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Pop culture in high spirits
'Back to Black' misses Amy Winehouse's point of view

Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in Back to Black. Olli Upton/Focus Features hide caption

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Olli Upton/Focus Features

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Back to Black' misses Amy Winehouse's point of view

The new music biopic Back to Black chronicles the life of singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. The film stars Marisa Abela, and follows Winehouse as she records her breakthrough album, gets married, and struggles with addiction. But does the movie do justice to the singer and her music?

'Back to Black' misses Amy Winehouse's point of view

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What took him so long? Colin finally likes Penelope back in 'Bridgerton' season 3

Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton and Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington. Liam Daniel/Netflix hide caption

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Liam Daniel/Netflix

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What took him so long? Colin finally likes Penelope back in 'Bridgerton' season 3

The Netflix show's third season takes on the "friends to lovers" romance trope.

What took him so long? Colin finally likes Penelope back in 'Bridgerton' season 3

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'Babes' gives us a funny (and gross) portrait of parenthood

Michelle Buteau and Ilana Glazer in a scene from the film Babes. Gwen Capistran/Neon hide caption

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Gwen Capistran/Neon

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Babes' gives us a funny (and gross) portrait of parenthood

The new movie Babes stars Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau as longtime best friends who've made very different life choices. It's also about the inherent joys, stressors, and grossness of parenthood, and what it means to embrace your chosen family. It's the feature directorial debut of Pamela Adlon (Better Things).

'Babes' gives us a funny (and gross) portrait of parenthood

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Looking to the past and future of Black Twitter

Stand-up comic W. Kamau Bell is featured in Black Twitter: A People's History. Hulu/Disney hide caption

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Hulu/Disney

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Looking to the past and future of Black Twitter

For years, Black Twitter was the watering hole. It was where we could pop off jokes about Olivia and Fitz on Scandal. It's also where you could call out social injustices. It was both a state of mind and a state of being online. A new Hulu docuseries called Black Twitter: A People's History puts the massive global reach of that space into perspective. But what's changed now that it's owned by Elon Musk?

Looking to the past and future of Black Twitter

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'I Saw the TV Glow' is weird and transfixing

Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine in I Saw The TV Glow. A24 hide caption

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A24

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'I Saw the TV Glow' is weird and transfixing

I Saw the TV Glow is a strange and pleasantly unsettling new film from writer and director Jane Schoenbrun. It's about two teenagers (Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine) who bond so strongly over a cult monster-of-the-week TV show that it becomes their entire identities. When the show gets canceled, their bond dissolves – until years later, when one of the teens sweeps back into the other's life, bearing secret knowledge that could change everything.

'I Saw the TV Glow' is weird and transfixing

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Sink your teeth into 'Interview with the Vampire'

Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson in the second season of AMC's Interview With the Vampire. Larry Horricks/AMC hide caption

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Larry Horricks/AMC

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Sink your teeth into 'Interview with the Vampire'

If you're familiar with Interview with the Vampire — because you read the Anne Rice novel or you saw the 1994 movie — the AMC series has some surprises. It revolves around a young man named Louis, his handsome vampire lover, and the creepy vampire child they adopt — but it's funnier, sexier and queerer than you remember. But this Louis isn't a white plantation owner — he's an ambitious and closeted Black man. The show just returned for a new season, so we're revisiting our conversation about the series.

Sink your teeth into 'Interview with the Vampire'

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and reading

If you love Vanderpump Rules you will love Brian Moylan's recaps of the show. Above, Scheana Shay, left, Ariana Madix and Lala Kent. Casey Durkin/Bravo hide caption

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Casey Durkin/Bravo

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and reading

Each week, Pop Culture Happy Hour guests and hosts share what's bringing them joy. This week: Vanderpump Rules recaps, the book The Worst Ronin, and a duet by Pavarotti and Celine Dion.

'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' swings us back to a familiar franchise

Owen Teague as Noa in the film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. 20th Century Studios hide caption

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20th Century Studios

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' swings us back to a familiar franchise

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes follows Noa (Owen Teague), an extraordinary chimpanzee whose clan is enslaved by a mercenary ape king named Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). As he sets out to gets them back, he's joined by a sage orangutan (Peter Maykin) and a scavenging human (Freya Allan). The movie is set hundreds of years after the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy, but the spirit of Andy Serkis' revolutionary character Caeser still looms large over this new film.

'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' swings us back to a familiar franchise

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Eurovision 2024: Here are the songs with the best shot at glory

Switzerland's Nemo rehearses "The Code" before the second semifinal. Jessica Gow/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty hide caption

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Jessica Gow/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty

Eurovision 2024: Here are the songs with the best shot at glory

Another year, another glitter-filled spectacle known as the Eurovision Song Contest. The Grand Final airs Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET on Peacock in the United States.

