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Movies

Maya Erskine Takes The Lead In 'Plus One' And 'PEN15'

Maya Erskine (left) is co-creator and co-star of Hulu's PEN15 with Anna Konkle. Hulu hide caption

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Hulu

It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Maya Erskine Takes The Lead In 'Plus One' And 'PEN15'

Maya Erskine has come a long way from the NYU experimental theater department where she met her PEN15 co-creator Anna Konkle. In this encore episode, Erskine talks to Sam about her starring role in the genre-bending romantic comedy Plus One and how she wrote her own life experiences into the character she plays on Hulu's PEN15.

Maya Erskine Takes The Lead In 'Plus One' And 'PEN15'

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Great Recent Movies We Missed

Lakeith Stanfield and Issa Rae star in The Photograph, written and directed by Stella Meghie. Emily Aragones/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Emily Aragones/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Great Recent Movies We Missed

This is not a normal summer movie season. Theaters are closed, big projects are delayed, and we're missing the flood of new films that would usually have already started. But you don't have to go without movies. That's because even if you see a lot, you miss even more. We do too, and that's what we're talking about today: some recent films we missed that are well worth your time. Plus, we remember the lives and work of Fred Willard and Lynn Shelton.

Great Recent Movies We Missed

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Science Movie Club: 'Contact'

Much of the movie 'Contact' was filmed at the Very Large Array in New Mexico. Erin Slonaker/Moment Editorial/Getty Images hide caption

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Erin Slonaker/Moment Editorial/Getty Images

Short Wave

Science Movie Club: 'Contact'

Yes, there actually are astronomers looking for intelligent life in space. The 1997 film adaptation of Carl Sagan's 'Contact' got a lot of things right ... and a few things wrong. Radio astronomer Summer Ash, an education specialist with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, breaks down the science in the film.

Science Movie Club: 'Contact'

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The Movies From The Year 2000

Were you or were you not entertained by Russell Crowe in Gladiator back in 2000? Universal/Getty Images hide caption

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Universal/Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The Movies From The Year 2000

Twenty years ago, Harry Potter or Marvel, the movie landscape looked really different. Take a look back at some of the movies that came out in 2000 and why we think they're still relevant today.

The Movies From The Year 2000

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Comedian Jerry Stiller, Who Played Hotheaded Dad On 'Seinfeld,' Dies At 92

Jerry Stiller performed in a comedy duo with his wife, Anne Meara, and also appeared in films and on Broadway and television. Onscreen, he was George Costanza's father; in real life, he was dad to actor Ben Stiller. He's pictured above in New York City in October 2008. Brad Barket/Getty Images hide caption

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Brad Barket/Getty Images

Obituaries

Comedian Jerry Stiller, Who Played Hotheaded Dad On 'Seinfeld,' Dies At 92

Stiller performed in a comedy duo with wife Anne Meara and appeared in films and on Broadway and television. Onscreen, he was George Costanza's father; in real life, he was dad to actor Ben Stiller.

Comedian Jerry Stiller, Who Played Hotheaded Dad On 'Seinfeld,' Dies At 92

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It's Not Just A Phase: 'How To Build A Girl' Is About A Teen Still Figuring It Out

Beanie Feldstein stars as Johanna Morrigan in How To Build A Girl, adapted from Caitlin Moran's 2014 semi-autobiographical novel. IFC Films hide caption

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IFC Films

Movie Interviews

It's Not Just A Phase: 'How To Build A Girl' Is About A Teen Still Figuring It Out

Beanie Feldstein stars in the film adaptation of Caitlin Moran's 2014 semi-autobiographical novel. She says this movie "gives everyone permission to make mistakes."

It's Not Just A Phase: 'How To Build A Girl' Is About A Teen Still Figuring It Out

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Brian Dennehy's 'Driveways' Performance Is Gruff, Graceful — And A Goodbye

When 8-year-old Cody (Lucas Jaye) temporarily moves into the house next door to Del (Brian Dennehy), the two strike up an unlikely, intergenerational friendship. Dennehy died April 15 at the age of 81. Courtesy of FilmRise hide caption

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Courtesy of FilmRise

Review

Movie Reviews

Brian Dennehy's 'Driveways' Performance Is Gruff, Graceful — And A Goodbye

Fresh Air

Dennehy, who died April 15, plays a suburban widower who befriends a mother and her son in one of his last films. It's the kind of deeply lived-in performance that Dennehy was known for.

