The Frame

In the 1973 movie "Westworld," Michael Crichton created a fantasy world that now doesn't seem so far-fetched in the new HBO series; Desert Days may be jokingly called "Oldchella," but the promoters are laughing all the way to the bank; Get Lit was founded with the goal of using poetry to increase teen literacy ... and it’s working.

“Delusion: His Crimson Queen” is a haunt for people who will pay for the privilege of being scared, while "Hollywood Premiere Party: The Show" lets movie fans have the red carpet treatment; as rumors swirl about Netflix being sold, the streaming service continues to throw its weight around.

Between "Portlandia," "Documentary Now" and "Seth Meyers: Late Night," Fred Armisen may be the hardest working man in show business; since its release in May, Ezra Edelman's "O.J.: Made in America" continues to resonate as a chronicle of the relationship between African-Americans and law enforcement.

Google announced a slew of new products today, including the Pixel phone, Chromecast Ultra and the Daydream VR headset; Willie Bobo was a Latin music legend from the '60s-'80s. His son, Eric, has assembled an album of his father's previously unreleased music; for 40 years, filmmaker Terrence Malick has been working on a documentary about the origins of the universe. We talk to the producers who shepherded the project into existence.

We debate the issues surrounding the film, "The Birth of a Nation," and its writer-director-star, Nate Parker; remembering two L.A. cultural icons: Gordon Davidson of the Center Theatre Group and conductor Sir Neville Marriner, the first music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

The creators of “For the Record” build cabaret-like stage shows around classic pop songs used by top filmmakers; "Saturday Night Live" returns in the heat of the presidential campaign; L.A. singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart uses the city as inspiration on his latest album.

Bell says the title of his new comedy album refers to his being called on as a news show commentator only after more prominent people are unavailable; Kirsten Johnson is an award-winning documentary cinematographer who has woven footage from her 25-year career into a documentary memoir called “Cameraperson."

Filmmaker Andrea Arnold cast “American Honey” with amateur actors, including Sasha Lane, who was discovered on a beach in Florida; the Wanda Group's purchase of American movie theaters and production companies has some members of Congress worried; there's an effort to make vinyl copies of a recording of life on earth that was sent into outer space.

The success of "Between Two Ferns" with Hillary Clinton explains why Funny or Die opened a bureau in the nation's capitol; a new state bill aims to prevent websites like IMDb from publishing the age of actors and actresses; Grammy nominee Austin Wintory composed the music for the new video game, "Abzu."

Director Mira Nair's new movie, "Queen of Katwe," tells an inspirational story that's set in Uganda, showing a side of Africa not often seen in big studio movies; TV producers are high on reboots and remakes, with no sign of slowing; photographer Phil Toledano's bizarre attempt to deal with his death anxiety is documented in the film, "The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano"

The actress is getting raves for her role in "Room" as a kidnap victim raising a son in captivity; Jeff Russo has gone from rock band guitarist to Emmy-nominated composer; Warner Bros.' big budget "Pan" opened badly, but the company's other divisions are performing well.

The actor/comedian is also a noted art collector and now he's curating a show of work by Canadian painter Lawren Harris; El Teatro Campesino collaborates with Center Theatre Group and Boyle Heights residents for a show at Grand Park; Jafar Panahi is banned from making films in his homeland, but that hasn't stopped him.

Julie Plec has "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals" on The CW Network, and she'll soon add a third show, albeit one that's fang-free; it's been two decades since the Scottish band Garbage and singer Shirley Manson burst on the scene; the EEOC is looking into hiring practices for women filmmakers.

Director Danny Boyle says tech titans like the late Apple founder have to be called into account; stage director Peter Sellars collaborated with novelist Toni Morrison on a re-imagining of "Othello"; the Church of Scientology continues its campaign against Gibney's documentary, "Going Clear."

Photographer Eilon Paz and editor Sheila Burgel collaborated on a book about obsessive vinyl fans; the L.A. Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela team up for a Beethoven marathon; can TiVo's new device make a dent in the market?

Scott directed the science fiction classics "Blade Runner" and "Alien," but he says "The Martian" is science fact; a hilarious encounter with Chinese-to-English translations inspired Hwang's play, "Chinglish"; the Chinese dissident artist Ai Wei Wei discovered listening devices in his Beijing studio.

The actor worked with filmmaker Cary Fukunaga and hundreds of non-professional actors to make "Beasts of No Nation;" Grantland's Andy Greenwald gives a status report on the new TV season; the Isango Ensemble transports Bizet's opera to a South Africa township.

Choreographer Twyla Tharp has kept her company and artistic vision going for 50 years with unflagging determination; after spending time in Ghana, ethnomusicologist Brian Shimkovitz scoured the continent and then launched the label, Awesome Tapes from Africa; author Salman Rushdie considers the literary merits of the rapper, Drake.

The actress' next role as a fighter for women's voting rights is in keeping with her activist profile in Hollywood; Kyle Eastwood has scored films for his dad, Clint, but he's made his own name as a jazz bassist and composer; saxophonist Phil Woods was a jazz great, but became known for his solo on a huge pop hit.

Deaf West Theatre's production of "Spring Awakening" started out in a small theater on L.A.'s Skid Row, and now it's on Broadway; Showtime's David Nevins kicks off our talks about the state of the TV industry; Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields deconstructs a song from the band's new album in a new installment of Song Exploder.

Mark Pellington has applied his distinct style to music videos, feature films and now NBC's "Blindspot," about a woman whose tattooed body holds clues to crimes; Trevor Powers records as Youth Lagoon and his new album chronicles some personal losses; How do TV networks choose among streaming services?

Performer Geoff Sobelle has turned the Kirk Douglas Theatre into a warehouse of boxed-up memories; Carolina Miranda of the L.A. Times on the trend toward mega-galleries in Los Angeles; Charlton Heston's family will auction three works by Andrew Wyeth that the actor collected.