Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the movies Naked Gun and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He says both films have to teach viewers how to deal with their idiosyncratic pacing in order to fully appreciate the comedy.
Anderson's music showcases both his technical prowess and sense of humor. As a teenage musician, he never thought he would make a career on trombone; it wasn't until he stopped playing that he realized how central music was to his life. His new album is called Blue Bred in the Bone.
There has been a spate of new recordings of Broadway musicals. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says that a new CD release of Show Boat is the best of the bunch, in part because of how it addresses race relations in way that's still relevant today.
Critic Ken Tucker recommends the religious comedy The Bishop's Wife for holiday viewing. The movie stars Cary Grant and Loretta Young. Tucker says it's an ideal choice if you're looking for something different and low-key.
Steve Fishman was reporting in Nicaragua when a blood vessel burst in his brain. During his treatment, he researched his condition and its treatment, and interviewed the surgeons who operated on him. The blood vessel was repaired, but Fishman developed epilepsy as a result of the surgery. His book about the experience is called A Bomb in the Brain.
Oz's new crime comedy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, stars Steve Martin and Michael Caine. Oz also worked with Jim Henson to create several Muppets, including Miss Piggy and Fozzy Bear.
Book critic John Leonard says that Len Deighton's thriller Spy Hook, the first in a planned trilogy, lacks the edge of the author's earlier work, and spends too much time setting up the sequels.
The new Barry Levinson movie, also starring Tom Cruise, tells the story of two brothers, one of whom is severely autistic -- and the inheritor of three million dollars. Film critic Stephen Schiff says, despite Hoffman's masterful performance, Rain Man lacks focus.
New Yorker staff writer Alex Shoumatoff has a new book of essays called African Madness, about his travels throughout the continent. He joins Fresh Air to talk about the brutal reign of Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic, Dian Fossey's blind spots regarding the human populations near gorilla habitats, and the spread of AIDS.
Russo's latest book, The Risk Pool, is set in an upstate New York town, similar to where the author grew up. He says he didn't realize until later in his career how much inspiration he could draw from his formative years.
Hansen's books feature a gay man in the hyper-masculine role of private detective. Hansen himself is gay, and hopes that his novels will help his readers become more accepting of homosexuality.
Film critic Stephen Schiff says the movie turns the story of murdered civil rights workers into a stiff police procedural with a reductionist view of race relations.
Towne is widely considered to be the best screenwriter in Hollywood. His latest film -- his first since 1982 -- is called Tequila Sunrise, about cops, drug dealers, and betrayal. Towne talks about the tension between the intent of the screenwriter and the interpretation of a script by an actor or director.
Rock critic Ken Tucker says the recent crop of comedy albums has the chaotic, aggressive spirit of rock music. They don't have the same structure and allure as LPs from the 60s and 70s, but new CDs from Sam Kinison, Will Durst, and Dennis Miller are worth checking out at least once.
Fleming was a well-regarded author whose book, The Make-Believers, was ignored by large publishing houses and readers alike. Guest critic Stuart Klawans says the novel deserved more attention, and hopes a new reissue will help it find a bigger audience.
Authors like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler rose to prominence in pulp magazines like The Black Mask. Writer Ron Goulart's new book, The Dime Detectives, explores this history. Goulart is a genre author who publishes under a variety of different pseudonyms.
The experimental composer, who just celebrated his 80th birthday, has largely abandoned conventional technique in his recent work. But after listening back to some of Carter's earlier songs, classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says he can hear traces of melody in his more difficult pieces.
The writer inherited his family's ranch, but later sold it when he moved to Iowa for graduate school. Kittredge critiques the belief that humans have the moral authority to develop and tame the American West. This mythology, he says, has led to ecological destruction and the genocide of American Indians. His new collection of essays about the subject is called Owning it All.
