movies

‘Hockney’ Paints a Portrait of the Artist As a Grown Man

Each week on Chattering Class, we're schooled by an expert in some party-worthy topic. Today's subject: David Hockney -- one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. And our teacher is Randall Wright. He has directed a new eponymous documentary about the artist. In it, he explores the life of the man behind those iconic paintings of swimming pools and the good life of Los Angeles. The film is made up of interviews with Hockney himself, images from his career, and footage from Hockney's never-before-seen home movies.

Sex, Drugs, and Fanny Packs with Nicholas Hoult

Back in the early aughts, Nicholas Hoult played the "boy" in the beloved romantic comedy "About a Boy." Hoult and his career have grown since then. In his new film "Kill Your Friends," Hoult plays Steven -- a venal player in the hypercompetitive British record industry of the late '90s. The actor explains the difficulties of snorting fake cocaine and offers some sweaty trivia.

Jeff Nichols Celebrates Men of Few Words

Jeff Nichols is probably best known for his hit coming-of-age thriller "Mud," which helped re-launch Matthew McConaughey's career... although Nichols' go-to actor is Michael Shannon. The actor has appeared in all four of his film, including his new one: the tender sci-fi drama "Midnight Special." The director talks to Rico about the films and filmmakers that influenced him and explains how he tries to accurately portray his Southern roots on the silver screen.

‘Tangerine’ Star Mya Taylor Talks Hollywood Realness

We're giving the very first NOTscar to actor Mya Taylor, who debuted this year in a film that isn't the kind of thing we typically see on screens. The actor explains how she drew from her own life experiences for the film and what's missing from mainstream conversations on transgender issues.

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Director George Miller Shares Life Lessons From Jack Nicholson

Families love George Miller's animated musical "Happy Feet," and of course his talking-pig epic "Babe: Pig In The City." But he's most celebrated for creating what many consider the greatest action movies ever made: the four "Mad Max" films. He chats with Rico about how he accidentally devised a new film genre, and divulges the wisdom he learned on the set of "The Witches of Eastwick."

Chris Bell’s Personal Lens on the Prescription Drug Epidemic

This week on Chattering Class, we look into prescription drug abuse and our teacher is documentarian Chris Bell. His first movie, "Bigger, Stronger, Faster*," examined the use of steroids in America through the lens of his family -- his brother Mark was a bodybuilder and his brother Mike was a pro wrestler. Nine months after the movie premiered, Chris's father called and told him Mike had died. Not from steroids, but from prescription drugs. That event inspired his new movie "Prescription Thugs," a look at America's pill habit.

John Slattery Finds the Heroes and Horrors in ‘Spotlight’

John Slattery earned four Emmy nominations for portraying Roger Sterling -- the wry, silver-haired ad exec on the show "Mad Men." He's also appeared in dozens of films, including last year's superhero hit "Ant Man." You can see him now in the multiple-Oscar-nominated movie "Spotlight," alongside a cast that includes Michael Keaton and Liev Schreiber. The actor chats with Rico about taking on the role of former Boston Globe editor Ben Bradlee Jr. in the film, growing up Catholic, and the one piece of attire he just couldn't pull off.

‘Chi-Raq’ Star Teyonah Parris: ‘I Had No Clue Whether This Would Work’

Teyonah Parris made her breakthrough playing the first black employee of Sterling Cooper on the hit TV show "Mad Men." And her latest starring role is in Spike Lee's acclaimed film "Chi-Raq." The actor chats about studying women like Michelle Obama to embody Lysistrata, her desire to see more complex representations of African-Americans in cinema, and about not talking about her hair.

Hannibal Buress Gives You Permission to ‘Go Wild’ in Canada

Hannibal Buress has written for loads of TV shows and he plays the lovable dentist on the hit series "Broad City." On Christmas Day, you can see him in the new movie "Daddy's Home." The comedian explains how unemployment prepared him for his freeloader "Daddy's Home" role and he answers listeners' etiquette questions with a bit of skepticism.