Film

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new box-set of film music by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, "A Fistful of Film Music" (Rhino).

Nicholas Pileggi discusses his book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. (Simon & Schuster Oct. 1995) It is based on the true story of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and his account of how the mob controlled several casinos in Las Vegas in the 1970s and early 80s. Pileggi also wrote the screenplay for a movie based on "Casino." A film directed by Martin Scorsese starring Robert DeNiro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. Pileggi's best-selling book Wiseguy was used as the basis for the film "Goodfellas." Pileggi lives in New York City.

Guest film critic Steve Vineberg reviews "Nadja" a vampire movie set in contemporary New York City. David Lynch was executive producer, and has a cameo role.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Unstrung Heroes."

Actor/comic Kevin Pollack. He got his start in standup. It was his performance in Barry Levinson's "Avalon," as Izzy the TV salesman, that catapulted his acting career. Since then he's appeared in "A Few Good Men," "Miami Rhapsody" and "Grumpy Old Men." He's currently starring in "The Usual Suspects." Later this Fall you can see him in the new Martin Scorsese film, "Casino."

Composer Philip Glass. His latest work is a new score for the 1946 Jean Cocteau film adaptation of "La Belle et la Bête" ("Beauty and the Beast"). Glass's score includes four voices who sing a libretto, based on the screenplay. Glass has toured the live music-film event in Europe and the United States. One reviewer called it "a beautiful, superbly integrated work." (Time, Dec. 19, 1994). (The score is available on Nonesuch Records.)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new reissue of the original soundtrack for The Wizard of Oz, a 2-CD set that includes some music never used in the film. (Rhino)

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews Spike Lee's new film "Clockers." Then we hear an excerpt from a June 6,1992 interview with novelist Richard Price who wrote "Clockers."

Steve Vineberg reviews the new film "Jeffrey" based on the Paul Rudnick play about sex in the age of AIDS.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new film "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo. . . in drag.

Independent film director Robert Rodriguez. At the age of 23 he made the Spanish-language action film, "El Mariachi" for $7,000. His techniques for keeping the budget down included, shooting before lunch so he wouldn't have to buy the actors lunch, and using a wheelchair that he'd borrowed from the local hospital for a dolly. Rodriguez's film won the Sundance Audience Award in 1993, and went on to be distributed nationally. He's just completed the sequel "Desperado" starring Antonio Banderas.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new romantic comedy "The Brothers McMullen."

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Beyond Rangoon" the new adventure film directed by John Boorman, who also directed "Deliverence," and "The Emerald Forest."

Record producer and musician Don Was. He co-founded the funk rock group, "Was (Not) Was." This year he won a Grammy for Producer of the Year. In addition, he's produced a number of albums for Bonnie Raitt (Was produced Raitt's "Nick of Time" album which revived her career), Rolling Stones, Lyle Lovett, Al Green, Iggy Pop, and the B-52's. He's ventured into documentary film production with "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," about ex-Beachboy Brian Wilson. Was directed the film.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new thriller "The Usual Suspects," starring Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Chazz Palminteri, and Kevin Pollack.

From The Alloy Orchestra, composer and keyboardist Caleb Sampson. The band has gained a reputation for composing and performing exciting, percussive silent film scores. Their repertoire includes scores for "Metropolis," "Nosferatu," "Lonesome," and their newest, for the Russian classic "Man with a Movie Camera." The film has a "sneak preview" at the Telluride Film Festival in early September, and it premieres at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in Italy in October. They have two CD's.

Senior curator of the motion picture collection at the George Eastman House, Paolo Cherchi UsaiI. He is also Associate Professor of Film Studies at the University of Rochester. He is an expert on silent films, and is co-director and co-founder of the Pordenone Silent Film Festival. He has worked with Alloy Orchestra on several film projects. And he restored the print of "Lonesome." He's the author of numerous articles and studies of silent film.

Film director Larry Clark. He's making his directing debut with the new film "Kids." The film has generated controversy for its "throwaway brutality," and its graphic portrayal of a group of antisocial teenagers in Manhattan, where sex is easy and deadly and drugs are common place. Clark has photographed the gritty side of teenage life for two books, Tulsa, and Teenage Life. The film's screenwriter is a 21 year old skateboarder Clark met while hanging out with a group of them in Manhattan's Washington Square Park.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Clueless." The film stars Alicia Silverstone and was written and directed by Amy Heckerling who Schiff considers one of the top two female directors in Hollywood. Heckerling's other films include "Fast times at Ridgemont High," and "LookWho's Talking."

TV producer, writer, director and actor Garry Marshall. He's considered a "One man Who's Who" of Television. He's written for The Lucy Show, The Danny Thomas Show, The Tonight Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Jack Parr Show, and Love American Style. He created 14 prime time sitcoms including Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, The Odd Couple. During one week in 1979, Marshall boasted four of the top five rated TV shows.