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.

Hear from a wide range of nominees including David Byrne (alternative album); Linda Perry (producer of the year); H.E.R. (album of the year, best new artist); Yuja Wang (classical solo performance); Janelle Monáe (album of the year); Mary Gauthier (folk album); Mark Ronson (song of the year); Boz Scaggs (contemporary blues album); and Max Baca of Los Texmaniacs (regional Mexican album)

Nadine Labaki directed Lebanon's entry to the Academy Awards, which tells the heartbreaking story of a 12-year-old boy who just wants a future; Spotify makes a big podcast play by purchasing Gimlet Media; singer/songwriter Bhi Bhiman's new album, "Peace of Mind," is released song-by-song as a podcast.

Filmmaker Joe Berlinger talks about his current docu-series and his coming feature film about the serial killer; how is Hollywood lining up behind Democratic presidential candidates?; Kurt Farquhar went from being homeless to becoming a prolific composer for TV shows.

Ganatra talks about the film she directed, which was written by Kaling and was a big hit at Sundance; the latest study from USC's Inclusion Initiative has some distressing news about women in the music industry; the search to replace a legendary drummer and professor at a prominent music program.

The actor immersed himself in the painter's life for "At Eternity's Gate"; what is, and isn't coming to your TV in the coming months; actor Bill Pullman on what it takes to play the president.

The rock/folk music veteran recounts his life and career in the documentary, "David Crosby: Remember My Name"; Domee Shi's "Bao" has an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short.

Comedian Abby McEnany is at the festival debuting her TV pilot, in which she co-stars with Julia Sweeney; John Horn reports from Sundance on the festival's final weekend; Lynell George reviews the new project by musician Anthony Wilson that combines his songs and photography.

The director becomes the rare woman to helm an action thriller; GLAAD puts the spotlight on LGBTQ-inclusive film scripts; the documentary "Of Fathers and Sons" is nominated for an Academy Award.

The singer/songwriters put their talents together for the album, “Better Oblivion Community Center”; an artificial intelligence company has an algorithm that writes movie scripts; cinematographer and Academy Award nominee Matthew Libatique ("A Star Is Born").

Rachel Lears on her documentary about a quartet of progressive women who ran for Congress, "Knock Down the House"; L.A. Times reporter Jen Yamato recaps her time at Sundance; Richard Ladkani's documentary, "Sea of Shadows," is about the tragic and illegal harvesting of fish in Mexico's Sea of Cortez.

The actor re-teams with writer/director Dan Gilroy ("Nightcrawler") for a horror film set in L.A.'s contemporary art world; film critic Claudia Puig assesses the first few days of Sundance; Alexandre O. Philippe, writer/director of the documentary, “Memory: The Origins of Alien.”

John Horn and a couple of producers are at the Sundance Film Festival where they will provide a daily recap of which films are getting the most buzz; also today: the director of "Untouchable," a documentary about Harvey Weinstein that is premiering at the very festival where he once ruled the roost.