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.

The popular politics podcast launches a weekly TV version on HBO leading up to the mid-term elections; the ReelAbilities Film Festival showcases movies and conversations to gain a greater appreciation of opportunities and challenges for differently-abled people.

The digital platform provides opportunities for comedy shows like "Everything Is Fine!"; the annual VF Summit draws the biggest names in Hollywood and Silicon Valley; Desert Daze claims a space on the music festival landscape.

The film is an attempt to understand the motives behind the horrific 2011 attack at a teen camp in Norway; Taylor Swift showed her political leanings this week, but can she make a difference?

The Academy Award-winning director takes on a biopic of astronaut Neil Armstrong; "American Saga: Gunshot Medley: Part 1" is a new play about the struggle against systemic racism.

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique talks about shooting the film's live concert scenes at Coachella and other venues; New York Times culture critic Amanda Hess on how the new TV season is addressing the #MeToo movement; Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, breaks down her song, "Woman."

It's been 11 years since the writer/director's last film, and she returns with a personal movie about infertility; singer Luciana Souza has a new album based on Leonard Cohen's poetry.

The man who made crucial contributions to the music of Duke Ellington gets a tribute in David Rousséve's "Halfway to Dawn"; a dozen years after his death, James Brown's estate remains a muddled mess; Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson has a riveting video installation at The Broad.

The dissident Chinese artist has three current exhibitions in Los Angeles; the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing gets a theatrical treatment with the gender roles reversed; Manhattan's High Line is the setting for "The Mile Long Opera."

He's currently in the films "The Sisters Brothers" and "Venom," he's about to perform in the title role of "Hamlet" for Netflix, while also furthering his career as a rapper; Donald Trump's presidency is the ultimate reality show, but will it get renewed in 2020?

Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek and the film's writer/director talk about what may or may not be the actor's final role; actress Chantal Cousineau on California's new sexual harassment laws; New Yorker magazine cartoonist Liana Finck.

The primary lyricist for Los Lobos is also a visual artist and he has paired his lyrics and drawings and paintings in a new book, "Good Morning Aztlán"; Sarah Jones' "Sell/Buy/Date" is a one-woman play with many views of the sex industry.

The iconic L.A. artist leads John Horn on a tour of his vast workspace and talks about his past and current work; media scholar Robert Thompson talks about the historic nature of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's televised confirmation hearings; Cuban pianist Dayramir Gonzalez is a rising star in jazz.