Accessibility links
Culture Art and entertainment commentary plus interviews, book reviews, movie reviews, music reviews, comedy, and visual art. Subscribe to podcasts and follow trends in music, painting, art, architecture, photography, and design.

Culture

Tuesday

78th Annual Academy Awards

'Brokeback Mountain' Leads Oscar Race

Brokeback Mountain, the story of the love between two cowboys, receives Oscar nominations in eight categories, including best picture, best director and best actor. Crash and Good Night, and Good Luck each received six Oscar nods.

'Brokeback Mountain' Leads Oscar Race

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5181085/5181086" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

78th Annual Academy Awards

'Brokeback Mountain' Racks Up Oscar Nominations

Nominations for Academy Awards are announced in Los Angeles. Brokeback Mountain and Munich were among the best picture nominees, while the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line was shut out. Critic Kenneth Turan discusses the nominations with John Ydstie.

'Brokeback Mountain' Racks Up Oscar Nominations

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5180149/5180150" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Movies

'Brokeback Mountain' Leads Oscar Nominations

The cowboy love story Brokeback Mountain leads the Oscar pack with a total of eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Heath Ledger. Madeleine Brand talks with Claude Brodesser, host of the public radio program The Business, about the Academy Award nominees announced Tuesday morning. The awards ceremony will be held March 5 in Los Angeles.

'Brokeback Mountain' Leads Oscar Nominations

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5180603/5180604" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Monday

Technology

Festival Honors Short Films Shot on Cell Phones

Ithaca College in upstate New York is sponsoring a contest for the best short film shot with a cell phone camera. Entries can be no longer than 30 seconds and must include music, dialogue or other audio.

Festival Honors Short Films Shot on Cell Phones

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5175556/5175566" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Music

Japanese Jazz Prodigy Hiromi: 'Spiral'

At just 26 years old, Hiromi is considered one of Japan's best jazz pianists and composers. Musician and Day to Day contributor David Was says her music is "part classical, part jazz and part simply unclassifiable." He reviews her third album, Spiral.

Japanese Jazz Prodigy Hiromi: 'Spiral'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5178660/5178661" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Obituaries

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein Dies at Age 55

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein died Monday in New York City after battling cancer. She was 55 years old. Day to Day has this remembrance of her prolific career and award-winning plays that celebrated women, including The Heidi Chronicles and The Sisters Rosenweig.

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein Dies at Age 55

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5178657/5178658" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Movies

Screens and Stars Glow at Sundance

Fresh Air

This year's Sundance Film Festival has been a haven for stars -- and those who would like to be stars. Critic-at-large John Powers discusses the festival's scene -- and its movies. Among the standouts: Wrist Cutters: A Love Story and Old Joy.

Screens and Stars Glow at Sundance

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5178512/5178513" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Obituaries

Recalling the Life of Playwright Wendy Wasserstein

A look at the life and career of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died Monday in New York City. Her plays included The Heidi Chronicles and The Sisters Rosensweig. Wasserstein died of lymphoma at the age of 55.

Recalling the Life of Playwright Wendy Wasserstein

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5179074/5179075" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Review

Music Reviews

Cat Power Takes on Soul With 'The Greatest'

Over the last decade, Chan Marshall, who's known as Cat Power, has made a name for herself in the indie-rock world. On her latest album, The Greatest, she traveled to Memphis, where she recorded with some of the city's legendary soul musicians. The mix makes for a slow but infectious record.

Cat Power Takes on Soul With 'The Greatest'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5179158/5179159" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Saturday

Art & Design

Lou Reed, Capturing New York in Photographs

New York has always served as a muse for rock icon Lou Reed, and his photography is inspired by his sense of the city. The photo exhibit Lou Reed New York opened recently at the Hermes and Steven Kasher galleries. Reed tells Scott Simon about his work.

Lou Reed, Capturing New York in Photographs

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5175188/5176175" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tommy Lee Jones, Exploring New Territory

Actor Tommy Lee Jones also directs The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. It's the story of a man killed in Texas and a friend -- played by Jones -- who fulfills his wish to be buried in Mexico. Jones describes it a "journey" movie.

Tommy Lee Jones, Exploring New Territory

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5176262/5176263" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Review

Tricky Comedy from 'Tristram Shandy'

Michael Winterbottom's latest comedy is Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. It's based on an experimental comic novel from the 18th century. The movie is as tricky as its source material.

Tricky Comedy from 'Tristram Shandy'

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5175335/5175336" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Performing Arts

Gliding Off the Dance Floor: Fayard Nicholas

Fresh Air

Fayard Nicholas was part of the famous acrobatic dancing team the Nicholas Brothers. He died earlier this week at the age of 91. Fayard's brother and tap partner Harold Nicholas recalls their career together.

Gliding Off the Dance Floor: Fayard Nicholas

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5173865/5173866" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

The DVD Room

The Punk Revolution Will Be on DVD

Fresh Air

Several recent DVDs take up the history of punk music. Don Letts' Punk Attitude focuses on the ethos of teen rebellion, while All Dolled Up tells the story of the influential New York Dolls.

The Punk Revolution Will Be on DVD

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/5174735/5174754" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">