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Actor Ian Holm, Who Played King Lear To Bilbo Baggins, Has Died

A 2005 portrait of actor Ian Holm, taken in London. Holm died Friday at age 88. Cambridge Jones/Getty Images hide caption

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Actor Ian Holm, Who Played King Lear To Bilbo Baggins, Has Died

June 19, 2020 • With a grounding in classical theater, Ian Holm became beloved by movie fans around the world, especially in the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit." He died Friday at age 88.

In 'On The Record,' Black Women's Voices Get A Needed Spotlight

Drew Dixon, one of many women featured in the HBO Max documentary, On The Record. HBO Max hide caption

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Review

In 'On The Record,' Black Women's Voices Get A Needed Spotlight

June 19, 2020 • In 2017, the #MeToo movement brought to light accusations of sexual abuse and misconduct against powerful people in entertainment. Most of the women whose allegations received detailed media consideration were white, and so were most of the men they accused. But late that year, a number of women, several of them black women, alleged sexual assault and other misconduct by hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. Simmons is the enormously powerful man behind Def Jam. The new HBO Max documentary On The Record tells the stories of some of Russell Simmons' accusers. It includes interviews with a lot of black women about specific worries and conflicted feelings that arise when black women raise allegations against black men.

In 'On The Record,' Black Women's Voices Get A Needed Spotlight

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Georgia Marching Band Drops Song From 'Gone With The Wind' For 'Georgia On My Mind'

The University of Georgia's marching band, seen during a football game last November in Athens. The band's acting director, Brett Bawcum, announced that it would no longer play "Tara's Theme" from Gone with the Wind. The film has attracted criticism for its depiction of race. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images hide caption

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Live Updates: Protests For Racial Justice

Georgia Marching Band Drops Song From 'Gone With The Wind' For 'Georgia On My Mind'

June 18, 2020 • The Redcoat Band will no longer play "Tara's Theme" from the controversial film. And it already has an apt replacement in mind: the official state song, best known for Ray Charles' rendition.

'The King Of Staten Island': Outer Borough, Inner Mess

Marisa Tomei and Pete Davidson star in the latest Judd Apatow film, The King of Staten Island. Mary Cybulski/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Mary Cybulski/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'The King Of Staten Island': Outer Borough, Inner Mess

June 17, 2020 • In The King Of Staten Island, comedian Pete Davidson plays a wayward stoner whose life isn't going anywhere. He still lives with his mom, he doesn't have a job, and his plans for his life involve a vague — and foolish — plan to open "a tattoo restaurant." The film is directed by Judd Apatow, who also made Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Trainwreck. Apatow's movies often involve a protagonist who faces some sort of need to grow up, and The King Of Staten Island may feature the biggest reclamation project yet: Davidson's character barely functions as an adult, and through much of the film, we see a manchild with a lot of growing up to do.

'The King Of Staten Island': Outer Borough, Inner Mess

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Oscars Postponed 2 Months Because Of Pandemic

The Oscar telecast on ABC has been moved to April 25 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Coronavirus Live Updates

Oscars Postponed 2 Months Because Of Pandemic

June 15, 2020 • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences delays the 2021 Oscar ceremony from February to April because of COVID-19.

Spike Lee: Black People Have 'Been Fighting For This Country From Day One'

Spike Lee's latest film, Da 5 Bloods, follows four black veterans as they return to Vietnam. African Americans have been fighting and dying for the U.S. from the outset, Lee says — just look at Crispus Attucks, the first American killed in the Revolutionary War. Lee is pictured above in Beverly Hills in February 2019. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP hide caption

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Movie Interviews

Spike Lee: Black People Have 'Been Fighting For This Country From Day One'

June 15, 2020 • Lee's film, Da 5 Bloods, follows four black veterans who go back to present day Vietnam to bring home the remains of their beloved former squad leader who was killed in combat.

Spike Lee: Black People Have 'Been Fighting For This Country From Day One'

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Delroy Lindo: I Think Of 'Da 5 Bloods' As 'A Love Story'

Delroy Lindo (center) stars in Da 5 Bloods as Paul, a Vietnam veteran whose conservative politics are driven by a sense of betrayal Courtesy of Netflix hide caption

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Courtesy of Netflix

Movie Interviews

Delroy Lindo: I Think Of 'Da 5 Bloods' As 'A Love Story'

June 13, 2020 • Lindo stars in Spike Lee's new film about four black Vietnam vets who return decades later to bring home the body of a fallen friend. "These men are human beings ... loving human beings," he says."

