Pop Culture Happy Hour : NPR

Lupita Nyong'o stars in Us, Jordan Peele's latest film. Claudette Barius/Universal hide caption

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Claudette Barius/Universal

Review

'Us'

March 22, 2019 • Us is Jordan Peele's follow up to his 2017 film Get Out. The film stars Lupita Nyong'o as a mother whose whole family is confronted by their own doppelgängers.

'Us'

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Sir Babygirl performs at Cheer Up Charlies on March 13, 2019 in Austin, Texas. Lorne Thomson/Redferns/Getty hide caption

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Lorne Thomson/Redferns/Getty

Music Discoveries From SXSW 2019

March 20, 2019 • The South by Southwest music festival brings together artists from around the world to perform in big venues and small ones, on sidewalks and sprawling stages. Every year, we bring back some musical discoveries that just might be your next favorites.

Music Discoveries From SXSW 2019

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Cringing Through Hulu's 'PEN15' In A Good Way

Anna (Anna Konkle) and Maya (Maya Erskine) are 7th grade best friends in Hulu's critically-acclaimed comedy PEN15. Alex Lombardi/Hulu hide caption

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Alex Lombardi/Hulu

Review

Cringing Through Hulu's 'PEN15' In A Good Way

March 15, 2019 • The much-praised Hulu series PEN15 is about two middle-school girls who feel like they might never figure out how to grow into adults. The show was created by Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle and Sam Zvibelman. And the hook is that Erskine and Konkle play versions of themselves as kids, awkwardly surrounded by actual tween actors.

Cringing Through Hulu's 'PEN15' In A Good Way

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Pat Dubek (Molly Shannon) and ChaseDreams (Case Walker) in The Other Two. Jon Pack/Comedy Central hide caption

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Jon Pack/Comedy Central

Review

The Other Two

March 13, 2019 • Comedy Central's very funny new show The Other Two is about the older siblings of a newly minted YouTube star. His fame makes them feel overshadowed in some of the ways you might expect. But it's also a chance for them to look out for him, and to learn a lot about the broad outlines of fleeting fame.

The Other Two

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'Horror Noire' Director Xavier Burgin On 'Blacula,' Blackness And Film School

Director Xavier Burgin tracks the long history of black horror in the documentary Horror Noire. Shudder hide caption

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Shudder

'Horror Noire' Director Xavier Burgin On 'Blacula,' Blackness And Film School

March 12, 2019 • Xavier Burgin's new documentary Horror Noire explores the history of black people in cinema and specifically in horror, and celebrates artists he didn't learn about in school.

NPR

The All Songs Considered SXSW Preview

March 10, 2019 • NPR Music is heading to South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. It's a huge feast of musical discovery that brings together bands and fans from around the world. All Songs Considered convened a panel to preview some of the new discoveries we're most excited to see and hear.

The All Songs Considered SXSW Preview

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'American Gods' Is Back For Season 2, Awash In Style, Color And Blood

In the American Gods season 2 opener, Shadow (Ricky Whittle) approaches The Carousel, which will ... you know what, it's tough to explain. Myles Aronowitz/Starz hide caption

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Myles Aronowitz/Starz

Review

'American Gods' Is Back For Season 2, Awash In Style, Color And Blood

March 8, 2019 • The Starz series based on Neil Gaiman's novel about a clash between gods of the Old World and the New is back for season 2, having assembled a huge cast of characters — too huge, arguably.

Brie Larson stars in Captain Marvel. Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios hide caption

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Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

Review

Captain Marvel

March 8, 2019 • Captain Marvel is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the first movie to give a woman the lead role. Brie Larson stars as a badass space-warrior fighting in an intergalactic war between two alien races. Samuel L. Jackson is back as Nick Fury, albeit digitally de-aged, because Captain Marvel is set in the '90s.

Captain Marvel

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'Captain Marvel' Takes Flight — Through Very Familiar Skies

The Right Stuff: Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) order off the menu in Captain Marvel. Marvel hide caption

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Marvel

Review

'Captain Marvel' Takes Flight — Through Very Familiar Skies

March 5, 2019 • A couple of indie writer/directors get to play in the Marvel sandbox in this film about an intergalactic warrior (Brie Larson) who arrives on Earth with a warning about a secret alien invasion.

Luke Perry, photographed here in 1994, died Monday after suffering a massive stroke. Fox Broadcasting/Getty Images hide caption

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Fox Broadcasting/Getty Images

Remembering Luke Perry

March 4, 2019 • If you came of age in the 1990s, you might know Luke Perry as the rebellious teenage fantasy boyfriend Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210. But you also might know him from the original movie version of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Or as Archie's dad on Riverdale. Perry was only 52 when he died on Monday. We take a moment to celebrate Perry's contributions to pop culture.

Remembering Luke Perry

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Remembering Luke Perry, Who Made An Unreal Fantasy Boyfriend Real Enough

Luke Perry, pictured above in 1987, died Monday at the age of 52. ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

Remembering Luke Perry, Who Made An Unreal Fantasy Boyfriend Real Enough

March 4, 2019 • Luke Perry, who played Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210 for most of the series' 10 seasons, died Monday at 52. His iconic high-school rebel never went out of style.

