Film

Film critic John Powers reviews Mad City which stars Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta.

Costume designers Carol Oditz and Mark Bridges. Oditz planned the look for the film The Ice Storm, attempting to create surface tension for the movie through wardrobe. Bridges is responsible for collecting and coordinating the 70’s and 80’s styles seen throughout the movie Boogie Nights.

Film critic John Powers reviews three new foreign films: the French film "Nenette et Bonni," the Palestinian film "Chronicle of a Disappearance," and the film from China, "Happy Together" by director Wong Kar Wai.

Film director Samuel Fuller died yesterday at the age of 86. Fuller's B-movies of the 50s and 60s have influenced many other directors. His 1982 movie, "White Dog," about a racist who trains a dog to attacks blacks, was considered too controversial to be released in this country. It was finally shown in a retrospective of his work in New York. Among his works: The Big Red One, Verboten, and I Shot Jesse James. (Originally aired 8/2/91).

Writer and Director Paul Thomas Anderson. His latest project is "Boogie Nights," a film about the pornography film industry in the late 70's and early 80's in the San Fernando Valley. Anderson's first film was the independent "Hard Eight" with Gwenyth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson.

Actor Kevin Kline. He can currently be seen in the movies "In and Out" and "The Ice Storm." This winter, he'll also be playing the title role in the Anton Chekhov's play, "Ivanov." Kline's past movies include "Dave," "The Big Chill," and "I Love You to Death." He received an Academy Award for "A Fish Called Wanda."

Film critic John Powers reviews the new science fiction thriller "Gattaca" starring Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.

Film critic Leonard Maltin. His new book, "The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's Golden Age" (Dutton) celebrates America's most popular form of entertainment in the years before television. Maltin also appears regularly on Entertainment Tonight and has written two movie guides.

Film director Jim Jarmusch. His films include "Mystery Train," and "Stranger Than Paradise." His newest film is a documentary, "Year of the Horse" about rock and roll's Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

Director Wong Kar-Wai . The writer and director of 1994's "Chungking Express," 1995's "Fallen Angels" and this year's "Happy Together," Wong has worked in the Hong Kong film industry for 15 years, and is continuing to gain a strong American following. Wong was named "Best Director" at this year's Cannes film festival for "Happy Together." He is currently working on his next film, "Summer in Beijing."

Film critic John Powers reviews the new film "Boogie Nights".

Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. She stars in the new film "Washington Square" which is based on the Henry James novella. In it she plays Catherine Sloper, a shy and unattractive woman who risks estrangement from her father who disapproves of a man she has fallen for. The character is one of a diverse many for Leigh, who has portrayed everything from a phone-sex girl in Robert Altman's "Short Cuts" to a psychotic roommate in "Single White Female" to poet Dorothy Parker in "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle."

John Powers reviews "The Peacemaker," the new action film starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman.

Director, writer, and producer Francis Ford Coppola. A five-time Oscar winner, Coppola is known for such films as "Apocalypse Now," "American Graffiti," and the "Godfather" trilogy. Coppola continues to create in other arenas, such as wine making, and a quarterly literary magazine "Zoetrope" which he publishes. He and his wife have bought and restored the Inglenook wine estate in Napa Valley. Coppola's new film "The Rainmaker" comes out in November.

Playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Paul Rudnick. Paul discusses his new movie, "In & Out," starring Kevin Kline -- the story of a high school English teacher "outed" on national t.v. by a former student, much to the surprise of everyone. Rudnick is the author of such plays as "I Hate Hamlet," "The Naked Eye," and "Jeffrey." He also wrote the screenplay for "Addams Family Values." (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Film critic John Powers reviews the new Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin film "The Edge," with the screenplay written by David Mamet.

Director Curtis Hanson and actor Russell Crowe from the new film "L.A. Confidential" which is adapted from the 1990 novel by James Ellroy. (James Ellroy is a previous Fresh Air guest whose memoir "My Dark Places" was about his mother's murder in L.A. in 1958) The film, which has received a lot of attention at film festivals including Cannes, and Toronto, is about corruption and retribution in L.A. in the 1950s and 60s. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW)

Film critic John Powers discusses the film L. A. Confidential with Terry.

Fresh Air film critic John Powers talks with Terry about the Toronto Film Festival which he attended.

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a four video tape series called Hollywood Rhythm: The Paramount Musical Shorts. by Kino Video. They are short music videos that were shown before movies from 1929-1941. They feature singers such as Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday and Ginger Rodgers. Lloyd Schwartz is classical music editor for the Boston Phoenix.