Arts News

'All My Children' Seeks Iraq War Vet
It's a move that might be inspired by the Oscar-winning movie The Best Years of Our Lives. The popular daytime soap opera All My Children is looking for an Iraq war veteran to play the role of a, well, Iraq war veteran.
In Election Movies, Playing By A Rule of Three
Hollywood has always recognized the potential drama inherent in elections — think The Manchurian Candidate. Bob Mondello and Michele Norris talk about the intersection of ballot box and box office.
Quiz Show Scandals Changed U.S TV
Sixty years ago, a string of scandals emerged around "fixed" TV quiz shows. When the popular program Dotto was suddenly pulled from the air, answers were difficult to come by. The scandals changed the business of television in the U.S.
Political Comedian Mort Sahl: Still Laughing
Mort Sahl has skewered presidents from Eisenhower through George W. Bush. The political comedian broke ground back in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a stand-up who looked to the day's headlines for his routines rather than relying on one-liners.
The Death Of WASP Culture
Jaime Johnson, one of the heirs of the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune and director of the 2003 HBO documentary Born Rich talks about the blessing and burden of white, Anglo-Saxon, protestant culture.
Tag Records: New Label Promotes Body Spray
Procter & Gamble and Island Def Jam have joined forces to create a new hip hop label called Tag Records (named after the P&G; body spray). More companies are getting into "branded entertainment" and marketing both the product and the artist.
Stallone To Promote Russian Vodka
Sylvester Stallone, who destroyed Soviet rivals in Rocky and Rambo is being paid a reported $1 million to sell Russian vodka. He will advertise "Russian Ice" vodka under the slogan: "There is a bit of Russian in all of us."
Multi-Culturalism Explained In One Word: Hapa
In a guest commentary, the program's outgoing Intern, Kristin Lee, describes how she explains her multi-cultural roots, and why she embraces the term "HAPA" to describe her heritage.
Reporter Helen Thomas Gets An HBO 'Thank You'
Documentarian Rory Kennedy, who's won acclaim and awards for her documentaries American Hollow and The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, turns her lens on legendary White House correspondent Helen Thomas. David Bianculli has a review.
Bringing Bollywood To The U.S.
An Indian conglomerate has acquired more than 200 movie screens across the United States in the past year. The company, Reliance, is using the theaters to showcase Indian films. Now it's grabbing headlines for reported plans to set up a new movie venture with Steven Spielberg.
Bonnie Hammer, Small-Screen Mastermind
At Sci Fi, she helped the cable channel shed its geeky image with shows like the dark, political Battlestar Galactica. And since she took over at USA, the network has been on fire.
Guerrilla Ad Campaign Pushes Boundaries
Troy Hitch talks about You Suck at Photoshop, a hit series of Web videos created to explore viral marketing concepts. Hitch is the creative director for the agency Big Fat Brain.
Don't Let Go Of That Family Silver Too Easily
Shady appraisers and deceptive antiques dealers are a hazard to be avoided when trying to dispose of old — and potentially valuable — family belongings.
Waterboarding At Coney Island: The Thrill That Chills
It might not be surprising that waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique that simulates drowning, would become the subject of satire. But it was shocking to many when artist Steve Powers created an attraction called the Waterboard Thrill Ride.
Musical 'Little House On The Prairie' Hits Stage
Little House On The Prairie-The Musical has a lot going for it. Given its early success, there has been a lot of talk of the musical on Broadway. The stars are aligned and there are some deep Broadway pockets behind the show.