Film

Film historian David J. Skal. He's an expert on the horror film genre. His books include Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen (W.W. Norton) and The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror (Penguin, paperback). His newest book (written in collaboration with Elias Savada) is Dark Carnival: The Secret World of Tod Browning, Hollywood's Master of the Macabre (Anchor Books).

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film, "Leaving Las Vegas," directed by Mike Figgis and starring Nicholas Cage.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Get Shorty" the new film based on the novel by Elmore Leonard and starring John Travolta.

Guest film critic Steve Vineberg reviews two new college movies: "A Reason to Believe" and "Kicking and Screaming"

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Strange Days" the new action film directed by Katherine Bigelow.

Guest film critic Steve Vineberg reviews "To Die For."

Guest film critic Steve Vineberg reviews the new film, "Devil In a Blue Dress."

Nicholas Pileggi discusses his book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. (Simon & Schuster Oct. 1995) It is based on the true story of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and his account of how the mob controlled several casinos in Las Vegas in the 1970s and early 80s. Pileggi also wrote the screenplay for a movie based on "Casino." A film directed by Martin Scorsese starring Robert DeNiro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. Pileggi's best-selling book Wiseguy was used as the basis for the film "Goodfellas." Pileggi lives in New York City.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Unstrung Heroes."

Composer Philip Glass. His latest work is a new score for the 1946 Jean Cocteau film adaptation of "La Belle et la Bête" ("Beauty and the Beast"). Glass's score includes four voices who sing a libretto, based on the screenplay. Glass has toured the live music-film event in Europe and the United States. One reviewer called it "a beautiful, superbly integrated work." (Time, Dec. 19, 1994). (The score is available on Nonesuch Records.)