Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen

Kurt Andersen talks with Seth Rogen, whose amiably foul-mouthed man-boy characters have transformed American comedy, about finally writing a decent role for a woman. (Hint: It helps to be married.) And a new study ranks movie critics from harsh to gushy; Kurt asks one of the hatingest critics why so many movies are overrated. Plus, Lydia Davis, whose short stories are so short they’re sometimes one-liners.  

Kurt Andersen talks with Kevin Spacey, who explains how Richard III — the baddest king Shakespeare ever put in a play — set the stage for Beltway backstabber Francis Underwood (D, South Carolina) in House of Cards. We also find out why you won’t hear the original racist lyric in “My Old Kentucky Home” at the Kentucky Derby, and why that may be a problem. And the band Cibo Matto, who defined a new kind of groovy in the 1990s, returns with a concept album about a ghost.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare — the Bard would be 450 this month. But after centuries dominating the world’s theaters, could you give anyone else a place on the stage? Could we try Marlowe in the Park, or an Oregon Centlivre Festival? Plus, another rapper goes on trial for lyrics that prosecutors say constitute evidence of a violent crime. And the novelist Jeff VanderMeer sees the Sunshine State as the perfect setting for an alien invasion.

This is where television invented itself. It set the model for the hit family sitcom. Lucy was a bad girl trapped in the life of a ‘50s housewife; her slapstick quest for fame and fortune ended in abject failure weekly. Both the antics and the humiliation entered the DNA of TV comedy, from Desperate Housewives to 30 Rock — writers can’t live without Lucy. Rapper Mellow Man Ace celebrates the breaking of an ethnic taboo; a drag performer celebrates Lucy as a freak. With novelist Oscar Hijuelos, producer Chuck Lorre, The Office’s Mindy Kaling, and a marriage counselor who has some advice for the bickering couple. I Love Lucy was produced by Jenny Lawton, with production assistance from Chloe Plaunt and Claes Andreasson. David Krasnow edited the show.   → Quiz: How well do you know Lucy?   Bonus Track: Mindy Hearts Ricky Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project, The Office) grew up thinking I Love Lucy was “one of the many black and white things that people keep telling you is so great ... and you’re just sort of bored and annoyed by it.” Then her Office boss Greg Daniels ordered her to watch it. She came away with a pretty serious crush on Ricky Ricardo. And she says she's not bothered by jokes about his accent.   Bonus Track: Deconstructing Lucy Although Lucy's on-screen antics may have looked improvised, every gesture, glance, and step was written into the script. Gregg Oppenheimer — son of creator, producer, and head writer Jess Oppenheimer — reads a bit of telling stage direction from “Lucy is Enceinte.” Jess and Gregg Oppenheimer are the authors of Laughs, Luck ... and Lucy. → Read an excerpt from the "Lucy is Enciente" episode script   Bonus Track: Notes on a Scandal In 1955 Confidential Magazine, a Hollywood scandal rag, reported on Desi Arnaz’s supposed philandering. Dartmouth film and television professor Mary Desjardins explores the less desirable side effect of being a celebrity couple. → Read about Lucy and Desi in Confidential Magazine (1955)   Slideshow: Behind the scenes of I Love Lucy

This week, three takes on superheroes. Kurt Andersen talks with Robert Rodriguez, who likes his characters “indestructible.” Now the film director is overseeing a new English language cable network for Latino audiences. A graphic novel brings to life the Boxer Rebellion, when peasants believed the gods would give them magical powers to defeat their enemies. And will the success of The Hunger Games finally bring some female action heroes to the big screen?

Hayao Miyazaki’s final film is about World War II and the designer of the legendary, destructive Zero airplane. Is the outspoken pacifist wavering in his position on the war? The young novelist Helen Oyeyemi blends folk tales and realistic fiction — her new book, Boy, Snow, Bird, places Snow White in 1950s small town America, and asks who the real villain is.  Plus, master of horror Wes Craven picks the very best of our Scary Short Film Fest. 

For the first time in a decade, Jesus is starring on the big screen, and the creators of Son of God are determined to avoid the bad blood from last time. Producers of the final Hunger Games movie attempt to resurrect Philip Seymour Hoffman, digitally. And Kurt Andersen talks with the composer Harold Budd, whose music is subtle, contemplative, and unabashedly beautiful.

