Film

Film critic John Powers has been attending the Sundance Film Festival. He'll talk with Terry about what he's seen on and off the screen.

Film director/writer/producer Jim Sheridan. His films include "My Left Foot" and "In the Name of the Father" both which starred Daniel Day-Lewis. His latest film is "The Boxer" which also stars Day-Lewis. The story is about former IRA member who returns home after 14 years in prison.

Film Critic John Powers reviews "Afterglow" and "Live Flesh".

Professor of History at Columbia University Eric Foner discusses the new study guide by the producers of the film "Amistad." Though Foner finds the film "interesting historical(ly)" he is critical of the guide because of it's inaccuracies. Foner says the guide "erases the distinction between fact and fabrication," using composite characters instead of real ones, and that the guide misrepresents the significance of the Amistad incident. (Foner's editorial about this appeared on The New York Times Op-Ed page, December 20, 1997)

Actor, director, and founder of the Sundance Institute, Robert Redford. He discusses his work in films, and his work promoting independent films, with the festival he founded, the Sundance Film Festival. The Festival begins next week, January 15 thru 25th in Park City, Utah.

Nick Nolte is best known for such films as "48 Hours," "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Cape Fear," "The Prince of Tides," and "Lorenzo's Oil." Now, he's starring in the new movie "Afterglow" written and directed by Alan Rudolph.

Film critic John Powers on his favorite movies of 1997.

Fresh air Film Critic John Powers talks with Terry Gross about many, but not all, of the new Hollywood films that will be open by Christmas day. Powers talks about: “Jackie Brown,” “Kundun,” “Wag the Dog,” “As Good As It Gets,” “The Boxer,” “Deconstructing Harry,” “Good Will Hunting,” “The Sweet Hereafter,” and “After Glow.” Powers is also a film critic for Vogue. His articles have appeared in numerous
publications including, Rolling Stone, New York magazine, The Washington Post, The Nation, Harper’s, Film, and Film Comment and L.A. Weekly.

Novelist Russell Banks and Canadian Film Director Atom Egoyan discuss their new film “The Sweet Hereafter”. The film is adapted from Banks’ 1991 novel. It’s the story of how a small town deals with a tragic school bus crash. Banks has written 12 novels which include: “Affliction,” “Rule of the Bone,” “Searching for Survivors,” “The Book of Jamaica,” and “Continental Drift.” Egoyan is best known for “Exotica” a film that won the International Critics Prize for Best Film at the Cannes Film Festival.

Film critic John Powers reviews "Titanic."

Charlie Haffner wrote "Amistad Kata-Kata" a play based on the Amistad story. As a native of Sierra Leone, Haffner is critical of the new film “Amistad” now showing in theaters. He says the story neglected many significant events that occurred in Sierra Leone. Haffner currently lives in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Iyunolu Osagie (EE-yewn-oh-lu oh-SAW-GEE-ay) an Assistant Professor of English at Penn State University in Pennsylvania. She has researched and written the events of the Amistad slave rebellion and the trial that followed. She is a native of Sierra Leone where the Amistad story begins and ultimately ends.

Film critic John Powers reviews Stephen Speilberg's new film "Amistad."

Film Critic John Powers. reviews “Good Will Hunting” which stars Robin Williams and Matt Damon.

Musician Michael Penn. His latest album, "Resigned," (Epic) was released this fall. Penn's other albums include 1989's "March" which spun the single "No Myth" and won him an MTV "Best New Artist" award, and 1992's "Free for All" (RCA). Penn also contributed to the film "Boogie Nights" by writing its score music; his song "The Big Top" appears on the soundtrack.

Film critic John Powers reviews Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Francis Ford Coppola's new film "The Rainmaker," which is an adaptation of the John Grisham novel.

John Powers reviews "The Wings of the Dove" based on the Henry James novel.

Actress, screenwriter and director Kasi Lemmons. Her directorial debut is "Eve's Bayou." It stars Samuel L. Jackson and is now in theaters. The family drama takes place in a small Louisiana town in 1962, and is narrated by the younger daughter Eve, who must process family politics and her father's extramarital affairs at the age of ten. Lemmons has acted in the movies "The Silence of the Lambs," "Hard Target," "Candyman," and "Vampire's Kiss." (Interview by Kasi Lemmons)

Cinematographer David Breashears. The first American to climb Mount Everest twice, he attempted last year to film from Mount Everest's summit on an IMAX camera. But Breashears had to put down his camera to help with the rescue mission of a group of climbers who were part of another expedition at the time, and who were caught on the mountain in a May blizzard. (Chronicled by John Krakauer in his book, "Into Thin Air.") Breashears' film of his own expedition is titled "Everest," and will be released in February. He has won four Emmy awards for his filmmaking.

Film critic David Thomson and filmmaker and director James Toback. They interview each other for a revival of round table discussion at "Spoken Word at the Algonquin" in New York city's famous Algonquin Hotel, and discuss the state of moviemaking and movie criticism today. Thomson's latest book is "Beneath Mulholland: Thoughts on Hollywood and its Ghosts" (Knopf). Toback directed the movies "Fingers," "Exposed," and "The Pick up Artist."