The Frame

Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a scientist in “Z for Zachariah,” an apocalypse movie unlike any you’ve seen; Jenny Yang and Keiko Agena created a comedy festival as a showcase for Asian-American performers; actors really get tipsy on "Drunk History," which is exactly what creator Derek Waters wants.

Jeffrey Tambor and the "Transparent" cast and crew are shooting the second season of the hit show, which has garnered 11 Emmy nominations; a scene in the postponed season finale of "Mr. Robot" rekindles the debate over gun violence on television.

Lili Zanuck worked decades to produce her biopic of blues singer Bessie Smith, and to make sure Queen Latifah got the lead role; Sony bought the rights to 33 Van Morrison albums and will make many available digitally for the first time; Rob Cordrry and David Wain on making their spoof of medical dramas.

José Padilha tells the story of Pablo Escobar in the new Netflix series, "Narcos;" The indie band Gardens and Villa has an artist compound near Dodger Stadium; Warner Bros. is in talks to co-finance a slate of movies made in China; 40 years ago today, Bruce Springsteen released his landmark album, “Born to Run.”

Yo La Tengo's new album has the trio reimagining songs they love by other artists; Regal Cinemas steps up security measures at movie theaters; Emmy-nominated actor Titus Burgess from "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"; Neil Young's Pono needs money

Jim Reid says he couldn't imagine the band's 1985 debut album, "Psychocandy," remaining popular 30 years later; "Sneakerheadz" is a documentary about obsessive sneaker collectors; writer Steven Johnson says the digital age has not brought on the expected apocalypse for the creative class.

Doug Aitken didn't want a traditional documentary about his music and art-filled train project, so he instead made 62 one-minute films; FYF founder Sean Carlson talks about the music festival's growing pains; for bands like Lower Dens and The Drums, FYF is another stop on a never-ending road trip.

"Jackass" stunt master Johnny Knoxville made a documentary, "Being Evel," about his childhood hero; Mac Quayle went from producing dance music for the likes of Donna Summer to composing music for TV shows such as "American Horror Story"; a vote by SAG-AFTRA members could chart the future for Hollywood's biggest union.

“Straight Outta Compton" received rave reviews, but some critics say the movie minimizes the misogyny and violence against women at the heart of N.W.A.’s music; The L.A. band Health continues to rise in the music scene, but is the band at its peak?; poet Claudia Rankine’s book on racism and prejudice gets adapted to the stage.

Ice Cube is played by his son in "Straight Outta Compton" and the father/son duo tell us how they wanted the performance to be authentic; Guy Ritchie's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." isn't your average, everyday spy movie; Star Wars Land and other Disney-related news from D23; Tracy Morgan to return as host of SNL.

“The Big Short” was originally to be released this year, but writer-director Adam McKay pushed it up and the result is five Oscar nominations; "Daily Show" Samantha Bee made a strong debut with her new late night show; with the primaries in full swing, which candidates are getting support from Hollywood?

The McFerrins recently performed their first-ever full concert together, and the father-and-son spoke about it after the show; Beyoncé surprised her fans with a new song and video that quickly dominated the cultural conversation; Big Freedia is the Big Easy's queen of bounce music.

After making three films with Joel and Ethan Coen, Josh Brolin says he still sometimes can't figure out their cryptic directing; the artists who installed a teahouse in Griffith Park last year are now transforming a downtown L.A. alley for one day; the Sundance Film Festival's commitment to inclusion has become a beacon for filmmakers such as Jason Lew.

The latest offbeat comedy from Jonathan Krisel is "Baskets," which stars Zach Galifianakis as a struggling clown; virtual reality projects had a huge presence at this year's Sundance Film Festival; "Kung Fu Panda 3" is the first big studio film to screen in English and a Chinese language in the U.S.

Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander, creators of "The People v. O.J. Simpson," talk about finding new ways to tell the familiar story; Slate TV critic Willa Paskin on why viewers are ignoring Trevor Noah; Drake's use of "Hotline Bling" for a phone ad was inevitable.

Brian Oakes tells the story of his childhood friend who became a conflict journalist in "Jim: The James Foley Story"; Mark Mangini made a battle truck sound like a living beast in "Mad Max: Fury Road"; residents of Leimert Park and Montebello connect in "Through the Looking Glass."

Elba's trophy for best supporting actor in "Beasts of No Nation" rekindles debate over his Academy Award snub; James Schamus used to buy films at Sundance as the head of Focus Features, but this year he was there with his directorial debut.

It's a new chapter in U.S.-Chinese relations — cinematically speaking. “Kung Fu Panda 3” opened simultaneously here and in China, thanks to a partnership between DreamWorks and its partners there; writer-director Sian Heder's feature debut was inspired by her experiences as a nanny.

A powerful documentary about the aftermath of the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; Rihanna's new album had a surprise (or maybe not?) release this week; the L.A. Art Fair aims to be the nexus for art from the Pacific Rim.

Nate Parker spent seven years making "The Birth of a Nation," and his efforts paid off as the breakout hit at the Sundance Film Festival; prominent comedians take to the stage to benefit Bernie Sanders' campaign; Larry Klein's work with Joni Mitchell made him a go-to producer for a wide variety of singers.

The legendary R&B singer has a new album and an HBO documentary coming up, but don't expect this to be her swan song; a film about Nat Turner's slave rebellion has set a sales record at the Sundance Film Festival; actresses Alysia Reiner and Sarah Megan Thomas launched Broad Street to counter gender inequity in Hollywood.

With the top award from the Producers Guild, "The Big Short" is now frontrunner for the best picture Oscar. We chat with producers Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner; a Motion Picture Academy officer admits that the organization has been too slow to change; the band Foals has gone from playing house parties to arenas.