Pop Culture Happy Hour : NPR

Tom Hardy stars in Venom, one of the weirder and more unruly superhero movies in recent memory. Sony hide caption

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Review

Venom: Oh It's Gooey, But Is It Good?

October 17, 2018 • In Venom, Tom Hardy plays Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who's trying to rebound from a major setback in his career. But Eddie's plans are halted when he's overtaken by a violent — and gooey — alien symbiote.

Venom: Oh It's Gooey, But Is It Good?

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To The Moon and Back With Ryan Gosling In 'First Man'

Ryan Gosling is Neil Armstrong in Damien Chazelle's First Man. Daniel McFadden/Universal Pictures hide caption

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To The Moon and Back With Ryan Gosling In 'First Man'

October 12, 2018 • First Man tells the story of Neil Armstrong's life in the decade leading up to his walk on the moon. Ryan Gosling stars as Armstrong, and it's directed by Damien Chazelle. It's the second time they're teaming up after the huge commercial and critical success of La La Land.

To The Moon and Back With Ryan Gosling In 'First Man'

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Addiction Without An Ending In 'Beautiful Boy'

Based on the memoirs of a young man suffering from addiction and his worried father, the film stars Timothée Chalamet (left) as Nic Sheff and Steve Carell as David Sheff. Francois Duhamel/Amazon Studios hide caption

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Francois Duhamel/Amazon Studios

Review

Addiction Without An Ending In 'Beautiful Boy'

October 11, 2018 • Based on the memoirs of a young man with addiction and his father, the film stars Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell in a story about the ways addiction narratives don't always end neatly — or at all.

'First Man' Considers Glory, Grief And A Famous Walk On The Moon

Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong in First Man. Daniel McFadden/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Daniel McFadden/Universal Pictures

Review

'First Man' Considers Glory, Grief And A Famous Walk On The Moon

October 11, 2018 • Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong in a story about the noise, heat and struggle it takes to overcome forces to which you're meant to surrender.

'Dancing Queen': Alyssa Edwards Doesn't Let Dance Moms Drag Her Down

A big bird and her chicks: Alyssa Edwards teaches dance in Mesquite, Texas, in the reality series Dancing Queen. Jake Giles Netter/Netflix hide caption

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Jake Giles Netter/Netflix

Review

'Dancing Queen': Alyssa Edwards Doesn't Let Dance Moms Drag Her Down

October 11, 2018 • The Netflix reality series follows drag queen Alyssa Edwards (and her alter ego, Justin Johnson) through her/his offstage life as a dance instructor in Texas.

In 'All American,' High School Football Is Back On TV, As Is Taye Diggs

Daniel Ezra plays Spencer James on the CW's new football series All American. Eddy Chen/The CW hide caption

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Eddy Chen/The CW

Review

In 'All American,' High School Football Is Back On TV, As Is Taye Diggs

October 10, 2018 • The CW's new football series isn't the new Friday Night Lights. But it just might be the next well-made high school drama full of twists, turns, and — in this case — tackles.

Activism And Identity Meet In 'The Hate U Give'

Amandla Stenberg steals the show as Starr Carter in the The Hate U Give. NPR hide caption

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Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Activism And Identity Meet In 'The Hate U Give'

October 10, 2018 • The Hate U Give finds teenager Starr Carter caught between two worlds — her mostly black neighborhood and a white prep school. When her friend Khalil is killed by a police officer, she's forced to reconcile these two very different parts of her identity. We're joined by Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings, hosts of The Nod podcast.

Activism And Identity Meet In 'The Hate U Give'

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'Doctor Who' Goes Back To Basics, With A Twist

Don't be TARDIS for the ... part ... is. Yasmin (Mandip Gill), Graham (Bradley Walsh), The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and Ryan (Tosin Cole) in the new season of Doctor Who. Giles Keyte/Copyright BBC / BBC Studios 2018 hide caption

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Giles Keyte/Copyright BBC / BBC Studios 2018

Review

'Doctor Who' Goes Back To Basics, With A Twist

October 7, 2018 • In a down-to-earth yet emotional season opener, Doctor Who introduces Jodie Whittaker's Doctor and her three companions.

Life, Puberty And The Pursuit Of Horniness: 'Big Mouth,' Season 2

Giving a schvitz: Missy (Jenny Slate), Connie the Hormone Monstress (Maya Rudolph) and Jessi (Jessi Klein) barrel full steam ahead through puberty in the second season of Netlfix's Big Mouth. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Life, Puberty And The Pursuit Of Horniness: 'Big Mouth,' Season 2

October 5, 2018 • The filthy, sex-crazed animated series returns to Netflix with some new cast members, and a renewed commitment to charting — hilariously, yet sweetly — the hellish landscape of adolescence.

We're Off The Deep End And Into 'A Star Is Born'

In the latest retelling of the Hollywood classic, Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) and Ally (Lady Gaga) are the stars to be born. Warner Bros. hide caption

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Warner Bros.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We're Off The Deep End And Into 'A Star Is Born'

October 5, 2018 • Lady Gaga stars opposite Bradley Cooper in the latest retelling of A Star Is Born. It's also Cooper's directing debut, with a cast that includes Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, and Dave Chappelle. We're joined by Ari Shapiro to break down the singing, the glamour, the tears, and the wonder of Sam Elliott's voice.

We're Off The Deep End And Into 'A Star Is Born'

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NPR's Movie Preview: 15 New Films To Watch — And Watch Out For — This Fall

Yalitza Aparicio stars as Cleo, a nanny and housekeeper, in Alfonso Cuarón's Roma. Alfonso Cuarón/Netflix hide caption

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Review

NPR's Movie Preview: 15 New Films To Watch — And Watch Out For — This Fall

October 3, 2018 • From the big studio flicks to the festival favorites, here are some of the best and otherwise noteworthy films coming to theaters.

Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively star in the super-fun thriller A Simple Favor. Peter Iovino/Lionsgate hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour: A Simple Favor

October 3, 2018 • What has Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, menswear looks, mysteries, and YouTube's most cheerful mom? It's the stylish, mischievous, and sometimes darkly funny thriller A Simple Favor.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: A Simple Favor

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Fame Still Comes At A Cost For Lady Gaga And Bradley Cooper In The New 'A Star Is Born'

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born. Clay Enos/Warner Bros. hide caption

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Review

Fame Still Comes At A Cost For Lady Gaga And Bradley Cooper In The New 'A Star Is Born'

October 2, 2018 • Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, in which he plays a singer battling addiction opposite Lady Gaga as an up-and-coming talent, is precisely the deeply felt musical melodrama it should be.

Ted Turner Opens Up About Having Lewy Body Dementia

Seen here at a gala in 2017, Ted Turner spoke on CBS Sunday Morning about having Lewy body dementia. John Amis/AP hide caption

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John Amis/AP

Ted Turner Opens Up About Having Lewy Body Dementia

October 1, 2018 • On Sunday morning, CBS aired an interview with the CNN founder, who told Ted Koppel about his struggle with a disease he could describe but wryly struggled to name.

'The Good Place' Gets Down To Earth, Where It Continues To Delight

Chidi (William Jackson Harper) and Eleanor (Kristen Bell) are still pals as the third season of The Good Place gets underway. Justin Lubin/NBC hide caption

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Justin Lubin/NBC

Review

'The Good Place' Gets Down To Earth, Where It Continues To Delight

September 28, 2018 • The third-season premiere of NBC's The Good Place added a couple of characters, posed some new questions, and pondered a fast-food miracle.

Pop Culture Happy Hour's 2018 Fall Movie Preview

(From left) Kiki Layne and Stephan James in If Beale Street Could Talk, Ryan Gosling in First Man, Amanda Stenberg in The Hate U Give, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born Tatum Mangus/Annapurna Pictures, Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and Neal Preston/Warner Bros. hide caption

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Tatum Mangus/Annapurna Pictures, Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and Neal Preston/Warner Bros.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour's 2018 Fall Movie Preview

September 28, 2018 • We're excited for a whole bunch of new movies this fall. Today, we dive into our 2018 Fall Movie Preview and talk about as many of them as we can — from the big studio flicks to the festival favorites and everything in between.

Pop Culture Happy Hour's 2018 Fall Movie Preview

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Good News And Bad News: 'Murphy Brown' Is Exactly What It Used To Be

Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) and her son, Avery (Jake McDorman). Jojo Whilden/CBS hide caption

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Good News And Bad News: 'Murphy Brown' Is Exactly What It Used To Be

September 27, 2018 • Murphy Brown is back, and although it's good to see the unapologetically loudmouthed lead character again, it's not clear that the show is equipped to deal with 2018.

'New Amsterdam' Brings In The One Man Who Can Save Medicine (And The World)

Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin in New Amsterdam. Francisco Roman/NBC hide caption

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Review

'New Amsterdam' Brings In The One Man Who Can Save Medicine (And The World)

September 25, 2018 • This year's crop of broadcast network pilots brings us a medical show that suggests that if a man comes into a public hospital with the right kind of moxie and the right musical cues, he can fix it.

Emma Stone Grounds The Funny, Fidgety 'Maniac'

Emma Stone and Jonah Hill in Netflix's Maniac. Michele K. Short/Netflix hide caption

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Michele K. Short/Netflix

Review

Emma Stone Grounds The Funny, Fidgety 'Maniac'

September 24, 2018 • Not everything works with Netflix's offbeat comedy-drama weaving the story of a mad scientist with the dreams of two of his subjects. But lead Emma Stone and director Cary Fukunaga are in top form.

How To Defend Season 2 Of 'American Vandal' Against Its Naysayers

The second season of Netflix's American Vandal uses several true-crime techniques, like this moody reenactment, to explore its fake-crime story. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

How To Defend Season 2 Of 'American Vandal' Against Its Naysayers

September 22, 2018 • Now that enough people have seen the second season of Netflix's comedy/drama/true crime parody, your weekend will be full of people comparing it unfavorably to season one. Here's why they're wrong.

Maya Rudolph And Fred Armisen Are In Love 'Forever'

Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen have some problems to work out in Forever. Colleen Hayes/Amazon hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Maya Rudolph And Fred Armisen Are In Love 'Forever'

September 21, 2018 • Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen star in the new Amazon series Forever. The two of them play a middle-aged married couple named Oscar and June, who are in a bit of a rut. Along the way, they find themselves in an unexpected situation that challenges their thinking about the permanence of marriage. Today, we dive into this very curious relationship comedy. Guest: Aisha Harris

Maya Rudolph And Fred Armisen Are In Love 'Forever'

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Pop Culture Happy Hour Wraps Up The 2018 Emmys

Barry's Bill Hader accepts the outstanding lead actor in a comedy series Emmy award. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour Wraps Up The 2018 Emmys

September 18, 2018 • We're here to fill you in on everything you need to know about the 2018 Emmys. On a night we were constantly reminded how diverse this year's nominations were — the winners were mostly white. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Game of Thrones won the top awards. Guest: NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans.

Pop Culture Happy Hour Wraps Up The 2018 Emmys

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