Pop Culture

Pioneers of Olive Town is flawed, but the actual farming is soothing and engaging.

Arts

The Latest Chapters In Gaming's Favorite Farm Story Wither On The Vine

3:22pm March 26, 2021

by Kaity Kline

Harvest Moon: One World and Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town are the latest installments in a beloved, long-running series of farming sims — but fans may want to stick with older games.

Young Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun) follows in his father's footsteps and adopts the heroic identity of Invincible in the Amazon Prime animated series.

Books
Arts

'Invincible' Is Packed With Pulpy, Visceral Thrills — And Lots Of Pulpy Viscera

9:11am March 26, 2021

by Glen Weldon

A stellar voice cast helps ground this fantastical tale of a fledgling superhero's first forays into a job where the stakes — and the violence — are all too real.

A detail from the art promoting Apple TV+'s Calls.

Arts

'Calls' Is A Suspenseful Audio Drama With An Effective Visual Boost

5:00am March 25, 2021

by Linda Holmes

The nine-part series airing on Apple TV+ is a science fiction story that plays out as a series of phone calls between people confronted with a strange series of events.

Leila Cobo's New Book Takes A Look At The Latin Music We Can't Get Enough Of

8:01am March 21, 2021

NPR's Felix Contreras speaks with Leila Cobo about her new book, Decoding Despacito, and the commercial history of Latin music in the U.S.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Doctors Adapt 'Hamilton' Musical To Encourage Vaccination

6:06pm March 20, 2021

Calling themselves the "Vax'n 8," a group of doctors in Vacaville, Calif., recorded a cover of "My Shot" from the musical Hamilton to promote vaccine confidence.

Queue Listen Now

Courtney B. Vance, left, as C.L. Franklin, with Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin, in a scene from the miniseries Genius: Aretha set at The New Temple Missionary Baptist Church.

Aretha Franklin Shines In, And Despite, The New Miniseries, 'Genius: Aretha'

2:23pm March 19, 2021

by Eric Deggans

Debuting this Sunday on National Geographic, Genius: Aretha looks at the Queen of Soul's life through the lens of a television biopic.

Queue Listen Now

Sasha Velour stars in The Island We Made, an opera composed by Angélica Negrón and filmed in a mid-century Staten Island house.

'The Island We Made': Lip-Sync Opera And High Drag Sing An Ode To Mothers

1:06pm March 19, 2021

Composer Angélica Negrón collaborates with 'RuPaul's Drag Race' winner Sasha Velour on a 10-minute film featuring original music, in a project for Opera Philadelphia.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

'Justice League' Fans Finally Get Access To Zack Snyder Cut Of Film On HBO Max

6:19am March 19, 2021

by Eric Deggans

After years of campaigning on social media, fans can now stream the 4-hour Zack Snyder's Justice League. What does that say about the relationship between fandoms and movie studios?

Queue Listen Now

Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight appear in a still from "Midnight Cowboy," directed by John Schlesinger, 1969.

Books
Arts

'Shooting Midnight Cowboy' Turns An Eye To A Dark, Problematic Masterpiece

5:59pm March 18, 2021

by Michael Schaub

John Schlesinger's flawed drama, the only X-rated film to win an Oscar for best picture, made Jon Voight a star and solidified Dustin Hoffman's status as one of his generation's greatest actors.

Zack Snyder directs Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot. Zack Snyder's Justice League is the director's 2021 cut of the 2017 film.

Arts

Here At Long (Really Long) Last, 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' Is ... Not Bad?

4:20pm March 18, 2021

by Eric Deggans

Zach Snyder's Justice League drops on HBO Max on Thursday; despite being an eye-popping four hours long, it's a stronger film than the 2017 version finished by Joss Whedon after Snyder stepped away.