‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is full of Wes side-stories
Wes Anderson’s new film The Phoenician Scheme is classic Wes Anderson, complete with a great cast delivering heightened dialogue and stylized cinematography. It stars Benicio del Toro as one of Europe’s richest men, an amoral industrialist, who, along …
What’s the secret to actually making a good movie remake?
Remakes are as old as cinema itself. Why do they get so much love … and hate?
‘The Life of Chuck’ might leave you brushing away tears — or scratching your head
Mike Flanagan’s new film, a maudlin mystery about a man dying of cancer, feels hobbled by its extreme faithfulness to the Stephen King novella on which its based.
Is ‘Ballerina’ an en pointe entry in the John Wick universe?
John Wick’s back in a spinoff new film, Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas. She plays a ballerina-turned-assassin making her way through the international criminal underworld, and crossing paths with some new and familiar faces — including the one and only Keanu Reeves.
To access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Pop Culture Happy Hour, subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+ at plus.npr.org/happy.
Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture
Mark Hamill used to downplay his ‘Star Wars’ past. Now he’s embracing it
Hamill played Luke Skywalker, one of the most iconic heroes in movie history. His latest film, The Life of Chuck, is an adaptation of a Stephen King novella.
‘Jane Austen Wrecked My Life’ doesn’t live up to its namesake
Laura Piani’s amiable new romance is weighed down by all its allusions and borrowings — and ultimately fails to deliver on Austen’s wit.
Harvey Weinstein’s new trial is almost over. It could be a litmus test for #MeToo
Weinstein’s sex crimes conviction in New York was overturned last year. In a new trial, three accusers have testified that Weinstein assaulted them. Closing arguments are underway.
‘Mountainhead’ is very funny nightmare fuel for an age of billionaires
Succession creator Jesse Armstrong is back with Mountainhead, a new movie with characters who are just as wealthy, powerful, and insecure as the Roy family. Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith star as four tech moguls gathering for a low-key guys’ weekend of poker. But business and unchecked, overinflated egos quickly lead them all down a very dark path.
To access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Pop Culture Happy Hour, subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+ at plus.npr.org/happy.
Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture.
‘Bring Her Back’ makes us squirm in ways we couldn’t have imagined
The hit Australian horror movie Talk To Me was both very good and deeply unsettling. Now its directors (Danny and Michael Philippou) have returned with Bring Her Back, which ups the ante when it comes to disturbing, nightmarish storytelling. The film stars Sally Hawkins as a woman whose grief manifests in terrifying, ugly ways.
What makes for a good summer movie? NPR staffers discuss
NPR staffers take on a perennial question: What makes for a good summer movie?
In the horror film ‘Bring Her Back,’ the Philippou brothers keep things ominously vague
NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Australian twins and popular YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou about their new movie, a horror film called “Bring Her Back.”
Recent Comments