultures with lyrics that some say incite revolution. Critic Oliver Wang reviews her CD Arular.

Day to Day music critic David Was reviews the new recording by 67-year-old veteran saxophonist Charles Lloyd, Jumping the Creek.