Pop Culture

Producer, writer and director Orson Welles.

Books
Arts

'My Lunches With Orson' Puts You At The Table With Welles

2:53pm July 24, 2013

by John Powers

For years, there were rumors that filmmaker Henry Jaglom had taped hours of his conversations with Orson Welles but that the tapes had been lost. They weren't. Now the transcripts have been released in a new book, edited and introduced by Peter Biskind.

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Exorcistic, a rock parody inspired by a certain 1971 novel and the William Friedkin film made from it, showcases Merlin as a rapping priest inspired by Max von Sydow's Father Merrin. Above, the show poster for the musical's Los Angeles fringe production.

Arts

For Hannibal & Co., A Horrifying New Stage

2:26pm July 24, 2013

by Beth Accomando

One Los Angeles performer has played Dr. Hill in Re-Animator, Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, and now Father Merrin in The Exorcist. Did we mention he sings opera, too?

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Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez recently performed on Univision's Premios Juventud.

In The Summer, Univision Is Numero Uno

9:32am July 24, 2013

by Mandalit del Barco

For three consecutive weeks, the Spanish-language TV network's prime-time ratings have dominated among young adult viewers.

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Seventh Try's The Charm For Hemingway Look-Alike

7:37am July 23, 2013

Sloppy Joe's on Key West — a favorite watering hole of Ernest Hemingway — just held its annual "Papa" look-alike contest. The winner: software developer and seven-time contestant Stephen Terry, who beat out more than a hundred hopefuls, including the husband of chef Paula Deen.

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Costume-Clad Comic-Con Fans Descend On San Diego

6:00am July 19, 2013

Renee Montagne talks to Gina McIntyre of the Los Angeles Times about the San Diego Comic-Con, the annual pop culture convention that draws 130,000 fans to the beach-side city, many in costumes. The convention runs through Sunday.

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Arts

Comedian Hari Kondabolu On Diversity, Race And Burger King

3:20pm July 18, 2013

by Elizabeth Blair

An Indian-American comedian unafraid to joke politely about race and politics, Hari Kondabolu regularly challenges long-standing beliefs with his material. While his comedy is about being treated like an outsider, the jokes offer a sense of community.

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Arts

Maria Bamford: A Seriously Funny Comedian

3:05pm July 18, 2013

The comedian's routines tackle some of the really serious problems she has: OCD, bipolar disorder, suicidal thoughts. But you have to laugh, because she's that funny. Bamford talks to Fresh Air's Terry Gross about her parents and her Web-only programs.

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Taylor Schilling and Lin Tucci in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.

Arts

Laughs And Drama Behind Bars With 'Orange Is The New Black'

4:29pm July 16, 2013

by David Bianculli

Netflix recently unveiled its newest exclusive series: Orange Is the New Black, created by Jenji Kohan, who also created Weeds. All 13 one-hour episodes of the first season are available for streaming, and David Bianculli says the show is another Netflix success.

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Arts

'Slightly Altered' Past: A Comedy Cocktail From Derek Waters

6:39pm July 13, 2013

by NPR Staff

Waters created Drunk History after hearing a friend sloshily recount the story of Otis Redding's death. Now, the popular series has been picked up by Comedy Central, where viewers can see famous actors lip-sync drunken narrators' laughably wrong versions of historical events.

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Jeff Daniels returns to Aaron Sorkin's HBO series The Newsroom as cable news anchor Will McAvoy.

Arts

Back For More: Sorkin's 'Newsroom' Is A Serious Standout

2:44pm July 12, 2013

by David Bianculli

Aaron Sorkin's HBO series The Newsroom, starring Jeff Daniels as cable news anchorman Will McAvoy, returns July 14 for its second season. TV critic David Bianculli says some critics find the show preachy, but he likes that it tackles serious and complicated subjects.

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