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Movies on the Radio: Superhero Films That Soared, Or Splattered

 Gal Gadot arrives at the world premiere of "Wonder Woman" in Los Angeles.
Jordan Strauss/Invision
/
AP - 2017
Gal Gadot arrives at the world premiere of "Wonder Woman" in Los Angeles.

Superheroes have captured the American imagination since the 1930s. Characters including Superman, Batman and Spiderman represented men of strength and moral fiber who inspired as they fought the forces of evil. It was an easy jump to the silver screen, where today, multiple superhero films are released every year, blowing up box office records as often as they do the bad guys.

Host Frank Stasio talks with Marsha Gordon, film professor at North Carolina State University, and Laura Boyes, film curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art, about listener picks for the best and worst superhero films.​

On this edition of “Movies on the Radio,” film experts Marsha Gordon and Laura Boyes talk about what we look for in our heroes, who should count as “super,”  how the genre is changing and whether technology is helping or hurting it.

Host Frank Stasio talks with Gordon, film professor at North Carolina State University, and Boyes, film curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art, about listener picks for the best and worst super

hero films.​

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio

Jennifer Brookland is a temporary producer for The State of Things.
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.