The Frame

The actress makes her directing debut with a film about two young girls on a journey to avenge their mother's death; the National Hispanic Media Coalition is targeting movie studios over lack of Latino representation; teenaged jazz bassist Anna Abondolo is going places.

The company that revolutionized moviegoing is floundering as movie theater chains launch similar pass programs; first-time novelist Elizabeth Klehfoth sold her book to Hollywood before she even had a publisher; Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' bring their blues collaboration to the Hollywood Bowl.

The director and co-writer of "The Spy Who Dumped Me" turns the action-comedy genre on its head; what's the fate of CBS chief Les Moonves?; Netflix and Amazon preview their coming attractions at the TV Critics Assn. press tour.

The Texas native shot her indie feature in her home state, with a script based on her own teenage years there; the Idyllwild Arts Academy appears to have escaped the fire that's ravaging the area; the use of "white voice" by black characters in current films is a comment on white privilege.

On her latest album, the French singer and actress pays tribute to her family legacy and also mourns her sister's death; Spotify is paying advances to some artists, but says it's not actually signing artists the way record labels do. But if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ...

The photographer has shot virtually every famous face for Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and other magazines; the Venice and Toronto film festivals have released their schedules — let the award campaigning begin!; streaming services aren't as encyclopedic as you might think.

The veteran singer/guitarist's lifelong passion for the genre is evident on his new album, "Out of the Blues"; playwright Young Jean Lee's provocative "Straight White Men" opens on Broadway; composer Max Richter plans to put Grand Park campers to "Sleep."

"Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn is the latest figure to come under fire in an industry that no longer tolerates an "anything goes" culture; the documentary, "Far From the Tree," examines what happens to a family when one child has a difference that sets them apart; Naia Izumi, winner of NPR's Tiny Desk Concert competition.

The annual pop culture extravaganza in San Diego is nirvana for movie, TV and comic book fans; the documentary "Game Girls" follow a lesbian couple trying to escape life on L.A.'s Skid Row; what have been the best depictions of Russian spies in movies and TV shows?

The British musician and composer Anna Meredith dips into movies with her score for "Eighth Grade"; voiceover actors are threatening a strike against streaming services that would affect all TV animation production; Liz Phair marks the 25th anniversary of "Exit to Guyville."

Writer/director John Ridley (far right, with actor Timothy Hutton) talks about his edgy new TV series, “American Crime"; We crash a viewing party for the breakout TV hit, “Empire"; Musician and attorney Joe Escalante on the fallout from the “Blurred Lines” verdict.

A jury ruled that Robin Thicke (pictured) and Pharrell Williams violated the copyright to Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up"; an assistant director on the film "Midnight Rider" was found guilty of charges relating to the death of a camera assistant; producer David Shore revived a TV project created a dozen years ago by Vince Gilligan, before his "Breaking Bad" success.

"Midnight Rider" director Randall Miller was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to charges resulting from the death of a crew member on the set; Clint Eastwood talks about "American Sniper" (pictured) becoming the biggest-grossing film released in 2014; actress Gillian Jacobs has added director to her resumé with a documentary about computer pioneer Grace Hopper.

A fan laments that legendary radio DJ Art Laboe (pictured) can't be heard in L.A., at least for now; Robert Christgau, the Dean of American Rock Critics, has a memoir covering his 40-plus years on the music beat; Claire Keane is a third-generation artist who left a cushy job to write and illustrate children's books.

The trial for the lawsuit brought by Marvin Gaye's children against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams is nearing an end; how "Dead Man Walking" was transformed from a movie to an opera (pictured); comedian Wayne Federman rounds up his hilarious friends to host a film festival where they chose the lineup; comic book writer Scott Snyder put his anxieties into his version of "Batman."

Ed Piskor’s "Hip Hop Family Tree” (pictured) takes a look at the music's history in a comic book series; young comedians test their chops in roast battles; the Writer's Guild examines the lack of racial and gender diversity among TV writers.

Late night host Conan O'Brien tells us about his trip to Cuba and his thoughts on the late night TV shuffle; Vulture.com's Margaret Lyons recommends some TV shows that have an air of optimism; comic book writer Ed Brubaker goes from Captain America and Batman to a Hollywood noir graphic novel.

Will Smith's "Focus" (pictured) did middling business in its opening weekend, so where does this leave his career?; filmmaker Ed Burns on the highs and lows of his career since bursting on the scene with "The Brothers McMullen" in 1995; Valiant Entertainment has a simple goal: make comic books like they used to be made.

Leonard Nimoy (pictured) died today. We discuss his artistic journey as an actor, writer and photographer; the copyright trial pitting Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. against Marvin Gaye's children is underway; Will Forte is "The Last Man on Earth," a new Fox comedy.

Singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane (pictured) wrote "The Ambassador," a song cycle inspired by architectural landmarks around L.A.; Yann Demange's new film is set amidst the violent Northern Ireland conflict known as The Troubles; a new study concludes that watching even just one film can change minds about a topic as charged as politics.

A new report by the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA says movies and TV shows with diverse casts (such as "Empire," pictured) make good financial sense; Song Exploder breaks down the theme song for "House of Cards"; a new stage production at CalTech takes "Alice Through the Wormhole."

How did Amy Poehler's sitcom (pictured) survive seven seasons of average ratings?; Sam Beam, aka Iron & Wine, returns to his musical roots with "Archive Series Volume Number One"; Wes Anderson's Oscar-winning film is the subject of a new book; the L.A. Philharmonic stages a multimedia production of "Alice in Wonderland."