Delroy Lindo: I Think Of 'Da 5 Bloods' As 'A Love Story'

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Oscars: Future Films Must Meet Diversity And Inclusion Rules

Although it provided few details Hollywood's motion picture academy said new measures will "develop and implement new representation and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility by July 31." Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Live Updates: Protests For Racial Justice

Oscars: Future Films Must Meet Diversity And Inclusion Rules

June 12, 2020 • The effort by the Motion Picture Academy to de-white-ify the film community includes a plan to change eligibility standards for award nominees "to ensure that all voices are heard and celebrated."

Lessons About Racism from 'Cops' and 'Gone With The Wind'

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 12: Black Lives Matter supporters are seen on the roof of a van during a rally in Trafalgar Square on June 12, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images) Peter Summers/Getty Images hide caption

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It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Lessons About Racism from 'Cops' and 'Gone With The Wind'

June 12, 2020 • The killing of George Floyd has inspired global protests against police brutality, and it seems like everyone has something to say, including the entertainment industry. Sam's joined by NPR television critic Eric Deggans and Tonya Mosley, co-host of NPR/WBUR's Here & Now and host of the KQED podcast Truth Be Told. They talk about the cancellation of the long-running reality TV show Cops, the removal of Gone With the Wind from HBO Max, and what it all says about this moment. After that, Sam chats with Rev. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister at Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan, and Rev. angel Kyodo williams, a Zen priest. They talk about what Black people and white people should be doing differently now and give Sam a bit of sermon.

Lessons About Racism from 'Cops' and 'Gone With The Wind'

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Aibileen And Skeeter And Mookie And Sal: Love, Work And Watching 'The Help'

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Dreamworks Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Aibileen And Skeeter And Mookie And Sal: Love, Work And Watching 'The Help'

June 12, 2020 • The Help has enjoyed a surge of popularity on Netflix, perhaps owing to its commitment to the idea that the personal matters most. But where injustices persist, that's a flawed idea at best.

Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' Is A Platoon Picture, Heist Thriller And History Lesson

Four black war veterans (Isiah Whitlock Jr., Norm Lewis, Clarke Peters and Delroy Lindo) and one veteran's son (Jonathan Majors) return to Vietnam in Da 5 Bloods. David Lee/Netflix hide caption

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David Lee/Netflix

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Movie Reviews

Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' Is A Platoon Picture, Heist Thriller And History Lesson

Fresh Air

June 11, 2020 • Decades after the war, four black veterans return to Vietnam to recover a stash of buried gold. The timely film is a critique of the U.S.' long, shameful history of devaluing its black soldiers.

Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' Is A Platoon Picture, Heist Thriller And History Lesson

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For Pete Davidson And Judd Apatow, 'Comedy Is A Beautiful Escape'

Pete Davidson says playing a fictionalized version of himself in The King of Staten Island helped him come to terms with losing his father in the Sept. 11 attacks. Universal Pictures hide caption

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Universal Pictures

Movie Interviews

For Pete Davidson And Judd Apatow, 'Comedy Is A Beautiful Escape'

Fresh Air

June 11, 2020 • Davidson plays a fictionalized version of himself in The King of Staten Island, a film about a young man grieving the loss of his firefighter dad. Director Apatow calls the movie a "hopeful story."

For Pete Davidson And Judd Apatow, 'Comedy Is A Beautiful Escape'

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Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan on set of the 2000 film, Love & Basketball. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Digging Into Slate's Black Film Canon

June 7, 2020 • Right now, many of us are thinking about the ways we can start to address the shortfalls in our own knowledge that have grown out of structural racism in every part of life, entertainment very much included. And if you're looking for one place to start, we want to point you toward Slate's Black Film Canon. Four years ago, Slate published a list of 50 great films by black directors. It was put together by Dan Kois and Aisha Harris in 2016, and Aisha came on Pop Culture Happy Hour to talk about it with us. (This episode originally aired on June 7, 2016.)

Digging Into Slate's Black Film Canon

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This List Of Books, Films And Podcasts About Racism Is A Start, Not A Panacea

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Basic Books, Verso, and Little Brown Spark

Opinion

Code Switch

This List Of Books, Films And Podcasts About Racism Is A Start, Not A Panacea

June 6, 2020 • We've compiled a list of places you can go to learn more about systemic racism — acknowledging that, while it's important to have information, this list is not a prescription.

