Author Interviews
Is Time The Missing Component In Health Care?
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Friday, October 12, 2012
Movies
'Argo': Too Good To Be True, Because It Isn't
October 12, 2012 Ben Affleck's Argo, which is based on the declassified story of the CIA's mission to save six American diplomats trapped in Iran in 1979, is gripping, compelling and, at times, hilarious. But, as critic David Edelstein explains, the best parts of the "true" story are the parts that aren't true at all.
Author Interviews
The Man Who Tracks Viruses Before They Spread
October 12, 2012 Nathan Wolfe travels to the viral hot spots of the world, where viruses first jump from animals to humans. The scientist spends his days tracking emerging infectious diseases before they turn into global pandemics.
Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers
NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Fiction, Week Of October 11, 2012
October 12, 2012 In Jo Nesbo's Phantom, Harry Hole investigates Oslo's most virulent street drug. It debuts at No. 6.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Movies
A 'Big Picture' Intently Focused On The Details
October 11, 2012 Eric Lartigau's French psychological drama follows an aspiring photographer who assumes another man's identity. While the plot may lend itself to the tropes of a thriller, critic Mark Jenkins says it is more focused on the quiet, internal mechanisms of the protagonist's mind.
Movies
Even A 'Photographic Memory' Can Be Unreliable
October 11, 2012 Documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee tries to bridge a gap between himself and his son by revisiting their past relationship — along with his own life as a young photographer in France. Critic Ian Buckwalter says the filmmaker's intimate work is often "the stuff of quiet revelation."
Movies
A Dud Of A Comedy, But At Least The Cast Is Explosive
October 11, 2012 Despite its gifted cast, which includes Bridesmaids favorite Chris O'Dowd and Party Down star Lizzy Caplan, 3, 2, 1 ... Frankie Go Boom is anything but dynamic. Critic Joel Arnold says the nasty tone of the script saps its comedic potential.
Movies
Getting Merrily 'Smashed,' And Then Crashing
October 11, 2012 James Ponsoldt's drama depicts the subtleties of a young alcoholic's struggle to regain control of her life. Critic Scott Tobias says Mary Elizabeth Winstead's performance shows that the path to recovery can be almost as painful as alcoholism itself.
Movies
Two Films, Two Takes On Living With Genocide
October 11, 2012 Simon and the Oaks is a Swedish drama with the Holocaust lurking in the background. Christophe Barratier's family film War of the Buttons plays out in Vichy France. Critic Ella Taylor considers two stories that acknowledge Nazi complicity but don't quite come to terms with it.
Movies
A Hollywood Noir Starring 'Seven Psychopaths' (Or So)
October 11, 2012 Martin McDonagh's first film since In Bruges is a whimsically brutal comic thriller with — to name just three — an Amish throat-slasher, a dynamite-packing Buddhist and a serial killer who's fond of white bunny rabbits.
Movies
'Argo': A Rescue Mission With Real Hollywood Style
October 11, 2012 Ben Affleck's new film chronicles the CIA's rescue of six U.S. Embassy workers held hostage during the 1979 Iranian revolution. Critic Bob Mondello says the fine balance struck between Argo's snappy script and heart-stopping thrills makes the film worthy of Oscar buzz. (Recommended)
Books
From Boy King Of Texas To Literary Superstar
October 11, 2012 A few days ago, Domingo Martinez was just a regular guy working as a graphic designer and writing on the side. Then on Wednesday he woke up to find himself nominated for the National Book Award for nonfiction for his book, The Boy Kings of Texas.
Monkey See
'Mars Attacks' At 50: A Look Back At A Bloody Battle
October 11, 2012 A 50th anniversary book brings the gory Mars Attacks out from under soft nostalgic memory.
Books
Mo Yan's 'Hallucinatory Realism' Wins Literature Nobel
October 11, 2012 The Swedish Academy praised the Chinese writer's work, which "merges folk tales, history and the contemporary." The award is a cause of pride for a government that disowned the only previous Chinese winner of the award, an exiled critic.
