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Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence in director Edward Berger's CONCLAVE

Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence in director Edward Berger's CONCLAVE, a Focus Features release. Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2024 All Rights Reserved. hide caption

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Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2024 All Rights Reserved.

Ralph Fiennes manages ambition and deceit as the Catholic church picks a new pope in ‘Conclave’

The new movie Conclave dramatizes the Vatican's search for a new pope — and the perils of ambition within its ranks. Ralph Fiennes talks about his starring role.

'Conclave,' starring Ralph Fiennes, dramatizes the search for a new pope

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'Venom: The Last Dance' goos out with a bang

Tom Hardy in Venom: The Last Dance. Sony Pictures hide caption

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Sony Pictures

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Venom: The Last Dance' goos out with a bang

In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns for a third time as a sad-sack loser with an alien symbiotic life-form bonded to him. This time out, it's a buddy comedy and road movie, as the two are hunted by another race of aliens. And along the way, they meet some hippies, hit the Vegas strip, and get in a quick dance number.

'Venom: The Last Dance' goos out with a bang

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Artist Titus Kaphar has a new film out called Exhibiting Forgiveness. He's shown above with his artwork From Whence I Came, ahead of his 2022 exhibition at the Gagosian, Grosvenor Hill gallery in London.

Artist Titus Kaphar has a new film out called Exhibiting Forgiveness. He's shown above with his artwork From Whence I Came, ahead of his 2022 exhibition at the Gagosian, Grosvenor Hill gallery in London. Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

Movie Interviews

For painter Titus Kaphar, forgiveness is 'a weight lifted off of your shoulders'

Kaphar draws on his own painful relationship with his father in his film, Exhibiting Forgiveness. He says the project gave him "a sympathy for my father that I never had as a young man."

For painter Titus Kaphar, forgiveness is 'a weight lifted off of your shoulders'

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Anna Kendrick's 'Woman of the Hour' speaks volumes about violence

Anna Kendrick as Sheryl in Woman of the Hour. Leah Gallo/Netflix hide caption

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Leah Gallo/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Anna Kendrick's 'Woman of the Hour' speaks volumes about violence

Netflix's Woman Of The Hour is not your conventional serial killer movie. It's based on the true story of a serial killer who appeared on The Dating Game in the 1970s. But it's also about the women who became — or almost became — his victims. Directed by and starring Anna Kendrick, it's a tense, thoughtful film that has much to say about the systems that make life easier for dangerous and otherwise crummy men.

Anna Kendrick's 'Woman of the Hour' speaks volumes about violence

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We watch classic movies for the first time

Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich. Getty Images hide caption

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Getty Images

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

We watch classic movies for the first time

We've all been there. A major movie is mentioned, you shrug, sheepishly, and someone says, "I can't believe you've never seen that!" Today, we make a dent in our own lists of classic films we somehow had not yet gotten to, including Erin Brockovich, Flower Drum Song, Enter the Dragon and Raging Bull.

We watch classic movies for the first time

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'Anora' is the wild rom-dramedy we didn't know we wanted

Mikey Madison in Anora. Neon hide caption

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Neon

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Anora' is the wild rom-dramedy we didn't know we wanted

The new movie Anora is a dark rom-dramedy about an enterprising sex worker (Mikey Madison) who links up with a very rich and very immature young man (Mark Eydelshteyn). Their transactional encounter turns into a quickie Vegas wedding. But her new in-laws are Russian oligarchs, and they'll do everything in their power to put an end to this whirlwind romance. Anora is the latest feature from writer and director Sean Baker (The Florida Project). Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture.

'Anora' is the wild rom-dramedy we didn't know we wanted

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Ani (Mikey Madison) is an exotic dancer who gets more than she bargained for when she marries the son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn).

Ani (Mikey Madison) is an exotic dancer who gets more than she bargained for when she marries the son of a Russian oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn) in Anora. NEON hide caption

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NEON

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Movie Reviews

A sex worker marries the son of a Russian oligarch in the comically chaotic 'Anora'

Anora is easily one of Sean Baker’s funniest works — and also one of the saddest. The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and the director says it's dedicated to sex workers "past, present and future."

Anora

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'Smile 2' is a superior horror sequel, complete with pop bangers

Naomi Scott in Smile 2. Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Paramount Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Smile 2' is a superior horror sequel, complete with pop bangers

The horror movie Smile was a massive hit. Its flashy new sequel Smile 2 finds the franchise's terrifying entity infecting a new host: a pop star (Naomi Scott) who's about to head out on tour after experiencing a trauma. And the movie has a lot to say about the horrors of pop stardom.

'Smile 2' is a superior horror sequel, complete with pop bangers

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The false promise of climate havens; plus, the 'help' in horror

Residents fill up sandbags in Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall in Florida, October 2024. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images) hide caption

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(Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images)

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The false promise of climate havens; plus, the 'help' in horror

Extreme weather is becoming more frequent. Now some towns that were touted as "safe" are seeing hurricanes, floods or heat waves. This week, host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR climate solutions reporter Julia Simon and NPR culture reporter Chloe Veltman to understand misconceptions around "climate havens" and what it means to preserve culture in the face of the climate crisis.

The false promise of climate havens; plus, the 'help' in horror

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Actress Mitzi Gaynor poses in her apartment in Beverly Hills, Calif., on May 26, 2021.

