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.

Gigi Saul Guerrero, who was born in Mexico, directed the episode that's part of the Hulu horror anthology series, “Into the Dark”; Variety's Todd Spangler on Netflix losing subscribers in the U.S.; composer Bobby Krlic (aka The Haxan Cloak) on writing the score for “Midsommar.”

Writer/director Riley Stearns and stunt coordinator Mindy Kelly talk about their film that's set in a sexist karate school; is Disney having buyer’s remorse over its purchase of Fox's film studio?; behind the appeal of the band Durand Jones & The Indications.

The acclaimed visual artist and musician walks through his retrospective with his wife and frequent collaborator, Jo Harvey Allen; breaking down the Emmy nominations; in the studio with singer-songwriter J.S. Ondara.

The singer is the subject of a warts-and-all documentary, "David Crosby: Remember My Name"; The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Johnson talks about his story on the so-called "Con Queen of Hollywood"; catching up with Linda Ronstadt.

Kumail Nanjiani's "Stuber" and writer/director Lulu Wang's "The Farewell" just opened in theaters, as did the documentary "Sea of Shadows," about drug cartels invading a fishing village in Baja California. Morgan Neville's four-part documentary about music producer Rick Rubin debuts on Showtime. And we also visit with the French piano duo Katia and Marielle Lebeque.

The director and actor talk about their new film, "Sword of Trust"; The Hollywood Reporter's Eriq Gardner on so-called "deep fakes" in Hollywood — ultra-realistic manipulation of digital imagery; a profile of the singer and pianist Rhye.

Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville examines the career of the idiosyncratic record producer; the dilemma faced by cultural instititutions when they have received donations from alleged sexual predators; Black artists make a statement in "Soul of a Nation."

The comedian and actor wanted to go in a different direction after "The Big Sick," so he signed on for an atypical buddy-cop comedy; the latest battle in the video streaming wars; "Sea of Shadows" chronicles a marine life disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

The piano-playing sisters perform everything from the classics to contemporary works by the likes of Thom Yorke and Bryce Dessner; will Jeffrey Katzenberg's big idea for short content fly?; the long-running Tuesday Night Café in Little Tokyo.

The film is based on a true story from the writer/director's own family about refusing to tell their grandmother that she is gravely ill; an appreciation of Brazilian songwriter João Gilberto, who has died at the age of 88.

"Midsommar" filmmaker says it's a horror film about co-dependency and the showrunner of the new ABC comedy "Mixed-ish" wants to inspire nuanced conversations about race. Given the massive TV audience for the World Cup why hasn't Hollywood tapped soccer fever for a great movie? All that and more on The Frame Weekend.

The play "Good Boys," written by "Riverdale" creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, is updated in light of the Kavanaugh hearings; LA's Rogue Machine Theatre company tackles racism and gun violence with "Gunshot Medley: Part 1"; why are there so few movies about soccer?