Eurovision 2024: Here are the songs with the best shot at glory

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We process the explosive Drake-Kendrick beef

Drake onstage during Drake's Till Death Do Us Part rap battle in 2021. Amy Sussman/Getty Images hide caption

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Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We process the explosive Drake-Kendrick beef

2024 seems destined to go down as the Year of Pop Culture Grievances. Megan vs. Nicki. Beyoncé vs. Nashville. But above all: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake, who are currently engaged in the nastiest lyrical warfare rap fans have seen in a minute. Today, we're talking about all the pettiness: Why so much beef, and what makes a good battle? And is there ever a clear "winner" in these battles?

We process the explosive Drake-Kendrick beef

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Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism' is loaded with hyper-catchy bangers

Radical Optimism is the latest album from Dua Lipa. Tyrone Lebon/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Tyrone Lebon/Courtesy of the artist

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism' is loaded with hyper-catchy bangers

The British singer Dua Lipa has become one of the world's biggest pop stars. Now, she's back with Radical Optimism, a sort of concept record about moving through life with a more mature and constructive attitude. But it's also a pretty straightforward collection of grievance-free, hyper-catchy bangers.

Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism' is loaded with hyper-catchy bangers

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Is Jerry Seinfeld's 'Unfrosted' a tasty treat, or just a stale old standby?

Melissa McCarthy, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jim Gaffigan in Unfrosted. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Is Jerry Seinfeld's 'Unfrosted' a tasty treat, or just a stale old standby?

The new Netflix film Unfrosted tells a fanciful invented version of the Pop-Tart's origin. The film was directed and co-written by Jerry Seinfeld, who also stars as a Kellogg's executive who's in a race to release a new breakfast idea before their rival beats them to it. Seinfeld is joined by a big cast of funny people including Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Jim Gaffigan, and Hugh Grant. But is the movie as satisfying as the Pop-Tart itself?

Is Jerry Seinfeld's 'Unfrosted' a tasty treat, or just a stale old standby?

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'Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show' exploits pain for good

Jerrod Carmichael in his new HBO series. HBO Max hide caption

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HBO Max

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show' exploits pain for good

In Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, the comedian doubles down on the uncomfortable intimacy of his stand up special Rothaniel, where he came out publicly as gay for the first time. Jerrod Carmichael gets a film crew to follow him around as he bares his soul to the camera as he cheats on his boyfriend and forces his parents into deeply uncomfortable conversations. The HBO series is funny and poignant. But it isn't a spotless, media-managed facade. It's a portrait of a man who absolutely delights in letting us know just how flawed and selfish he is.

'Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show' exploits pain for good

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing, listening and gaming

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in the action comedy The Nice Guys. Daniel McFadden/Warner Bros. hide caption

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Daniel McFadden/Warner Bros.

What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing, listening and gaming

Each week, Pop Culture Happy Hour guests and hosts share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Nice Guys, Vanessa Williams' song "Legs," Arooj Aftab's album Night Reign, and the game Planet Zoo.

Fall for 'The Fall Guy' and its truly amazing stunts

Ryan Gosling stars in The Fall Guy. Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Fall for 'The Fall Guy' and its truly amazing stunts

In the entertaining new film The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling plays a down-on-his-luck stunt performer who gets a big new opportunity to get his career on track. And maybe get back the woman (Emily Blunt) whose heart he broke. Directed by David Leitch, it's a knowing comedy about action movies, and a character study of a man who likes to think he's invincible. And the movie has amazing stunts.

Fall for 'The Fall Guy' and its truly amazing stunts

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Anne Hathaway finds love with a pop star in 'The Idea of You'

Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway in The Idea of You. Prime Video hide caption

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Prime Video

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Anne Hathaway finds love with a pop star in 'The Idea of You'

The new movie The Idea Of You tells the story of a boy band star (Nicholas Galitzine) who falls in love with an older divorced mother (Anne Hathaway). It's based on a hit novel that's at least partially inspired by Harry Styles' life and career.

Anne Hathaway finds love with a pop star in 'The Idea of You'

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'Baby Reindeer' has got everyone talking, including us

Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer. Ed Miller/Netflix hide caption

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Ed Miller/Netflix

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Baby Reindeer' has got everyone talking, including us

The new Netflix series Baby Reindeer has a lot of people talking, including us. It tells the haunting semi-autobiographical story of a man (Richard Gadd) who becomes the romantic obsession of a mentally ill woman (Jessica Gunning) who proceeds to stalk him. Eventually, her threatening actions force him to address a past trauma in his own life that leaves him shaken and confused.

'Baby Reindeer' has got everyone talking, including us

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The movies, TV and music we're excited about this summer

Glen Powell stars in the new movie Hit Man. Brian Roedel /Netflix hide caption

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Brian Roedel /Netflix

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

The movies, TV and music we're excited about this summer

Today, we're offering up a guide to spotlight some of the movies, TV, and music we are most excited about this summer.

The movies, TV and music we're excited about this summer

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