Andy Serkis on 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'

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Sequelities

Mostly fluff, but some fun comments, and interesting stats you might not have been aware of.

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Hulu/Miramax

Here's the first part of NPR's documentary on prostitution in Nashville.

Nashville: Up From Prostitution from NPR on Vimeo.

Here's the NPR write up:

Host Michel Martin speaks with NPR's Jacki Lyden about a new NPR series airing this week, "Nashville: Up from Prostitution." Lyden and National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez spent two months reporting on women trying to break the cycle of prostitution. This segment contains language and graphic descriptions that could be offensive or disturbing. You can find more stories from the "Nashville: Up from Prostitution" series on All Things Considered Monday, and on Morning Edition Tuesday and Wednesday.

Listen to the entire segment

'The King's Speech'

With director Tom Hooper. Includes audio from one the speeches King George VI gave on the radio.

UpClose on NPR

NPR rolls out a new series called UpClose. As they describe it: A first-of-its-kind collaboration between NPR and KCRW to create an exclusive and ongoing series of conversations featuring on-air personalities with special guests from across the cultural landscape.


Here's the first show with Elvis Mitchell and Catherine Keener.

Up Close: Elvis Mitchell/Catherine Keener from KCRW on Vimeo.

NPR Watch

Terry Gross talks with Danny Boyle about 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Kim Masters on the three endings for 'Australia' shot by Baz Luhrmann (with comments from Bill Mechanic and Anne Thompson).

Figuring Charlie Kaufman

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon and film critic Desson Thomson do their best to find a path through the internal landscape of Charlie Kaufman's 'Synecdoche, NY'.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

I like this interview from All Things Considered today. Scroll for additional audio and clips from 'Synecdoche, New York'.

The Fly As Opera

Composer Howard Shore and director David Cronenberg bring 'The Fly' to the stage as an opera. NPR reports.

Nolan Talks About The Dark Knight, And The Joker

The Dark Knight director, Christopher Nolan, talks with Robert Siegel:

"Really, we wanted him to be the most frightening possible version of this character, the sort of edgiest possible,"

"What Heath had to do -- and I think he did it in a really incredible way -- is he had to balance the need for The Joker to be an iconic presence, but be a human being and be somebody that you can listen to and believe," Nolan says.

NPR has the interview here.

Who Saved RKO From Bankruptcy?

NPR has a good story about 'King Kong'. Did you know this movie saved RKO from going out of business? It's funny; I just realized I've never seen this movie.

'Hallmark Horror'

Word on the street is that people are wary of Shyamalan's trickery. Whereas he became known for twist endings that added value to the story, he then became known for pulling the rug out from under the viewer in Act III with endings that weren't so much of a twist but were simply dumb.

The endings for 'The Village' and 'The Lady in the Water' were not only dumb but they had the effect of sucking all the value out of what preceeding them. The viewer walking out of the theater can't help but feel cheated.

That said, there's a lot of people who don't really know the Shyamalan brand and the implications therein and don't really care about potential Act III dumb bombs. These people will see a movie if the trailer looks good, and the trailer for 'The Happening' certainly has that trademark glossy/creepy look Shyamalan produces so adroitly. So, I'm thinking week one could be very good for this happening, but I wouldn't hold my breath for subsequent frames once word of mouth gets out -- (by all accounts Shyamalan's latest leaves the viewer hanging just as badly as ever).

Early word on the blogosphere has been pretty much the same -- 'The Happening' ain't happening. Over at NPR, Bob Mondello says: ...The Happening is neither terribly scary, nor all that twisty... The bigger danger, after The Village and The Lady in the Water, is that he'll become known as the guy who makes the inane movie with the risible premise.

That about sums it up for me. I felt stupid for having watched my DVD of 'The Lady in the Water' (over a period of three days) that I bought for $9.99 in the discount bin at Blockbuster (there were lots of copies). If it's anything, this movie is inane and based on a risible premise. I can only feel for those who went to the theater and saw 'The Lady in the Water' in one sitting. (Ouch). I can't help but feel sorry for those who, having been suckered by well-edited trailers, will see 'The Happening' in theaters.

Anyway, my favorite entry in the current backlash is from Grady Hendrix over at MonsterFest:

Call me old fashioned, but I don't care about Marky Mark's under-developed, poorly-written marital difficulties -- especially when they revolve not around infidelity, but around dessert. Tiramisu, in fact. A horror movie in which someone is allowed to utter the word "Tiramisu" and live to the end credits is a horror movie that has given up any claims to horror. It's Hallmark Horror: Scare flicks developed for people who think Lifetime movies are too intense.

I love that...Hallmark Horror. That's good. That's Shyamalan.

Anton Corbijn On Fresh Air

Fresh Air talks with filmmaker and photographer Anton Corbijn about his new film 'Control'.

From NPR: Anton Corbijn's acclaimed 2007 film, Control -- based on the life of post-punk musician Ian Curtis, who killed himself in 1980 at age 23 -- won a trio of prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and took home a range of other international awards. The movie, which was Corbijn's first feature, has just come out on DVD.

Photo of U2 by Anton Corbijn

Twilight Zone: Frame By Frame

Found this at NPR's The Bryant Park Project. A set of graphic novels based on Rod Serling's classic 'The Twilight Zone' is being planned for publication. NPR also has an audio slideshow with frames from the novel and audio from the show. Here's the Publishers Weekly write up.

I didn't know CBS has full episodes you can watch online. No way. Pretty cool. One of my faves has always been 'To Serve Man'.

Now, if I could just find the complete CBS Radio Mystery Theater shows online, I'd be happy.

Mom Speed

NPR watch: Insight by Susan Sarandon re: Speed Racer and the biz in general (16 min).

Speed Racer...The King

Did you know Speed Racer's look was based on Elvis Presley as he appeared in 'Viva Las Vegas'?

Well, it was. Here's the NPR story.

The Last Of The Nine Old Men

Ollie Johnston, the last of Disney's 'Nine Old Men' -- the animators who helped create classics like 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' -- has died at the age of 95. Bob Mondello reports

A Bit Of Charm

NPR re: drive-in theaters still doing business. Makes you wanna go.

The Coen Brothers

I like this talk Scott Simon has with the Coen Brothers (5 min 39 sec)