Rodney Ascher, director of the experimental documentary Room 237, leads an exploration of differing interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's classic horror film The Shining. IFC Midnight hide caption
John Powers John Powers is the pop culture and critic-at-large on NPR's Fresh Air with Terri Gross.
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John Powers
A new documentary about Philip Roth premieres on PBS next week as part of a slew of celebrations in honor of the novelist's 80th birthday. PBS hide caption
Gael Garcia Bernal stars as an advertising man in Chile under Pinochet in the 2012 film No, which is nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards. Sony Pictures Classics hide caption
Jeff Bridges as John L. Bridges, Isabelle Huppert as Ella Watson and Kris Kristofferson as James Averill in the 1980 Western Heaven's Gate, a director's cut of which was released in November. Criterion Collection hide caption
The HBO documentary Crossfire Hurricane, about The Rolling Stones, prompts critic John Powers to reflect on the band's five decades of fame. HBO Films hide caption
Escape Velocity: book cover detail hide caption
Salman Rushdie is the author of The Satanic Verses, which inspired a fatwah calling for his death. His novel Midnight's Children has been adapted into a film that opens in the U.S. on Nov. 2. Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Joao (Gustavo Jahn) and Sofia (Irma Brown) are among the inhabitants of the Recife, Brazil, street where Neighboring Sounds takes place. Victor Juca/Cinema Guild hide caption
Although Ai Weiwei's art is internationally recognized, much of his worldwide fame comes from his political activism in China. The latter is the focus of Alison Klayman's documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. Ted Alcorn/IFC Films hide caption
In Political Animals, Sigourney Weaver plays Elaine Barrish, the current secretary of state and a former first lady. USA Networks hide caption
Louis C.K. has written for The Late Show With David Letterman, The Chris Rock Show and Late Night With Conan O'Brien. FX hide caption
In Aaron Sorkin's new HBO drama, The Newsroom, producer MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer) and anchorman Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) tackle real hard-hitting news stories and call out those who don't tell the truth. HBO hide caption
Benedict Cumberbatch plays a modernized Holmes who carries a cellphone and gets his buzz from nicotine patches. Hartswood Films/BBC for Masterpiece hide caption