Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Jupiter Ascending' And On-Screen Chemistry

NPR

You might be able to still find Jupiter Ascending at your local multiplex, if it's not entirely occupied with screenings of The Spongebob Movie and Fifty Shades Of Grey (USA! USA!). It made modest money last weekend despite (?) being a big and splashy production from the Wachowskis, who made The Matrix and, well, not really The Matrix again after that. But joined by our pal Chris Klimek, we, perhaps surprisingly, found it more amiably entertaining than its press, and while some of you are likely to catch it on home video rather than in theaters, we come around to a nice, solid "not as bad as a lot of people are telling you it is."

We also take on the topic of on-screen chemistry. Is it just another name for good acting and good writing? Does it have anything to do with people being attracted to each other in real life? Does Channing Tatum mostly have it with Jonah Hill?

As always, we close the show with what's making us happy this week. Stephen is happy about a new record (of course). Glen is happy about an audiobook version of a comedian's memoir. Chris is happy about a show that Glen also shouted out a couple of weeks back. And I am happy about another audiobook, believe it or not.

You can follow the blog at @NPRpchh, or each of us: me, Stephen, Glen, Chris, producer Jessica, and our pal Mike Katzif.