The Frame

What the early Academy Award predictions are telling us about diversity — or the lack thereof — among this year’s potential nominees; the documentary "This Ain't No Mouse Music," about Bay Area recording legend Chris Strachwitz, gives new insight into what drove his musical journey.

“The Simpsons” launched its 26th season Sunday. Vulture.com editor Jesse David Fox joins us to discuss how they chose the 100 Best Simpsons episodes; “The Equalizer” won the box office this weekend, but we also take a look at how some smaller, independent films are doing.

The FAA just approved use of drones for feature films. We talk with the owner of a company that stands to benefit; an Asian-American theater company explores how cultural bias can warp a family’s ability to discuss mental illness; Antoine Fuqua first directed Denzel Washington in "Training Day." Now they're together again for "The Equalizer."

Soloway talks about how Lena Dunham and Louis CK changed the way she writes; pianist and composer Cathlene Pineda discusses her commission for the Angel City Jazz Festival; and Viola Davis on why her casting for "How To Get Away With Murder" is groundbreaking

Kenya Barris, creator of the new ABC series "black-ish," says they had written an episode about spanking before the Adrian Peterson story broke. His challenge: Getting the network to buy in to the controversial topic; Artist Ai Weiwei debuts a new installation at Alcatraz that touches on themes such as freedom and human rights.

The actress founded an institute on gender in media that reports women don't get enough speaking roles in Hollywood; art and science intersect at the AxS Festival; New York's Metropolitan Opera opens its season amid protests, and more.

Colin Farrell will star in the next season of HBO's "True Detective"; Matt Atchity of Rotten Tomatoes chats about this weekend's box office winners and losers, including "The Maze Runner" (pictured). Plus, Jon Stewart discusses his first time on a comedy stage, Fox debuts “Gotham," and more.

How Scott Frank convinced Liam Neeson to star in yet another hostage movie; “Last Days in Vietnam” portrays the U.S. exit from Saigon; and a look at the legendary jazz musician at the heart of “Keep On Keepin’ On.”

The Toronto International Film Festival has a late-night series that brings out devoted horror fans; a group of artists and activists put a spotlight on LA's waterway; the indie band Allah-Las returns to its roots at Amoeba Records; and film director Ned Benson talks about his accidental trilogy, "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby."

In our latest episode, we get a preview of one of the largest and most vital film festivals on the circuit; we sit under a 340-ton boulder to interview Doug Pray about the subject of his documentary, "Levitated Mass: The Story of Michael Heizer's Monolithic Sculpture"; and we chat with Teller (yes, of Penn & Teller) and Aaron Posner — co-directors of a novel staging of "The Tempest" at South Coast Repertory.

Julius Onah directed the movie about a former child soldier in Africa who seems to fully adapt to his new life in America; how and why YouTube became the world's most popular music streaming site; a new documentary tells the story of the Bay Area's thrash metal scene.

Writers and comedians Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin talk about their new IFC series that's a fake documentary about a fake "Soul Train"-like music show; N.Y. Times co-theater critic Jesse Green on the legacy of Broadway legend Harold Prince, who died at the age of 91.

Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine get a writing nomination for their comedy series set in middle school; Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg News on musicians seeking representation in Washington; Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera talk about their film, "The Infiltrators," which tells the true story of two undocumented immigrants who go inside America’s for-profit, immigrant detention system.

Inara George and Greg Kurstin previously released an album of Hall & Oates covers, and now they've turned to songs made famous by Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth; is there a rift in the Writers Guild leadership?; do faith-based movies need film critics?

How Quentin Tarantino and his team recreated 1969 Hollywood. Director Gigi Saul Guererro tells an immigration story as a horror film and the Alamo Drafthouse (finally) opens in DTLA. All that plus documentaries about Mike Wallace and Cambridge Analytica. Plus, we remember New Orleans music legends.

Veteran cinematographer Robert Richardson talks about shooting "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood"; the documentary "For Sama" is an unflinching look at the war in Syria; Michael McDonald on being the ultimate backup singer.

The Texas-based theater chain has been working on a complex here for six years and the owners are hoping audiences will connect with the in-seat food service and bar; film festival season is upon us; re-creating the streets of L.A. circa 1969 for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

The documentary by Ari Belkin examines the life and career of the famed journalist; Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter previews Television Critics Association press tour; the indie video game market.

Writer and director Pippa Bianco talks about her first feature film, which was adapted from her 2015 short; why are artists pulling their work from the Whitney Biennial?; the host of the "Mueller, She Wrote" podcast preps for the big day.

Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim co-directed the documentary about the Cambridge Analytica/Facebook controversy; all the news from Comic-Con; Rodrigo y Gabriel have guitars, will travel.

Marc Maron shines in a new improvised film from Lynn Shelton. Linda Ronstadt gets celebrated for a life in music. David Crosby makes a mea culpa documentary with Cameron Crowe and "Apollo 11" reveals a hidden side to the moon landing.

We mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landing by revisiting our interviews with "First Man" director Damien Chazelle and screenwriter Josh Singer, and with the film's sound editors, Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan, who were nominated for an Academy Award; Todd Douglas Miller, director of the groundbreaking documentary, "Apollo 11."