Pop Culture

Dime Davis directed all six episodes of HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show. The show was nominated for three Emmy Awards: outstanding directing for a variety series, outstanding variety sketch series and outstanding guest actress in a comedy series.

Arts

'Black Lady Sketch Show' Is TV 'We'd Never Seen Before,' Says Dime Davis

5:50pm August 31, 2020

by Mandalit del Barco

Davis could make history at the Emmys on Sept. 20 — becoming the first Black woman to win an Emmy for directing a television series. "It's still very surreal to me," she says.

Carla Campbell is a bounty hunter with a mission in the new series Love Fraud.

Arts

A Man Tries To Stay A Step Ahead Of The Many Women He Married In 'Love Fraud'

7:01am August 31, 2020

by Linda Holmes

Showtime's documentary series Love Fraud isn't really about the man who allegedly defrauded a series of women after meeting them online. It's about their search for him, aided by a bounty hunter.

'Black Panther' Star Chadwick Boseman Dies Of Cancer At Age 43

11:37pm August 28, 2020

by Malaka Gharib

A statement on posted to the actor's Twitter on Friday said Boseman had battled colon cancer for the last four years.

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves play Bill and Ted in Bill & Ted Face The Music.

Arts

'Bill & Ted Face The Music,' And They Make For Good Home Viewing

4:43pm August 28, 2020

by Linda Holmes

It might not be a great film, but the nostalgic draw of the guileless Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted "Theodore" Logan has never been stronger.

Arts

Scooby-Doo Creator Joe Ruby Dies At 87

6:37am August 28, 2020

Scooby-Doo and his beloved Mystery Inc. gang have been around for more than half a century. Ruby co-created the characters with Ken Spears.

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Grainy footage of kids getting ready to fly down dangerous rides is the most striking image in the documentary Class Action Park.

Arts

'Class Action Park' Remembers The Perils Of A Really Good Time

5:01am August 27, 2020

by Linda Holmes

The documentary Class Action Park tells the story of a New Jersey theme park that was widely beloved, successful and extremely dangerous.

'It Really Just Felt Relatable': The Cultural Impact Of Hasan Minhaj's 'Patriot Act'

4:04pm August 19, 2020

NPR's Leila Fadel talks with pop culture writer Sowmya Krishnamurthy about the legacy of the Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.

Books
Arts

In Hanawalt's 'I Want You,' Youthful Yearnings And Anthropomorphic Anxieties

7:00am August 19, 2020

by Glen Weldon

Before working in TV animation (Bojack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie), Lisa Hanawalt chronicled her obsessions in a funny, filthy minicomic series that's been reprinted — with a wry update.

The house dress is having a 2020 renaissance. "I think #stayathome made people realize that we need to not just dress to go outside — we need to dress to be inside, love what we wear and feel comfortable," designer Malgosia Archer says.

Don't Sweat(pants) It. The House Dress Is Here To Rescue 2020

5:48pm August 18, 2020

by Alina Selyukh

Can a simple dress become a coping mechanism for the pandemic age? Billowing linen, cozy cotton, flowing silk — the house dress is a perfect fit for this moment.

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Your animals will demand your attention in Planet Zoo, just one of several simulation games that might distract you from quarantine.

Arts

I Thought A Zoo: Simulated Games For Isolated Times

10:14am August 17, 2020

by Linda Holmes

Whether you want to take a break from reality with a zoo, a city, an amusement park, or a hospital full of angry clowns, a simulation game can be just the ticket.