Natasha Lyonne co-created and stars in the Netflix series Russian Doll. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Russian Doll: Let Us Loop You In

March 1, 2019 • Today we're diving into the complicated and tangled world of Netflix's Russian Doll, a series anchored by a dynamic performance from Natasha Lyonne. She co-created the series with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler.

Russian Doll: Let Us Loop You In

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The Show Tunes And Plaid Pants Of The 'Documentary Now!' Sondheim Send-up

Taran Killam as Benedict A. Juniper, James Urbaniak as Howard Pine and John Mulaney as Simon Sawyer. Rhys Thomas/IFC hide caption

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Rhys Thomas/IFC

Review

The Show Tunes And Plaid Pants Of The 'Documentary Now!' Sondheim Send-up

February 27, 2019 • The IFC series Documentary Now!, which has been in fine parody form for three seasons, plays around with Stephen Sondheim's Company and Broadway conventions in a new episode.

Olivia Colman accepts the Oscar actress in a leading role for The Favourite. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Review

2019 Oscars Recap: The Highs And Lows

February 25, 2019 • Green Book is your best picture, and Bohemian Rhapsody and Roma took a bunch of the top prizes, too. And it all got done in a ceremony without a host. We're breaking it all down: the winners, the speeches, the songs, why we're mad, and why we're glad.

2019 Oscars Recap: The Highs And Lows

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With No Host Directing Traffic, 'Green Book' Drives Away With Best Picture

Peter Farrelly accepts the best picture award for Green Book onstage during Sunday's Academy Awards. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Review

With No Host Directing Traffic, 'Green Book' Drives Away With Best Picture

February 25, 2019 • Sunday night's Oscars were the first in a long while to go without a host. It didn't stop the accolades from coming, though, and the kinda sorta part-true Green Book won best picture.

Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman star in The Favourite, one of the films up for best picture at this year's Academy Awards. Yorgos Lanthimos/Twentieth Century Fox hide caption

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Yorgos Lanthimos/Twentieth Century Fox

Your Oscars-Watching Guide For 2019

February 22, 2019 • Sunday is Academy Awards night again. Here's how to find the ceremony, where to find our coverage and how to brush up before your friends start asking who should win.

Oscars Preview: We Talk Who Will, Who Should And Who Won't Win

Alfonso Cuarón's Roma is nominated for 10 Oscars. Carlos Somonte/Netflix hide caption

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Carlos Somonte/Netflix

Review

Oscars Preview: We Talk Who Will, Who Should And Who Won't Win

February 22, 2019 • Where will you find rock bands going up against jazz pianists, superheroes, and scheming women in beautiful dresses? At this year's Oscars. We're going to talk actors, directors, and much more. We'll also make some predictions, so we might help you win your Oscars pool.

Oscars Preview: We Talk Who Will, Who Should And Who Won't Win

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'The Umbrella Academy' Offers An Intriguing Curriculum Hurt By Overcrowding

Know that we still have each other: The members of The Umbrella Academy (l to r: Cameron Brodeur, Aidan Gallagher, Blake Talabis, Dante Albidone, Eden Cupid, Ethan Hwang, Colm Feore) say cheese. Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix hide caption

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Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix

Review

'The Umbrella Academy' Offers An Intriguing Curriculum Hurt By Overcrowding

February 14, 2019 • Everybody gets an arc in Netflix's adaptation of a beloved school-for-superheroes comic, which captures some of the madcap zest, but parcels out each character's revelations too slowly.

Looking At Middle School Through Grown-Up Glasses In 'PEN15'

Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle star as middle-school besties Maya and Anna in the unconventional Hulu series PEN15. Alex Lombardi/Hulu hide caption

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Alex Lombardi/Hulu

Review

Looking At Middle School Through Grown-Up Glasses In 'PEN15'

February 11, 2019 • The smart and weird new series PEN15 features Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle as middle school best friends navigating a world of boys, parents and social disasters.

10 Takeaways From The 2019 Grammy Awards

Kacey Musgraves holds the four Grammys she won Sunday night. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy hide caption

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Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

10 Takeaways From The 2019 Grammy Awards

February 11, 2019 • This year's telecast served up a string of satisfying winners, memorable performances and a GIF sure to endure until roughly the moment life on earth is extinguished.

10 Takeaways From The 2019 Grammy Awards

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The Business Of Sport Takes Center Stage In Soderbergh's 'High Flying Bird'

Melvin Gregg as Erick Scott and André Holland as Ray Burke in High Flying Bird, directed by Steven Soderbergh. Peter Andrews/Netflix hide caption

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Peter Andrews/Netflix

Review

The Business Of Sport Takes Center Stage In Soderbergh's 'High Flying Bird'

February 8, 2019 • A new Netflix film directed by Steven Soderbergh follows a sports agent who's trying to stay afloat and keep his clients happy during an NBA lockout.