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.

Actor Jason Segel made his career in big studio comedies such as “Forgetting Susan Marshall," the TV sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother," and as author David Foster Wallace in the film “The End of the Tour,” which won him a lot of acclaim. Now he's taking that new image into his latest movie, the sci-fi love story “The Discovery,” which co-stars Rooney Mara and Robert Redford.

Jessica Williams was a correspondent on "The Daily Show" and now co-hosts the popular podcast, “2 Dope Queens." And this summer she can be seen in the Netflix movie, “The Incredible Jessica James"; movie theater owners are gathered in Las Vegas for CinemaCon. While movie studios preview their big 2017 releases, hovering over the party is the looming threat of streaming and video-on-demand.

The Wooster Group’s latest stage show, “The Town Hall Affair,” re-creates an infamous 1971 public debate about feminism moderated by – of all people – the chauvinistic writer Norman Mailer. Now on stage at the REDCAT in downtown Los Angeles, the show has resonance in an era when a presidential candidate can get away with ugly talk about women and millions of women took to the streets on the day after his inauguration.

Film producers Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn have made several small budget, character-driven movies together including “Albert Nobbs” with Glenn Close and “Last Days in the Desert” with Ewan McGregor. But "Life" is completely different. They talk with The Frame about managing a bigger budget –with special effects and zero gravity– and what makes their partnership work.

Caro's latest film is “The Zookeeper’s Wife," but her next project, the live-action version of “Mulan,” will make her only the 4th woman to have a budget over $100 million; The Writer’s Guild is negotiating its next contract, and there has been talk of a strike over wages for TV writers; children’s book author/illustrator Claire Keane worked with her Disney animator father on a story about Rapunzel that is being turned into a TV series.

"The Americans" creator Joe Weisberg and fellow showrunner Joel Fields talk about creating their 1980's Russian espionage show in the era of Russian hacking. The two are joined by director Chris Long– who shot some of the show in Moscow– to talk about creating a family drama that's also a secret agent story.

The 1991 Disney animated film "Beauty and the Beast," is considered by many to be a classic. But the man behind the lyrics of some of our favorite songs never got to see the final film. We put together this oral history/remembrance of his life and legacy; “Good Grief" is a new play by LA-based playwright Ngozi Anyanwu that can help people cope with their own losses; Drake’s new album "More Life” was the soundtrack to this past weekend. Literally.

Deborah Borda is leaving her post as CEO of the L.A. Philharmonic to run the N.Y. Philharmonic; filmmaker Taylor Hackford recalls making his 1987 documentary about Chuck Berry; Discostan is a monthly club night that features Middle Eastern music.

A new Japanese American National Museum (JANM) exhibit remembers the dark history of legalized discrimination in the US. Classical music composer Julia Adolphe is a rising star with a new work at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Director Sydney Freeland discusses her coming-of-age movie "Deidra & Laney Rob a Train."

What does President Trump's budget proposal to eliminate the NEA, NEH and CPB actually mean? New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz finds hope in the political messages and diverse voices at the Whitney Biennal. And director Ferne Pearlstein and Holocaust survivor Renee Firestone discuss the new documentary "The Last Laugh."

LA Phil chief Deborah Borda will depart to head the NY philharmonic. She leaves behind a flourishing institution, a happy orchestra, and a charismatic artistic director. Documentarian Marina Zenovich tries to uncover who owns California's water supply in "Water & Power: A California Heist." And filmmaker Ritesh Batra goes from "The Lunchbox" to "The Sense of an Ending."

Misha Green, co-creator of the WGN series "Underground," talks about how characters like Harriet Tubman are real-life superheroes and how she's sometimes mistaken for an assistant on set; Goldenvoice—the promoters behind Coachella, Stagecoach and Desert Trip—bring their latest fest to Pasadena, called Arroyo Seco Weekend.