May 2, 2018

No Image

Today in Movie Culture: Millennium Falcon Tour By Donald Glover, 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Easter Eggs and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Movie Set Tour of the Day:

Join Donald Glover as he gives a tour of the Millennium Falcon at the time Lando Calrissian owns it in Solo: A Star Wars Story:

[embedded content]

Easter Eggs of the Day:

ScreenCrush breaks down the new trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp and highlights Easter eggs and its links to Avengers: Infinity War:

[embedded content]

Director Commentary of the Day:

For Vanity Fair, Joe and Anthony Russo break down the scene where Thor meets the Guardians of the Galaxy in Avengers: Infinity War:

[embedded content]

Cosplay of the Day:

A fan shows off her Gamora cosplay with perfect makeup job in celebration of the release of Avengers: Infinity War:

Infinity war hype!!!! I’m so happy with how my Gamora makeup turned out!!! Who is your guys fave avenger??? Hope your having a good day!!! #infinitywar#Gamora#cosplaypic.twitter.com/JLh0eqHX4G

— Andy Rae (@AndyRae1) May 2, 2018

Character in Close-Up:

In the latest edition of IMDb’s Awesome Bad Guys, Patrick Epino profiles Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada:

[embedded content]

Vintage Image of the Day:

Filmmaking legend Satyajit Ray, who was born on this day in 1921, directs Soumitra Chatterjee on the set of 1959’s The World of Apu (the final installment of The Apu Trilogy):

Cinematography Showcase of the Day:

This video from Jorge Luengo highlights the art of Roger Deakins’s master and wide shots in Blade Runner 2049:

[embedded content]

Video Essay of the Day:

Patrick Willems explains why Paddington is one of the best children’s movies of all time in his latest video essay:

[embedded content]

Fan Theory of the Day:

John Carpenter claims one of the characters left at the end of The Thing isn’t human, so That Film Theory deduces which one:

[embedded content]

Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 10th anniversary of the release of Iron Man, which kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Watch the original trailer for the superhero classic below.

[embedded content]

and

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


No Image

In The New York Real Estate Market, Trump's Name May Be Losing Its Luster

Workers remove Trump signage from Trump Place on Riverside Boulevard. on Manhattan’s West Side on Nov. 16, 2016. A separate building nearby has asked for permission to remove Trump’s name.

Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images

hide caption

toggle caption

Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images

James Tufenkian loves everything about the 72-story glass tower where he lives on Manhattan’s East Side, near the United Nations. It has great views, a helpful and accommodating staff and is very well managed.

The only thing he doesn’t like is the name: Trump World Tower.

“I have to explain to everybody who comes to visit me that I’m sorry about the name on the building, that I live there doesn’t constitute any kind of endorsement,” says Tufenkian, who heads a New York carpet company.

New York may be the place Donald Trump calls home and made his fortune, but he remains distinctly unpopular in much of the city and lost the 2016 election to Hillary Clinton by a landslide there.

Now, there are signs the Trump name, emblazoned on high-end properties all over the city, is suffering the consequences.

Several buildings on the Upper West Side have already dropped the Trump name. The Trump Soho, a condo hotel launched with great fanfare a decade ago, is now known as the Dominick.

On Thursday, a condominium building at 200 Riverside Blvd. will ask a New York Supreme Court judge whether it has the right to drop Trump’s name if it chooses. A recent straw poll of building residents indicated that most want to do so.

The building, now known as Trump Place, is not owned by Trump, but it’s managed by the Trump Organization, which opposes the name change.

Elizabeth Holub, who owns an apartment there, says she has no complaints about the way the building, which has a highly desirable view of the Hudson River, is run.

“The reality is, it’s the best run building. It’s unbelievable. Every member of the staff. There’s no better place in the world to raise a family,” Holub says.

Still, she wishes it were named something other than Trump.

“Look, I can’t stand Donald Trump. I’m sorry he’s the president. I don’t support his policies,” she adds.

It’s not just politics that is making some buildings think about de-Trumping themselves. It’s also a matter of money.

While real estate prices have softened in much of New York over the past two years, especially at the high end, some evidence suggests that the Trump name can hurt sales.

One business official with deep knowledge of the real estate industry, who didn’t want his name used to protect his business relationships, said there’s no question Trump apartments are sitting on the market longer than they used to.

Even Trump Tower has recorded many fewer sales so far this year than it did during previous periods in 2016 and 2017, the official said.

As the home of the president, Trump Tower is guarded by the Secret Service, and residents have to endure intense security measures, which may have temporarily scared some buyers away.

But there are signs other Trump buildings in the city may also be losing value.

The online brokerage firm Zumper has studied rental prices at Trump buildings. Nathan Tondow, managing broker at the firm’s New York office, says in most cases, Trump buildings now fetch somewhat lower rents and sit on the market longer than they did two years ago.

More recently, the differences have narrowed, although Tondow says that may be due to seasonable factors.

This being New York, good apartments are always in short supply, and prospective tenants will always snatch up good deals, even when they’re named Trump, he says. But the Trump name does matter in some cases.

“We’ve had rental clients who didn’t want to see buildings, because they did have the Trump name on them. And we tried to explain that it is owned by someone else. It’s just the Trump name. And they say, “I know. But walking into that everyday just feels wrong.”

The Trump Organization did not respond to a request for comment. But the company has pushed back against the lawsuit by 200 Riverside Blvd., insisting that the building is obligated to use the Trump name.

