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The Frame Tile

The Frame

A daily chronicle of creativity in film, TV, music, arts, and entertainment, produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from November 2014 – March 2020. Host John Horn leads the conversation, accompanied by the nation's most plugged-in cultural journalists.

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  • Listen 25:52
    The comedian talks about his new stand-up special, which is aptly titled "End Times Fun"; for animators, the show must go on; comedian John Thomas insists “Everything's Gonna Be Okay.”
    The comedian talks about his new stand-up special, which is aptly titled "End Times Fun"; for animators, the show must go on; comedian John Thomas insists “Everything's Gonna Be Okay.”
  • Listen 25:42
    The co-hosts of the New York Times culture podcast, "Still Processing," talk about their new season of episodes; podcast expert Nick Quah on what he's recommending these days.
    The co-hosts of the New York Times culture podcast, "Still Processing," talk about their new season of episodes; podcast expert Nick Quah on what he's recommending these days.
  • Listen 25:51
    We devote our entire show today to pop music, asking creators how they’re coping in the Age of Covid. We’ll hear from singer/songwriter Bhi Bhiman, country musician Jessi Alexander, and A.J. Jackson, the lead singer from the band Saint Motel, which had to cancel its world tour.
    We devote our entire show today to pop music, asking creators how they’re coping in the Age of Covid. We’ll hear from singer/songwriter Bhi Bhiman, country musician Jessi Alexander, and A.J. Jackson, the lead singer from the band Saint Motel, which had to cancel its world tour.
  • Listen 27:20
    Lawrence Wright's book about the prelude to the 9/11 attacks has been turned into a TV series on Hulu; Nick Hakim's album, “Green Twins,” was partly inspired by his idol, Marvin Gaye; a recording of Allen Ginsberg's epic poem is being reissued on vinyl.
    Lawrence Wright's book about the prelude to the 9/11 attacks has been turned into a TV series on Hulu; Nick Hakim's album, “Green Twins,” was partly inspired by his idol, Marvin Gaye; a recording of Allen Ginsberg's epic poem is being reissued on vinyl.
  • Listen 27:30
    "Black Panther" is dominating the box office, but Hollywood’s diversity problem is far from over, according to a UCLA report; Only two women have ever won Academy Awards for composing. Taura Stinson, Laura Karpman and Lesley Barber discuss how women composers are faring these days in Hollywood.
    "Black Panther" is dominating the box office, but Hollywood’s diversity problem is far from over, according to a UCLA report; Only two women have ever won Academy Awards for composing. Taura Stinson, Laura Karpman and Lesley Barber discuss how women composers are faring these days in Hollywood.
  • Listen 27:26
    Stacy Rukeyser is executive producer of "Unreal," a fictional TV series about the behind-the-scenes drama of a “Bachelor”-style reality show; there's an effort underway to pressure Amazon, Apple, Roku and Chromecast to drop NRA TV from the streaming services.
    Stacy Rukeyser is executive producer of "Unreal," a fictional TV series about the behind-the-scenes drama of a “Bachelor”-style reality show; there's an effort underway to pressure Amazon, Apple, Roku and Chromecast to drop NRA TV from the streaming services.
  • Listen 27:28
    With two Russian Olympic athletes accused of doping at the games in South Korea, it brings renewed attention to "Icarus," the Oscar-nominated documentary that blew the lid off Russia's doping program; Anna Deavere Smith debuts "Notes From the Field," in which she portrays people she interviewed about race and class in America.
    With two Russian Olympic athletes accused of doping at the games in South Korea, it brings renewed attention to "Icarus," the Oscar-nominated documentary that blew the lid off Russia's doping program; Anna Deavere Smith debuts "Notes From the Field," in which she portrays people she interviewed about race and class in America.
  • Listen 27:39
    Margot Robbie goes for the gold in the Tonya Harding biopic; "Black Panther" appealed to a diverse audience rarely seen in Hollywood; in the new season of “Mozart in the Jungle,” women are the authors of musical compositions far more than in real life.
    Margot Robbie goes for the gold in the Tonya Harding biopic; "Black Panther" appealed to a diverse audience rarely seen in Hollywood; in the new season of “Mozart in the Jungle,” women are the authors of musical compositions far more than in real life.
