Elizabeth Blair appears in the following:
Acclaimed Documentary Filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky Dies At 58
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Peabody and Emmy Award winning filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky has died at age 58.
Sinofsky and his longtime co-director, Joe Berlinger, made such acclaimed documentaries as Some Kind of Monster, about the heavy metal band Metallica and Brother's Keeper, about four brothers in rural upstate New York. They are perhaps best ...
Composing The Folk Music Of A Made-Up Country
Thursday, February 19, 2015
The Grand Budapest Hotel might take place in a fictional world, but Oscar-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat was there to make it feel authentic.
For Three Comedians, Valentine's Day Makes For One Big Joke
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Love relationships have long been fodder for comedians. So on this Valentine's Day, a few of them explain why romance — or the lack of it — is so funny.
Marina Franklin, who's African-American, finds humor in the different nationalities and races of the guys she's dated.
"Whenever I date ...
Miniseries Explores The Ugly Fallout Of A Disciplinary 'Slap'
Thursday, February 12, 2015
In The Slap, NBC takes on the touchy issue of corporal punishment. The show begins at a Brooklyn barbecue with a dad hitting another parent's out-of-control 5 year old.
One Of Sam Smith's Grammys A Win For Tom Petty, Too
Monday, February 09, 2015
The four Grammys awarded Sunday night to Sam Smith are good news not just for Sam Smith, but for Tom Petty, too. Petty and another songwriter will get a quarter of the royalties from ...
'American Sniper' Exposes Unresolved Issues About The Iraq War
Friday, January 23, 2015
American Sniper, based on the life of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, has been a surprise hit at the box office. But as NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports, some say the movie misrepresents Kyle and glorifies war.
A Rare Bird: After 120 Years, Audiences Still Flock To 'Swan Lake'
Monday, January 19, 2015
Despite being long, convoluted and sometimes sleep-inducing, Swan Lake is a reliable ticket seller for dance companies. The version most often performed today premiered in Russia in 1895.
And The Moral Of The Story Is ... Kids Don't Always Understand The Moral
Thursday, January 08, 2015
"Research among U.S. populations of kids indicates that this ability to articulate a moral theme develops fairly slowly, emerging only around age 9 or 10," says researcher Seeta Pai.
'Charlie Hebdo' Laughed In The Face Of Violence; Will Future Satirists?
Thursday, January 08, 2015
The French magazine responded to a 2011 firebombing of its offices with a cover that showed a Muslim and an editor making out. Its lead editor, described by a peer as fearless, was killed Wednesday.
Banish 2014's Woes With Our Stand-Up Comedy Picks
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
NPR's Elizabeth Blair polled comedy-industry insiders to find out their favorite jokes of 2014. The results range from supermarket-checkout observations to a historically hysterical take on Oprah.
In 'The Honorable Woman,' There's No One You Can Trust
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Maggie Gyllenhaal says she had reservations about taking on the role of Nessa Stein in the Sundance series. The conflict in the Middle East is "really complicated and it goes back so far," she says.
Studios Hope Holiday Family Movies Will Grab Slice Of Shrinking Box Office
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
So far Disney's Big Hero 6 is a winner and DreamWorks' Penguins of Madagascar is not. Studios look closely at opening weekend. In December, Night at the Museum 3 will compete with Ann...
Revisiting The Stories Told In Murrow's 'Harvest of Shame'
Friday, November 28, 2014
Elizabeth Blair visits Belle Glade, Fla., where Edward R. Murrow's film crew recorded migrant farm workers. (This piece was originally broadcast on Weekend Edition Saturday on May 31, 2014.)
Lighten Your Thanksgiving Trek With These Audiobooks, Comedy Albums
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
An estimated 46 million Americans will take to the road this Thanksgiving. We survey some of the best recorded comedy and audiobooks so you can laugh away the tension if you're stuck in traffic.
Despite The Dope, 'High Maintenance' Is About More Than Potheads
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Vimeo's first foray into original Web TV follows a nameless pot delivery dude who engages in oddly intimate business transactions.
Whether Green With Envy Or Tickled Pink, We Live In A Color-Coded World
Monday, November 10, 2014
Red means stop; green means go. You live in a red state or a blue state. Elizabeth Blair kicks off NPR's color series with a look at the way color organizes our lives — in ways we don't even realize.
'Grand Bargain' Will Help Save Detroit — And Its Art
Friday, November 07, 2014
A federal judge in Detroit ruled favorably on the city's "grand bargain" on Friday, approving the city's exit from Bankruptcy. We look at the role foundations played in bringing it ab...
The Challenge Of 'Big Hero 6': How To Make A Huggable Robot
Friday, November 07, 2014
Baymax, the lovable robot in the new Disney movie, was inspired by inflatable robots being developed at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.
Sotheby's Has Record Auction With Works By Giacometti, Van Gogh
Wednesday, November 05, 2014
On Tuesday night, Sotheby's brought in its highest total yet for a single auction: more than $422 million dollars. The record total owed a lot to the sale of two works — a Giacometti ...
At 83, Dancer Carmen De Lavallade Looks Back At A Life Spent Onstage
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
De Lavallade's husband of 59 years, dancer Geoffrey Holder, died on Oct. 5. "He was my biggest fan and I was the same way with him," she says. De Lavallade's one-woman show is called As I Remember It.