This week in Studio 360, Kurt Andersen talks with a songwriter whose words are being sung by protesters in the deadly clashes in Venezuela — he gives a firsthand account of life trapped behind barricades. A playwright explains why he moved Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra from Rome to colonial Haiti. And a former CIA man brings his Cold War experiences to light on the TV spy show The Americans.

Who is Oscar? (Hint: his real name isn’t Oscar.) This week, we reveal the man who inspired the Academy Awards’ iconic gold statue. Kurt Andersen talks with filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, who explains why the astounding special effects in his movie Gravity (up for 10 Oscars) take second place to Sandra Bullock’s performance as an untethered astronaut. The director of the disturbing and singular documentary The Act of Killing takes us into the minds of Indonesian paramilitaries. Plus, Laura Cantrell performs the songs of country legend Kitty Wells live in the studio.

The powerhouse guitarist Annie Clark, also known as St. Vincent, calls her music a cross between pop and “lunatic fringe.” She tells Kurt Andersen how David Byrne and metal heroes Pantera inspired her new album. The author Rebecca Mead makes the case for George Eliot's Middlemarch as the greatest novel of all time — all 900 pages of it. Plus, Olympic skaters in Sochi get high marks for their triple axels, but if we have to hear one more instrumental rock medley...

This is an American revolution set down on the page. When Malcolm X was assassinated at 39, his book nearly died with him. Today The Autobiography of Malcolm X — a favorite of President Obama and Justice Clarence Thomas alike — stands as a milestone in America’s struggle with race. The Autobiography is also a Horatio Alger tale, following a man’s journey from poverty to crime to militancy to wisdom. Muslims look to Malcolm as a figure of tolerance; a tea party activist claims him for the Right; Public Enemy’s Chuck D tells us, “This book is like food. It ain’t McDonalds — it’s sit down at the table and say grace.”   The Autobiography of Malcolm X was produced by Derek John and Lu Olkowski and edited by David Krasnow. The actor Dion Graham read passages from the book.   Bonus Track: Painting an Icon Artist Charles Lilly's painting of Malcolm X adorns the cover of the Ballantine Books edition of The Autobiography. In this bonus cut, he explains his famous work.               Bonus Track: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remembers Malcolm X NBA Hall of Fame member Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks about hearing Malcolm X speak as a teenager in Harlem and the profound impact The Autobiography had on him in college.   Video: Studio 360 tours Alex Haley's writing studio

A stage play riffs on Three’s Company to talk about homophobia and drugs; is it fair use? Not to the copyright holder, who’s trying to block its publication. Kurt Andersen talks with comedian BJ Novak, who made his mark in The Office (as the know-it-all Ryan), and has published a book of sharp short stories that are more than comedy. And alt-pop instigator Neneh Cherry performs in the studio. Her first album in a decade is a punked-out soul record that will rip your eardrums a new one.  

This week in Studio 360, using music to change the world. Pete Seeger, who died this week at age 94, told Kurt Andersen a few years ago about his most important work: singing at college campuses for bus fare. And when the Black Panthers wanted to spread their message, they formed an R&B band, complete with jumpsuits. With Koyaanisqatsi, 30 years ago, Godfrey Reggio hoped to change the world; he’s still trying in a profound new film, Visitors. Plus, tired of Wes Craven’s movies scaring the bejeezus out of you? Here’s your chance to get back at him, with our Scary Short Film Fest.

From Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to George Orwell’s 1984 to Spike Jonze’s Oscar-nominated Her, artists have imagined what the future will look like. In this week’s episode, Kurt Andersen explores how science fiction has shaped the world we’re living in right now. The inventor of the cell phone gives credit to Star Trek’s communicator; International Space Station superstar Chris Hadfield explains the ups and downs of space; and science writer Carl Zimmer says the giant sandworms of Dune got him interested in life on Earth. And we answer the age old question: where’s my flying car?  

This week, Kurt Andersen talks with Matthew McConaughey, who set out to transform his career with a string of dark, thorny roles. He just won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for his edgy antihero Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. Plus, a Texas tinkerer believes that he’s uncovered the secret of the uncanny painter Vermeer. And New York’s Museum of Modern Art sets out to destroy some great architecture.