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Chris Klimek

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Thursday

What makes something so bad it's good?

A scene from the film Sharknado. Mary Evans Picture Library Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Mary Evans Picture Library Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

Pop Culture Happy Hour

What makes something so bad it's good?

Can something bad really be good? Or are we just using "bad" to mean "silly"? Where does a classic like Rocky Horror Picture Show fit into this scheme? And how do you know whether your appearance in a Sharknado movie bodes well or ill for your acting career? In this encore episode from 2014, we explore the idea of questionable pleasures.

What makes something so bad it's good?

Listen · 16:07
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Tuesday

'Mission: Impossible' is back, but will you accept it, or will it self-destruct?

Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. Christian Black/Paramount Pictures and Skydance hide caption

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Christian Black/Paramount Pictures and Skydance

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Mission: Impossible' is back, but will you accept it, or will it self-destruct?

In the new film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Tom Cruise is back as superspy Ethan Hunt. This time he has to defeat an all-powerful AI known as "The Entity." With many familiar faces and new ones like Hayley Atwell, the movie has chases, peril, and explosions. And yes, Cruise still does a lot of his own stunts. Take our Barbie v. Oppenheimer survey. We're throwing out a few other pop-cultural either-ors, to see if we can't settle a few age-old disputes once and for all. We'll talk about some of the results in an upcoming episode of the show.

'Mission: Impossible' is back, but will you accept it, or will it self-destruct?

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Saturday

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

The excellent summer movie season is what's making Chris Klimek happy this week. Above, a digitally de-aged Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Lucasfilm Ltd. hide caption

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Lucasfilm Ltd.

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Lady Audaci-Tea, a summer of good movies and Hair Plugs & Heartache.

Friday

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' is a whip-crackin' good time

Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Lucasfilm Ltd. hide caption

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Lucasfilm Ltd.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' is a whip-crackin' good time

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the fifth and apparently final film starring Harrison Ford as everyone's favorite globe-trotting, whip-cracking, Nazi-punching archeologist. The movie finds Indy on the cusp of retirement, when he's forced to chase an ancient artifact around the world to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Directed by James Mangold, and also starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen, it's in theaters now.

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' is a whip-crackin' good time

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Friday

With 'Asteroid City,' Wes Anderson serves desert as dessert

Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in a scene from Asteroid City. Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions hide caption

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Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

With 'Asteroid City,' Wes Anderson serves desert as dessert

Writer/director Wes Anderson's latest film Asteroid City is about a tiny town in the middle of the American desert where several young scientific prodigies gather to receive a distinguished award. Also, there's an alien. If you know Anderson's work, the themes are familiar – teenage awkwardness, grief, wistful alienation, strained familial bonds. The ensemble includes Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, and Tom Hanks.

With 'Asteroid City,' Wes Anderson serves desert as dessert

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Friday

Is 'Creed III' a knockout?

Michael B. Jordan stars in Creed III, his directorial debut. Eli Ade/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios hide caption

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Eli Ade/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is 'Creed III' a knockout?

In Creed III, Michael B. Jordan is back as Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the scrappy underdog-turned-world champion boxer from the Rocky franchise. Adonis has decided to retire on top and focus on family. But his plans are blown up when an old friend, played by Jonathan Majors, suddenly reappears. The film is also Jordan's directorial debut.

Is 'Creed III' a knockout?

Listen · 30:17
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Tuesday

'Titanic' was king of the world 25 years ago for a good reason

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio star in the 1997 film Titanic. Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Alamy Stock Photo

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Titanic' was king of the world 25 years ago for a good reason

Titanic was a box office juggernaut 25 years ago, and it catapulted Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into a whole new stratosphere of fame. The film recently returned to theaters, but we've got some distance from Leo Mania and "king of the world" jokes. So how does James Cameron's epic hold up all these years later? In this encore episode, we're revisiting our conversation about Titanic.

'Titanic' was king of the world 25 years ago for a good reason

Listen · 27:10
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Friday

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing

Kento Yamazaki as Ryohei Arisu and Tao Tsuchiya as Yuzuha Usagi in Alice in Borderland. Kumiko Tsuchiya/Netflix hide caption

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Kumiko Tsuchiya/Netflix

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Alice in Borderland Season 2, and the films Aftersun, After Yang and Jeanne Dielman.

Does 'Plane' take off, or just sit on the runway?

Gerard Butler and Mike Colter star in Plane. Kenneth Rexach/Lionsgate hide caption

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Kenneth Rexach/Lionsgate

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Does 'Plane' take off, or just sit on the runway?

What do you need to know about the movie Plane? Well, there's a plane. Specifically, there's a plane that goes down when it's struck by lightning and ends up on the worst possible island. It's then up to a captain, played by Gerard Butler, and his passengers to survive.

Does 'Plane' take off, or just sit on the runway?

Listen · 21:00
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Friday

'Avatar: The Way Of Water' is a feast for the senses

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully and Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri in Avatar: The Way of Water Disney hide caption

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Disney

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Avatar: The Way Of Water' is a feast for the senses

James Cameron's science-fiction epic Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time. But it took 13 years to get a sequel into theaters. Avatar: The Way of Water continues Jake Sully and Neytiri's journey: complete with their children, a new Na'vi tribe and a familiar enemy to confront.

'Avatar: The Way Of Water' is a feast for the senses

Listen · 22:05
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Saturday

Friday

In 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' friendship is war

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell star in the film The Banshees of Inisherin. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' friendship is war

In The Banshees Of Inisherin, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play two longtime drinking buddies who face a crisis when one of them decides he really doesn't want to be friends anymore. Set on a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, the film was written and directed by Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and is in theaters now.

