The Frame

The film is an attempt to understand the motives behind the horrific 2011 attack at a teen camp in Norway; Taylor Swift showed her political leanings this week, but can she make a difference?

The Academy Award-winning director takes on a biopic of astronaut Neil Armstrong; "American Saga: Gunshot Medley: Part 1" is a new play about the struggle against systemic racism.

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique talks about shooting the film's live concert scenes at Coachella and other venues; New York Times culture critic Amanda Hess on how the new TV season is addressing the #MeToo movement; Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, breaks down her song, "Woman."

It's been 11 years since the writer/director's last film, and she returns with a personal movie about infertility; singer Luciana Souza has a new album based on Leonard Cohen's poetry.

The man who made crucial contributions to the music of Duke Ellington gets a tribute in David Rousséve's "Halfway to Dawn"; a dozen years after his death, James Brown's estate remains a muddled mess; Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson has a riveting video installation at The Broad.

The dissident Chinese artist has three current exhibitions in Los Angeles; the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing gets a theatrical treatment with the gender roles reversed; Manhattan's High Line is the setting for "The Mile Long Opera."

He's currently in the films "The Sisters Brothers" and "Venom," he's about to perform in the title role of "Hamlet" for Netflix, while also furthering his career as a rapper; Donald Trump's presidency is the ultimate reality show, but will it get renewed in 2020?

Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek and the film's writer/director talk about what may or may not be the actor's final role; actress Chantal Cousineau on California's new sexual harassment laws; New Yorker magazine cartoonist Liana Finck.

The primary lyricist for Los Lobos is also a visual artist and he has paired his lyrics and drawings and paintings in a new book, "Good Morning Aztlán"; Sarah Jones' "Sell/Buy/Date" is a one-woman play with many views of the sex industry.

The iconic L.A. artist leads John Horn on a tour of his vast workspace and talks about his past and current work; media scholar Robert Thompson talks about the historic nature of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's televised confirmation hearings; Cuban pianist Dayramir Gonzalez is a rising star in jazz.

Show biz veterans run a TV channel at an industry retirement home (pictured); the head of UCLA's Center for African American Studies weighs in on e-mails from studio executives joking about President Obama's taste in films; and acclaimed photographer Sebastião Salgado gets the documentary treatment from his son.

Julianne Moore talks about her role as an Alzheimer's patient in "Still Alice" (pictured); the British holiday stage tradition known as panto comes to the Pasadena Playhouse; and a movie marketing executive assesses Sony's challenge with "The Interview."

Several Screen Actors Guild award nominees took risky bets that paid off; Singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno rewrites some holiday classics; and director Laura Poitras talks about her Edward Snowden documentary, "Citizenfour."

There's some casting controversy over Ridley Scott's Biblical tale, "Exodus" (pictured); Sean Rameswaram of the Sideshow podcast leads us through the gems and lumps of coal among this year's holiday albums; and playwright Rebecca Gale mines the social welfare system in "Luna Gale."

World premieres at next month's Sundance Festival include Paul Weitz's "Grandma," starring Lily Tomlin (pictured); as "Boyhood" garners more praise, Ethan Hawke talks about the film's effect on audiences; artist Jennifer Moon gets her inspiration behind the wheel; and Jean-Marc Vallee says he didn't choose "Wild," the project chose him.

Grammy nominations are out: What did voters get right/wrong?; LACMA curator Franklin Sirmans attends Art Basel Miami and lives to tell the story; Chadwick Boseman has played Jackie Robinson, James Brown (pictured) and soon will play Marvel’s first black superhero; Robert Downey Sr. on his film retrospective.

NBC's coverage of the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree lighting ceremony was almost disrupted by protests (pictured); Alexandre Desplat is one of Hollywood’s busiest and most celebrated composers; a neuroscientist on how cinema manipulates our minds; and why the current dearth of great sitcoms?

Filmmaker Kyle Alvarez on the thrill of being invited to the Sundance Film Festival; why Kevin Costner reached into his own pocketbook for "Black or White" (pictured); “Into the Woods” is back onstage and headed for the multiplex; and Daniel Catán's operatic legacy won't end with 'Florencia en el Amazonas.'

As movie award season gets underway, talk inevitably returns to the novelty of "Boyhood," which was named 2014's best film by New York critics; the Wende Museum in Culver City turns East German artifacts into artwork; and Carmen Esposito may be the hardest-working comedian in show biz.

Sony Pictures computers were hacked last week, resulting in several unreleased films being leaked. We also talk about the wider effects of film piracy; actress Reese Witherspoon (pictured in "Wild") and her producing partner, Bruna Papandrea, talk about how they're working to change the film industry.

CalTech physicist Kip Thorne talks about getting the science right for "Interstellar"; Tim Robbins' Actors' Gang theater company works to rehabilitate inmates; and Margaret Lyons of Vulture.com has some viewing suggestions after the mashed potatoes turn you into a couch potato.

Killer Mike talks about performing in St. Louis on the night the Ferguson decision came down; actor Benedict Cumberbatch shares the tragic story of the genius who broke the Enigma code; the indie film version of the Oscars unveils its nominations; and musician Ben Watt talks about his solo career.