Actor Benicio del Toro on ‘The Phoenician Scheme’
NPR’s Scott Simon talks with Benicio del Toro, who plays a wealthy, scheming mid-century industrialist in Wes Anderson’s latest film, “The Phoenician Scheme.”
Writer-director Laura Piani discusses her debut film ‘Jane Austen Wrecked My Life’
NPR’s Scott Simon talks to French writer-director Laura Piani about her new movie, a romantic comedy titled “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life.”
Stunt performer turned director walks away mostly unscathed from fights, flipped cars
Filmmaker David Leitch says it’s easier to do stunts himself than direct his stunt performer friends. “You are responsible for their safety,” he explains. Originally broadcast July 22, 2024.
Wes Anderson peers into the hollowness of extreme wealth in ‘The Phoenician Scheme’
Benicio Del Toro plays a globe-trotting tycoon trying to convince his estranged daughter (Mia Threapleton) to be his heir. The film is darker, angrier and more violent than Anderson’s usual fare.
‘Succession’ creator’s new moguls are tech gods gazing down from ‘Mountainhead’
Following his HBO series Succession, Jesse Armstrong’s latest project, Mountainhead, is a film about four tech billionaires whose mountain retreat is disrupted by a global catastrophe.
‘Karate Kid: Legends’ revisits a sturdy old formula
The Karate Kid has been sequelized, serialized, spun off and rebooted, and now it’s back, as Karate Kid: Legends. The new film stars Ben Wang as a kid who’s mentored by Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, reprising their roles from the franchise. But at its heart, the movie is about a kid who must train hard, learn life lessons, and kick a bully hard in the face.
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A gazillionaire becomes conflicted in Wes Anderson’s ‘The Phoenician Scheme’
Wes Anderson’s latest comedy The Phoenician Scheme stars Benicio del Toro, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Cera and Bill Murray.
11 movies to watch this summer: Sequels, a new ‘Superman,’ and edgy originals, too
The coming months will bring a 28 Days Later sequel and a new John Wick movie starring Ana de Armas. Midsommar‘s Ari Aster has a new Western thriller, and Pixar goes intergalactic.
Pop culture has a ‘bean soup problem’
Online discourse has become a fun part of enjoying and dissecting big pop culture events. But after seeing all the commentary around Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, our pal Brittany Luse has one question: are we in a media literacy crisis? Difference of opinio…
‘Succession’ creator takes on tech — and revolution — in ‘Mountainhead’
Jesse Armstrong’s new HBO film is set in a Utah retreat where four rich techno-wizards scheme while playing poker. Mountainhead is an unpredictable drama about powerful men vying for control.
Visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic turns 50 this month
Fifty years ago, director George Lucas started a visual-effects company that became known as Industrial Light & Magic. It transformed how the storytellers of the screen approach their craft.
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