On The Media - Movies

Picturing Science (On The Media)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:31 GMT

Since the medium began, movies from “Metropolis” to “Iron Man” have plundered science, molding and sometimes mangling it. But physicist Sidney Perkowitz argues in his new book, Hollywood Science: Movies, Science and the End of the World, that science in cinema probably does more good than harm.

You Can't Write This Stuff (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:49 GMT

Private investigator Anthony Pellicano is on trial in Federal District Court in Los Angeles. He's defending himself against charges of intimidating reporters on behalf of his high-powered Hollywood clients. With wiretapping, celebrities, and lots of money and intrigue, David Carr of The New York Times says the story would make a great movie.

Death Ray (On The Media)

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:47 GMT

If you watch movies on DVD, you’re using an outdated technology. But no single high-definition disc has emerged as the replacement to the inferior DVD, mainly because of a battle between two competing formats: Sony’s Blu-ray and Toshiba’s HD-DVD. Shane Buettner of Home Theater Magazine explains that Blu-ray may have won the war.

The Role of a Lifetime (On The Media)

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:31 GMT

Do you LARP? Live Action Role-Playing is the subject of “Darkon,” a documentary about people who don costumes and characters and make believe. But co-director Andrew Neel says that LARPing, while partly escapism, is in fact a ticket to reality.

War Stories (On The Media)

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:37 GMT

Hollywood films helped Americans cope with the long and harsh realities of World War Two. That tradition continues today. Hollywood is still telling stories about the Second World War, even as it produces several films about the current war. WNYC’s Sara Fishko reports.

The Face of Russia (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:00 GMT

For as long as Hollywood has been making movies it has turned its eye to the Russians. Harlow Robinson, author of Hollywood's Russians, Russians in Hollywood, discusses Russian portrayals in American film and what those portrayals reveal about ourselves.

The Russian American (On The Media)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:01 GMT

Russia’s film industry has returned the favor with its own portrayals of … us. From “The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks” (1924) to “Brother 2” (2000), we’re sometimes naïve, sometimes criminal. But Russian film historian Kirill Razlogov says that we’re also sympathetic.

Dreams of Electric Sheep (On The Media)

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:13 GMT

25 years ago this week, Blade Runner debuted in American theaters. It was set in a Los Angeles of the future, but its portrayals of race and racism had plenty of resonance in 1982. Reporter Phillip Martin looks back on a classic of cyborgian social criticism.

Bollywood Sirens (On The Media)

Mon, 07 May 2007 16:55 GMT

For some Indians, Richard Gere’s awkward embrace with Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was not just offensive, it was criminal. NYU professor Tejaswini Ganti says the incident plays into the mixed messages about Indian women perpetuated by Bollywood.

Smoke Gets In Their Eyes (On The Media)

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:52 GMT

The impact of movie sex and violence on kids may be up for debate, but with smoking, the science is solid. Teens who see a lot of it are more likely to take up the habit than those who don’t. UCSF Dr. Stanton Glantz wants the MPAA to take smoking as seriously as it takes cursing.

Longitudes and Attitudes (On The Media)

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 18:07 GMT

42 years ago, Michael Apted began filming a group of seven year-olds plucked from the extremes of the British class system. Since then, he’s followed their lives with a new film every seven years. What began as a one-off BBC program has become one of the most important histories on film, and a prototype for our reality-TV culture. On the occasion of 49Up’s opening this weekend, Apted speaks to Bob about the series.

Junk Dealer (On The Media)

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 22:23 GMT

Want an all-expense-paid two-night stay at a luxury hotel, with free round-trip airfare, spending cash, and a private screening of the latest Hollywood movie? Get invited to a press junket. Last month, freelance film critic Eric Snider did just that for Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center,” and then blogged about it on his website. He talks with Bob about the experience and the fallout.

