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There's been plenty of finger-pointing within America's intelligence community in the wake of 9/11 and the lead-up to war in Iraq. But the many failures of the CIA are not only worrying. They're also rather shocking. And that's because they contradict everything that books, TV, and movies have led us to believe about the world of spying. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports on spies - real and imaginary.
Most of the time, trial lawyers don't ever make it to trial. Personal injury lawyer Len Gabbay often serves his clients' interests by keeping them out of court. And he does it with the help of a video camera. Gabbay compiles documentaries on the suffering of the plaintiff, and screens it for the defendant. He tells Brooke that nine times out of ten they settle, and everyone is spared the ordeal of a trial.
In recent years, Pakistani film stars, musicians, and directors have been relocating to Bombay, the center of India's film industry. Some are motivated by improving relations between the nuclear neighbors. But others are simply fleeing a dying industry. OTM's Miranda Kennedy reports from Lahore - otherwise known as "Lollywood" - on the travails of Pakistani cinema.
This weekend The Rocky Horror Picture Show fan club gathers for its annual convention in New York City. Few films can claim Rocky Horror's cult pedigree, but that doesn't mean that they don't try. And as their newfound Hollywood appeal illustrates, the idea of what makes a cult movie is still evolving. OTM's Derek John reports on the cult films of a DVD generation.
In April of 2002 in the Russian city, Togliatti, a newspaper editor was shot to death in his car. Valery Ivanov was murdered following a series of stories in the Togliatti Observer exposing ties between the local mafia, businesses and corrupt law enforcement agencies in the region. Although shocking, the assassination wasn't necessarily out of the ordinary. Ivanov was the sixth journalist targeted in Togliatti since 1995 - killings documented in the film "The Russian Newspaper Murders," to air as part of the PBS Wide Angle series this week. Bob spoke with the film’s director, Paul Jenkins.
Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 opened to blockbuster box offices numbers, making it the highest grossing documentary of all time. But like previous Moore films, it has been criticized as being more of a polemic than a serious work of journalism. Moore is accused of selectively representing the truth with footage that serves his point of view, and discarding facts that are inconvenient. Bob chats with one skeptical truth-squader, Newsweek correspondent Michael Isikoff. Read Craig Unger’s response to Isikoff’s Newsweek article here .
This election season, cinematic fare has taken a decidedly political turn. Maybe it's Michael Moore, maybe it's the so-called politically divided nation, maybe it's that filmmakers can say what campaign advertisers cannot. Brooke explores the new tide of political documentaries and features, and their impact
Production costs are usually the main barrier between filmmakers and a large audience of viewers. But until recently, even well-funded docs had to settle for extremely limited distribution opportunities. Then came the independent film revolution of the 1990's, Michael Moore, and the art-house multiplex. Bob speaks with film historian Peter Biskind about the fall and rise of the documentary genre
