Comedy

Film director Paul Morrissey. He first gained fame as the alter ego of pop artist Andy Warhol during the filming of Warhol's low-budget experimental films like "My Hustler" and "Chelsea Girls." He later directed Warhol-produced films like "Flesh" and "Trash." Morrissey's latest film is titled "Beethoven's Nephew," and is the story of disarray of the composer's private life and his ugly personality. The music is performed by The Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Walter Hill, the producer, director and writer of "Red Heat," the new cop/action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi. Hill's other directorial credits include "48 Hrs.," "Hard Times," "The Driver" and "Streets of Fire."

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new Disney film, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"

Film critic Stephen Schiff says that two new crime comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Midnight Run, don't do justice to the excellent performances of their lead actors.

Comedy legend and Monty Python co-founder John Cleese wrote and stars in the new movie A Fish Called Wanda. He talks about the development of the film with co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline and director Charles Chrichton.

Ken Tucker says Ruggles of Red Gap, about an English butler working for an American oil baron, is still funny 50 years after its theatrical release. Watching the film on home video ensures you won't miss a single joke.

Critic and homeowner Ken Tucker reviews an instructional video about basic home repair, which enthralled him with the actors' calm, zombie-like performances. Tucker also recommends VHS releases of Cry Freedom and Tampopo.

Film critic Stephen Schiff wonders if he's the only reviewer who laughed at Paul Mazursky's new comedy, about an actor impersonating the late dictator of a fictional Caribbean country. Schiff asks Fresh Air listeners to send their own reviews to the radio station.

A new slew of previously unreleased Alfred Hitchcock films are now out on video. Critic Ken Tucker reviews his favorite, Shadow of a Doubt. Also available for home viewing are John Water's Hairspray and the comedy Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new Christmas movie Scrooged, which is a modern take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Schiff says that, while the casting of Bill Murray was inspired, the film is caught between schmaltz and humbug, and ends up being nothing at all.

Film critic Stephen Schiff praises Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, a wildly-stylized farce that he says is weirdly touching.

Critic Ken Tucker recommends the religious comedy The Bishop's Wife for holiday viewing. The movie stars Cary Grant and Loretta Young. Tucker says it's an ideal choice if you're looking for something different and low-key.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the movies Naked Gun and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He says both films have to teach viewers how to deal with their idiosyncratic pacing in order to fully appreciate the comedy.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says that movies about the corporate world all seem to follow the same formula: an executive's failure coincides with a subordinate's rise. He says Working Girl, starring Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver, is no different.

Film critic Stephen Schiff talks with Terry Gross about this years movies. He says 1988 was an unusually good year for American films, though his favorite Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. His least favorite movie was Willow.

Critic Ken Tucker lauds the VHS release of Letter from an Unknown Woman, a 1948 drama about a philandering pianist and the mother of his child. Tucker also recommends Floating Weeds, License to Drive, and Monkey Shines.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new, gauzy picture by Joel Schumacher, and starring Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini. He says the movie, a remake of a French film, has all the tired trappings of other romances, but the acting is better than he expected.

Reiner is a prolific director of comedy films. A frequent collaborator with Mel Brooks, he started in the theater and later television, where he began his career as a writer on the program Your Show of Shows. His latest movie, inspired by classic Hollywood musicals, is called Bert Rigby, You're a Fool.

Stephen Schiff says that the sequel to Fletch is a bad movie that viewers can still enjoy once they acclimate to its pacing. Star Chevy Chase also delivers a better performance this time around, in part because he finally embraces his strengths as a character actor.

Critic Stuart Klawans reviews Bruce Robinson's new comedy, about an unhinged advertising executive who gradually develops a giant pimple with a mind of its own.