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 writer-director's latest is the Netflix film, "The Land of Steady Habits"; actors and characters from Middle Eastern and North African countries continue to fight stereotypes; the experimental R&B musician Tirzah stirs up a quiet storm.

Michel Gondry directed Carrey in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and now they reunite for an offbeat Showtime series; Ethan Hawke dons his directing hat for "Blaze," a biopic about C&W singer Blaze Foley; in the wake of the CBS/Les Moonves mess.

The actress was honored at the Telluride Film Festival where her new film, "The Favourite," had its North American debut; speaking of film festivals: it's that time of the year for Hollywood; among the Emmy nominees for best original song is a Queen parody from the Netflix series, "Big Mouth."

Orson Welles didn't finish "The Other Side of the Wind" before he died and Neville chronicles that saga in "They'll Love Me When I'm Dead"; there won't be a Most Popular Movie award at the 2019 Oscars; the U.S. Justice Dept. charges a North Korean spy in the hack of Sony Pictures.

The Emmy-nominated actress is looking forward to season five of the series, despite the departure of creator Kenya Barris; climate change and how Californians are responding is at the core of the play, "Hole in the Sky."

The Oscar-winning actor stars in the true story of teenaged drug dealer (and FBI informant) sentenced to life in prison; the history of the abortion debate is chronicled in the documentary, "Reversing Roe."

The entire show is dedicated to coverage of Aretha Franklin’s memorial service, which was held today in Detroit. Dignitaries and prominent artists included Smokey Robinson and gospel legend Shirley Caeser.

The small festival in the Colorado resort town has a reputation for launching best picture hopefuls and winners; veteran British singer, songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson is back with a new album; in this era of "peak TV," what's it like to watch television the old-fashioned way?

After the 2016 Presidential election, the singer/songwriter took a cross-country train trip and then wrote a song cycle of character sketches and personal reflections; Taylor Swift's recording contract is about to expire, giving her a world of options; Boots Riley's "Sorry to Bother You" is one of the year's biggest critical hits.

Director Chris Weitz's film 'Operation Finale' tells the amazing story of the capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann; fans begin to pay their respects to the Aretha Franklin at the Museum of African American History in Detroit; and Cuban jazz pianist Dayramir Gonzalez is a rising star.

Breaking down the scene between Michelle Yeoh and her would be daughter-in-law, Constance Wu; documentary filmmaker Steve James spent a year inside a Chicago high school for the series, “America to Me”; remembering playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon, who died at the age of 91.

The former "Gilmore Girls" co-star has an Emmy nomination for her role in the dystopian world of "The Handmaid's Tale"; Harvey Weinstein's legal woes seem to be mounting; Aneesh Chaganty, director and co-writer of the film, "Searching," has created a hyper-modern day thriller.