Film

Part II of the Fresh Air interview with Penelope Spheeris. Terry Gross asks the filmmaker about growing up in a carnival, the prophetic power of rock music, and making movies about youth culture. Spheeris's new documentary is The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says that two new crime comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Midnight Run, don't do justice to the excellent performances of their lead actors.

Part I of Terry Gross's interview with filmmaker Penelope Spheeris. Spheeris talks about her new movie, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years, a documentary about the heavy metal scene. She thinks stereotypes of the inarticulate and unskilled metal musicians are unfair -- though it's often true that they embrace a drug-fueled, self-destructive lifestyle.

Language commentator Geoff Nunberg wonders about the demand for authentic regional and national accents in motion pictures -- even when its not essential to the plot.

The conceptual artist developed the sets and visual style for science fiction movies like Blade Runner, Short Circuit, and Tron. NASA has also called on him to design Skylab. He joins Fresh Air to talk about how individuals and corporations conceive of the world to come.

Now in her 80s, Frances Williams is still acting -- long after many of her peers have retired. She has a storied career in theater and film, and helped found nine theater companies. An advocate for meaningful roles for African Americans, she now costars in the television show Frank's Place.

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."