Film

British-Asian film-maker Gurinder Chadha is making her feature-film debut with the new comedy-drama, "Bhaji on the Beach," a movie in the British social realist tradition, about three Asian women on a day trip to a working class resort in England. Chadha is of Indian descent; she was born in Kenya, but has lived in Britain most of her life. She formed her own independent production company, Umbi Films, in 1990 which produced three documentaries for television. "Bhaji on the Beach," has recently made the round of film festivals

Stephen Schiff on Spike Lee's new film "Crooklyn."

Documentary film maker Allie Light. Her new film, "Dialogues With Madwomen," won the 1994 "Freedom of Expression Award" at the Sundance Film Festival. In the film, seven women describe their bouts with mental illness, including Light who checked herself into a day psychiatric facility for three months in 1963 because of problems with depression. Light co-produced the film with Irving Saraf. Their previous work, "In The Shadow of the Stars," won the 1991 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Film critic Stephen Schiff on the new Robin Williams picture, "Being Human".

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead fills in for Stephen Schiff and reviews two new movie releases--"With Honors" with Joe Pesci and "PCU" with David Spade. They're both campus comedies.

Rock musician Marshall Crenshaw. According to The New York Times, many critics have ranked Crenshaw"among the finest rock artists of the last dozen years." Now he has written a book. It's a reference guide to Rock 'n' Roll in the movies ("Hollywood Rock" HarperPerennial). According to his longtime bass player Graham Maby, Crenshaw has an encyclopedic knowledge of rock music. And he knows about the rock and roll movie genre from first-hand experience. He played Buddy Holly in the 1987 movie "La Bamba" about musician Ritchie Valens.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film "Backbeat" directed by Iain Softley. It is a reenactment of the early days of the Beatles . . . before they were stars.

Iain Softley is the writer and director of the film "Backbeat." The film focuses on the early days of The Beatles when Stu Sutcliffe was the bass player.

We feature a new interview with John Waters on the day his latest film, "Serial Mom," is released. After the low-budget "Polyester," Waters went to Hollywood to make the big-budget films "Hairspray" and "Cry Baby." Waters still lives in Baltimore, where he was born. "Serial Mom" stars Kathleen Turner and Sam Waterston. Waters is also the author of several books, including "Shock Value" and "Trash Trio."

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new John Waters film "Serial Mom," starring Kathleen Turner and Sam Waterston.

We pay tribute to Professor and filmmaker Marlon Riggs, who died Tuesday. His film about gay black sexuality, "Tongues Untied," unleashed a storm of controversy for its graphic content; it was used by Senator Jesse Helms (Republican, North Carolina), to argue against government grants to the arts. Another RIGGS film was "Color Adjustment," a critique of prime time TV's myths and messages on American race relations. RIGGS was on the faculty of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley. (Rebroadcast of 7/11/1991)

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the recent body of work by British actor Hugh Grant. Grant appears in three new movies: "Bitter Moon," "Sirens" and the very popular "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

Filmmaker Haile Gerima. He was born in Ethiopia and now lives in America. His latest movie, "Sankofa," which he wrote and directed, is an epic about African-American slavery, from Africans' 18th century journey to America to their struggles for liberation, told for the first time from an African viewpoint. Gerima is a professor of film at Howard University in Washington, DC. Along with "Sankofa," two of his past features, "Harvest: 3,000 Years" and "Ashes and Embers" have won international awards.

Film director Milos Forman. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Forman is the director of such American films as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Amadeus," "Hair," and "Ragtime." Forman began his film career in his native country, apprenticing with some of the country's best film makers for the Communist state-controlled film industry.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff on Hollywood's latest epic, "House of the Spirits," based on the book by Isabel Allende.

Film critic Stephen Schiff has a review of the new Michael Keaton film, "The Paper".

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the Academy Awards presentation, which aired last night on ABC.

Film director Ted Demme. His new movie is "The Ref," starring Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis. It's a dark comedy about a burglar stuck with two obnoxious hostages on Christmas Eve. Demme, who is 30, has also directed and produced for MTV; he's responsible for creating the popular hip-hop show "Yo! MTV Raps." His first feature film was "Who's The Man?" He is director Jonathan Demme's nephew.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff on "Guarding Tess", starring Shirley McClaine and Nicholas Cage.

Actor Rip Torn, who now plays the Arty, the producer on the HBO comedy series, "The Larry Sanders Show". Torn has been a stage actor since the mid-1950's, when he left his native Texas (and his first name "Elmore") behind, for New York City and the Actors Studio. Described by one reviewer as "the good-looking no-talent with the ludicrously sinister name", Torn was often typecast as a heavy in television shows like "Dr. Kildare" and "Bonanza." (He also portrayed Henry Miller in an X-rated film version of "Tropic of Cancer.").