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03:46

White Writers' Misguided Attempts at Racial Authenticity

Linguist Geoff Nunberg reflects on the use of racist terminology in the musical Show Boat. He says that later revisions were still problematic: they illustrated the enduring assumption that white liberals can accurately and authentically portray African American culture.

Commentary
03:40

Zemeckis Capatures the Camaraderie of Rock and Roll Fandom

Ken Tucker reviews the home video release of I Wanna Hold Your Hand, about a group of teenage Beatles fans in New Jersey. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, was a commercial fop, but Tucker, who says it's insightful without indulging in cliches, hopes it will find a new audience on tape.

Review
06:58

The Cultural Heritage of American Musicals

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new Smithsonian box set of American musicals from throughout the twentieth century. His only complaint is that, with such a wealth of archival material, he wonders why more serious and contemporary music was included.

Review
03:33

John Epperson Blurs Gender Boundaries

The drag artist, also known as Lipsynka, has a new one-person show in which he mimes the lyrics to women pop stars and fame-obsessed divas. Critic-at-large Laurie Stone calls the performance lovely and purposefully crude.

Review
03:28

Three from NBC's Upcoming Season

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the network's latest pilots, including a ghastly sitcom, a thirtysomething ripoff, and a magical hour from the Muppet's creator.

Review
03:35

A Hollywood Time Capsule Now on Home Video

Critic Ken Tucker reviews the home video release of The Great Ziegfeld, a biopic about the famed impresario. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, an honor Tucker says was undeserved. Yet the film is fun, despite some slow moments, and paints a clear picture of a bygone era of of Hollywood.

Review
03:52

The World of "Powwow Highway" Transcends Its Story

Film critic Stephen Schiff admits he's instantly charmed by movies about unfamiliar worlds. He says the new road movie Powwow Highway, about two American Indians confronting the development of tribal lands, has promise, but is ineptly written and directed. But, somehow, Schiff didn't mind watching it.

09:32

Preserving Black History and Culture Through Literature

Playwright and novelist Ntzoake Shange, best known for her play For Colored Girls, joins Fresh Air to talk about the diversity of the black experience, her childhood and early education, and the criticism she sometimes gets from black male authors and playwrights. Her new play is called Betsey Brown.

Interview
03:31

Mrs. Miniver's Past Acclaim Overshadowed By Present-Day Criticism

Critic Ken Tucker reviews the Oscar-winning 1943 film, which was credited with galvanizing support for the Allies during World War II. Contrary to some contemporary attitudes toward the movie, critic Ken Tucker says Mrs. Miniver critiques, rather than celebrates, bourgeois life.

Review
03:48

Confronting Memories of the Vietnam War

Film critic David Bianculli says the drama China Beach and a special episode of Nightline deal with the lives of Vietnam veterans in respectful and powerful ways; both are worth watching.

Review
02:45

Four Films from 1970

Critic Ken Tucker reviews four home video releases of movies inspired by the antiwar movement. Three of them, about burgeoning romances amid student demonstrations, don't hold up. But Joe, a film that rejects hippy values, is worth watching, if only for star Peter Boyle's excellent performance.

Review
09:14

Musical Theater Actor Mandy Patinkin

Patinkin had no formal training as a singer, but he's found fame starring in musicals like Evita and Sunday in the Park with George. He's also appeared in the films Yentl, Ragtime, and The Princess Bride, among others. Patinkin has a new self-titled album of songs from the stage and screen.

Interview
03:39

Two Out of Three "New York Stories" Ain't Bad

Stuart Klawans reviews the new movie, which features a trio of shorter films directed by Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, and Francis Coppola. Klawans says the efforts of the first two directors are fantastic, but viewers can step out into the lobby for Coppola's contribution.

03:39

The Fallout of Nuclear Bombardment

TV critic David Bianculli reviews a new made-for-TV movie about the bombing of Hiroshima, called Day One. He says the scenes of White House discussions regarding whether or not to use nuclear weapons are what make the movie really special -- and really scary.

Review
03:29

A Flop in the Theaters Worth Revisiting

The 1967 film Point Blank, directed by John Moorman, never found a wide audience in the U.S. Critic Ken Tucker says the crime thriller was a success nonetheless, with a brutal, fast-moving style and a directorial vision never recaptured in Moorman's later work.

Review
03:24

Broadcasting Live from History

The new PBS show dramatized news program Timeline features on-the-ground reporting of historical events in order to give viewers a new way of thinking about the past. TV critic David Bianculli praises the show's accuracy, and it's respect for its audience.

Review

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