The president’s son, Eric Trump, recently told David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post, “I will always fight vehemently against rogue individuals not only to protect our incredible owners but also to protect the legacy of a true visionary who did so much to shape the New York City skyline.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


No Image

New Mix: Dirty Projectors, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, More

Clockwise from upper left: Dirty Projectors, Stephen Malkmus, Red Baraat, Valley Queen

Courtesy of the artists

hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artists

The release of Dirty Projectors’ self-titled album last year came after a five-year hiatus and the departure of longtime singer Amber Coffman. The songs, which documented that departure, were heart-breaking, dark and cathartic. But frontman David Longstreth is already back with a follow-up, and brighter one at that. Lamp Lit Prose (out July 13) suggests he’s emerged with a newfound optimism,and on this week’s show we’ve got the first single from it: “Break-Thru.”

Also on the show: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks return with a sparkling reflection on growing older in America; the New York-based duo Sofi Tukker deliver lyrical dance pop with plenty of humor; Shannon & The Clams channel early-’60s pop on the band’s latest album, Onion; and Valley Queen, featuring the powerful but nuanced voice of singer Natalie Carol, previews its upcoming debut album with a new single.

All that, plus the psych-folk of Chicago-based singer Jessica Risker and the wildly infectious, soul-grooving music of Red Baraat.

Songs And Artists Featured On This Episode

Cover for Lamp Lit Prose

Dirty Projectors

  • Song: Break-Thru
  • from Lamp Lit Prose

Dirty Projectors’ upcoming album, Lamp Lit Prose, features a new line-up, an adventurous, buoyant sound, and comes just a year after the band’s self-titled release. Lamp Lit Prose is out July 13 on Domino Records.

[embedded content]
YouTube

Cover for Sparkle Hard

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

  • Song: Middle America
  • from Sparkle Hard

Few artists can write a hook as immediately infectious or distinctive as Stephen Malkmus. On his latest release with The Jicks, the former Pavement frontman considers, among other things, how one stays relevant and vital while growing older. Sparkle Hard is out May 18 on Matador Records.

[embedded content]
YouTube

Cover for Treehouse

Sofi Tukker

  • Song: Benadryl
  • from Treehouse

Sofi Tukker is a New York-based duo featuring the work of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. Their music is an often humorous take on four-on-the-floor dance pop with fantastic lyrics. Sofi Tukker’s latest full-length, Treehouse, is out now on Ultra Records.

[embedded content]
YouTube

Cover for Onion

Shannon & The Clams

  • Song: Onion
  • from Onion

When you hear the music of the Oakland, Calif., band Shannon & The Clams, you’ll immediately recognize the early ’60s pop sounds of Del Shannon, Ritchie Valens or The Animals. But the group’s latest album, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, has sharper edges — and a lot of heart.

[embedded content]
YouTube

Cover for Supergiant

01Supergiant

2:51

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/607614006/607624040" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Valley Queen

  • Song: Supergiant
  • from Supergiant

All Songs Considered‘s Bob Boilen first discovered the music of Valley Queen at SXSW in Austin, Texas, back in 2016 and has eagerly awaited a debut album from the band ever since. Singer Natalie Carol possesses a stunning voice that can rattle the walls and stir the soul.

Cover for I See You Among The Stars

Jessica Risker

  • Song: I See You Among The Stars
  • from I See You Among The Stars

Jessica Risker is a former social worker, and now licensed counselor, whose songs exude a mix of introspection and universal observations you might expect from someone who spends their days helping people navigate their lives. Her arresting new album of delicate, slightly trippy folk songs is out now on Western Vinyl.

[embedded content]
YouTube

Cover for Sound The People

01Kala Mukhra

3:01

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/607614006/607624050" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Red Baraat

  • Song: Kala Mukhra
  • from Sound The People

Red Baraat is a Brooklyn-based ensemble that makes heart-pounding, insanely infectious Punjabi folk music. The band is particularly known and loved for its unforgettable live performances. Red Baraat’s latest album, Sound The People, is out June 29.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


No Image

Planned Parenthood Sues To Block Trump's 'Radical Shift' In Family Planning Program

President Trump shakes hands with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar after he is sworn in by Vice President Pence on Jan. 29. Major reproductive health organizations are voicing concerns about the Trump administration’s new approach to federal family-planning grants, which may reduce the role of Planned Parenthood and place greater emphasis on “natural family planning.”

Andrew Harnik/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Andrew Harnik/AP

Updated at 11:50 a.m. ET

Three national reproductive rights groups are suing the Trump administration, arguing that changes to the federal Title X program will put the health of millions of low-income patients at risk by prioritizing practices such as the rhythm method over comprehensive sexual health services.

The two lawsuits filed Wednesday — one by about the state budget here: https://t.co/GAD5jYtjpA

— Gov. Pete Ricketts (@GovRicketts) April 4, 2018

Texas: Revisiting federal funding — without Planned Parenthood in the mix

Under the Obama administration, Texas was excluded from receiving Title X family planning funds because of the state’s ban on public funds going to organizations that provide abortions. Now, Texas officials see an opportunity to recapture that funding while maintaining that prohibition.

In March, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar asking the state to be allowed to receive those funds under the Trump administration:

“In light of the recent statements by … President Trump,” Paxton wrote, “… and communications that Texas officials had with members of your agency last Fall, Texans are encouraged that cooperative participation to accomplish the objectives of the Title X program, is yet again possible.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


No Image

Turkish Soccer Fan Won't Let A Ban Stop Him

A soccer fan in Turkey was banned from his local stadium for a year. So he hired a crane to sit and watch the game from above the stands. Police made him take it down.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I’m Steve Inskeep. A Turkish soccer fan apparently loved his team a little too much. The man, named Ali, was ejected from the stadium of his favorite team for some undisclosed misbehavior. Police made him sign a paper saying he would not return. But refusing to miss the game, he hired a crane and watched from over the bleachers. Police finally ordered him down. You can take the fan out of the stadium, but you can’t take the stadium far enough away from the fan. It’s MORNING EDITION.

Copyright © 2018 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)