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Saturday, December 08, 2012

Movies I've Seen A Million Times

The Movie Gustavo Santaolalla's 'Seen A Million Times'

Brad Pitt (left) and Laramie Eppler (right) in Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life.

December 8, 2012 Musician and composer Gustavo Santaolalla, best known for his Oscar-winning scores for The Motorcycle Diaries and Brokeback Mountain, could watch Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life a million times. "It gives me hope," he says.

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Movies

Knightley's Anna Karenina Loses The Innocence

Keira Knightley and director Joe Wright have worked together on three film adaptations of period novels.

December 8, 2012 The epic novel Anna Karenina has been adapted for TV and film dozens of times. This time, Keira Knightley plays the leading role. Host Guy Raz talks with the actress about bringing Leo Tolstoy's book to life in 2012.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Hugh Bonneville Of 'Downton Abbey' Plays Not My Job

Actor Hugh Bonneville speaks onstage in Beverly Hills, Calif., in July 2012.

December 8, 2012 We've invited Bonneville to play a game called "Welcome to America, Lord Grantham": three questions about the TLC show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

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Movie Interviews

50 Years On, Sharif Looks Back At 'Lawrence'

Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) and T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) fight together in the 1962 epic.

December 8, 2012 The Oscar-winning epic Lawrence of Arabia was first released in theaters 50 years ago this month. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Omar Sharif about playing Sherif Ali in the film.

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Friday, December 07, 2012

Movies

Hollywood Heights: The Ups, Downs And In-Betweens

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise at the Writer's Guild Awards in Beverly Hills in 1998.

December 7, 2012 When we go to the movies, we want our heroes big and our villains bigger. But Hollywood actors are only slightly taller, on average, than their fans. NPR critic Bob Mondello takes a look at actors' heights: who's commandingly short, or diminutively tall.

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Best Books Of 2012

A Wintry Mix: Alan Cheuse Selects The Season's Best

Cheuse illustration

December 7, 2012 Critic Alan Cheuse maps out a winter wonderland of fiction and poetry — from ancient Greece to the near-future visions of Walter Mosley, a selection of the best books to give and receive this holiday season. Cheuse says these five books strike the perfect balance between lyricism and narrative.

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The Salt

Mushroom Ice Cream, Anyone? Chefs Turning To Veggies For Dessert

A cup of pumpkin ice cream with chunks of frozen candy cap mushrooms. The candy cap variety is said to have the fragrance of maple syrup.

December 7, 2012 Unafraid of the supposed barrier between sweet and savory, many chefs are incorporating vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, and even mushrooms into new dessert recipes. But are they any healthier? Actually, yes, says a nutritionist.

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The Picture Show

A Look At Brazil's Big Dreamer, Architect Oscar Niemeyer

A composite image shows architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1992 (left), and one of his buildings photographed circa 1955.

December 7, 2012 The legendary architect was living proof that sometimes, you have to bend the rules. In doing so, he created the visual language for an entire city.

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Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers

NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Fiction, Week Of December 6, 2012

Cold Days by Jim Butcher.

December 7, 2012 Jim Butcher's Cold Days resurrects Harry Dresden into eternal servitude. It debuts at No. 7.

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Hanukkah Lights: Stories of the Season

Hanukkah Lights 2012

Hanukkah menorah

December 7, 2012 This year's installment of Hanukkah Lights showcases some of the program's most insightful moments. Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz read stories about a mother reconnecting with her daughter, a schoolboy standing up for his heritage and teenagers trying to bridge a bitter family divide.

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The Salt

When It Comes To Boxed Wine, The Cooler, The Better

If you're picking a boxed wine for your party this season, be aware that temperature is everything.

December 7, 2012 From swill of the wine world to hipster fame, boxed wine is growing in popularity. But research suggests that its major impediment is temperature. When stored in the heat, the box ages faster than the bottle, scientists say.

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Monkey See

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Second Acts And Party People, Or Not

A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

December 7, 2012 On this week's show, we talk about people who have had great second acts and people we'd like to party with — or rather, would like to party with if we were "party with people" kinds of people. Which only some of us are. Oh, we'll explain it.

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Book Reviews

At Home With Dickens And Lousia May Alcott

Marmee and Louisa, by Eve LaPlante.

December 7, 2012 Two new biographical studies that read like novels explore the familial relationships that shaped two of the 19th century's most beloved authors. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls Great Expectations: The Sons And Daughters Of Charles Dickens "a Gothic nightmare" and Marmee & Louisa "a romance."

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Thursday, December 06, 2012

Movies

'Playing For Keeps,' But Without Much Panache

In Gabriele Muccino's romantic comedy, a former pro soccer player (Gerard Butler) starts coaching his son's soccer team — and reconnects with his ex-wife (Jessica Biel).

December 6, 2012 In Playing for Keeps, Gerard Butler plays a soccer star who begins coaching his young son's team, only to reconnect with his ex-wife and other soccer moms. Critic Mark Jenkins says the supporting cast is relegated to the realm of caricature while the film's tone is dated at best.

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Movies

A Relationship Drama That's A Little Too 'Cheerful'

On the day of Dolly's (Felicity Jones) wedding, a former flame returns to stir up doubts about her decision.

December 6, 2012 Donald Rice's Cheerful Weather for the Wedding calls upon the style and period — and even an actress — from the popular TV drama Downton Abbey. Critic Ian Buckwalter says an unbalanced script makes the central romance seem as inconsequential as the weather.

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