Tagged: films

Looking for smart scripts and stellar performances among summertime's usually SFX-laden fare? Here are some suggestions.

Time now for a home viewing recommendation from NPR's movie critic, Bob Mondello. He's found himself swept up this week by the 70th Anniversary edition boxed set of Casablanca.

Even if you don't know this movie, you know this movie: Bogie and Bergman steaming up Rick's Cafe Americain, drummer Dooley Wilson pretending to tickle the ivories of a piano he couldn't actually play, Peter Lorre sniveling. Paul Henried standing tall, Claude Rains rounding up the usual suspects. People who would otherwise refuse to watch black-and-white movies make an exception for this one, and whole generations can recite the classic lines along with the characters:

"Here's looking at you, kid."

"Is that cannon fire or is it my heart pounding?"

The film Agadez: The Music and The Rebellion is the collaborative endeavor between film maker Ron Wyman and Tuareg guitarist Bombino (Omara Moctar) that captures Tuareg Culture in the Sahara and the extraordinary desert musicians. Deemed an “Overlooked Gem of 2011” the film will be showing this Friday at the Music Hall in Portsmouth.

We turn to Garen Daly, our resident film industry expert, for an update on Hollywood happenings.

The theme of this year’s New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival is connection. Its films explore connections between cultures, between countries, between the past and the present and more.

Linda Gerson is co-chair of the festival, which is taking place all week at venues in Manchester, Concord and Merrimack. She tells All Things Considered host Brady Carlson more about this year’s films.

Some of the films they discuss:

Connected

A new film shows the softer, artistic side of Austin's garbage collectors.

Mont Vernon is home to a small body of water known as Jew Pond. Voters may consider renaming the pond at this year's town meeting.

A new documentary explores how this vital and volatile country may be vastly different than what most Americans perceive.