Blurbs (On The Media)

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 22:25 GMT

Almost every Hollywood movie ad includes a few endorsements attributed to one or more film critics – a process often requiring as much imagination, and editing, as the movie itself. A few years back, Bob took a closer look at the phenomenon of movie blurbs, and filed this report.

Working It (On The Media)

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 22:41 GMT

This summer, Hollywood is offering us close-ups of a variety of American workplaces, ranging from the silly to the sadistic. Tinseltown has always had a weird perspective on real life, which for most of us consists in large part of work life. WNYC’s Sara Fishko reflects on the daily grind as portrayed on the silver screen.

Woodstein's Muse (On The Media)

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 20:58 GMT

Watching the new DVD release of All the President’s Men recently, Brooke came upon a bombshell, buried in one of the DVD’s commentary tracks. It concerns the unlikely genesis of what has become the prevailing symbol of all that is fine in American journalism.

The Cleaning Agent (On The Media)

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 19:14 GMT

Say you’re a movie buff, eager to digest the latest Hollywood offering, but find some of the more lurid aspects of today’s films tough to stomach. Until recently, Ray Lines would have been your man – he founded Clean Flicks, a company that re-edits L.A.’s latest, filth-free. The Directors Guild of America, however, disputed the legality of Clean Flicks, and the U.S. District court agreed. Lines discusses the loss with Bob.

Borderline Entertainment (On The Media)

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 20:27 GMT

The Juarez murders have inspired songs, plays, and telenovelas, and now, feature films. In two movies scheduled for release later this year, Minnie Driver and J-Lo play journalists on the trail of the killers. You might think the attention would be welcome. But Diana Washington Valdez, who covered the story for the El Paso Times for almost 12 years, tells Bob why the Hollywood treatment might do more harm then good.

Hot in Hollywood (On The Media)

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 22:25 GMT

Climate change may be a tough sell for newspaper editors, but what about sitcom writers? Lately the subject has been popping up in some unexpected places, and behind many of these plot twists is actor and environmental activist Laurie David, a co-producer of the new Al Gore documentary. She tells Mike Pesca about her effort to make global warming a pop culture phenomenon.

Projecting Freud (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 16:16 GMT

Sigmund Freud was born 150 years ago this weekend. He’s certainly pop culture’s most-cited psychoanalyst, but his influence on media doesn’t end there – Freud’s ideas are cinema staples: flashbacks, projection, not to mention the sexual stuff. Brooke speaks with Andrea Sabbadini, a psychoanalyst and chairman of the European Psychoanalytical Film Festival.

Screen Shrinks (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 16:18 GMT

While the experts may assert that psychoanalysis can’t really be portrayed on film, this hasn’t stopped filmmakers from trying. A few years back, OTM asked Sara Fishko to assemble some of the more memorable attempts to put the unconscious on the big screen.

Continental Divide (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 17:09 GMT

In many of the historically-liberal nations of Western Europe, years of immigration from the South have raised difficult questions about assimilation and tolerance. Loath to admit to a clash of cultures, the European media often ignore the issues. But at the Berlin Film Festival this year, at least three movies addressed the internal divide. LA Times reporter Jeffrey Fleishman screened the films, and shares some of his impressions with Bob.

The North Will Rise Again (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 19:24 GMT

"CSA: The Confederate States of America" opened this week. The film imagines an America in which the South won the Civil War. Under the Confederate States of America, Abraham Lincoln is captured – in blackface – trying to escape to Canada and slavery is the law of the land. It all plays out in what looks like a Ken Burns documentary, complete with slow pans of still photos, and talking head historians. Bob speaks with filmmaker Kevin Wilmott about this weirdly plausible version of American history.

Wilhelm (On The Media)

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:37 GMT

You've heard him in dozens of movies, but you can't quite place his name. That's because he's not an actor, he's a sound effect. And among sound editors he's legendary. On the Media's David Serchuck reports.

