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.

On today's show: jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard's interest in social issues comes through in his choice of projects, such as his score for “BlacKkKlansman,” the forthcoming film by Spike Lee; documentary films are having a renaissance, evidenced by the success of "RBG" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor."

On today's show: filmmaker Debra Granik says if studios are the equivalent of big agriculture, she is the organic farmer; off the court, LeBron James has a big Hollywood presence; singer-songwriter Sam Buck contrasts '90s pop country with personal anecdotes of queer identity.

On today's show: Sarah Silverman is ramping up for the second season of her Hulu series, in which she travels the country to examine the causes of America’s polarization through a comedic lens.

On today's show: "Woman Walks Ahead" tells the story of Catherine Weldon, a real-life activist and artist who traveled from Brooklyn to the Standing Rock Reservation in the 1880s to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull. Jessica Chastain plays Weldon and is also an activist herself — for equal pay and equal opportunities for women in Hollywood.

On today's show: filmmaker Tim Wardle tells the unreal story of three men who discovered siblings they never knew existed; the mixed messages of the Motion Picture Academy's latest membership push; two exhibitions bring street art inside Chinatown galleries.

On today's show: the lead singer of Imagine Dragons is a practicing Mormon, but he questions the church's stance on LGTBQ issues in the HBO documentary, "Believer."

On today's show: The actress produced and narrates the documentary, which is based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. She wants you to think twice about being a meat-eater; filmmaker Eugene Jarecki goes in search of the America that produced Elvis Presley.

Steven Canals, co-creator of the FX series about the underground club culture, talks about re-creating those elaborate scenes; why is the Pasadena Museum of California Art shutting its doors?; Ben Lewin's film, "The Catcher Was a Spy," is about a major league baseball player who lived a double life during World War II.

Writer/director Shana Feste's father was a troubled but charismatic man who inspired her new film; in the Vice series, "Minority Reports," Lee Adams explores racial angles of fish-out-of-water stories; Rosie & the Riveters play folk music with a feminist bent.

On today's show: After going dark for five years, LALIFF has been revived by its co-founder, Edward James Olmos; Disney makes a counteroffer for properties being sold by Fox; The documentary, "Half the Picture," looks at the long history of systemic discrimination against women filmmakers.

On today's show: comedian Hannah Gadsby grew up in Tasmania, where being gay wasn't just dangerous, it was criminalized. Now, she’s sharing her story in a Netflix special; WeTransfer creates a platform for artists and other creatives to showcase their work; Anna Abondolo is a teen musician who's going places.

On today's show: Beyoncé and Jay thrilled their fans by dropping a surprise album over the weekend; playwright Stephen Karam turned a bad family Thanksgiving dinner into "The Humans"; real life paleontologist Jack Horner inspired the Sam Neill character in the "Jurassic" franchise.