Denzel Washington stars in Flight, the latest film from writer-producer-director Robert Zemeckis.
'Flight' Takes On Questions Of Accountability
()In the Robert Zemeckis film starring Denzel Washington, a pilot with a secret substance-abuse problem successfully crash-lands an airplane while high on drugs and alcohol. He must then ask himself some tough questions about whether his act of heroism is undermined by his addiction.
Recent Interviews
Middle East
The Middle East: A Web Of 'Topsy-Turvy' Alliances
November 28, 2012 Robert Malley, a program director for the International Crisis Group, analyzes the complexity of the situation in the Middle East, a region where conflicts interconnect and expand upon one another. "These alliances," says Malley, "are not clear cut ... they are alliances of convenience."
Author Interviews
'The Last Refuge': Yemen, Al-Qaida And The U.S.
November 27, 2012 In his new book, journalist Gregory Johnsen charts the rise of Yemen as a haven for al-Qaida and explores the recent history of radical Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. The death of Osama bin Laden, he says, had more of an effect on the U.S. psyche than it did on people in Yemen.
Author Interviews
Mantel Takes Up Betrayal, Beheadings In 'Bodies'
November 26, 2012 Hilary Mantel is the first woman to win the Man Booker Prize twice, first for her 2009 novel, Wolf Hall, and now for that book's 2012 sequel, Bring Up the Bodies. The novels are part of a historical fiction trilogy about Tudor England and the events surrounding the reign of King Henry VIII.
Music
Jazz Vocalist Susie Arioli Goes 'All The Way'
November 23, 2012 Listen to an in-studio concert and conversation with the Canadian singer and her longtime guitarist, Jordan Officer.
Books
'Gershwins And Me' Tells The Stories Behind 12 Songs
November 22, 2012 Musician Michael Feinstein chronicles his experience working as an archivist and cataloger for legendary songwriter Ira Gershwin. The book is presented through the stories of 12 of the Gershwin brothers' songs, including "Fascinating Rhythm," "The Man I Love" and "I Got Rhythm."
Recent Reviews And Commentaries
Music Reviews
Turning Up The Volume On The Electric Blues
November 29, 2012 A new 12-disc compilation traces the history of electric blues from its inauspicious start through its heyday in the 1950s and '60s. Critic Ed Ward says Plug It In! Turn It Up! does "a great job of illuminating one particular aspect of the blues."
Music Reviews
'Buddy And Jim': Friends In Life And Songwriting
November 28, 2012 Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale just released a new album of duets. Critic Ken Tucker says Buddy and Jim recalls an earlier era of country music. The pair's voices, Tucker says, connect through "shared emotion in a song."
Music Reviews
Cecilia Bartoli's New 'Mission' Unearths Baroque Gems
November 27, 2012 Critic Lloyd Schwartz welcomes the opera star's new album, Mission, which breathes new life into the work of Italian composer Agostino Steffani. Bartoli, he says, has an astonishing capacity for vocal fireworks and warm, delicate lyricism.
Music Reviews
Jason Kao Hwang: From The Blues To China And Back
November 26, 2012 The violinist attempts to mix jazz, classical and traditional Chinese music with his octet on Burning Bridge.
Movies
What Happened To 'Baby Jane'? She's Turning 50
November 23, 2012 On its 50th anniversary, Robert Aldrich's classic horror film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? has just been released on Blu-ray. Though it's far from a musical, classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says its musical elements are crucial to the film.
