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08:11

Branagh Imagines Mozart's 'Magic Flute' In Wartime.

Director Kenneth Branagh has given us fresh Shakespeare and witty modern comedies of manners, and some years ago he turned to opera, with an adaptation of Mozart's classic set in World War I. It's finally available in the U.S., and critic Lloyd Schwartz says the results are disappointingly mixed.

Review
06:38

It's Showtime For Untested 'Ray Donovan' And Proven 'Dexter'

The cable network presents two drama series this Sunday -- series at different ends of their life spans. In its eight and final season Dexter, starring Michael C. Hall, is worth sticking with, while Ray Donovan, starring Live Schreiber unveils its very impressive first episode.

Review
07:18

Two Master Moviemakers, Two Singularly Fine Films

Pedro Almodovar's ensemble comedy I'm So Excited is set on an airplane with mechanical problems. Neil Jordan's Byzantium centers on a pair of itinerant English vampires. The two films couldn't be more different, but the two filmmakers are very much in command of their craft.

Review
43:50

'The Lyme Wars' That Tiny Ticks Have Wrought

Since Lyme disease was first identified in the late 1970s, it has become the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the country. Journalist Michael Specter talks about his New Yorker article on the disease and its controversial history.

Interview
06:51

'My Ellington': A Pianist Gives Duke Her Personal Touch

As a Japanese expatriate in Berlin, jazz pianist Aki Takase has an outsider's perspective on jazz and insder wisdom that comes from careful study. Her new album of Duke Ellington tunes reflects influences such as Thelonious Monk and Arnold Schoenberg, as well.

Review
05:41

'The Bling Ring': Celebrity Culture And Its Little Monsters

A new film from Sofia Coppola, who made Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette, is based on the real-life story of a group of Southern California teens who, in 2008 and 2009, began breaking into the homes of celebrities and stealing everything from designer clothing to watches and jewelry.

Review
44:03

'Inside Amy Schumer': It's Not Just Sex Stuff

Amy Schumer talks a lot about sex -- so much so that her Comedy Central special was called simply Mostly Sex Stuff. But her comedy is about much more than that. On her show Inside Amy Schumer, as well as in her stand-up, she tackles racism and awkward moments, and yes, sex, too. Also sex.

Interview
50:33

Questlove's Roots: A 'Meta' Memoir Of A Lifetime In Music

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the co-founder of and drummer for the hip-hop band The Roots, has been a musician since he was a teen. In Mo' Meta Blues, he explains how his musician father groomed him for a life in show business from an early age.

Roots drummer Questlove (Ahmir Thompson) playing drums in sunglasses
05:50

Calling It 'Metadata' Doesn't Make Surveillance Less Intrusive

Whether it's logs of phone calls or GPS data, commentator Geoff Nunberg says it still says a lot about who you are: "Tell me where you've been and who you've been talking to, and I'll tell you about your politics, your health, your sexual orientation, your finances," he says.

Commentary
07:38

On 'Yeezus,' Kanye West Sounds Strikingly Self-Aware

West has been busy in both the music and gossip worlds: He's just released a new album, titled Yeezus, and fathered a child. Rock critic Ken Tucker says West's constant blending of his public life and his music makes his new record all the more striking -- and a t times problematic.

Review
17:33

Gandolfini Through The Eyes Of Those He Worked With

The actor who brought mob boss Tony Soprano to life on the HBO drama The Sopranos died Wednesday at age 51. Fresh Air listens back to interviews with this co-stars Edie Falco and Jeff Daniels and Sopranos director David Chase to hear their thoughts on Gandolfini's prodigious.

Obituary
05:31

The Art Of Life: Claes Oldenburg At MOMA

Claes Oldenburg is one of the best-known American pop artists. Critic Lloyd Schwartz found himself not alone in enjoying the current Oldenburg exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, which continues through Aug. 5.

Review

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