Extravagant Emotions and Symbolism Gone Surreal

Fred de Cordova worked in radio, Broadway, and film. Now he's a producer on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He books guests and manages the flow of the program. Cordova's new autobiography is called Johnny Came Lately.

Part II of the Fresh Air interview with Penelope Spheeris. Terry Gross asks the filmmaker about growing up in a carnival, the prophetic power of rock music, and making movies about youth culture. Spheeris's new documentary is The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says that two new crime comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Midnight Run, don't do justice to the excellent performances of their lead actors.