Matthew McConaughey & St. Vincent

Matthew McConaughey: “Scare the Hell out of Me”
Over the past few years, Matthew McConaughey has transformed his Hollywood persona from rom-com stud to dramatic lead. He took on dark, complex roles in The Lincoln Lawyer, Mud, Magic Mike, and True Detective, and turned in an Oscar-winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club as the macho loser turned AIDS crusader Ron Woodroof. (Originally aired: January 17, 2014)

St. Vincent Becomes St. Vincent
In the tradition of self-titled albums like The Velvet Underground (that band’s third record), St. Vincent titled her fourth solo record St. Vincent. Why? Because, she thought, “I sound like myself on this record.'”The songwriter, singer, and guitarist Annie Clark has used the name since 2006. “‘Annie Clark’ sounds, to be frank, very, very boring,” she admits. (Originally aired: February 14, 2014)

Now Playing in Black-and-White
Last year saw a mini-revival of an archaic medium: black-and-white film. Frances Ha, Much Ado about Nothing, and Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, among others— these films were shot digitally, then de-colorized. The process cuts costs, but there are aesthetic reasons, too. “I’ve always liked black-and-white because it’s not about verisimilitude to life,” says Greta Gerwig, star and co-writer of Frances Ha. “This is not the world — this is film.” (Originally aired: December 6, 2013)