Miller starred in dozens of Roger Corman's B-movies, including Bucket of Blood. Later, big name directors so admired his work that they began to give Miller small parts in their films. He appeared in all of of Joe Dante's movies, including the recent Gremlins 2.
Almereyda's first feature film, Twister, about a Cleveland family caught in a storm in Kansas, was based on Mary Robison's book Oh!. It stars Crispin Glover and Harry Dean Stanton.
Ken Tucker reviews the former Stooges frontman's record Brick by Brick. He says Iggy Pop's solo career has been uneven, but this new effort is fitfully good.
Director Alan J. Pakula's adaptation of the bestselling novel lacks the complexity and humor of the book, says film critic Stephen Schiff. The story concerns the murder of a woman lawyer and the difficult, sexually-charged investigation that follows.
Mubarak Awad grew up in the Occupied Territories; he later became a U.S. citizen, but returned to Palestine to advocate for civil disobedience as the best way to resist Israeli rule and discrimination. He joins Fresh Air to give his perspective on the intifada and Palestinian organizations like PLO, whose violent actions Awat sees as acts of resistance, not terrorism.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz has nothing but praise for two new CDs on the Pearl label, which feature recordings by the great violinist, Joseph Szigeti. Later in his career, Szigeti's developed a reputation for flagging technique and questionable intonation, but Schwartz says these performances should restore his reputation as a master musician.
Critic John Leonard says the new trio of texts exploring the controversy stirred by the Satanic Verses vary in style, form, and slant. But all of them overlook a neglected part of the story: the responses of religious leaders in the West, who seemed to have learned nothing from their faith traditions' condemnation of great thinkers like Galileo, Martin Luther, and even Jesus Christ.
Some directors and distributors say the rating, often associated with hardcore pornography, amounts to de factor censorship of their movies -- many theaters won't play them, and advertising is hard to secure. MPAA President Jack Valenti, who invented the rating, director Wayne Wang, and Senior Vice President of Marketing Russell Schwartz respond to the controversy.
Rooker appears in two recently-released films -- the big budget action flick Days of Thunder, and the independently produced Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. He was born into a poor, predominantly white town in Alabama, and later moved to a black neighborhood in Chicago. After growing up among people working 15-hour days, it took Rooker until his early twenties to believe that acting could be a real job.
The jazz singer and pianist made a splash with his debut album two years ago. But despite Connick's success, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead is not impressed. He says the young musician apes Thelonious Monk and Frank Sinatra, and badly.
Television critic David Bianculli reports back from the annual TV critics' gathering to talk about what networks have planned. He says that Fox is dominating, and the other channels are producing more and edgier shows to compete.
The film actor enjoyed working with the puppets and puppeteers for the new movie, Gremlins 2. Glover's character is based on Donald Trump; he frequently portrays sleazy villains, like in his earlier movie, 52 Pick-Up.
Rock historian Ed Ward recently returned from a trip to Hawaii, where he immersed himself in the local music traditions. He says that slide guitar became a staple in contemporary times, and became so distinctive that country musicians in the South imitated the style
Jazz critic Ken Tucker reviews the Jack Kerouac Collection, a box set featuring Kerouac's poetry readings set to musical accompaniment is by Steve Allen, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims. Fans will appreciate the included booklet, which features photographs and essays about the poet's life and career.
Dallas Morning News columnist A.C. Green got a new heart in 1988, seven months after being added to the transplant list. His new book, Taking Heart, details the experience of waiting, surgery, and recovery.
Roberts helped popularize what is now called world music. His interest, particularly in African music, developed while he worked for a news agency in Kenya. Roberts was surprised to discover American influences in some of the songs he recorded, which led him to reject any notion of a pure, national music.
Fear of spiders -- and the infestation of rain forest arachnids in a small California town -- drive the new Frank Marshall horror film. Film critic Stephen Schiff says that it captures producer Stephen Spielberg's charm and humor -- but also his blandness.
Fresh Air producer Amy Salit interviews Yankovic, who now has eight parody albums under his belt. Before he writes his version of a song, he secures permission with the original artist -- which has given him the opportunity to meet several musicians he admires.
Frank Friel was the co-director and chief investigator of the Philadelphia Police/FBI Organized Crime Task Force, which dismantled the Nicodemo Scarfo-led mafia in the 1980s. The gang's violent acts terrorized the Philadelphia area; they also infiltrated Atlantic City's casinos. Friel has a new book about that time, called Breaking the Mob.
Rock critic Ken Tucker says critical darlings David Berwald and John Hiatt are striving for a commercial sound, but their new, dolorous albums fall flat. On the other hand, Steve Earle's The Hard Way -- the latter half at least -- delivers the goods.
