The Frame

John Gerrard’s installation at LACMA is a digital simulation that recreates a Nevada solar thermal power plant and the surrounding desert landscape; how the gender imbalance among film critics can affect female-led movies; the Dodgers organist does more than just play “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

The two longtime friends use their boyhood home of Oakland as the setting for their tough-minded film about friendship in a changing city; "Skyscraper" writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber on his summer blockbuster; "Black Panther" costumer Ruth Carter has tips for Comic-Con cos-players.

The chef and restaurant owner uses his experience as an immigrant to inform his PBS series, "No Passport Required"; former Obama speechwriter and current "Funny or Die" writer/producer David Litt weighs in on Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who Is America?"; the South L.A. band Inner Wave has been together for 10 years, and the members are still in their early 20s.

Gus Van Sant makes a movie about the quadriplegic cartoonist John Callahan's life in AA. And could Sacha Baron Cohen's new TV show land him in legal jeopardy? And the LA Phil brings kids to California for the 2nd annual Take A Stand Festival.

Musicians Bhi Bhiman, Gaby Moreno and Radney Foster – each in their own way – sing about the rights and suffering of immigrants. Also, we unpack the 2018 Emmy noms.

"Won't You Be My Neighbor" filmmaker Morgan Neville reveals why his documentary about Fred Rogers has become a hit movie this summer. And singer-songwriter Mary Gautier partners with veterans to make music and mend wounds.

At the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical is re-imagined with same-sex lead couples; Warner Bros. wants to build a gondola from its lot to the Hollywood sign; this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival featured Armenian-American musicians who are challenging traditional sounds.

On today's show: Comedian Bo Burnham has conflicted feelings about the Internet, so he addresses that angst through a young teen in his feature directing debut, "Eighth Grade"; Congress could soon pass long-overdue updates to music copyright laws that will benefit songwriters; the Filipino-American drama "Bitter Melon" screens at Outfest.

On today's show: Inside the restoration of The Beatles' animated classic from 1968; we revisit a 2013 interview with sci-fi author Harlan Ellison, who died on June 27; an initiative to increase the number of women of color in classical music.

On today's show: director Boots Riley and actress Tessa Thompson talk about one of the buzziest movies of the summer; former soccer player and current stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton talks about bad acting in the World Cup.

"Hidden Figures" writer Allison Schroeder (who was just nominated for a Writer's Guild award) tells us why she was the right person to co-write the film “Hidden Figures”; In the film “A Monster Calls,” director J.A. Bayona talks about how families might view his dark and personal coming-of-age story; Elliott Smith’s landmark 1997 album, “Either/Or,” gets a 20th anniversary re-issue.

Clay Tarver is a writer and co-executive producer for HBO’s “Silicon Valley," but he recently reunited with his bandmates in the group Chavez to record their first new music in 20 years; there may be a more diverse roster of actor and actress nominees for the Academy Awards this year, but that doesn’t mean #OscarsSoWhite is a thing of the past, says April Reign, the writer and activist who coined the hashtag.

It's our last Frame episode of 2016! From Beyonce's "Lemonade" to Chance The Rapper's "Coloring Book," we look back at the year in music with MTV Executive Editor Alex Pappademas; Also, we revisit one of our favorite musician interviews of the year, soul singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc, who describes himself as an "artivist," someone who blends art with activism.

The singing voice of Debbie Reynolds echoes throughout the show today as we honor the actress who died yesterday; Los Angeles Times culture writer Carolina Miranda picks some of 2016's most impactful moments in culture; playwright Jon Robin Baitz challenged himself in 2016 to write a play responding to Donald Trump's candidacy and get it up before the election. He did that. Now what?

For our wrap up of the best in TV, Margaret Lyons of the New York Times talks with us about the most overrated, underrated and heavily debated shows of 2016; Among the most lauded performances on TV this year was Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark in the FX mini-series "The People v. O.J. Simpson." Paulson discusses how Clark had been scrutinized by the media and much of America during the trial.

Carrie Fisher imbued the role of Princess Leia with an assertiveness that set the tone for the future Star Wars heroines; Fisher was also the columnist of "Advice from the Dark Side" which ran in The Guardian; New York Times co-chief film critic Manohla Dargis joins John Horn to talk about some of the top film stories of the year.

The popular British singer-songwriter died from heart failure at the age of 53; Kristen Anderson-Lopez is working on a stage musical version of "Frozen," but for now she has another show on Broadway, "In Transit."

David Oyelowo is extremely selective about the roles he chooses to play, and also the kinds of parts he wants to avoid; the Presidential Inauguration Committee has gotten more nays than ayes from singers and bands.

Veteran music producer Harvey Mason, Jr. produced dozens of songs for the animated film, "Sing"; Sandra Hüller is a standout in the likely Oscar nominee, "Toni Erdmann"; a N.Y. judge rules that pre-1972 songs don't have copyright protection.

When Dennis Lehane's novel "Live By Night" was adapted by Ben Affleck into a feature film, it was just the latest gritty, crime-filled book of his to get the movie treatment; voice actor Rob Paulsen has been going strong in the business since the early 1980s, but a recent bout with throat cancer almost derailed his career.

Gibney's documentary about cyber warfare all but predicted the hacking of the Democratic National Committee; the operator of an illegal venue says the city should not take a blanket approach to its crackdown; life as a voiceover actor (part 1).

The 2016 election has ignited Beau Willimon to action. The creator of "House of Cards" has formed the Action Group Network to embark on a new form of advocacy; singer-songwriter Angelica Garcia opens up about how moving from L.A. to a small colonial-era Virginia town gave rise to her debut album, “Medicine For Birds."