The BBC's list of the top 100 movies since 2000 included a lot of foreign and art house films, with hardly a blockbuster in the bunch. The internet peanut gallery was not pleased. Has anyone even seen these movies besides movie critics, they cried? Today, movie critic Ty Burr talks about the chasm between film buffs and mainstream movie goers.
Then, as we bid a fond farewell to August, it's time to catch up on worthwhile summer movies before the leaves turn. The Hippo's Amy Diaz runs through a few you and the kids don't want to miss.
Listen to the full show.
The Anatomy of a 'Best Of' List
Small is beautiful. That's one takeaway from the BBC's list of the 100 greatest films since 2000. They culled lists from 177 critics around the world and the result: nary a top grosser in the bunch. Not that Hollywood seemed to care much, but the internet sure did. Where was Avatar? Transformers? An Indian film? Comedies? Films directed by women or people of color? Or, as critics of the critics list observed: films that anyone has seen other than movie reviewers.
Ty Burr,Boston Globe film critic and author of Gods Like Us. He is well aware of the chasm between critics and the mainstream movie-going masses.
Overlooked Summer Blockbusters
If you're not a member of the dwindling club of movie reviewers, or you have children who don't go in for subtitles, you may get more practical film advice from Amy Diaz , editor of the Hippo and reviewer of less arcane movies. She's our real world guide to movies that may or may not have gotten a lot of hype, but are worth watching.
Short of Breath
Opiate overdoses and deaths have risen to crisis level in the US. In 2015, Barnstable County on Cape Cod topped the list of overdose deaths per capita in Massachusetts. In the Cape and other hard-hit communities, the overdose reversal drug, Narcan, is now common among first responders and affected families.
This story is told by those most directly involved: the victims, family members, police and EMS who are struggling daily against the opioid epidemic. It was produced by Ryan Sweikert at the Transom Story Workshop.
You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.
Overheard: Welcome to September
NHPR reporters Jack Rodolico and Natasha Haverty joined Virginia for Overheard – our round up of our favorite recent audio.
Natasha's selection comes from the album Improvisations to Music from Elaine May and Mike Nichols, while Jack opted for something closer to home - low tech recordings of his 4-month old son in conversation. Virginia rounded it out with a clip from the radio drama "Movies in Your Head" from the podcast The Heart.
Music on today's episode from:
Broke for Free: "Feel Good"
David Szesztay” “There It Is”
Blue Dot Sessions: “Slow Strutt”
YEYEY: “Wild Things”
Broke Free: “Summer Spliffs”
