Director and Screenwriter Anthony Minghella. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for the 1996 film The English Patient. The movie also won the Oscar for Best Picture. His new film, The Talented Mr. Ripley opens December 25th, and stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Cate Blanchett. Its based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith
We feature an interview with singer/Hollywood legend Rosemary Clooney. She will talk about her life as a singer and performer. We will also listen to songs from throughout her career. Her new autobiography, called Girl Singer, reads like a who's who from the golden age of Hollywood. She has also released a CD companion to the book. Its called Songs from the Girl Singer.
From the band the Continental Drifters: singer/songwriters Vicki Peterson (formerly of the Bangles), Peter Holsapple (of the dBs) and his wife Susan Cowsill (formerly of the Cowsills). They've just released their second album, "Vermillion" (Razor and Tie label). They performed earlier this month in New York at a concert called "The Songs of the Century." They play and talk about some of their picks for the greatest songs.
Rock historian Ed Ward with part two of his look at Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. There's a new anthology of their work, "Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band" (Warner archives/Rhino).
Book critic Maureen Corrigan give us her list of the best books to put on your Christmas list:
Two British comic novels:
"The Country Life" by Rachel Cusk
"Headlong" by Michael Frayn
The novels:
"Waiting" by Ha Jin
"Amy and Isabelle" by Elizabeth Strout
Two short story collections:
"The Way People Run" by Christopher Tilghman
"The Best American Short Stories of the Century" edited by John Updike and Katrina Kenison
The mysteries:
Actress Susan Sarandon. She's currently starring in the new film "Anywhere But Here," and "Cradle Will Rock." Over her 30 years in films she's starred in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" which became a cult classic, as well as "Atlantic City," "Thelma and Louise," "Bull Durham," "Dead Man Walking," and more.
Inventor and ex-magician David Levy. His inventions include a tiny keypad - the size of a credit card, a tattoo whose design can be changed at will, and a devise that seals severed arteries in one minute. In 1996, at MIT, he won the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, which acknowledged him as one of the nation's premier young inventors.
Paleontologist Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago. He recently unearthing Jobaria (Joe-BAR-ee-ah) and Suchomimus (sue-coe- MIME-us) -- two new rivals to Tyrannosaurus Rex in West Africa. They're two of the newest additions to the dinosaur family.
We remember novelist Joseph Heller, author of "Catch-22" which became an American classic. He died Sunday night at the age of 76, from a heart attack. (REBROADCAST from 1/29/88)
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews "The Sweetest Punch" (Decca) guitarist Bill Frisell's new CD featuring the music of Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach, and featuring Elvis Costello himself.
Writer Alan Ball. His first feature film screenplay was for this year's critically acclaimed movie, "American Beauty." He's also creator, head writer, and executive producer of the new TV comedy "Oh Grow Up." Previously, Ball wrote for the TV shows "Grace Under Fire," and "Cybill."
Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Garry Wills. His new book is "A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government" (Simon & Schuster). Wills is also the author of "Lincoln At Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America." And he's written other books on Nixon, Reagan and Kennedy, as well as a look at the relationship between politics and popular culture via celebrity, "John Wayne's America: the Politics of Celebrity."
Film historian Rudy Behlmer on the making of "King Kong." The original movie soundtrack for the 1933 classic film has just been reissued on CD. (Rhino) The film was directed by documentarians Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack who also worked together on the groundbreaking documentaries, "Grass" and "Chang." The score was by Max Steiner. Behlmer wrote the liner notes for the the new CD. He's also the author of "Behind the Scenes."
Actor, director, writer Tim Robbins talks about his new film *The Cradle Will Rock*. It is the first film written and directed by Robbins since the Academy Award winning Dead Man Walking. The Cradle Will Rock is based on the events surrounding the production of a 1937 labor musical, directed by Orson Welles. The play was shut down by a government injunction for the cast's alleged left-wing politics. Robbins is known for his roles in such films as Shawshank Redemption, The Player, and Bull Durham.