  • Listen 27:48
    Danish actor Claes Bang stars in "The Square," nominated for foreign language film; sound editor Richard King is nominated for his work on the WWII epic, "Dunkirk"; USA Today surveyed women in the entertainment industry and found that 94% have encountered sexual harassment or abuse; Disney exec Tom Schumacher is the latest to face such accusations.
    Danish actor Claes Bang stars in "The Square," nominated for foreign language film; sound editor Richard King is nominated for his work on the WWII epic, "Dunkirk"; USA Today surveyed women in the entertainment industry and found that 94% have encountered sexual harassment or abuse; Disney exec Tom Schumacher is the latest to face such accusations.
  • Listen 27:37
    Costume designer Ruth Carter and production designer Hannah Beachler played key roles in creating the look of "Black Panther"; singer/songwriter Moses Sumney breaks down his song, "Quarrel."
    Costume designer Ruth Carter and production designer Hannah Beachler played key roles in creating the look of "Black Panther"; singer/songwriter Moses Sumney breaks down his song, "Quarrel."
  • Listen 27:03
    Filmmaker Agnes Varda and the street artist JR joined forces to capture faces from the French countryside; "Aleppo" director Feras Fayyad hopes his partners can attend the Oscars; the musical "Allegiance," starring George Takei, is finally coming to Los Angeles.
    Filmmaker Agnes Varda and the street artist JR joined forces to capture faces from the French countryside; "Aleppo" director Feras Fayyad hopes his partners can attend the Oscars; the musical "Allegiance," starring George Takei, is finally coming to Los Angeles.
  • Listen 27:08
    Gary Oldman convinced Kazuhiro Tsuji to transform the actor into Winston Churchill for "Darkest Hour"; "Black Panther" is a phenomenon before it even opens; “Cruzar la Cara de la Luna” (To Cross the Face of the Moon) is believed to be the first mariachi opera.
    Gary Oldman convinced Kazuhiro Tsuji to transform the actor into Winston Churchill for "Darkest Hour"; "Black Panther" is a phenomenon before it even opens; “Cruzar la Cara de la Luna” (To Cross the Face of the Moon) is believed to be the first mariachi opera.
  • Listen 26:27
    Mary J. Blige is the first person to get an Academy Award acting nomination and a best song nod for the same film ("Mudbound”); married songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez have an Oscar nomination for “Remember Me” from “Coco”; Ryan Murphy, the producer behind the “American Horror Story” and “American Crime Story” franchises, is leaving Fox for Netflix.
    Mary J. Blige is the first person to get an Academy Award acting nomination and a best song nod for the same film ("Mudbound”); married songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez have an Oscar nomination for “Remember Me” from “Coco”; Ryan Murphy, the producer behind the “American Horror Story” and “American Crime Story” franchises, is leaving Fox for Netflix.
Episodes
  • Listen 25:49
    On today's show: jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard's interest in social issues comes through in his choice of projects, such as his score for “BlacKkKlansman,” the forthcoming film by Spike Lee; documentary films are having a renaissance, evidenced by the success of "RBG" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor."
    On today's show: jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard's interest in social issues comes through in his choice of projects, such as his score for “BlacKkKlansman,” the forthcoming film by Spike Lee; documentary films are having a renaissance, evidenced by the success of "RBG" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor."
  • Listen 26:11
    On today's show: filmmaker Debra Granik says if studios are the equivalent of big agriculture, she is the organic farmer; off the court, LeBron James has a big Hollywood presence; singer-songwriter Sam Buck contrasts '90s pop country with personal anecdotes of queer identity.
    On today's show: filmmaker Debra Granik says if studios are the equivalent of big agriculture, she is the organic farmer; off the court, LeBron James has a big Hollywood presence; singer-songwriter Sam Buck contrasts '90s pop country with personal anecdotes of queer identity.
  • Listen 17:00
    On today's show: Sarah Silverman is ramping up for the second season of her Hulu series, in which she travels the country to examine the causes of America’s polarization through a comedic lens.
    On today's show: Sarah Silverman is ramping up for the second season of her Hulu series, in which she travels the country to examine the causes of America’s polarization through a comedic lens.
  • Listen 16:49
    On today's show: "Woman Walks Ahead" tells the story of Catherine Weldon, a real-life activist and artist who traveled from Brooklyn to the Standing Rock Reservation in the 1880s to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull. Jessica Chastain plays Weldon and is also an activist herself — for equal pay and equal opportunities for women in Hollywood.
