Terry Gross

While some reviewers think River's Edge could become the Blue Valentine of 1987, film critic Stephen Schiff says the film suffers from a weak message and poor casting.

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone reviews two plays currently in production which reflect contemporary anxieties about sex. While As Is strips sex of pleasure, Les Liaisons Dangereuses revels in "pornotopic" eroticism.

Tony Bennett's newest album anthologizes several of the singer's recordings with prominent jazz musicians. Critic Francis Davis isn't sure if the music qualifies as jazz, but it's a pleasure nonetheless.

Film critic Stephen Schiff thinks Brian de Palma's gangster movie showcases both the director's technical prowess and weak character development. Despite its flaws, the film is still enjoyable.

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone finds the new play by Eric Bogosian, about a bigoted and acerbic Cleveland shock jock, both funny and pretentious. She says its attempt to broadly critique modern culture falls flat.

Alto saxophonist Frank Morgan is better known for kicking his heroin habit than for his music. Jazz critic Francis Davis says his new album of standards is worth a listen.

John Schlesinger's new movie The Believers leans on racist ideas of African religion to create an uncomfortable cinematic experience based on human sacrifice.

Sun Ra's recent releases reveal the pianists' enduring interest in free improvisation and spectacle. Jazz critic Francis Davis says one is a prime example of the musician's ensemble work; the other is unlistenable.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews Roxanne, Steve Martin's new romantic comedy. Schiff says the movie is evidence that Martin in the finest comic actor working in film today.

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone reviews a new play and movie about the African American experience, both written by African American artists. She says the works should be celebrated for their refusal to pander to white audiences.