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We debate the best fictional bands

Rosario Dawson, Tara Reid, and Rachael Leigh Cook in Josie and the Pussycats. Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo hide caption

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Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We debate the best fictional bands

Sometimes, our favorite musical artists are too good to be true because they're sprung from the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters. But what makes a fake band great? Today, we are debating the best fictional bands in TV and film — including from Mamma Mia!, Josie and the Pussycats, It's Your Move, and Miami Connection.

We debate the best fictional bands

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Enea Sala (center) plays the young Edgardo in Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara.

Enea Sala (center) plays the young Edgardo in Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara.
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Anna Camerlingo/Cohen Media Group

Review

Movie Reviews

'Kidnapped' tells the historical horror story of an abducted Jewish child

Edgardo Mortara was just 6 years old when Italian authorities took him away from his family in 1858. Kidnapped is a true story steeped in Roman Catholic antisemitism.

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The lesson Chris Pine learned after his new film was 'obliterated' by critics

Chris Pine says he has "fantastic anxiety dreams." Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images hide caption

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Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The lesson Chris Pine learned after his new film was 'obliterated' by critics

Today, we are bringing you an episode of a new NPR podcast hosted by our pal Rachel Martin. It's called Wild Card, and it's a new interview show where the game controls the conversation. Each week, the guest chooses questions at random — about the memories, insights, and beliefs that have shaped their lives. This episode is an interview with the actor Pop Culture Happy Hour listeners voted as their favorite Chris — Chris Pine.

The lesson Chris Pine learned after his new film was 'obliterated' by critics

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Movie Interviews

'Mad Max' director George Miller says the audience tells you 'what your film is'

Fresh Air

Miller directed the first Mad Max in 1979, as well as Mad Max: Fury Road in 2014 and the new prequel Furiosa. In 2016, he revealed that he was never sure how his movies would hold up over time.

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Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has died.

Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has died. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for DIFF hide caption

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Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for DIFF

Obituaries

Morgan Spurlock, documentary filmmaker of 'Super Size Me', dies at 53

In his inventive 2004 documentary about the fast food industry, Spurlock consumed only McDonald’s fast food for a month. He died Thursday from complications of cancer.

MORGAN SPURLOCK OBIT

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The Real Housewife-ification of Congress; And, 25 years of being pilled by The Matrix

Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Jemal Countess; Drew Angerer/Getty Images; BFA / Warner Bros hide caption

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Jemal Countess; Drew Angerer/Getty Images; BFA / Warner Bros

It's Been a Minute

The Real Housewife-ification of Congress; And, 25 years of being pilled by The Matrix

Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jasmine Crockett exchanged heated words on the House floor. Greene commented on Crockett's eyelashes, and Crockett referred to Greene's body as "butch." We dive into the history of these two attacks, and look at what history the two representatives were pulling from — from misogynoir to transphobia. And what does this say about what we want from our politicians? Brittany is joined by NPR's Alana Wise and writer Kerry Manders.

The Real Housewife-ification of Congress; And, 25 years of being pilled by The Matrix

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'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' goes full throttle

Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Warner Bros. Pictures hide caption

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' goes full throttle

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is packed with bone-crunching practical stunts and lots of gnarly, diesel-powered chase scenes. It also shows a commitment to worldbuilding that grapples with themes of feminism, environmentalism, and humanity. Directed by George Miller, the prequel film tells the story of a Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), who was taken from her home as a girl, raised to be a warrior in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and now seeks revenge on an evil warlord (Chris Hemsworth).

'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' goes full throttle

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Anya Taylor-Joy plays the title character in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Anya Taylor-Joy plays the title character in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Jasin Boland/Warner Bros. hide caption

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Jasin Boland/Warner Bros.

Review

Movie Reviews

Furiosa's 'Mad Max' origin story is packed with explosives and extremes

Fresh Air

In this prequel to Mad Mad: Fury Road, Furiosa comes fully into her own as an action hero, hurling dynamite one minute and climbing up on top of the truck to fend off an attacker the next.

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Does 'The Sympathizer' worthily adapt its acclaimed book?

Hoa Xuande in The Sympathizer. HBO Max hide caption

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HBO Max

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Does 'The Sympathizer' worthily adapt its acclaimed book?

It's rare to find a series with such an impeccable pedigree as HBO's The Sympathizer. It's based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, co-created by auteur director Park Chan-wook, and features Robert Downey, Jr. in four supporting roles. Set during and after the Vietnam war, the series follows a man (Hoa Xuande) juggling a position with the South Vietnamese military and one as a spy for the North Vietnamese. But is it a worthy adaptation?

Does 'The Sympathizer' worthily adapt its acclaimed book?

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Does 'IF' capture the magic of its Pixar inspiration?

Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming in IF. Jonny Cournoyer/Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Jonny Cournoyer/Paramount Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Does 'IF' capture the magic of its Pixar inspiration?

In the new movie IF, a 12-year-old girl (Cailey Fleming) discovers she can see other people's imaginary friends. It stars Ryan Reynolds, and directed by John Krasinski. It mixes the real world and animation, but does it capture the heart of the Pixar movies that inspired it?

Does 'IF' capture the magic of its Pixar inspiration?

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Scarlett Johansson says she is 'shocked, angered' over new ChatGPT voice

When OpenAI announced its latest ChatGPT last week, the AI voice it used in its demo was quickly compared to Scarlett Johansson's voice in the 2013 sci-fi film "Her," but now the company says it is pulling the voice. Leon Bennett/Getty Images hide caption

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Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Technology

Scarlett Johansson says she is 'shocked, angered' over new ChatGPT voice

Johansson says she was approached multiple times by OpenAI to be the voice of ChatGPT, and that she declined. Then the company released a voice assistant that sounded uncannily like her.

Maya Hawke talks remixing Hannah Montana and fighting Mumford and Sons
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Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Maya Hawke talks remixing Hannah Montana and fighting Mumford and Sons

Actor and singer Maya Hawke joins us to talk Stranger Things, childhood songs, and folk music beefs with panelists Adam Burke, Faith Salie, and Negin Farsad.

Maya Hawke talks remixing Hannah Montana and fighting Mumford and Sons

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'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

Review

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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'IF' only! These imaginary friends are sweet, but could have been so much more

Bea (Cailey Fleming) and Blue (voiced by Steve Carell) in IF. Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Paramount Pictures

Review

Movie Reviews

'IF' only! These imaginary friends are sweet, but could have been so much more

Imagine that imaginary friends were real. Now imagine that IF director John Krasinski and star Ryan Reynolds convinced A-list pals to voice them.

'IF' only! These imaginary friends are sweet, but could have been so much more

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The lesson Chris Pine learned after his new film was 'obliterated' by critics
Dia Dipasupil/Getty

Wild Card with Rachel Martin

The lesson Chris Pine learned after his new film was 'obliterated' by critics

Chris Pine says his directorial debut, Poolman, got "obliterated" by critics. But the Star Trek and Wonder Woman star tells Rachel that the experience helped him reevaluate his desire for perfection. Chris also debates predestination with Rachel, reflects on the struggle to feel awe and discusses his recurring childhood dreams of having tea with an elf in a tree.

The lesson Chris Pine learned after his new film was 'obliterated' by critics

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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

Review

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

Review

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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