Moviegoers may not know that the tiger fight in the Coliseum was fictional, but they did appreciate Gladiator’s depiction of ancient Rome. Gladiator is one of several blockbuster films nominated by viewers for the History Channel’s Harry Award. History Channel’s Steve Gillon and Josh Binswanger join Brooke to discuss the ...

Many Hollywood films are not considered Oscar-worthy, but you’d never know it by the critical “acclaim” quoted in their advertising. Bob takes a critical look at the creation of movie blurbs.

If this weekend’s Oscar nominees for best song are any indication, movie music has become less about the movie, more about radio airplay, and definitely about big business. Brooke takes a look at how the “best song” has evolved from a Tin Pan Alley classic to a pop star hit.

Movie musicals used to win both at the box office and at the Oscars, but now they are rarely even seen on the silver screen. Where has the traditional American movie musical gone? Its relocated to the small screen. On The Media’s Tony Maciulis has the story.

Airplane passengers are a captive audience and airlines take care to have their films edited to avoid offending their passengers - unless the passengers are flying Virgin Atlantic. Film distributor Jeff Klein of Jaguar Distributions gives Brooke the inside story on the airplane edit and Sarah Evans of Virgin Atlantic ...

Chances are, if you’ve seen an airplane in a movie, it was a set. With air traffic delays on the rise, it’s not surprising that film crews are not considered a welcome addition to a busy landing strip. Reporter Rachael Myrow journeys to the north end of San Fernando Valley ...

This week another movie plays with a relatively new media phenomenon - reality TV. The premise of the film “Series 7” is a reality TV game show ala Survivor, but in this game the winner is the one left living. Brooke talks to “Series 7” director Daniel Minahan about concept ...

Hollywood movies often paint an unflattering picture of the media. The film “15 Minutes,” which recently opened in theaters, is no exception. Reaching back to Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane,” Brooke and Slate.com film critic David Edelstein take a look at Hollywood’s image of the sensation-seeking media.

DVD's have penetrated the market twice as fast as the CD, almost three times faster than the VCR. Some 20 million players are predicted to be in American homes by the end of the year. With all the extras - the making of documentaries, the interviews with the actors, the ...

In his new book, "Hollywood vs. Hardcore," author John Lewis argues that instead of fighting efforts to censor film content, Hollywood has gladly silenced itself for more than half a century to protect its bottom line. Brooke talks to Lewis about how the film business actually profited from censorship.

You’ve heard him in dozens of movies, but you can’t quite place his name. That’s because he’s not an actor, he’s a sound effect, and among sound editors he’s legendary. On The Media’s David Serchuk reports.

Real people can be made real famous by their cinematic portrayals. Unlike Erin Brockevich, not all people portrayed in movies become household names, but their lives do change. Brooke talks to Jerry Stahl, the real person behind Ben Stiller’s character in the 1998 movie “Permanent Midnight,” about life after the ...

The sci-fi flick Left Behind” is out in theaters this month. Based on the idea of the second coming of Christ, the Left Behind book series has sold 33 million copies. The video based on the books was one of the top releases in 2000. But the feature film faces ...

Films about artists that try to dramatize the creative process often fail because creation is largely internal - and by definition - uncinematic. But two new films seem to buck that trend. From WNYC in New York, Sara Fishko reports.

The Sundance Film Festival closes this weekend in Park City, Utah. Many aspiring filmmakers at the festival hoped that the internet would become the ultimate venue for promoting and viewing new films. But as the dot com economy weakens, dreams of cyberspace movie premieres fade. Reporter David D’arcy has the ...