Hollywood takes some shortcuts when it comes to depicting Americans abroad An NPR panel looks at how movies portray Americans abroad, from romantic self discovery to culture clash and stereotypes. Lauren Frayer
'Melania' is Amazon's airbrushed and astronomically pricey portrait of the First Lady Amazon paid $40 million to acquire the documentary, and is spending $35 million more to promote it. Bob Mondello
Catherine O'Hara, who starred in 'Home Alone' and 'Schitt's Creek,' dies at 71 O'Hara enjoyed a six-decade career in TV and films playing sometimes over-the-top, but endearing characters. "I loved playing cocky untalented people," she told Fresh Air in 1992. Mandalit del Barco
'Islands' is a spare and satisfying slow-burn thriller A washed-up tennis pro gives lessons at a fancy hotel in the Canary Islands. But when he meets an elegant woman with an unlikable husband, things take a noirish turn. John Powers
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro says 'I'd rather die' than use generative AI Del Toro's Frankenstein, which reimagines Mary Shelley's 1818 Gothic novel, has been nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Originally broadcast Oct. 23, 2025. Terry Gross
'Philadelphia,' 'Clueless,' 'The Karate Kid' added to the National Film Registry Every year, the National Film Registry adds 25 films to its collection to be preserved for posterity. Selections for 2025 range from The Thing to White Christmas. Neda Ulaby
'There's a lot of truth and pain in comedy': Alia Shawkat on war satire 'Atropia' The film "Atropia" is a dark comedy set at a U.S. military facility in California designed to simulate battle conditions in Iraq. NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with actor Alia Shawkat. Leila Fadel
We finally watched the movies we were not allowed to see as kids Many of our childhood movie choices are defined by the films our parents wouldn't let us see. An NPR panel of movie lovers discusses the films they were forbidden to watch and what it was like to finally see them. Ryan Benk
Mel Brooks delights in mixing horrible taste with lavish production numbers Brooks is the subject of a new two-part HBO documentary, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! TV critic David Bianculli reviews the documentary, plus we listen back to archival interviews with Brooks. Terry Gross
'Sound of Falling' is a labyrinthine tale that's well worth exploring Sound of Falling weaves together the experiences of four generations of women living in the same rural stretch of northern Germany, and the secrets that have accumulated over that time. Justin Chang