Film

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years. He says the compelling movie is a revealing look at how fans and musicians participate in the decadent culture of heavy metal music.

Writer Michael Tolkin's novel The Player is based on his experiences as a screenwriter interacting with film executives in Hollywood.

George A. Romero's 1968 film, The Night of the Living Dead, is a classic of the horror genre. While his zombie flicks have become increasingly graphic over the years, his newest film, Monkey Shines, is more of a psychological thriller. Romero is careful to point out that no monkeys were harmed in the making of the movie.

Critic Ken Tucker's disappointment in a VHS guide to blackjack dashed his dreams of becoming a professional gambler. At least he can recommend some solid home video releases to watch this summer.

Actor Clint Eastwood is known for finishing movies quickly and under budget -- that way, he can focus his energies on his pet projects. Film critic Stephen Schiff says the new Dirty Harry movie, The Dead Pool, is an example of Eastwood's sometimes slipshod work.

Foote is best known for writing the screenplay for To Kill a Mockingbird. A new book compiling the first four plays of his Orphan's Home series, called Roots in a Parched Ground, has just been published.

Robert Mugge makes documentary films about unique and vital American music. His subjects include Al Green, Sonny Rollins, and native Hawaiian musicians. PBS will broadcast six of his movies this summer.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews A World Apart, about a white anti-apartheid activist whose family needs her more than the movement does. While the film has a few missteps, Schiff says it's directed with a steady hand.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Coming to America," the new Eddie Murphy film that co-stars one-time TV talk show host Arsenio Hall. The movie is a comic fable about a pampered African prince who travels to the slums of New York to find the perfect woman.

Part two of an interview with Ron Shelton, director and writer of the new hit film "Bull Durham," starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon. In this segment, Shelton, a former minor league player in the Baltimore Orioles farm system, discusses the making of the film.

Part one of a two-part interview with Ron Shelton, director and writer of the hit summer film "Bull Durham." Today's conversation focuses on Shelton's experiences as a minor league player in the Baltimore Orioles' farm system.

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

Actor Bob Hoskins. He stars in the new film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" in which he acts opposite an animated rabbit. Hoskins' other roles include the mob chief in "The Long Good Friday," a low-level hudlum in "Mona Lisa," and the gangster club owner in "The Cotton Club."

Ken Tucker reviews a new series of video cassettes that solve the problem of watching subtitled foreign films at home. The series is a joint venture by Sony and the Japan Society, and the films are classics of Japanese cinema, including the thriller "Stray Dog" and the comedy of manners "Early Summer."

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Bull Durham," a film about baseball and other matters of the heart, starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon.

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."

Screenwriter Shawn Slovo. Her first film, "A World Apart," is the autobiographical story of the relationship between a white woman, committed to fighting apartheid, and her 13-year-old daughter, who is struggling to cope with the political choices her mother has made. Slovo's parents were early members of the outlawed African National Congress; Her mother reported on the injustices of apartheid for alternative newspapers, while her father defended blacks in the court system. Slovo's mother was murdered in exile by a parcel bomb.

Cinematographer and director Chris Menges. His new film, "A World Apart," opens soon. The film deals with the relationship between a white woman, politically committed to the fight against apartheid in South Africa, and her 13-year-old daughter's attempts to understand the political choices her mother has made. Menges is Britain's foremost cinematographer and the winner of two Oscars for his camera work on "The Killing Fields" and "The Mission." "A World Apart" is his first feature film as a director.

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

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.