The Traveling Wilburys comprises Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Jeff Lynn, and Tom Petty. Rock critic Ken Tucker says their first album, Volume 1, is a true collaboration. Unlike the self-indulgent supergroups of the 1960s and 1970s, he says the Wilburys' music is an unexpected pleasure.
The new film Cry in the Dark dramatizes the true story of Lindy Chamberlain, who was wrongfully convicted of infanticide while camping in Australia. Film critic Stephen Schiff says the movie proves Schepisi is a great director.
The Mexican-American rock group Los Lobos, who wrote the soundtrack for the recent Ritchie Valens biopic, has a new album, comprising mostly regional Mexican music. Drummer and songwriter Louie Perez joins Fresh Air to talk about how they discovered those songs.
Critic Lloyd Schwartz says recordings of Gyorgy Kurtag's music are few, but he was able to track down a recent LP of some of the composer's song cycles -- several of which are full of humor.
MIT professor of political economy Bennett Harrison co-wrote The Great U-Turn with Barry Bluestone. The book explores how and why the United States is creating fewer full-time, well-paying jobs. He points to the deregulation of industry and the financial system as the primary culprit.
Book critic John Leonard reviews writer Conor Cruise O'Brien new collection of essays, called Passion and Cunning. Leonard says he's disappointed with O'Brien's inconsistent and sometimes naive views on political upheaval around the world.
Cruikshank's newest work, Face Like a Frog, is now playing at film festivals. It features a soundtrack by composer Danny Elfman. She joins Fresh Air to talk about some of her earlier works, and what it takes to make a career in cartoons.
Researcher David Mech tracks and studies wolves. He was able to earn the trust of a pack in the Arctic, which granted Mech and his team unprecedented access to the animals. He witnessed the care of their pups and joined them on their hunt.
The saxophonist and composer brings back the large ensemble sound on his new album. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says the performances are energetic but a often a little too loose. Hemphill's own playing steals the show.
Actor Robert Prosky is best known for his performance as a role call sergeant in Hill Street Blues. He appears in David Mamet's new movie Things Change. For 23 years he worked at Washington, DC's Arena Stage.
The sequel to the lackluster Winds of War is well worth the time, says TV critic David Bianculli. The miniseries about World War II already has a third installment in the works, which is slated to air next year.
Arnold Rampersad's biography of the African American poet has been called "a literary event." Despite dedicating his writing to the black experience, Hughes grew up in a largely white community. His more radical work didn't find much of an audience, which led to him adopting a more social-realist style later in his career.
Kevin Boyle's group Article 19, name after the United Nations provision protecting free speech, fights against censorship around the world, both in democracies and dictatorships.
Ken Tucker reviews the home video release of the highest grossing film of all time. He says the movie doesn't transfer well to the smaller dimensions of a TV screen, but its heart is still there. Conversely, Cinderella is perfect for home viewing, but it still suffers from Disney's sentimental revisions of the original tale. The Three Caballeros, another recent Disney release, is also worth watching.
Performer-in-residence Harry Connick, Jr. plays the music of Harold Arlen. While his name may be known to few, Arlen wrote several popular and recognizable songs.
Rock critic Ken Tucker steps out of his comfort zone and reviews three recent best-sellers he otherwise wouldn't have listened to. He says Anita Baker's Giving You the Best That I Got is lush but soulless, while the Bangles' Everything is an excellent ripoff of a 1960s rock album. Duran Duran's Big Thing is the band's attempt to prove they're serious musicians -- but it's a hapless bummer.
Jonathan Katz stars as standup comedian Jackie Shore in the new movie Things Change, which was written by his friend David Mamet. Katz played a con man in the earlier Mamet movie House of Games, which Katz says was loosely based on their experience as small-time ping pong hustlers.
Stephen Schiff says that director Leonard Nimoy's adaptation of Sue Miller's novel is lifeless, but Diane Keaton's performance might justify the cost of a ticket.
