Comedy

Fresh Air film critic Bill Van Wert speaks with Terry Gross about the new movie, Take This Job and Shove It!

Stephen Schiff thinks everyone involved in the new film Ishtar was going through the motions, including stars Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty.

Film critic Stephen Schiff credits the success of Beverly Hills Cop II more to its star, Eddie Murphy, than the movie itself -- which doesn't share any of the virtues of its predecessor.

Critic Ken Tucker recommends home video releases of the the director's films The Palm Beach Story and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, which he says have a quick wit not often found in contemporary comedies.

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone says that the recent crop of movies left her cranky, with their focus on style over substance. But they weren't all bad -- she recommends seeing RoboCop, Withnail and I, and Innerspace.

Stephen Schiff says that the recent Japanese movie Tampopo pays homage to the Seventh Samurai and countless other films. The food-obsessed plot is both absurd and telling: the movie satisfies and leaves you hungry for more.

Ken Tucker reviews several new home video releases, one featuring comic Tim Conway in an instructional guide for golf titled "Dorf on Golf."

Ken Tucker reviews "OC and Stiggs," the latest Robert Altman film that bypassed theatrical release and went straight to video cassette distribution. Altman's best-known films include "M*A*S*H," "The Long Goodbye," and "California Split."

Ken Tucker will review new home video releases, including the works of rock composer Frank Zappa.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Broadcast News," the romantic comedy that takes a satiric look television news. It stars William Hurt, Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the movie "3 Men and a Baby."

Ken Tucker reviews "Penn and Teller's Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends," an interactive home video cassette that features some of the magic duo's favorite scams.

Actress Annie Potts. She's becoming familiar to audiences for her role in TV's "Designing Women." But before that, she was cast often as quirky, off-the-wall characters in films like "Ghostbusters" and "Pretty in Pink."

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Biloxi Blues," the new film based on Neil Simon's Broadway play of the same name. The film stars Matthew Broderick and was directed and produced by Mike Nichols.

Film director Fran Rubel Kuzui. She's just completed her first film, "Tokyo Pop," about a young American punk singer who moves to Japan in the hopes of reviving her stalled career. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Beetle Juice," the supernatural comedy about a couple that moves into a Victorian home hoping to remodel it only to find it's inhabited by ghosts who abhor their chic urban tastes. It stars Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara and Alec Baldwin.

Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar. He compares his films, like "Law of Desire" and "What Have I Done To Deserve This?," to the films of the American film director John Waters. Like Waters, Almodovar's films take a humorous view of popular culture's cliches.

Actress Melanie Mayron. She currently appears in the ABC television program "thirtysomething" as Melissa, the photographer. Her films include "Girlfriends" and "Missing." She stars in and co-wrote the new film "Sticky Fingers."

Guest film reviewer Michael Sragow reviews "Crocodile Dundee II," starring Paul Hogan.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Big," a fantasy about body switching starring Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Perkins and veteran character actor Robert Loggia.