Arts & Life
Alan Cheuse's Book Picks To Warm A Winter's Night
()Book reviewer Alan Cheuse selects the highlights of this holiday season: futuristic dystopias; things that go bump in the night; portraits from Norman Rockwell's America; gay New York; a celebration of our immigrant adventures; one writer's journey to manhood; and, of course, Long John Silver.
- Hardcover Fiction:
#1 'The Lacuna' - Hardcover Nonfiction:
#1 'Open' - Paperback Fiction:
#1 'Olive Kitteridge' - Paperback Nonfiction:
#1 'Three Cups of Tea'
Movie Reviews
'Broken Embraces': The Very Picture Of Romance()
November 20, 2009 Brace yourself: Things are about to get meta. Pedro Almodovar's latest picture strings a colorfully knotty love story across layers of dark film-within-a-film intrigue. Complex of plot, deft in its blending of comedy and melodrama, and a treasure trove of golden-age movie references, the film is what you might call a lushly tragic lark — a heartfelt, if not quite heartbreaking, paean to romance and to the romance of cinema. (Recommended)
Movie Interviews
Wes Anderson Covers New Ground With 'Mr. Fox'()
November 23, 2009 Director Wes Anderson has worked on a lot of film projects, but with his latest film, Fantastic Mr. Fox, he ventured into new territory: animation. Anderson says that making a stop-motion picture is the most involved filmmaking he's ever done, but he also says that the process has "a sort of magic."
Television
James Franco Checks In To 'General Hospital'()
November 20, 2009 The star of Milk and Pineapple Express — and a little movie franchise called Spider-Man — will be spending some time in Port Charles over the next couple of months. His guest-starring stint may help "freshen the image of daytime," says the soap opera's executive producer.
Movie Reviews
Under A 'New Moon,' A Surprising Lack Of Passion()
November 20, 2009 If you have teenage girls in your life, you don't need to be told that New Moon, the second part of The Twilight Saga, hits movie theaters this weekend. Even though the world may have had enough of star-crossed sweethearts Edward and Bella by the series' end, critic Kenneth Turan says there's not enough of them in this installment.
Movie Reviews
In 'Blind Side,' A Tunnel-Vision Take On A True Story()
November 19, 2009 Based on Michael Lewis' acclaimed book, John Lee Hancock's julep-sweet screenplay turns a well-told true story into a feel-good fantasy for white liberals — a movie that doesn't dig deep and too often seems content to trade in stereotype. But as ever in Hollywood, the based-on-reality defense will provide a certain amount of cover, and Hancock will probably have an audience pleaser on his hands.
Holidays
Berry Bad: Threat To Trees Lurks On Holiday Tables()
November 22, 2009 Its alluring crimson fruit makes it an enduring star of the Thanksgiving centerpiece, but Asiatic bittersweet is strangling trees across New England. In many states, it's illegal to collect or move the invasive vine.
The Picture Show
Mystery Ghost Photos()
November 18, 2009 By Claire O'Neill How do you think these ghostly photographs were made? This slideshow requires version 9 or higher of the Adobe Flash Player. Get the latest Flash Player. 'xrays' ...
Television
'Oprah Winfrey Show' To Go Off The Air In 2011()
November 19, 2009 The talk-show icon will call it a wrap after 25 seasons, her production company said. A formal announcement is expected on Friday's edition of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Movie Reviews
Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant': He's Crescent City Crazy()
November 19, 2009 "A man without a gun, that's not a man," says the pain-wracked, drug-addled anti-hero cop at the center of Port of Call: New Orleans. You get the feeling that director Werner Herzog, that dedicated chronicler of alpha-male lunacy, agrees — and you can't help but notice that his crime drama is every bit as over-the-top eccentric as its protagonist.
Games & Humor
'The Onion': Mocking All Who Deserve It Since 1988()
November 20, 2009 America's Finest News Source has released a book celebrating its 21 years of satire (with a wink). Onion editors Joe Randazzo and Joe Garden talk with Renee Montagne about the serious business of being funny. Also: See the fun The Onion has had at NPR's expense.