Brian Dennehy's 'Driveways' Performance Is Gruff, Graceful — And A Goodbye

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As Some States Reopen, Theater Owners Are Watching — And Mostly Waiting

In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp has authorized the opening of theaters, but Chris Escobar, owner of the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, won't be unlocking the doors quite yet. "I'm not forcing my employees to choose between their livelihoods and their lives," he says. CJ Swank/Plaza Theatre hide caption

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CJ Swank/Plaza Theatre

The Coronavirus Crisis

As Some States Reopen, Theater Owners Are Watching — And Mostly Waiting

Some states are allowing movie theaters to reopen, but will they? Big theater chains say no, so it's up to independent theater owners who are "proceeding with an abundance of caution."

As Some States Reopen, Theater Owners Are Watching — And Mostly Waiting

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Tom Cruise And NASA Could Be A Match Made In The Heavens

NASA confirmed that actor Tom Cruise and private spaceflight company Space X are considering a feature film shot on board the International Space Station. Cruise is shown above in New York City in June 2017. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Tom Cruise And NASA Could Be A Match Made In The Heavens

NASA confirmed that actor Tom Cruise and private spaceflight company Space X are considering a feature film shot on board the International Space Station.

Jerry Seinfeld On Staying Home: 'At My Dinner Table, You're Supposed To Be Funny'

Jerry Seinfeld pictured in his Netflix special, 23 Hours to Kill. He says he's "adjusted pretty comfortably" to life at home. Jeffery Neira/Netflix hide caption

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Jeffery Neira/Netflix

Television

Jerry Seinfeld On Staying Home: 'At My Dinner Table, You're Supposed To Be Funny'

The comedian says he's doing well under quarantine. He talked with NPR about comedy during a pandemic and his new Netflix standup special, 23 Hours to Kill. "Humor is an essential survival quantity."

Jerry Seinfeld On Staying Home: 'At My Dinner Table, You're Supposed To Be Funny'

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TV, Movies And Coronavirus

Movie theaters remain closed as stay-at-home orders continue in many parts of the U.S. due to the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Pizzello/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/AP

It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

TV, Movies And Coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting all parts of the entertainment industry. Sam talks to writer and comedian Jenny Yang and camera operator Jessica Hershatter, whose jobs are on hold due to shutdowns. Also, Sam and LA Times entertainment reporter Meredith Blake discuss television and streaming. And joining Sam for a special edition of Who Said That is Shea Serrano, staff writer for The Ringer and author of the book Movies (and Other Things).

TV, Movies And Coronavirus

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'Hollywood' Serves Up A Progressive Alt-History Parable, Thinly Sliced

Screenwriter Archie (Jeremy Pope, left) and wannabe director Raymond (Darren Criss) run lines in the Netflix miniseries Hollywood. Saeed Anyani/Netflix hide caption

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Saeed Anyani/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Hollywood' Serves Up A Progressive Alt-History Parable, Thinly Sliced

Noble-minded (and determined you don't forget that) but glibly made, the latest Ryan Murphy Netflix miniseries offers an alternate history in which brave Hollywood types change the world.

Irrfan Khan Dies; Indian Actor Appeared In Crossover Hit 'Slumdog Millionaire'

Actor Irrfan Khan has died at age 54, after an acclaimed film career in India and on the international stage. He's seen here in 2018, during a visit to Park City, Utah. Ray Tamarra/GC Images hide caption

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Ray Tamarra/GC Images

Arts & Life

Irrfan Khan Dies; Indian Actor Appeared In Crossover Hit 'Slumdog Millionaire'

The versatile actor vaulted to international stardom after playing a police inspector in the 2008 film. Khan, 54, was adored in India despite not being a Bollywood heartthrob.

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