Movies

The funk of "Shaft" came less from the plot, than from cool and commanding presence of its star, Richard Roundtree, who started his career as a model.

Arts

Looking Back On The Legacy Of 'Shaft,' 50 Years Later

4:45pm July 02, 2021

by Marc Rivers

"Shaft" was released 50 years ago this week. The film heralded what came to be known as Blaxploitation cinema, a genre with a chequered legacy that also created inspired, Oscar-winning music.

Benicio Del Toro and Don Cheadle play low-level gangsters who get sucked into a into a major corporate conspiracy in No Sudden Move.

Arts

'No Sudden Move' Intrigues With Double-Crosses, Dirty Dealings In 1950s Detroit

2:02pm July 02, 2021

by Justin Chang

Benicio Del Toro and Don Cheadle play low-level gangsters who get sucked into a into a major corporate conspiracy in Steven Soderbergh's engrossing new film.

Queue Listen Now

Sly Stone performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, in a still from the film Summer of Soul.

Music & Culture

Questlove Discusses His Must-See New Doc, 'Summer Of Soul'

1:02pm July 02, 2021

Summer of Soul is a new documentary telling the story of a series of six concerts that took place in Harlem in 1969 — and is also Amir "Questlove" Thompson's first gig as a film director.

Brad Simon (Adam Demos) and Billie Connelly (Sarah Shahi) in Sex/Life on Netflix.

Books
Arts

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

12:02pm July 02, 2021

In our weekly roundup of shows, movies, books and music that brought us joy, Pop Culture Happy Hour recommends: Sex/Life, the Jean Smart renaissance and Arooj Aftab's album Vulture Prince.

The Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969 in the documentary Summer of Soul.

'Summer Of Soul' Celebrates A 1969 Black Cultural Festival Eclipsed By Woodstock

5:01am July 01, 2021

by Eric Deggans

The Harlem Cultural Festival was filled with stars from soul, R&B, blues and jazz and drew more than 300,000 people. Questlove directs this breathtaking chronicle of Black culture in a pivotal moment.

Arts

James Franco Agrees To Settle Class-Action Sexual Misconduct Suit For $2.2 Million

5:22pm June 30, 2021

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The actor agreed to a settlement in a class-action suit led by two of his former students, Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, at his now-shuttered Studio 4 school.

The new movie Zola is based on a viral Twitter thread. Taylour Paige (right) stars as Zola, and Riley Keough (left) plays Stefani, the exotic dancer who invites her on an ill-fated road trip to Florida.

Arts

How Hollywood Translated The Epic Poetry Of The Viral 'Zola' Thread

3:11pm June 30, 2021

by Mallory Yu

Director Janicza Bravo and co-writer Jeremy O. Harris talk to NPR's Mallory Yu about respecting the storytelling prowess of A'Ziah King while adapting her viral Twitter thread into a feature film.

New Movie 'Zola' Is Based On A Long Series Of Tweets

7:38am June 29, 2021

by Sam Sanders

The film Zola is based on a 148-tweet thread from 2015 — involving a 48-hour wild journey of partying, stripping and gangsters. Riley Keough is one of the stars of Zola.

Taylour Paige stars as the on-screen incarnation of Zola.

Arts

'Zola' Takes A Twitter Thread And Turns It Into A Fever Dream On Film

5:00am June 29, 2021

by Aisha Harris

What began as an explosive social media thread about two women's Florida road trip gone wrong, becomes a provocative and stylish comedy of errors on-screen.

Sports

The U.S. Women's Soccer Team Struggle For Equal Pay Featured In New 'LFG' Documentary

6:07pm June 28, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with director Andrea Nix Fine and soccer player Jessica McDonald about their new documentary "LFG," which follows the U.S. Women's Soccer Team struggle for equal pay rights.