    On today's show: "Woman Walks Ahead" tells the story of Catherine Weldon, a real-life activist and artist who traveled from Brooklyn to the Standing Rock Reservation in the 1880s to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull. Jessica Chastain plays Weldon and is also an activist herself — for equal pay and equal opportunities for women in Hollywood.
  • Listen 27:12
    On today's show: filmmaker Tim Wardle tells the unreal story of three men who discovered siblings they never knew existed; the mixed messages of the Motion Picture Academy's latest membership push; two exhibitions bring street art inside Chinatown galleries.
    On today's show: filmmaker Tim Wardle tells the unreal story of three men who discovered siblings they never knew existed; the mixed messages of the Motion Picture Academy's latest membership push; two exhibitions bring street art inside Chinatown galleries.
  • Listen 16:57
    On today's show: the lead singer of Imagine Dragons is a practicing Mormon, but he questions the church's stance on LGTBQ issues in the HBO documentary, "Believer."
    On today's show: the lead singer of Imagine Dragons is a practicing Mormon, but he questions the church's stance on LGTBQ issues in the HBO documentary, "Believer."
  • Listen 17:15
    On today's show: The actress produced and narrates the documentary, which is based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. She wants you to think twice about being a meat-eater; filmmaker Eugene Jarecki goes in search of the America that produced Elvis Presley.
    On today's show: The actress produced and narrates the documentary, which is based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. She wants you to think twice about being a meat-eater; filmmaker Eugene Jarecki goes in search of the America that produced Elvis Presley.
  • Listen 27:45
    Steven Canals, co-creator of the FX series about the underground club culture, talks about re-creating those elaborate scenes; why is the Pasadena Museum of California Art shutting its doors?; Ben Lewin's film, "The Catcher Was a Spy," is about a major league baseball player who lived a double life during World War II.
    Steven Canals, co-creator of the FX series about the underground club culture, talks about re-creating those elaborate scenes; why is the Pasadena Museum of California Art shutting its doors?; Ben Lewin's film, "The Catcher Was a Spy," is about a major league baseball player who lived a double life during World War II.
  • Listen 27:29
    Writer/director Shana Feste's father was a troubled but charismatic man who inspired her new film; in the Vice series, "Minority Reports," Lee Adams explores racial angles of fish-out-of-water stories; Rosie & the Riveters play folk music with a feminist bent.
    Writer/director Shana Feste's father was a troubled but charismatic man who inspired her new film; in the Vice series, "Minority Reports," Lee Adams explores racial angles of fish-out-of-water stories; Rosie & the Riveters play folk music with a feminist bent.
  • Listen 27:43
    On today's show: After going dark for five years, LALIFF has been revived by its co-founder, Edward James Olmos; Disney makes a counteroffer for properties being sold by Fox; The documentary, "Half the Picture," looks at the long history of systemic discrimination against women filmmakers.
    On today's show: After going dark for five years, LALIFF has been revived by its co-founder, Edward James Olmos; Disney makes a counteroffer for properties being sold by Fox; The documentary, "Half the Picture," looks at the long history of systemic discrimination against women filmmakers.
  • Listen 28:04
    On today's show: comedian Hannah Gadsby grew up in Tasmania, where being gay wasn't just dangerous, it was criminalized. Now, she’s sharing her story in a Netflix special; WeTransfer creates a platform for artists and other creatives to showcase their work; Anna Abondolo is a teen musician who's going places.
    On today's show: comedian Hannah Gadsby grew up in Tasmania, where being gay wasn't just dangerous, it was criminalized. Now, she’s sharing her story in a Netflix special; WeTransfer creates a platform for artists and other creatives to showcase their work; Anna Abondolo is a teen musician who's going places.
  • Listen 27:43
    On today's show: Beyoncé and Jay thrilled their fans by dropping a surprise album over the weekend; playwright Stephen Karam turned a bad family Thanksgiving dinner into "The Humans"; real life paleontologist Jack Horner inspired the Sam Neill character in the "Jurassic" franchise.
    On today's show: Beyoncé and Jay thrilled their fans by dropping a surprise album over the weekend; playwright Stephen Karam turned a bad family Thanksgiving dinner into "The Humans"; real life paleontologist Jack Horner inspired the Sam Neill character in the "Jurassic" franchise.