This week's Movie Date podcast is out of this world! No, really. Kristen and Rafer get extraterrestrial reviewing this week's blockbuster, "Men in Black 3." Listen to The Takeaway's Movie Date team engage in some Will Smith gossip and hear about Kristen's emotional reaction to the end of the film.
When ABC pulled the plug on George Lopez's eponymous sitcom in 2007, the Mexican-American comedian said, "TV just became really, really white again." Five years later, TBS has announced it will cancel Lopez's late night talk show due to slumping ratings. And in the five year interim, television doesn't appear to have gotten any more diverse.
Pop lyrics seem to have taken a turn towards the "me" and "I" variety, according to a new study. The study analyzed three decades of songs, and concluded that song lyrics have become more narcissistic in recent years, reflecting current youth culture. Is that really true? Maura Johnston, music editor for The Village Voice, lends her thoughts on this topic.
We want to know: Do you believe you are narcissistic? Take this test and find out.
"The King's Speech" took home best picture and three other trophies last night at the 83rd Academy Awards. Meanwhile, "Inception" also won four awards, mostly in technical categories. Other memorable moments included an exasperated Melissa Leo dropping the "f-word" while accepting her Oscar for best supporting actress, and co-host James Franco appearing on stage in a dress.
If you missed last night's broadcast, don't fret. Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday, and co-host of The Takeaway Movie Date Podcast with Takeaway producer Kristen Meinzer, are here to help with their Oscar hangover cure: a hearty mix of the winners, losers, and surprises that will be heating up YouTube and the water cooler conversations today.
We had to put "867 5309" down on our summer music play list. Jim Keller was the man behind the song that got stuck in everyone's head back in 1982. Thank you Jim Keller. Thank you.
CNN turns 30 today, but the anniversary is bittersweet for the Cable News Network. Its ratings are in a slump and the competition for a constant stream of news seems to be getting even more fierce as the internet attracts viewers away from TV to the screens of smart phones and computers.
Twenty-one years ago, Gus Van Sant brought the story of James Fogle, the narcotics-stealing "Drugstore Cowboy," to the screen. This week, Fogle, now 73-years-old, was arrested again - for robbing a pharmacy.
The film industry celebrated its largest gala at the 82nd Academy Awards Sunday night. The big news was that "The Hurt Locker" cleaned up, carrying home six Oscars, but there were plenty of other moments to talk about. Melena Ryzik, of the New York Times' Carpetbagger blog, and TV blogger Delaina Dixon, cover who won, who lost, and what's going to be the big topic of conversation around the water cooler today.
The late night wars are officially over as "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (re)starts tonight, just nine months and two days after he said good-bye to the show and Conan O'Brien took over. A little over a month ago, Conan O'Brien hosted his last broadcast in the time slot, and very likely his last on NBC.
You may never feel like you get your money's worth at a hotel again. New York's Hotel Pennsylvania in midtown Manhattan serves as the lodging for the dogs who participate in the Westminster Dog Show. From the moment the four-legged animals enter the lobby, they are greeted with goodies ... and we don't mean doggie treats.
TV execs, we know it must be hard to give up a cash cow. But before the milk turns sour, know when to call it quits.
Last night, the TV stars and movie stars mingled and alcohol flowed freely as the Golden Globe Awards were handed out. Our movie contributor Rafer Guzman was watching. What did he think of the big night?
Willie Mitchell – trumpeter, arranger and producer for Hi Records – who launched the careers of such great soul singers as Al Green, died of cardiac arrest Jan. 5 at a hospital in Memphis. Gabriel Roth, owner of Daptone Records, discusses Willie's great career.
Jeno Leno's experiment in primetime may be coming to an end. We talk with Bill Carter, media correspondent for our partner, The New York Times, about what this means for late night talk.
A.O. Scott has been covering film for The New York Times for 10 years; he joins us to look back on what's captured audiences and critics to define the first filmic decade of the 21st Century. He says the most memorable moments were often completely unpredictable. See where "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "There Will Be Blood" and "The Minority Report" fit into Scott's look back on a decade of film criticsm.
"The Twilight Zone" turns 50 years old today, and we take a look back through the episodes that made this one of the most influential television series – science-fiction or otherwise – in history. With Rod Serling's distinctive narration alongside mysterious plot lines that made the hairs stand up on viewers' necks, the series was and remains in a class of its own. Are you ready to enter ... the Twilight Zone?
On Thursday, Afghanistan's voters go to the polls to vote in the country's presidential election... and on Afghan television, political satire is dominating the airwaves. Jahid Mohseni, CEO of TOLO TV and producer of the satirical news show "Danger Bell," tells us how entertainment shows are driving political discourse this year.
The Takeaway talks to two movie critics about the anti-blockbuster movies of the summer, particularly foreign films. We talk about the British film "In the Loop," described as a combination of the West Wing and The Office, and "A Woman in Berlin," about a rape victim during the Red Army occupation. The two film critics joining The Takeaway this morning are A. O. Scott, film critic for The New York Times, and Wesley Morris, film critic for the Boston Globe.
Watch the trailer for In the Loop below.
And here's the trailer for A Woman in Berlin.
New Movie Releases: 'Men in Black 3' and 'Moonrise Kingdom'
Is the Private Era in Space Officially Upon Us?
Why Increased Immigration is the Solution for America's Ailing Economy
The show is a co-production of WNYC Radio and Public Radio International, in collaboration with The BBC World Service, New York Times Radio and WGBH Boston.
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