Actors
'Maps To The Stars': Either The Funniest Horror Movie, Or The Most Horrific Comedy
In the film about a toxic Hollywood, John Cusack plays a self-help guru whose clients include Julianne Moore. It's full of anxious shoptalk and name dropping, druggy kids and druggier grown-ups.
Kevin Bacon, Seeking A TV 'Following.'
The actor stars in a new Fox series about a former FBI agent asked to help apprehend a serial killer he once put behind bars. The series is well done, but the violence in it is alarming — especially for network television.
Some Familiar Faces Return To Fall TV Lineup
Ted Danson and James Spader join the casts of CSI and The Office this season — and Simon Cowell returns to TV with an Americanized version of his British hit The X-Factor. Critic David Bianculli says the three TV vets each bring something else to their roles: a likability factor.
In 'Still Here,' A Fully Committed Joaquin Phoenix
A couple of years back, the two-time Oscar nominee announced he was giving up acting to become a rapper. David Edelstein reviews Casey Affleck's film I'm Still Here, which tracks Phoenix's transformation -- and says there may be a real madness in Phoenix's method performance.
'Happens Every Day': A Marriage's Abrupt Ending
Isabel Gillies grapples with the sudden dissolution of her marriage in the memoir Happens Every Day. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls this "all too-true story" a "compulsive" and "chilling" late-night read.
Actor Dominic Chianese
Actor Dominic Chianese. He plays Uncle Junior on the hit HBO series The Sopranos. He's had roles in TV shows such as Kojak, Law and Order, and films including Dog Day Afternoon, and The Godfather Part II. At the age of 70, he launched a singing career. His recent album is called Hits. He brings his guitar to the studio. This interview first aired August 22, 2001.
A New Memoir About Philip Roth Tells All, But Doesn't Show
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Leaving a Doll's House, a memoir by British actress and Philip Roth's ex-wife Claire Bloom.
Actor Eli Wallach on the Method
The stage and screen actor's career has spanned nearly 50 years. One of his most well-known films is the Magnificent Seven. Wallach is currently touring the country in the play Love Letters with his wife Anne Jackson, and also has a role in the upcoming film, Godfather Part III.
Michael Caine Offers Advice to Film Actors.
Film critic Owen Gleiberman reviews Michael Caine's home video "Acting in Film."
The Lincoln Center Honors Bette Davis
Critic-at-large Laurie Stone recently attended the Lincoln Center's celebration of Hollywood star Bette Davis, who is now 81. The gala included a series of film clips which, according to Stone, highlighted the power, confidence, and humanity of Davis's performances.