"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" came out in 1989 and it's now considered a holiday classic. The movie follows the Griswold family as their patriarch Clark (played by Chevy Chase) tries to host the perfect Christmas, but is foiled by in-laws, mean bosses, and wild animals. Beverly shares a behind-the-scenes tale about one of the movie's most iconic moments.
Alicia Vikander was just nominated for two Golden Globe awards. One for playing a cyborg in the sci-fi thriller "Ex Machina," and the second for a film that opens nationwide this week: "The Danish Girl." She explains what she learned about the transgender community from working on the film and reveals why she won't play Pictionary with you anytime soon.
Back in 1966, at the height of his career, French filmmaker François Truffaut sat down with his hero, Alfred Hitchcock, and interviewed him about every film he'd ever made. That interview was transcribed into a hugely influential book called "Hitchcock-Truffaut." A new documentary explores the making of that book, and Rico talks to its director Kent Jones.
Back in the '70s Sir Ian McKellen became one of the leading Shakespearean actors of his generation. Geeks the world over know him for his role as the anti-hero Magneto in the "X-Men" movies, and of course, the wizard Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, for which he earned one of his two Oscar nominations. His latest role is as Sherlock Holmes in "Mr. Holmes." Before he took on a few etiquette questions, the veteran actor talked about his storied career, playing the "real" Sherlock Holmes, and why Dame Judi Dench is a "naughty, naughty girl!"
The master thespian weighs in on our listeners' etiquette questions, and recalls a Jell-O fueled soirée with Gore Vidal.
The actress, who is known for standout character roles in films like "Scott Pilgrim Versus the World" and the Mark Wahlberg drama "The Gambler," is receiving Oscar buzz for her star turn in the critically acclaimed new film "Room." She talks to Rico about seeking out roles worth fighting for, the resilience of the human spirit and what it's like to be on a plane when the in-flight movie happens to star you.
Actor Colin Hanks is known for roles in films like "Orange County," and in television series like "Fargo" -- for which he earned an Emmy nomination. The Sacramento native makes his directorial debut with "All Things Must Pass," a documentary about the rise and precipitous fall of Tower Records.
Laurie Anderson pioneered elements of performance art and electronic music. In her long career, she's lent her eerily cool voice to work by Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, and her late husband, Lou Reed. Just before the New York release of her film, "Heart of a Dog," the natural born storyteller shares a tale from her collection called "Transitory Life" about a stormy moment from her stay in Amish country.
Olivia Wilde is perhaps best known as the secretive doctor Thirteen on the hit TV series "House," and has also appeared in dozens of films including "Tron: Legacy," "Rush," and the Oscar-nominee "Her." Wilde's latest film is called "Meadowland" - a portrait of a family grappling with loss. She talks to Brendan about what makes this project unique, the importance of having more women behind the camera, and a time when a certain Rolling Stone stole her favorite seat.
Most Americans are probably aware that whole departments of the government are trying to prevent terrorist acts. But how exactly are they going about it? And how effective are they, really? The new documentary "(T)error" gives a rare glimpse into the world of assessing terror threats. Co-director David Felix Sutcliffe talks to Brendan about getting a rare glimpse into the world of an FBI informant.