The Frame

To mark the 25th anniversary of the LA Riots, actor-writer Roger Guenveur Smith's fiery solo show “Rodney King” has been turned into a Spike Lee film in which Smith places the beating of King in a broader social context. How did the 2007 writers strike affect the wider economy of LA and California and who would be affected if they strike again? The Fyre Festival is a fiasco.

Filmmaker (and self-professed troublemaker) John Waters spits some wisdom about living life by your terms and offers his advice for young people in his new book, "Make Trouble"; A look at the women of the real and the fictional 'Silicon Valley'; Summer blockbusters hitting theaters sooner and sooner and what actually defines a summer movie is rapidly changing.

Jodie Foster and Tom Hanks share memories of filmmaker Jonathan Demme, who died at the age of 73; executive producer/director Reed Morano talks about adapting Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" for television.

The unsolved JonBenet Ramsey murder became the focal point of a documentary that looks at the making of a film about the case; 50 years ago, the Sunset Strip became an outdoor gallery of billboards that promoted new albums; The Writers Guild was formed in 1921 as a social group.

How filmmaker J.D. Dillard went from receptionist to directing and co-writing the Sundance feature "Sleight." Why disputes over the Armenian genocide have plagued two recently released films including "The Promise." And Actress Vera Farmiga and Kerry Ehrin, co-creator of "Bates Motel," say goodbye to their beloved character, Norma Bates.

"Mystery Science Theater 3000" gets a reboot with comedian Jonah Ray taking over as host. Ray tells The Frame that to make fun of bad movies they actually have to be kind of good; We unpack the religious themes in Kendrick Lamar's new album "Damn"; Art studios and CalArts students pitch their creative ideas "Shark Tank" style.

The Oscar-winning screenwriter makes a documentary about the L.A. riots, 25 years after they happened; two powerhouse theater companies – one in L.A. and one in N.Y. – join forces to take new plays to Broadway; and a Mexican movie theater chain beckons families with an in-theater playground.

As Aloy in "Horizon Zero Dawn," actress Ashly Burch gets to be more than "just a gun with legs"; members of the Writers Guild of America are in the process of taking a strike authorization vote.

When the film's original director dropped out, longtime producer Denise Di Novi decided to take a turn in the director's chair; non-commercial stations that sold some of their broadcast bandwidth are cashing in with tens of millions of dollars.

'Veep' has returned for a new season and Matt Walsh, who plays Mike McClintock, tells The Frame how the show dovetails and collides with reality. On a Song Exploder segment Damon Albarn break down a tune from a new Gorillaz album. In a Coachella recap we hear what happened with Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga and Radiohead.

Liz Feldman talks about her series that stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini and walks a fine line between comedy and tragedy.

The novelist and comic book creator co-wrote the novel with Terry Pratchett, but they couldn't get a production going before Pratchett's death in 2015. The current Amazon series fulfills their dream.

The actress stars as a harsh talk show host in the new movie written by Mindy Kaling.

Craig Mazin talks about his HBO miniseries that challenges our knowledge of the 1986 nuclear meltdown in Russia; record labels are in for a windfall, but how much will artists see?; "Godzilla" lives to romp and stomp again.

Her book is the basis for the Hulu series that stars Aidy Bryant as a young woman who defies being defined by her weight; a stringent abortion law in Louisiana could threaten TV and film production there; veteran pop music critic recounts Elton John's 1970 U.S. debut.

Randall Park and Ali Wong had been talking about making a romantic comedy for years and it's finally come to pass; with William Morris/Endeavor going public, the talent agency's finances are under scrutiny.

The former Texas Congressman's run for the U.S. Senate is documented in an HBO documentary that provides insight into his current presidential campaign; a recap of the Cannes Film Festival; "Echo in the Canyon" owes a lot to "California Dreamin'."

John Horn and Los Angeles Times film writer Jen Yamato are your guides to the Summer movie season. Guests include Kumail Nanjiani ("Stuber"), Olivia Wilde (director of "Booksmart") and Emma Thompson ("Late Night"). With the Elton John biopic coming up ("Rocketman"), we'll hear from the pop music critic who covered Elton's 1970 U.S. debut in L.A. And John reports from the trade floor at CinemaCon where vendors pitch the food and drinks they're trying to get into concession stands.

Why Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson made a 12-hour version of the final aria of Mozart's beloved "The Marriage of Figaro"; Harvey Weinstein and his former studio's board members reach a tentative $44 million settlement with the women who've accused him of sexual misconduct; and art writer Jori Finkel on what inspires artists.

The most lucrative season for studios and cineplexes is usually filled with action films and sequels, but scary movies are making big inroads; a new study indicates that LGTBQ representation in movies improved in 2018; the guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela in their element.

The actress went behind the camera for the teen girl comedy, which marks her directing debut; an Amazon TV series and a movie starring Kristen Wiig have canceled plans to shoot in Georgia because of the state's new abortion law; singer, songwriter and guitarist Steve Gunn.

The TV series co-creators, Sarah Schneider and Chris Kelly, talk about their offbeat family comedy; can the video app TikTok take over music streaming?; recreating 1969 in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."