Arts

Books
Arts

'The Familiar Vol. 2' Is Better, Stronger ... Weirder

7:03am November 01, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Mark Z. Danielewski's epic saga (this is part two of a projected 27) is, on the surface, the story of a girl and her cat. But the typographical trickery and sheer weirdness make it much, much more.

Lynda Trang Dai sits inside her restaurant, Lynda Sandwich, in Orange County, Calif.

At This Sandwich Shop, A Vietnamese Pop Star Serves Up Banh Mi

5:38pm October 31, 2015

by Lisa Morehouse

Lynda Trang Dai, known as the "Vietnamese Madonna," performs around the world. Back home in California, she's got a different starring role: she's the only one to whip up her sandwiches' secret sauce.

A still image from Guillermo del Toro's new movie, Crimson Peak. Twenty-two percent of audiences on any given weekend are Latino. But when it comes to horror films, that proportion jumps to as much as half the box office.

Why Latinos Heart Horror Films

5:37pm October 31, 2015

by Vanessa Rancaño

Latino audiences can make or break horror films in the box office, but right now their presence behind the camera might be even more significant.

Arts

An Election's High Stakes: Sandra Bullock On 'Our Brand Is Crisis'

3:03pm October 31, 2015

by NPR Staff

The Oscar-winner's new movie is set during an intense presidential race ... in Bolivia. She tells NPR's Scott Simon about her role as a legendary political strategist in Our Brand Is Crisis.

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Bruce Cambpell — and his famous chainsaw — are back in the new series Ash Vs Evil Dead.

Arts

Join Ussss... Join Ussss.... For The Return Of 'Evil Dead'

8:36am October 31, 2015

by Eric Deggans

Tonight, Starz debuts Ash vs Evil Dead, a horror comedy series that continues the story from the cult hit Evil Dead films. NPR's Eric Deggans talks to stars Bruce Campbell and Lucy Lawless.

David Hare's plays and screenplays include Plenty, Skylight, The Blue Room, The Hours and Stuff Happens.

Books
Arts

Dramatist David Hare Says, Like Many Writers, He's Driven By Doubt

8:22am October 31, 2015

by NPR Staff

"My ability to see what's going on in a room or analyze what's going on inside a person comes from my own doubts about what's going on inside myself," he says. Hare's memoir is The Blue Touch Paper.

Books
Arts

Three Horror Classics Rise From The Grave For Halloween

7:03am October 31, 2015

by Jason Heller

If you like ghosts, ghouls and witches, you won't find them in The Case Against Satan, Perchance to Dream, and Songs of a Dead Dreamer — their horrors are more familiar and far more frightening.

FXX Celebrates Halloween With 'The Simpsons' Treehouse Of Horror Marathon

8:58pm October 30, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

FXX cable network is airing a week-long marathon of every episode of The Simpsons annual Halloween show, "Treehouse of Horror." It will culminate in a full day marathon of all 25 "Treehouse of Horror" episodes.

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Women operate a gum-wrapping machine, circa 1923. It was a pivotal decade in the rise of America's retail candy business.

Tainted Treats: Racism And The Rise Of Big Candy

6:06pm October 30, 2015

by Nina Martyris

Halloween's iconic candy corn first appeared in stores in the 1920s. The decade saw a boom in the retail candy business — and in advertising and production divided along racial lines.

You probably wouldn't want to eat these Jack O'Lanterns since they've been carved and sitting out. But this variety of pumpkin is perfectly edible and nutritious.

Do We Waste A Lot Of Pumpkins We Could Be Eating?

5:09pm October 30, 2015

by Alastair Bland

Halloween pumpkins are nutritious and perfectly edible — if they haven't been carved and left outside for days. And yet we throw almost all of them away. Here's what happened when we cooked with one.