Movies

It's About To Get Topiary: Konrad (Þorsteinn Bachmann) revs his engine in Under the Tree.

Arts

'Under The Tree': When A Bough Breaks The Social Contract

5:00pm July 05, 2018

by Scott Tobias

A dispute over a tree brings two neighboring households into grimly escalating conflict in this Icelandic comedy so pitch-black that "the laughs are strictly of the stuck-in-the-throat variety."

Step By Step: In Kevin Macdonald's documentary Whitney, many of the late singer's friends and family members discuss her life and legacy.

Arts

'Whitney': A Diva, Deconstructed

5:00pm July 05, 2018

by Ella Taylor

Kevin Macdonald's documentary about the life and death of Whitney Houston contains no shattering revelations, but it artfully and compassionately places her extraordinary talent in a meaningful context.

Claude Lanzmann, seen last year at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

'Shoah' Filmmaker Claude Lanzmann, Seeker Of Truths Without Name, Dies At 92

2:51pm July 05, 2018

by Colin Dwyer

The French documentarian died Thursday in Paris. He leaves behind his monumental 1985 film on the Holocaust, which bears a Hebrew name as elusive of definitions as the historical truths he sought.

Sundance Film Festival Hit 'Sorry To Bother You' Opens Friday

6:07am July 05, 2018

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

Oakland rapper Boots Riley makes his directorial debut with Sorry to Bother You. He calls it "an absurdist dark comedy with magical realism and science fiction inspired by the world of telemarketing."

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The Purge films are about a large-scale psychological experiment: What if every year the country allowed one night of complete lawlessness? Nya (Lex Scott Davis) and Isaiah (Joivan Wade) star in the fourth installment of the series, The First Purge, which

Arts

The Success Of Society Run Amok: What Does 'The Purge' Say About Us?

6:04pm July 04, 2018

by Neda Ulaby

The fourth installment in the dystopian movie series comes out July 4. Neda Ulaby considers why this grim horror franchise resonates so strongly with audiences right now.

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Music & Culture

The Name Behind This Year's Most Popular Album? P.T. Barnum

5:42pm July 04, 2018

by Ailsa Chang

The soundtrack to the movie The Greatest Showman is outselling Kanye West, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake this year. Critic Rob Harvilla reviewed the album for The Ringer and explains its success.

Mr. McFeely (David Newell) and Fred Rogers on set, in the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?'

5:00am July 04, 2018

by Linda Holmes

Daisy Rosario of WAMU joins the table to talk about the new documentary that looks back at the influence and the unusual nature of a classic children's television show.

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Harvey Weinstein at a court appearance last month in New York. Already facing first-degree rape and other charges involving incidents with two women, he has now been charged with allegedly committing a forcible sexual act against a third.

New Charges Filed Against Harvey Weinstein Involving A Third Woman

3:48pm July 02, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

The disgraced movie mogul is already facing first-degree rape and other charges in New York. Now, Weinstein is facing new accusations that he assaulted a woman in 2006.

Boots Riley Mines His Experiences As A Telemarketer In 'Sorry To Bother You'

3:27pm July 02, 2018

by Terry Gross

The social satire takes aim at corporations that underpay and exploit workers. This is Riley's first film — he has a long career as a rapper — and his band, The Coup, plays on the film's soundtrack.

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Ant-Man (Paul Rudd, L) and The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly, R) find fighting crime is no picnic in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Arts

Wee, The People: 'Ant-Man And The Wasp'

5:01am July 02, 2018

by Glen Weldon

The sequel to 2015's Ant-Man is just as light and inconsequential, but a forgettable villain and an over-complicated plot means it has to work harder — and it shows.