In 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' friendship is war

Listen · 19:40
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Friday

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend reading, listening and viewing

Aasif Mandvi as Ben Shakir, Mike Colter as David Acosta, and Katja Herbers as Kristen Bouchard in Evil Elizabeth Fisher/Elizabeth Fisher/Paramount+ hide caption

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Elizabeth Fisher/Elizabeth Fisher/Paramount+

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend reading, listening and viewing

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Devil in a Blue Dress, Evil, and more.

'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brad Pitt in a scene from the film Bullet Train. Sony Pictures hide caption

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Sony Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

In the new film Bullet Train, Brad Pitt plays an assassin hired to steal a briefcase from a pair of rival assassins played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry. Also in the mix are Andrew Koji, Joey King, Bad Bunny, and Hiroyuki Sanada. It's directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw).

'Bullet Train' a high-speed fail

Listen · 19:45
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Thursday

It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

Ryan Gosling in The Gray Man. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

The Netflix movie The Gray Man stars Ryan Gosling as an inmate who becomes an assassin for the CIA in exchange for his freedom. When a mission goes awry, he has to contend with a sociopathic ex-agent played by Chris Evans. It's directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who made the Captain America and Avengers movies for Marvel.

It's man vs. moustache on 'The Gray Man'

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Thursday

Does 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' attain warp speed?

Anson Mount and Ethan Peck star on the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Marni Grossman/Paramount+ hide caption

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Marni Grossman/Paramount+

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Does 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' attain warp speed?

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, USS Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Spock (Ethan Peck) and their diverse crew boldly go exploring the galaxy. The Paramount+ series takes place a few years before the original series from the '60s, and new show's tone and narrative certainly feel like a return to old-school Star Trek.

Does 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' attain warp speed?

Listen · 20:05
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Monday

'Titanic' was king of the world 25 years ago, and for good reason

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in James Cameron's 1997 hit film, Titanic. Paramount Pictures/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images hide caption

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Paramount Pictures/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Titanic' was king of the world 25 years ago, and for good reason

When Titanic pulled into theaters 25 years ago, it quickly became an inescapable cultural juggernaut. Everything about it was huge: Its budget, runtime, box office, and accolades. And it catapulted Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into a whole new stratosphere of fame. Now that we've got some distance from Leo Mania and "king of the world" jokes, how does James Cameron's epic hold up all these years later? Vote for your favorite American Idol contestants at npr.org/AmericanIdol

'Titanic' was king of the world 25 years ago, and for good reason

Listen · 27:40
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Tuesday

In 'The Northman,' it takes a pillage

Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth and Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga in director Robert Eggers' The Northman. Aidan Monaghan/Focus Features hide caption

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Aidan Monaghan/Focus Features

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'The Northman,' it takes a pillage

In The Northman, Alexander Skarsgård plays a Viking prince who flees his island kingdom when his uncle kills his father and marries his mother. It's based on a very old but familiar story that predates Shakespeare's Hamlet by a few centuries. Directed by Robert Eggers, The Northman is a tale of bloody revenge with painstakingly researched historical accuracy surrounding the gods and monsters of Viking culture. Vote for your favorite American Idol contestants at npr.org/AmericanIdol

In 'The Northman,' it takes a pillage

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Tuesday

Work/life get unbalanced in 'Severance'

Zach Cherry, Adam Scott, Tramell Tillman, John Turturro and Patricia Arquette star in the Apple TV+ series Severance. Atsushi Nishijima/Apple TV+ hide caption

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Atsushi Nishijima/Apple TV+

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Work/life get unbalanced in 'Severance'

In the excellent new Apple TV+ series Severance, a group of office workers are experiencing work-life balance on a whole other level. Adam Scott, John Turturro, and others play employees that have undergone brain surgery that completely separates their memories of work from their memories of their regular lives. Severance is a workplace satire, a futuristic thought experiment about identity, and a drama about the dimensions of grief.

Work/life get unbalanced in 'Severance'

Listen · 19:00
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Friday

A Rock and a Reynolds meet a Gal in 'Red Notice'

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds pack a few punches in Netflix's Red Notice. Frank Masi/Netflix hide caption

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Frank Masi/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

A Rock and a Reynolds meet a Gal in 'Red Notice'

What has a wisecracking Ryan Reynolds, a glamorous Gal Gadot, a muscled Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and a very convoluted story about priceless eggs? It's the new Netflix action comedy Red Notice, which combines cars, boats and secret safes with ballroom dancing and a jailbreak — all in the same frame as three big-budget action leads.

A Rock and a Reynolds meet a Gal in 'Red Notice'

Listen · 23:40
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Wednesday

Daniel Craig is the bookend Bond, giving 007's story a beginning — and an end

In No Time to Die, Daniel Craig shows us a James Bond who's gone fishing. Nicola Dove/© 2021 DANJAQ, LLC and MGM. hide caption

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Nicola Dove/© 2021 DANJAQ, LLC and MGM.

Movies

Daniel Craig is the bookend Bond, giving 007's story a beginning — and an end

The last James Bond movie to star Daniel Craig is out today; Chris Klimek argues that Craig is the "bookend Bond," showing us 007 at the beginning and end, but never the prime of his career.

Daniel Craig is the bookend Bond, giving 007's story a beginning — and an end

Listen · 3:59
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Friday

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