On Demand
Pop Culture
From the Archives: Wilder (Originally Aired Friday, July 14, 2006)
The Fishko Files
November 27, 2009
This piece, originally produced in July, 2006, explored the appeal of Billy Wilder’s films, on what was then the 100th anniversary of his birth. Featured in the piece is the film, “Ace in the Hole” which was at that time a kind of undiscovered classic; happily, since then “Ace” has become available for rent or purchase on DVD.
Carrie Fisher
Studio 360
November 13, 2009
Broadway's "Wishful Drinking" stars Carrie Fisher as Carrie Fisher. Like memoir of the same name, the one-woman show blurs the line between person and performer for the movie star, as she draws from the most painful periods in her life for comic material. She tells Kurt that her public life started even before "Star Wars."
Aha Moment: Paper Airplanes
Studio 360
November 06, 2009
When Klara Hobza came upon a 40-year-old book of construction designs for paper airplanes, she had an epiphany, and the New Millennium Paper Airplane Contest was born. Now Hobza has her own paper airplane book. Jonathan Mitchell discovers how her designs took flight.
Aha Moment: Optimus Prime
Studio 360
November 06, 2009
A child of the '80s, Scott Edward Nall never really grew out of "The Transformers" – the cartoon where robots changed into guns and planes. Transformers influenced Nall so much, that as a man, he decided to literally become one of his Transformer heroes and legally renamed himself Optimus Prime. Produced by Dan Kramer.
(Originally aired: June 29, 2007)
Has a cartoon, a toy, or another piece of pop culture changed your life? Tell us.
Significant Objects
The Brian Lehrer Show
November 05, 2009
What gives an object meaning, or makes it worth anything at all.
Graydon Carter Does Proust
The Brian Lehrer Show
November 05, 2009
For decades, the back page of Vanity Fair has been devoted to the "Proust Quiz," the same series of questions answered by celebrities and politicians.
Horror School
Studio 360
October 30, 2009
At Tom Savini's Special Make-Up Effects School in Pennsylvania, it's not books the students are cracking open, but heads. A veteran of horror movies like "Friday the 13th," Savini teaches students how to make the disgusting riveting. Matthew Cavnar finds out how the tradition of hand-made special effects is staying current in the digital era. (Originally aired: October 27, 2006)
Design for the Real World: Skulls
Studio 360
October 30, 2009
Graphic designer Noah Scalin created a new skull design every day for a year and posted them to his blog Skull-a-Day. He used whatever was at hand: breakfast cereal, sparklers, and little green army men. Scalin thinks that no matter the material, the skull is timeless. Produced by Studio 360's Michele Siegel and Erin Calabria.
AUDIO SLIDESHOW - Scalin's Skulls:
Zombies
Studio 360
October 30, 2009
To make a convincing zombie, it's all in the pacing. George Romero invented the modern zombie with his 1968 film "Night of the Living Dead," and he still likes them old-fashioned -- slow-moving but hard to stop. "I don't know if you're aware of the rift in the zombie community," says Ruben Fleischer, director "Zombieland." He's all for speeding up the undead. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Gore Vidal
Studio 360
October 30, 2009
If anyone's life is worth recounting, it's Gore Vidal's. The celebrated writer not only made his mark on literature over the past six decades, he also had a front row seat to history. His father romanced Amelia Earhart; he feuded with Eleanor Roosevelt and William F. Buckley among many others; and he went shooting with John F. Kennedy. Kurt finds out that despite working on this chronicle of his life, Gore Vidal isn't thinking about posterity: "Who gives a damn about being remembered? That's really for amateurs."
Aha Moment: Billy Squier
Studio 360
October 23, 2009
Indie rocker Mitch Davis recently got to collaborate with his childhood idol: 80's guitar hero Billy Squier. Davis performs as Orba Squara -- his new album features Squier and brings everything full circle. Produced by Studio 360's Derek John.
Has a work of art changed your life? Tell us.
The War At Home
Studio 360
October 23, 2009
British artist Jeremy Deller created the traveling art exhibit "It Is What It Is: Conversations About Iraq" to get (and keep) people talking about the Iraq War. It's on view now at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Produced by Josie Holtzman. (Originally aired: May 1, 2009)
100 Years of Whiffenpoofs
Studio 360
October 23, 2009
Every year at Yale, 14 male seniors are tapped to sing in an elite a cappella group called the Whiffenpoofs. Their repertoire ranges from Cole Porter to Gladys Knight, and they perform around the world. In early October, 600 Whiffenpoof alumni (aged 22-92) gathered in New Haven for their 100th reunion. And they sang. A lot. Produced by Gretta Cohn. Additional concert recording by Roger Arnold.
Annie Leibovitz
Studio 360
October 16, 2009
Although Annie Leibovitz is known for skillfully staged portraits, she still struggles to capture the moment as it unfolds. Kurt visits the photographer in her Greenwich Village studio and she reminisces about her work chronicling the lives of rock stars for Rolling Stone. (Originally aired: December 26, 2008)
My Grandmother's Dress
Studio 360
October 16, 2009
Writer Elna Baker tells a story of how an elegant dress from her grandmother's closet became an oddly powerful talisman for her struggles with weight, her Mormon faith, and trying out new identities. The story is part of her new memoir, The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance. (Special thanks to Catherine Burns of The Moth.) (Originally aired: April 11, 2008)
Sounding Black
Studio 360
October 16, 2009
Black is not just a skin color; it's a quality of voice. Sarah Jones, the Tony Award-winning performer, talks with linguist John McWhorter about what it means to sound black today. They look at how Barack Obama has used his "blaccent" to drive audiences wild. Produced by Studio 360's Derek John. (Originally aired: October 24, 2008)
Music And The Mouse
Studio 360
October 09, 2009
From Snow White to Hannah Montana, the Disney company knows how to use music to capture the hearts (and cash) of generations of kids. And those songs lead to theme park rides and Broadway shows. Studio 360's Eric Molinsky looks into how Disney used music to build its empire.
Stewart Copeland
Studio 360
October 09, 2009
Sting may have been the front man, but drummer Stewart Copeland was the heartbeat of The Police. In his new memoir Strange Things Happen Copeland talks about how the band’s creative friction helped sell over 50 million records. And he blows the cover on his father, who raised the young Copeland in Beirut while spying for the CIA.
Noise Welcome At This Library
Studio 360
October 02, 2009
In the 1970's there was some surprisingly good material produced for music libraries. Turns out, future superstars were paying their dues by laying down these all-purpose tracks. Produced by Lawrence Lanahan.
Arctic Inspiration
Studio 360
October 02, 2009
Would you seek creative inspiration while seasick in one of the coldest places imaginable? This fall a group of 14 artists sets sail for a two week journey to the Arctic Circle. They'll start from an archipelago halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Reporter Matt Holzman will be on board with the artists, but first he wanted to see how their preparations were going.
Yoko Ono
Studio 360
October 02, 2009
Her signature howl made her brand of avant-garde music famous. But in recent years, Ono found mainstream success with five number one dance singles. Now, forty years after she founded the original Plastic Ono Band with her late husband, John Lennon, she's recording under the same moniker, with the couple's son, Sean. Ono tells Kurt what it's like to be embraced by a whole new generation of musicians and fans.