Kept it at the Movies (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:12 GMT

Last month, Ted Peshak passed away. You might not recognize the name, but if you came of age just after World War II, there's a good chance you're familiar with one of his "hygiene films." The ten-minute black and white films, often screened in classrooms, illustrated the dangers of shyness and the virtues of soap and water. Brooke discusses Peshak's legacy with Ken Smith, author of the oral history Mental Hygiene.

Seeing Red (On The Media)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:47 GMT

At the height of the red scare in 1954, Edward R. Murrow excoriated Senator Joseph McCarthy on CBS. The episode is now depicted powerfully in George Clooney's movie "Good Night, and Good Luck." Among the crusading journalists then working at the network were Joe and Shirley Wershba, who consulted on the film and tell Brooke about the bygone days of smoke-filled newsrooms and courage on the air.

The Moviegoer (On The Media)

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:15 GMT

From A Streetcar Named Desire to Down By Law, what many of us think about when we think about New Orleans is a result of its ongoing portrayal in movies. David Lee Simmons, culture critic for the city's alternative daily, The Gambit, talks with Brooke about the cinematic depictions of the old Big Easy that will endure as the city attempts to rebuild.

Spoiled Again (On The Media)

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:05 GMT

Is there a statute of limitations for not revealing movie plot twists? When can a surprise ending finally become part of pop culture conversation? In response to listener letters about our Million Dollar Baby giveaway and last week's attempt at an explanation, Brooke poses the questions to New York Daily News TV critic David Bianculli.

Reel Myths (On The Media)

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 21:54 GMT

At the same time that events on the battlefields of WWII were being documented by newspapers and radio, Hollywood was re-framing the wartime sentiments of the homefront. In his memoir, Good Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zip, film critic Richard Schickel examined the myths that wartime America built for itself on the silver screen. He shares some of his favorite clips with Brooke.

The Detente Will Be Televised (On The Media)

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:41 GMT

Since its unsolicited selection for the axis of evil, North Korea has largely fulfilled its media role as America's Asian arch-nemesis. But there's at least one place where North Korea's image has been softening - South Korea. Wall Street Journal reporter Gordon Fairclough explains to Bob how the improvement of North Korea’s image is increasingly apparent in South Korean TV and film.

Moving Pictures, Moving Merchandise (On The Media)

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:24 GMT

In the 1940's, the Motion Picture Export Association, aka "the little State Department," went forth to sell the American way of life – not to mention American products – around the world. Toby Miller directs the Program in Film and Visual Culture at the University of California Riverside. He joins Brooke to discuss Hollywood-as-imperialist, then and now.

The Shape of Film to Come (On The Media)

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 16:27 GMT

This week, the Supreme Court heard the case of MGM v. Grokster, a case which pits the major music and film houses against "peer-to-peer" programs that allow anyone to freely trade material via the Internet. The entertainment industry claims the software makers are arming pirates. The software makers say the industry is strangling technological innovation. Bob speaks with Fred von Lohmann, senior attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Dan Glickman, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, argues on behalf of Hollywood.

Garfield vs. Hollywood (On The Media)

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:54 GMT

Six years ago, fresh from yet another disappointing visit to his local Blockbuster, Bob decided to take matters into his own hands. Armed with little more than an original treatment for a serious film set in the former Yugoslavia, Bob flew west. Here is the story of his mission to save the soul of Hollywood.

Spying Dull, Bureaucratic! (On The Media)

Tue, 20 May 2008 18:16 GMT

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.

Settling Down With a Good Movie (On The Media)

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:41 GMT

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.

Lollywood Goes Pop (On The Media)

Wed, 21 May 2008 21:52 GMT

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.

Here a Cult, There a Cult (On The Media)

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:20 GMT

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.

Mob Scene (On The Media)

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:56 GMT

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.

More on Moore (On The Media)

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:05 GMT

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 .

