Pop Culture

The three sister-princesses of the Vapra clan await the apology they feel they are owed in the Netflix prequel series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Arts

'Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance': Gorgeous, Multi-Faceted, Hollow At Its Center

5:00am August 30, 2019

by Glen Weldon

Netflix's 10-episode series — a prequel to the 1982 film — is, like the original, breathtaking to look at, but its thinly-drawn characters can't carry their narrative weight.

Keira Knightley stars in this true story about Katharine Gun, a British intelligence officer who exposed the US government's efforts to force the UN Security Council to sanction the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Arts

In The Run-Up To War, A British Whistleblower Exposes 'Official Secrets'

11:08pm August 29, 2019

by Andrew Lapin

Director Gavin Hood's film about a leaked NSA memo becomes an ambitious indictment of the invasion of Iraq itself, though it's saddled with drab visuals of characters frowning at computer screens.

'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Back At Work Following Chemotherapy

7:53pm August 29, 2019

by Richard Gonzales

Trebek actually began taping the 36th season of the TV show in July.

A zany showbiz family gets a little zanier when stage manager Rachel (Hannah Pearl Utt, left) and her actress sister, Jackie (Jen Tullock, right) discover the mother they thought was dead is alive, well, and a soap opera star.

Arts

'Before You Know It': A Charming, Soapy Comedy About Family Secrets

5:00pm August 29, 2019

by Ella Taylor

Two sisters (co-writers Hannah Pearl Utt and Jen Tullock) learn that their dead mother (Judith Light) is alive — and starring in a soap opera — in this "wise, witty and richly specific" film.

Fred Durst (yes, that Fred Durst) co-wrote and directed this thriller about a stalker. John Travolta (left), stars as the fanatic and Devon Sawa (right), stars as his movie star prey.

Arts

In Stalker Thriller 'The Fanatic,' Travolta Stalks, But Never Thrills

5:00pm August 29, 2019

by Simon Abrams

In Fred Durst's third feature, based loosely on his experience with an overzealous fan, the director lectures the audience while star John Travolta flails away at a one-note performance.

During NATO's 1999 bombing of Serbia, truck driver Vlada (Leon Lucev) is tasked with crossing his war-torn country to deliver mysterious cargo.

Arts

A War-Ravaged Country, A Mysterious Cargo: 'The Load'

5:00pm August 29, 2019

by Scott Tobias

The dangers are existential in this "anti-thriller," in which a truck driver must navigate Serbia's back roads carrying an unknown payload.

Racer and TV host Jessi Combs died in a jet car crash on Tuesday attempting to break her own land speed record of 398 mph.

National

After Fatal Crash, Loved Ones Remember Racer Jessi Combs: 'She Was A Badass'

4:58pm August 29, 2019

by Brakkton Booker

Harney County Sheriff's Office confirmed Jessi Combs was trying to break her record of 398 mph when she died. Her North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger crashed in Oregon's Alvord Desert.

Ruby Rose plays Batwoman in the new TV series.

Arts

NPR's Fall TV Preview: 19 Shows To Watch Out For

11:16am August 28, 2019

Whether they're watching sitcoms, prime-time dramas or something else altogether, our television and pop culture critics present a guide to the new programs and series coming out soon.

Poorna Jagannathan says that her part in the HBO series The Night Of, where she played the mother of a college student accused of murder, opened up new roles to her.

Arts

Actress Poorna Jagannathan: 'I Want To Portray The Mess Of My Life'

7:56pm August 27, 2019

by Audie Cornish

Known for her work on series like The Night Of, Big Little Lies and Ramy, the actress says she's "come a long way" to where she — and South Asian women — are now offered complex, nuanced roles.

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Meek Mill addresses supporters outside of a Philadelphia courthouse on Aug. 27 following a hearing in which the 12-year-old criminal case against him was finally resolved.

Meek Mill Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor Gun Charge, Ends 12-Year Legal Case

4:54pm August 27, 2019

by Bobby Allyn

By taking a misdemeanor plea deal, Meek Mill officially closed the books on his long-running legal case Tuesday, nearly a decade after the rapper was arrested as a teenager in North Philadelphia.