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Stop-motion animation master Ray Harryhausen, the man responsible for such cinematic gems as the skeleton fight in Jason and the Argonauts and the big ape in Mighty Joe Young, has a new book, Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life (Billboard Books, ISBN 0823084027). NPR's David Kestenbaum speaks with the special effects whiz.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell about two new compilations that have just been released on DVD: the TV series In Living Color and the comedy sketch series SCTV.

NPR's Bob Mondello reviews the movie The Stepford Wives, which opens Friday. The film, starring Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick, is a dark comedy re-make of a 1970s horror film.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Danish filmmaker Jorgen Leth about the new film he made with Lars Von Trier, The Five Obstructions. Von Trier challenged Leth to remake Leth's short film The Perfect Human with five different sets of "obstructions," or limitations. Leth explains how he undertook the challenge.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Tim Page, music critic for The Washington Post, about new, expanded criteria for the Pulitzer Prize in music. The changes are an effort to broaden the prize to include more jazz, musical theatre and movie music. Critics contend the Pulitzer board is making the award less serious.

NPR's Bob Mondello reviews a documentary film about camel herders in Mongolia: The Story of the Weeping Camel. The project began with two student filmmakers looking for interesting story to tell.

The pioneering PBS children's show Sesame Street, which is in its 35th season, has substantially reduced its writing staff and will only create 26 new episodes this year. The cuts come as PBS faces increased competition for preschoolers' attention from fare on cable TV and video. Jon Kalish reports.

An estimated 100 movies will debut in U.S. theaters between Memorial Day and Labor Day. NPR's Bob Mondello offers a selective preview of some of the summer movies he says might be interesting.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment in the popular film series about a British boy wizard, opens in U.S. theaters Friday. Critics say the movie is darker, edgier and more complex than its predecessors. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan has a review.

The self-deprecating humorist is back with a new collection of autobiographical essays. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim offers tales about his eccentric family and experiences abroad.