The Cannes Film Festival is underway, and many big name directors including Ang Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodovar, and Francis Ford Coppola are premiering films there this year. Movies by newer, riskier talents are also on offer at the festival. Karina Longworth, film critic and editor of SpoutBlog, a daily movie news blog, joins The Takeaway from Cannes to tell us what to watch.

One of the most anticipated films this year is the Korean film Thirst by director which offers a new take on the vampire story. It is definitely no Twilight:

When Senator Arlen Specter switched political parties last week, some Republicans saw his move as a huge blow to the party, while others simply said good riddance. The Senator's switch was the latest in a series of challenges for the Republican party. So what is a Republican loyalist to do? New Hampshire Republican Charlie Bass spent 12 years in Congress before losing his seat in 2006. He joins The Takeaway to talk about what Republicans need to do to re-build their party, their national support, and to maintain a broad appeal to the American public.