Film

Philadelphian John Zacherle (sometimes credited as Zacherly) is the exemplar of the horror movie show host. He plays the character of "Roland" (pronounced "Ro-LAND) on his television show "Shock Theater." He not only introduces the films he plays, he also adds in cut-aways that often mock the movie or the genre itself. Zacherle is also had a top-ten hit with the novelty song "Dinner with Drac" and also works a d.j. Zacherle will join the Philadelphia Pops for a performance of "The Raven" this weekend.

Film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert come from two competing Chicago newspapers, but teamed up for the hit PBS show "Sneak Previews," which won an Emmy in 1979. The two have recently left PBS for a new, nationally-syndicated show. "At the Movies."

Donald Bogle is an author, film critic, and staff writer for Ebony, who wrote "Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks; An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films." Bogle, who also works as a story editor for Otto Preminger, has recently released "Brown Sugar: Eight Years of America's Black Female Superstars." He joins the show to discuss film images of African Americans and the role of race in the motion picture industry.

Robert A. Harris is the producer, and along with Kevin Brownlow, one of the reconstructionists of the 1927 French silent film "Napoleon." The film used techniques such as montage, "poly-vision," and rapid edits. Harris and Brownlow tracked down missing footage across England, France, and the United States. Harris is the head of Image Film Archive, a film distribution company. Harris joins the show to discuss the film and the efforts to reconstruct it.

Paul Zimmerman is the screenwriter of the upcoming film "The King of Comedy," directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert DeNiro and Jerry Lee Lewis. Zimmerman was previously the movies editor for Newsweek and has written several books. ZImmerman is based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and has become active in the Bucks Alliance for Nuclear Disarmament (B.A.N.D.). The group has invited Helen Caldicott of Physicians for Social Responsibility to speak at a local event.

Singer Wilhelmenia Fernandez is best known for playing the role of Bess in the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. She makes her film debut in the new movie Diva.

Patrick and Michael Wayne are commemorating the iconic Western actor's life with a gun featuring his likeness.

Mayron started in the theater before moving on to film and television. Her role in the movie Girlfriends led to more difficult roles like the television version of Arthur Miller's play Playing for Time, about the Holocaust, and Costa-Gravas' controversial film Missing.

As a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lyon documented many of the violent clashes between polices and protestors during the civil rights era. He continues to produce politically-charged photos and movies today.

Viveca Lindfors made her mark in Swedish films before becoming a noted Hollywood actress in the post-war era. She talks about fate of and attitudes toward fellow actresses from that period.

Baltimore-based filmmaker John Waters has released a new book which explores his love of bad taste in film. With a new movie, Polyester, soon to be released, he join Fresh Air to explain his transgressive aesthetic and share his experiences working on set with a regular crew of actors.

Writer and director Garson Kanin's new book explores the success of certain actor pairings in Hollywood history, arguing that the team members brought out the best in one another.

Fresh Air film critic Bill Van Wert speaks with Terry Gross about the new movie, Take This Job and Shove It!

The jazz and film critic believes that all the methods and techniques filmmakers use to tell a story were ether pioneered or refined by D.W. Griffith. Despite the pervasive racism in the director's art, Williams argues for the preservation of Griffith's legacy.

Cinematographer Garrett Brown worked on the new Brian de Palma film Blow Out. His invention, the Steadicam, has facilitated new production techniques in cinema, particularly with point-of-view shots in thriller and horror movies.

Historian Erik Barnouw's new book looks into how the dawn of trick cinema and depictions of magic in films undermined the popularity of live magic shows. He later talks to Terry Gross about the pressure television broadcasters experience from boycotts and sponsors to highlight or remove certain kinds of content.

Film director Martin Scorsese delivering a commencement speech this year at the University of Pennsylvania. He discusses what he has discovered through and learned from movies and his belief in "integral education."

Britt Ekland is an actress almost as well known for her private life as her professional. Her new memoir "True Britt" dishes on both, including her relationships with Peter Sellers and Rod Stewart.

Liv Ullmann gained fame as an actress in Ingmar Bergman films. Recently, her work has involved traveling around the world and fundraising as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Bergman has just completed a tour of East Africa. Ullman has also directed a sequence in the film "Acts of Love."

Ronee Blakely is an actress, singer, and pianist. She is best known for her role in the Robert Altman film "Nashville." In the film, her character, a country music star is assassinated. Many have referenced the scene of her death in discussing the murder of John Lennon. Blakely has also worked with Bob Dylan with the Rolling Thunder Review and on the film "Renaldo and Clara." She describes her personal style as "new wave country." She joins the show to discuss her career.