Elisabeth Moss Shines As Writer Shirley Jackson In This Smart, Surprising Film

Shirley Jackson (Elisabeth Moss) and her long-term houseguest Rose (Odessa Young) form an unusual bond in Shirley. The film mixes fact and fiction to explore the life of the American writer best known for her short story "The Lottery." Neon hide caption

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Neon

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Movie Reviews

Elisabeth Moss Shines As Writer Shirley Jackson In This Smart, Surprising Film

Fresh Air

June 5, 2020 • Shirley mixes fact and fiction as it explores the life of the writer best known for the short story "The Lottery." This unusual film isn't so much a biopic as it is a biographical-literary fantasia.

Elisabeth Moss Shines As Writer Shirley Jackson In This Smart, Surprising Film

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Tracee Ellis Ross stars in The High Note as a legendary singer who is running out of ideas. Meanwhile, her personal assistant, played by Dakota Johnson, has too many. Maarten de Boer/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Music Interviews

Tracee Ellis Ross Can Hit The High Notes, Too

May 29, 2020 • NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to Tracee Ellis Ross about starring in The High Note, a movie about an over-40 superstar singer navigating the music industry with her assistant, who has her own music dreams.

Tracee Ellis Ross Can Hit The High Notes, Too

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Dakota Johnson stars as Maggie Sherwood, Ice Cube as Jack Robertson and Tracee Ellis Ross as Grace Davis in The High Note. Glen WIlson/Focus Features hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

In Tune With 'The High Note'

May 29, 2020 • There have been countless movies about real and fictional musicians. And in the new movie The High Note, Tracee Ellis Ross plays the fictional legendary singer Grace Davis. Dakota Johnson plays Maggie, an aspiring record producer and Grace's personal assistant. The two women have to figure out everything from whether Maggie has a future in the music industry to whether Grace should take a residency in Vegas.

In Tune With 'The High Note'

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Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, star in the 2019 comedy Booksmart. Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures hide caption

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Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Why You Should Stream 'Booksmart'

May 27, 2020 • Last year we talked about the movie Booksmart, and we really, really liked it. It's about two young women about to graduate from high school who spend one last night trying to catch up on everything they missed. Starring Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, it's the directing debut of actress Olivia Wilde. The comedy came out last summer — and it's currently streaming on Hulu and available to rent on demand. And because so many students are wrapping up their school year and graduating, we thought, what better time to look back at this terrific movie? (This episode originally aired on May 31, 2019.)

Why You Should Stream 'Booksmart'

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'The Power Of A Group' Moves Sharon Horgan, Kristin Scott Thomas In 'Military Wives'

Sharon Horgan (left) and Kristin Scott Thomas play the spouses of soldiers who lead a choir group of women to success, in the new based-on-a-true story film, Military Wives. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images hide caption

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'The Power Of A Group' Moves Sharon Horgan, Kristin Scott Thomas In 'Military Wives'

May 23, 2020 • The film follows women who form a choir to cope with their spouses' deployments to Afghanistan. "It's a story that speaks to a huge number of partners, spouses and wives of the military," Horgan says.

'The Power Of A Group' Moves Sharon Horgan, Kristin Scott Thomas In 'Military Wives'

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With 'Trip To Greece,' Coogan And Brydon's Odyssey Reaches A Poignant End

Actor-comedians Steve Coogan (left) and Rob Brydon (right) play coyly fictionalized versions of themselves in The Trip to Greece. IFC Films hide caption

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IFC Films

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Movie Reviews

With 'Trip To Greece,' Coogan And Brydon's Odyssey Reaches A Poignant End

Fresh Air

May 22, 2020 • After journeying through England, Italy and Spain, comic duo Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon take one final trip, playing fictionalized versions of themselves as they retrace Odysseus' famed voyage.

With 'Trip To Greece,' Coogan And Brydon's Odyssey Reaches A Poignant End

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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'

May 22, 2020 • 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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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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Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Great Recent Movies We Missed

May 22, 2020 • 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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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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Short Wave

Science Movie Club: 'Contact'

May 21, 2020 • 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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Fred Willard, Scene Stealer Extraordinaire, Dies At 86

Fred Willard, seen at a film premiere in Los Angeles in 2017, has died at the age of 86. Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Obituaries

Fred Willard, Scene Stealer Extraordinaire, Dies At 86

May 16, 2020 • The actor best known for roles in mockumentaries such as Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman died Friday, according to his daughter. The daytime Emmy winner had a knack for improvisation.