Film

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Get Shorty" the new film based on the novel by Elmore Leonard and starring John Travolta.

Guest film critic Steve Vineberg reviews two new college movies: "A Reason to Believe" and "Kicking and Screaming"

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Strange Days" the new action film directed by Katherine Bigelow.

Guest film critic Steve Vineberg reviews "To Die For."

Silent film legend Buster Keaton was born 100 years ago today. Kino Video collected many of Keaton's films in box set. An interview with Keaton from the set will be played. We will also hear a portion of guitarist and composer Bill Frisell's score for Keaton's film "Go West."

Guest film critic Steve Vineberg reviews the new film, "Devil In a Blue Dress."

Nicholas Pileggi discusses his book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. (Simon & Schuster Oct. 1995) It is based on the true story of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and his account of how the mob controlled several casinos in Las Vegas in the 1970s and early 80s. Pileggi also wrote the screenplay for a movie based on "Casino." A film directed by Martin Scorsese starring Robert DeNiro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. Pileggi's best-selling book Wiseguy was used as the basis for the film "Goodfellas." Pileggi lives in New York City.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new box-set of film music by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, "A Fistful of Film Music" (Rhino).

Guest film critic Steve Vineberg reviews "Nadja" a vampire movie set in contemporary New York City. David Lynch was executive producer, and has a cameo role.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Unstrung Heroes."

Composer Philip Glass. His latest work is a new score for the 1946 Jean Cocteau film adaptation of "La Belle et la Bête" ("Beauty and the Beast"). Glass's score includes four voices who sing a libretto, based on the screenplay. Glass has toured the live music-film event in Europe and the United States. One reviewer called it "a beautiful, superbly integrated work." (Time, Dec. 19, 1994). (The score is available on Nonesuch Records.)

Actor/comic Kevin Pollack. He got his start in standup. It was his performance in Barry Levinson's "Avalon," as Izzy the TV salesman, that catapulted his acting career. Since then he's appeared in "A Few Good Men," "Miami Rhapsody" and "Grumpy Old Men." He's currently starring in "The Usual Suspects." Later this Fall you can see him in the new Martin Scorsese film, "Casino."

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new reissue of the original soundtrack for The Wizard of Oz, a 2-CD set that includes some music never used in the film. (Rhino)

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews Spike Lee's new film "Clockers." Then we hear an excerpt from a June 6,1992 interview with novelist Richard Price who wrote "Clockers."

Steve Vineberg reviews the new film "Jeffrey" based on the Paul Rudnick play about sex in the age of AIDS.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo. . . in drag.

Independent film director Robert Rodriguez. At the age of 23 he made the Spanish-language action film, "El Mariachi" for $7,000. His techniques for keeping the budget down included, shooting before lunch so he wouldn't have to buy the actors lunch, and using a wheelchair that he'd borrowed from the local hospital for a dolly. Rodriguez's film won the Sundance Audience Award in 1993, and went on to be distributed nationally. He's just completed the sequel "Desperado" starring Antonio Banderas.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new romantic comedy "The Brothers McMullen."

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Beyond Rangoon" the new adventure film directed by John Boorman, who also directed "Deliverence," and "The Emerald Forest."

Record producer and musician Don Was. He co-founded the funk rock group, "Was (Not) Was." This year he won a Grammy for Producer of the Year. In addition, he's produced a number of albums for Bonnie Raitt (Was produced Raitt's "Nick of Time" album which revived her career), Rolling Stones, Lyle Lovett, Al Green, Iggy Pop, and the B-52's. He's ventured into documentary film production with "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," about ex-Beachboy Brian Wilson. Was directed the film.