More and Moore Movies (On The Media)

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:34 GMT

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

What's up, Doc? (On The Media)

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:35 GMT

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

Come Again? (On The Media)

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:26 GMT

Early next month, a new film opens called the Stepford Wives. Not that there hasn't been a "Stepford Wives" before. And finishing now for an imminent release is "The Manchurian Candidate." Sound familiar? And coming up early next year? King Kong! Raiding and retreading old movie classics is in itself, a time-honored tradition, but it has a mixed history at the box office, as WNYC's Sara Fishko reported.

Moralize This! (On The Media)

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:53 GMT

Attention Wal-Mart shoppers: a DVD player now on sale rearranges movies to suit your own moral standards. Using technology developed by a company called Clearplay, the player skips scenes of nudity, violence, and drug use, and mutes bad language. If you like violence but can't stand nudity, you can program the filter accordingly. But the Director's Guild of America is suing Clearplay, saying the technology illegally alters a copyrighted work without the artist's permission. Last year, Brooke spoke to then-president of the DGA Martha Coolidge about the group's objections.

Godzilla Lives (On The Media)

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:55 GMT

Five decades since he first stomped across the silver screen, the rampaging reptile is still going strong. To commemorate the great lizard's golden anniversary, a restored print of the original Japanese version is now stomping through selected theatres across the country. Many critics say it's far less campy than the version we've already seen, and in general, far more haunting. The same cannot be said for the sequels, now numbering nearly 30-and counting. NPR's Jim Zarroli looks back on a half-century of Godzilla.

Cinema's (Still) Dead (On The Media)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:41 GMT

Try as civilized society might to kill them, zombies just won't die. This week, the flesh-eating resurrected returned once again to the silver screen. The much-anticipated remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead includes some new and improved special effects, but the dead are still dead, and the story is no less gripping than it was more than a quarter-century ago. Last year, OTM Senior Producer Arun Rath assembled this deconstruction of the zombie genre.

Underselling the Pirates (On The Media)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:08 GMT

Under stepped-up pressure from north of the border, the Mexican government has begun cracking down on movie piracy. But at the same time, some DVD distributors are trying a new tack. They are selling legal DVDs to street vendors for less than the price-tags on the faked copies. OTM's Marianne McCune reports from Mexico City.

Movies About Movies (On The Media)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:09 GMT

Thirty years ago, Francois Truffaut's Day for Night took the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It was hardly the last film that spun the camera back on the moviemaking process itself. But in the years since, it's hard to find a movie that casts such an adoring eye on its own business. Slowly but surely, it seems, power, greed, and mental illness have infected the plot lines of this self-reflective cinematic genre. WNYC's Sara Fishko surveys the history of movies about movies.

Twisted Trails (On The Media)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:07 GMT

Many have had the experience of going to see a movie that doesn't live up to the trailer created to sell it. By condensing a film so extremely and setting its highlights to music, trailers exaggerate a movie's drama, humor, and overall quality. But a recent contest invited editors to go a step further, and create a trailer that actually misrepresents a classic film. Bob talks to Kevin Halleran, who submitted the winning entry - a trailer that spins The Sound of Music as a horror film.

Garfield vs. Hollywood (On The Media)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:08 GMT

War Film in Peace Time (On The Media)

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:34 GMT

In late December, one of India's top filmmakers premiered his latest offering - "Line of Control." The four-and-a-half hour saga focuses on a 1999 conflict that brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, and gives the events a decidedly pro-Indian spin. But as deep-rooted tensions between the two countries are replaced with peace talks, it appears that the timing of the biggest Bollywood war film ever could not have been worse. OTM's Miranda Kennedy reports.

Independently Wealthy (On The Media)

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:32 GMT

Nineteen years after Robert Redford first staged his independent film festival in the mountains of Utah, the Sundance Festival is now a household name. The event has ushered many independent movies into theaters nationwide, and catapulted their makers to fame and fortune. But has Sundance's glitzy success obscured the event's original goals? Bob talks with Peter Biskind, author of "Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film."