Fresh Air

Guillermo Del Toro Finally Makes His Own ‘Frankenstein’

by

When Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was a kid growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, he would draw monsters all day. His deeply Catholic grandmother even had him exorcised because of it. But when del Toro saw the 1931 film Frankenstein, his life changed. “I realized I understood my faith or my dogmas better through Frankenstein than through Sunday mass.” His new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic book drops on Netflix Nov. 7. He spoke with Terry Gross about getting over his fear of death, the design of Frankenstein’s creature, and his opinion on generative AI. 

Also, Justin Chang reviews the Palme d’Or-winning film It Was Just An Accident. 

Follow Fresh Air on instagram @nprfreshair, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for gems from the Fresh Air archive, staff recommendations, and a peek behind the scenes. 

Interview: ‘I May Destroy You’ Let Michaela Coel Explore Dangerous Areas In A Safe Place

by

In the HBO drama, a young woman is drugged and sexually assaulted — and then must piece together what happened to her. Coel wrote, directed and stars in the show, which is based on her own experience.

The new HBO series I May Destroy You is a stylish, sometimes funny drama about a very serious subject: rape and sexual assault.

Source: ‘I May Destroy You’ Let Michaela Coel Explore Dangerous Areas In A Safe Place

Fresh Air July 22

Billy Bragg On Skiffle, The Movement That Brought Guitar To British Radio : NPR

by

The singer describes skiffle as “a bunch of British school boys in the mid ’50s playing Lead Belly’s repertoire … on acoustic guitars.” Bragg’s new book is Roots, Radicals And Rockers.

Listen to Billy Bragg’s interview with Terry Gross: Billy Bragg On Skiffle, The Movement That Brought Guitar To British Radio : NPR