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PODCAST

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Get obsessed with us. Four days a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour serves you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, videogames and more. Join arts journalists Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture aficionados. The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe. From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, they take it all

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

20:16

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/05/03

Judy Blume's 1970 novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. was a staple of countless childhoods. But until now, it's never been adapted into a film. Like the book, the movie tells the story of a preteen girl who moves to New Jersey, makes new friends, and waits for the arrival of her period.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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21:29

John Mulaney's Baby J

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/05/02

John Mulaney wants to talk about drugs. In his latest Netflix comedy special, Baby J, he recounts the intervention in late 2020 that sent him to rehab. He talks about his resistance to giving up cocaine, his schemes to avoid sobriety, and how it feels to have your star-studded friends tell you how worried they are over Zoom.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhourLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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26:02

Polite Society And What's Making Us Happy

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/28

In the fun, genre-mashing action comedy Polite Society, Priya Kansara plays Ria, a spunky teen who aspires to be a movie stuntwoman. When her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) suddenly gets engaged, Ria becomes determined to sabotage the wedding. The movie is the feature debut of Nida Manzoor, who created the acclaimed series We Are Lady Parts. And it's a sharp, yet loving exploration of sisterhood — though with a bit more fighting and stunts.Learn more about sponsor message choices:

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24:34

Beau Is Afraid

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/27

In the extremely divisive film Beau Is Afraid, Joaquin Phoenix stars as a schlubby, anxiety-ridden man whose existence is an extended nightmare of guilt, shame, dread and paranoia. Written and directed by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar), the film follows Beau as he attempts to visit his mother. But he gets repeatedly frustrated by a series of deeply disturbing obstacles that may be real, or may be entirely of his own making.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhourLearn

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13:51

Harry Belafonte

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/26

The iconic singer, humanitarian, and actor Harry Belafonte died today at the age of 96. His career spanned many decades, giving award-winning performances, where he dazzled regardless of the genre. We're remembering Belafonte's life and legacy – and talking about some of his great performances.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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16:04

Evil Dead Rise

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/25

Sam Raimi's 1981 horror movie The Evil Dead became a cult classic, spawning two sequels, a TV series, and a 2013 film that "reimagined" the franchise. Now, the series gets another reset with Evil Dead Rise – complete with a new writer and director (Lee Cronin), a new cast (including Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland), and a truly extraordinary amount of blood.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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21:07

The Diplomat And What's Making Us Happy

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/21

In the new Netflix drama, The Diplomat, Keri Russell plays an ambassador who's thrust into an international incident with massive stakes. She's also sorting through a tumultuous marriage with her husband, a hotshot veteran diplomat (Rufus Sewell). The series combines the tension of Homeland with the administrative drama of The West Wing – which makes sense, given that The Diplomat's creator worked on both shows.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy

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24:23

Judy Blume

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/20

Judy Blume has been a prominent author for more than 50 years and her books are incredibly beloved. She's written for kids and adults, and has faced controversy. Perhaps her most treasured book, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, is about to get its first film adaptation, and Blume is the subject of a new documentary. Today, we're talking about why we love Judy Blume, and recommend some of our favorite books.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhourLearn more about

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16:26

Picard

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/19

Jean-Luc Picard captained the starship Enterprise on the beloved series Star Trek: The Next Generation some 30 years ago. Patrick Stewart returned to that iconic role in the Paramount Plus series Picard. Now in its third and final season, Picard has brought the old Next Generation gang together for one last mission. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhourLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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16:50

Showing Up

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/18

In Showing Up, Michelle Williams plays a sculptor preparing to exhibit her work in a small art gallery, even as family and friends complicate her life and steal her focus. It's the latest feature from Kelly Reichardt, a director known for quiet, intimate films about isolation, alienation, and community.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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21:40

Renfield And What's Making Us Happy

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/14

The new horror comedy Renfield is about Count Dracula's long-suffering servant. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) is trapped in a toxic relationship with his narcissistic boss Dracula (Nicolas Cage). So he sets out to free himself from the vampire's thrall, with the help of group therapy, inspirational posters, and friendly police officer (Awkwafina).Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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25:35

Mo'Nique

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/13

Oscar-winner Mo'Nique has had a storied career in entertainment. She's a successful standup comedian, and a former sitcom star turned talk show host. But she's also had a contentious relationship with the industry, and alleges she was blackballed for not playing by Hollywood's rules. In her candid new Netflix comedy special My Name is Mo'Nique, she deconstructs her own public persona with keen observations about her childhood and family. She also reveals a long-held secret and, as always, keeps it

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25:40

Beef

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/12

In the great new Netflix series Beef, two people have a lot of beef with each other. Created by Lee Sung Jin, the series stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun as characters whose worlds collide when they engage in a manic road rage war. Neither can help trying to one up the other in a long-running, increasingly mortifying tit-for-tat that reveals past traumas and existential dread.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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21:58

Air

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/11

Almost 40 years ago, a young Michael Jordan signed what was then the NBA's most lucrative sneaker deal with Nike. The new movie Air traces the origin of that deal and the creation of the culture-shifting Air Jordan. It's directed by Ben Affleck and stars Matt Damon, Viola Davis and Jason Bateman — and features a lot of talk about "greatness" and the meaning behind a shoe.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhourLearn more about sponsor message choices:

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24:45

The Super Mario Bros. Movie And What's Making Us Happy

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/07

In The Super Mario Bros. Movie., Chris Pratt and Charlie Day play Mario and Luigi, two New York City plumbers who get transported to another world. Soon, Mario must team-up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) to stop Bowser (Jack Black) from destroying the Mushroom Kingdom. The animated movie is heavy on Easter eggs that draw from Nintendo's many decades of video games.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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20:20

Top Chef

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/06

Even after 20 seasons, we still get a thrill every time we hear "hands up utensils down" on Top Chef. Controversial winners, heartbreaking losses, food that looks good enough to eat, and the foolishness of even attempting risotto — they've all been backbones of the Top Chef franchise over its many, many years. So we thought now would be the perfect time to revisit our conversation about the Bravo series.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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17:55

The Big Door Prize

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/05

In The Big Door Prize, a small town is forever changed when a mysterious machine pops up in the local general store. Each person who gets in the "Morpho" machine receives a card that reveals their life's potential, and it often leads them to radically change their lives, sometimes in surprising ways. Starring Chris O'Dowd and Gabrielle Dennis, the series is now streaming on Apple TV+.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhourLearn more about sponsor message choices:

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18:59

Rye Lane

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/04/04

The snappy new romantic comedy Rye Lane follows Dom and Yas, two South Londoners who meet in the restroom of an art show and wind up spending the day together. It's a day of adventures, long conversations and terrible exes. But it might just offer them a little bit of hope for the future. Directed by Raine Allen-Miller, the movie is streaming now on Hulu.Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhourLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy

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24:29

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves And What's...

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/03/31

In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Chris Pine stars as a wise-cracking and charismatic thief who leads a band of misfits with different reasons to hate a malevolent ruler played by Hugh Grant. It's a fantasy epic meets heist movie, complete with some dragons, talking corpses, relics and spells, an epic quest, and LOTS of jokes.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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17:49

Top 10 Muppets

Pop Culture Happy Hour ·

2023/03/30

When we asked our listeners to tell us which Muppets were their favorites, we knew you'd all come through. More than 6,000 of you cast more than 18,000 votes — and we have the results.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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556 results

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