Film

Critic John Powers reviews the new Jim Jarmusch film called Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

Actress Anjelica Huston, the star of the films "The Grifters," "Prizi's Honor," and "The Dead" and daughter of film director John Huston. She directs and stars In the new film "Agnes Brown" adapted from the Brendan O'Carroll book, "The Mammy."

Writer and director Frank Whaley. He's making his debut as such with the semi-autobiographical film "Joe the King," which won this year's screenwriting award at the Sundance Film Festival. The film takes the viewpoint of a child who strives to contend with his lousy circumstances: raised by an alcoholic and abusive father and a withdrawn mother. The film Is produced by John Leguizamo who also has a part In the film, and It stars Val Kilmer.

Film critic John Powers reviews “Wonder Boys” the new film starring Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, and Tobey Maguire based on the novel by Michael Chabon and directed by Curtis Hanson.

Film critic John Powers reviews “Hanging Up” the new film by the Ephron sisters, and directed by Diane Keaton.

Film critic John Powers reviews “The Beach,” the new film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Film director and Tibetan Buddhist lama Khyentse Norbu. He's making his directorial debut with the new film "The Cup" about a group of Monk's who are soccer fans. The film was shot In a actual Monastery, and the cast is the Monks who live there. "The Cup" Is also the first feature-length movie shot In Bhutan. The film was shown at last year's The Cannes Film Festival.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews two new CDS by Aimee Mann, the soundtrack for "Magnolia," and Michael Penn, "MP4."

Fresh Air film critic John Powers talks to Terry Gross about this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The festival, held annually in Park City, Utah, concluded this past weekend. John Powers is film critic for Vogue Magazine.

Actress Sigourney Weaver. She made her first film appearance in a scene so short you could miss her. She played Woody Allen’s date in “Annie Hall” after he broke up with Annie. After that she made her big debut in “Alien” as Ripley, and went on to star in the other Alien films. Her other credits include: “Gorillas in the Mist,” “Working Girl,” “CopyCat.” She’s now starring in “Galaxyquest” and “A Map of the World.”

Prize winning author John Irving. He's turned his novel, "The Cider House Rules," into a movie. Irving writes about the Cider House Rules and the process of turning it into a screenplay, in "My Movie Business, A Memoir (Random House). Irving is the author of 9 novels, including "The World According to Garp," "A Prayer for Owen Meany," and "Hotel New Hampshire."

Director, screenwriter, and producer Paul Thomas Anderson. Anderson’s new film is called Magnolia. The 29-year-old filmmaker also wrote and directed the movies Boogie Nights and Hard Eight. Magnolia stars Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, and Julianne Moore.

Film critic John Powers reviews “Holy Smoke” the new Jane Campion film starring Harvey Kietel and Kate Winslet.

Character actor John C. Reilly. He's starred In all three of director/writer Paul Thomas Anderson's films. He played a small-time gambler In "Hard Eight," a porn star In "Boogie Nights," and a police officer In the new "Magnolia." Reilly has also worked with directors Brian DePalma ("Casualties of War") and Terrence Malik ("The Thin Red Line"). Reilly got his start In Chicago at the Goodman School of Drama and worked with the Steppenwolf theatre.

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. In the early 60s, Carter was a top contender for the middleweight boxing crown. Then in 1967, he was convicted of three murders he did not commit. He was in prison for nearly 20 years, but continued to fight for his freedom in state and federal courts. Finally in 1985, he was found innocent and set free. We talk with Carter, and his biographer, James Hirsch, author of "Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter" (Houghton Mifflin Company). A new movie about Carter, called Hurricane, just opened.

Fresh Air film critic John Powers reviews, Magnolia, by Paul Thomas Anderson, who also made Boogie Nights.

Filmmaker Barbara Sonneborn. In her debut documentary Regret to Inform, Sonneborn weaves together the stories of widows from both sides of the American-Vietnam War. Sonneborn is a war widow herself; her husband was killed in Vietnam in 1968. Regret to Inform will air on PBS later this month. IT has already received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Documentary feature, and won the Best Director and Best Cinematography documentary awards at last year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Fresh Air film critic John Powers gives us his ten best list for the year 1999, and then picks the films from the century he'd take with him If he was stranded on a desert Island.

We feature an interview with screenwriter/director David O. Russell. His movie Three Kings is being re-released for the holiday season. His other movies include Spanking the Monkey and Flirting with Disaster.

We feature a conversation with Fresh Air film critic John Powers about this year's holiday movies. A series of new films are being released this season-- some of them featuring huge stars (like Tom Hanks in The Green Mile, and Jim Carrey in The Man on the Moon), some of them based on popular books (like Angela's Ashes, Snow Falling on Cedars, and Girl Interrupted.) John tells us about the hype, the movie trends, and his picks for the season's best films.