The Frame

"Twilight" actor Robert Pattinson hopes to shake-off his heartthrob rep with the new movie "Good Time"; filmmaker Alejandro Iñárritu uses virtual reality to replicate a border crossing through the desert; "Whose Streets?" documents how the shooting death of Michael Brown inspired grassroots activism in Ferguson, Missouri.

The band Spoon formed in Austin, TX 25 years ago. Lead singer Britt Daniel talks about the band’s new album, “Hot Thoughts," and the many changes in the music industry; YouTube has created a new breed of reviewer: TV and movie superfans; We all gravitate toward different kinds of music, but there is one album we found with sounds that are literally out of this world.

The filmmakers of 'Brigsby Bear' discuss their off-beat comedy and their rise from youtube stars, to SNL, to feature film. The Television Critics Association summer press tour (aka TCA's) continues this week where the subject of who is included in the TV universe – on and off screen– was debated and discussed. And the fallout continues from the cyber attack on HBO which could be larger that the one that hit Sony in 2014.

In the new documentary "Step", filmmaker Amanda Lipitz shows the power of sisterhood, school and stepping in a Baltimore girls inner city school. She and the subjects of her movie tell The Frame what they hope people take away from their story. The French band Phoenix breaks down a song off their new album.

Filmmaker Bryan Fogel set out to make a documentary about performance enhancing drugs and cycling. But once a prominent Russian doping expert got involved, things got really weird; HBO is the latest Hollywood victim of a cyber crime.

The actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright is remembered by longtime collaborators, Ed Harris and Peter Coyote; USC researchers watched 900 movies and found women are often sidelined, sexualized or outright invisible; La Cuneta puts its small country on the musical map.

Filmmaker Joshua Weinstein used non-professional actors for his film set inside an insular Jewish community; TV journalists gather to get the lowdown on shows premiering in the coming months; a new opera digs into the life story of the Apple icon.

The former vice president is back with the timely “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power"; American Ballet Theater dancer Tiler Peck has curated a showcase called BalletNow; June Foray voiced Rocky the Flying Squirrel and the Russian spy Natasha on the Bullwinkle cartoons.

Mary-Louise Parker and Denis Arndt on the spare staging of "Heisenberg" at the Mark Taper Forum; inside a rehearsal with Nancy Keystone – a theater artist from L.A. whose new production will open the REDCAT's New Original Works Festival; Hollywood Reporter film writer Tatiana Siegel discusses the rocky relationship between Hollywood studios and outside financiers.

“Atomic Blonde" director David Leitch is a former stunt man and coordinator, but this is his first solo directing effort; Musician Flying Lotus called on British animator David Firth to help him make his debut film, "Kuso"; Film composer Michael Giacchino has written scores for every reboot and remake from his childhood, including “Star Trek,” “Star Wars” and “Mission Impossible."

Filmmaker Danny Boyle has reunited with the original cast of his 1996 movie "Trainspotting" to find out where those drug-addled young adults are now that they're in full-blown adulthood; Cuban Singer Daymé Arocena releases a new album with a little help from friends in LA; The Writers Guild of America starts contract talks, could it lead to a strike?

Walt Disney’s creative genius and his personal dark side are explored in the Philip Glass opera, “The Perfect American”; religious scholar Reza Aslan talks about his new CNN series, “Believer,” in which he focuses on fringe elements of certain religions; Mohsen Namjoo revives the pre-revolution rock music of his native Iran.

When the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs in downtown LA this weekend the consistent theme throughout the nine pieces is social justice. One dance making its West Coast debut is inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. speeches. And the SXSW confab of music, movies, TV and tech turns 30 years old this weekend. The CEO joins us to discuss its evolution and the controversial contract clause that have some artists upset over perceived threats of deportation.

ReFrame is a new initiative by Women in Film/Sundance Institute that comes after years of research into why Hollywood is dominated by men. Oscar-winning producer Cathy Schulman and Keri Putnam of the Sundance Institute discuss how ReFrame plans to create systematic change in the industry; The National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington DC is nearly 30 years old, and its mission is as timely as ever.

Writer-director Luis Valdez, Center Theater Group artistic director Michael Ritchie, actress Rose Portillo and historian Tomás Summers Sandoval discuss the revival of "Zoot Suit" and the play's modern-day resonance; the documentary 'Cries from Syria' will air just as the U.S.' new ban on refugees takes effect.

Timothy Olyphant has had a string of memorable TV roles – from “Deadwood” to his starring role in “Justified” and now “Santa Clarita Diet.” Not bad for an art major from Modesto, Calif.; Donald Trump’s presidency has been a boon for late night talk show hosts, especially for Stephen Colbert. But every late night host faces a quandary: how political should they be?

Alison Bechdel says she thought the idea of having her graphic novel memoir turned into a musical was "insane"; composer John Adams says his landmark opera, "Nixon in China," is as timely as ever; NBC has invested $500 million in Snapchat with big plans for using the social media platform.

Bruna Papandrea has produced hit films such as "Wild" and "Gone Girl," and now she's part of the team behind HBO's "Big Little Lies"; Netflix has a new reality competition series that's being produced for six global markets simultaneously.

C-SPAN anchor Steve Scully (aka "the most patient man on television") talks with The Frame about C-SPAN's origin story, its mission and the role it fills in today's media landscape; Then, actress Jane Kaczmarek explains why she's spending her post "Malcolm In the Middle" years doing theater like Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night."

When Asghar Farhadi won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, he did not pick up his statue in person. But he was in L.A. last year following our election and he spoke with us about his movie, "The Salesman," and then-President elect Trump; R&B producer and musician Raphael Saadiq has branched out to scoring movies and TV shows.

Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black created the ABC miniseries, "When We Rise," to bring the history of the gay rights movement into America's living rooms in the hopes of bridging a divided nation and inspiring activism in a new generation; The Oscars are finally over. What must Hollywood do to become more inclusive?

On this year's Frame Oscar preview, get to know some nominees ahead of the big night. Among the guests are the writer/directors of "La La Land" and "Moonlight," actors Ruth Negga, Emma Stone, Dev Patel, and Andrew Garfield; Documentary filmmakers Ava Duvernay and Ezra Edelman; the screenwriters for "Hidden Figures" and "The Lobster," and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. Plus, John Horn and his co-host in The Awards Show Show podcast, Kyle Buchanan, make predictions.