Actress Mitzi Gaynor poses in her apartment in Beverly Hills, Calif., on May 26, 2021. Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday. She was 93. Mark J. Terrill/AP hide caption

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Mark J. Terrill/AP

Obituaries

Mitzi Gaynor, star of the big-screen musical ‘South Pacific,’ dies at 93

Mitzi Gaynor, the effervescent dancer and actor, starred as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film of "South Pacific" and appeared in other musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.

In 'We Live In Time,' Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh fall in love out of order

Florence Pugh in We Live in Time. A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'We Live In Time,' Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh fall in love out of order

Two people meet, they fall in love, and someone gets sick. The new film We Live In Time tries to bring something new to that familiar story of the preciousness of life. Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield laugh and cry as a couple trying to make the most of their time together. Director John Crowley (Brooklyn) utilizes an unconventional structure that jumps around from their first meeting to their later crisis and several key points in between.

In 'We Live In Time,' Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh fall in love out of order

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The scary movies and books that still haunt us

Horror author Stephen King has been scaring audiences for generations. Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The scary movies and books that still haunt us

A lot of us are about to have the experience of opening our front doors to find witches, goblins, ghosts, and Moo Deng standing on our porches. Why? Because it's almost Halloween. In this encore episode, we talk about what kinds of entertainment scared us when we were kids, and whether they still scare us now.

The scary movies and books that still haunt us

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Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney play single parents trying to get through a very busy day in New York in One Fine Day.

Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney play single parents trying to get through a very busy day in New York in One Fine Day. 20th Century Fox/Alamy hide caption

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20th Century Fox/Alamy

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

It's an A+ idea to watch a B-list '90s romantic comedy this weekend

Maybe you rented them from Blockbuster on VHS, or maybe you're seeing them for the first time — but there was an age when nearly every movie actor took a swing at romantic comedy. And it was glorious.

Is the free speech debate dead? Plus, the devil!

A pro-Palestinian protester uses a bullhorn during a demonstration in front of Sproul Hall on the UC Berkeley campus on April 22, 2024 in Berkeley, California Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Is the free speech debate dead? Plus, the devil!

In anticipation of more pro-Palestinian protests, many college administrators rolled out new rules this fall that include getting pre-approval for posting flyers or hosting demonstrations. Brittany is joined by UC Irvine sociology professor David S. Meyer, who studies social movements and public policy, and Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Kate Hidalgo Bellows. They discuss the changes on campuses and how they tie into debates over free speech.

Is the free speech debate dead? Plus, the devil!

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Is 'Saturday Night' ready for prime time?

Nicholas Braun plays Andy Kaufman in Saturday Night. Hopper Stone/Sony Pictures hide caption

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Hopper Stone/Sony Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is 'Saturday Night' ready for prime time?

The new film Saturday Night attempts to capture the chaotic 90 minutes leading up to the very first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Untried producer Lorne Michaels (played by Gabriel LaBelle) and his cast of complete unknowns prepare to make television history. At the same time, network suits breathe down their necks, and just about everything that can go wrong does.

Is 'Saturday Night' ready for prime time?

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Maria Bakalova plays Ivana Trump in Ali Abbasi's The Apprentice, opposite Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump.

Maria Bakalova (left) plays Ivana Trump in Ali Abbasi's The Apprentice, opposite Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump. Pief Weyman/Briarcliff Entertainment hide caption

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Pief Weyman/Briarcliff Entertainment

Movie Interviews

'The Apprentice' director talks about the film Donald Trump doesn't want you to see

Ali Abbasi's new film The Apprentice shows ex-President Donald Trump's years as a real estate businessman under the tutelage of lawyer Roy Cohn. The film coincides with Trump seeking another term.

THE APPRENTICE - Ali Abbasi

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We talk pop culture pumpkin spice lattes: they're basic but we love them

Singer Post Malone is featured on the hit song I Had Some Help. Greg Doherty/Getty Images hide caption

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Greg Doherty/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We talk pop culture pumpkin spice lattes: they're basic but we love them

The word "basic" often gets thrown around to describe anything that's mainstream, popular, frictionless, or otherwise inoffensive. But sometimes basic stuff is just what we crave, whether it's a binge-watch, a popular song, or a pumpkin spice latte. It's fall, so today we're talking about what we're calling... Pop Culture Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

We talk pop culture pumpkin spice lattes: they're basic but we love them

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Jeremy Strong plays attorney Roy Cohn Sebastian Stan is a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice.

Jeremy Strong, left, plays attorney Roy Cohn and Sebastian Stan is a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Apprentice Productions Ontario Inc. hide caption

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Apprentice Productions Ontario Inc.

Movie Interviews

'Deny, deflect, delay': Jeremy Strong channels Trump's mentor in 'The Apprentice'

The Succession actor plays lawyer Roy Cohn in a new film. Strong says U.S. distributors were reluctant to pick up The Apprentice because of "repercussions from a possible Trump administration."

'Deny, deflect, delay': Jeremy Strong channels Trump's mentor in 'The Apprentice'

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Pharrell Williams tells the story of his life in Piece By Piece

Pharrell Williams tells the story of his life in Piece By Piece Courtesy of Focus Features hide caption

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Courtesy of Focus Features

Music Interviews

Pharrell wanted to tell his story through Legos — here's why

The animated film Piece By Piece traces Pharrell’s early life as a boy growing up in Virginia Beach and follows his trajectory to a Grammy-winning songwriter, performer and producer.

Pharrell

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