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Hafsa Fathima

Thursday

NewJeans is a new kind of K-pop juggernaut

NewJeans released a new EP titled Get Up earlier this summer. ADOR hide caption

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ADOR

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

NewJeans is a new kind of K-pop juggernaut

In a little more than a year, NewJeans has become huge in the world of K-pop, with a reputation for upending industry conventions. They've become the fastest K-Pop act ever to reach one billion streams on Spotify, and their new EP, Get Up, just hit number one on the Billboard charts. Plus, their single "OMG" went viral on TikTok, spawning dance challenges and memes.

NewJeans is a new kind of K-pop juggernaut

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Friday

High school comedy 'Bottoms' is violent, bizarre, and a hoot

Ayo Edebiri stars as Josie and Rachel Sennott as PJ in Bottoms. Orion Pictures Inc. hide caption

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Orion Pictures Inc.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

High school comedy 'Bottoms' is violent, bizarre, and a hoot

Hollywood loves a movie about horny teens desperate to lose their virginity, and the smart new comedy Bottoms is a welcome addition to the canon. Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott star as unpopular best friends who start a fight club in hopes of seducing the cheerleaders of their dreams. Bottoms was co-written by Sennott and Emma Seligman, who also directs. They previously collaborated on the movie Shiva Baby.

High school comedy 'Bottoms' is violent, bizarre, and a hoot

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Tuesday

'Strays' leads the pack for R-rated dog comedies

Reggie (Will Ferrell), Maggie (Isla Fisher), Hunter (Randall Park) and Bug (Jamie Foxx) in Strays. Chuck Zlotnick/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Chuck Zlotnick/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Strays' leads the pack for R-rated dog comedies

In the raunchy new comedy Strays, four talking dogs embark on an incredible journey. Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) doesn't realize his owner Doug (Will Forte) is desperate to abandon him on the streets. But when Doug's intentions become clear, Reggie's motivation shifts from a reunion to revenge. Strays' voice cast also features Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher and Randall Park.

'Strays' leads the pack for R-rated dog comedies

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Friday

Will 'Red, White & Royal Blue' be your cup of tea?

Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex Claremont-Diaz and Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry in Red, White & Royal Blue. Jonathan Prime/Prime Video hide caption

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Jonathan Prime/Prime Video

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Will 'Red, White & Royal Blue' be your cup of tea?

The new film Red White & Royal Blue is a classic enemies-to-lovers rom-com, though in this case the rom is queer, and the com arises out of the fact that there are huge geopolitical stakes involved. That's because the two lovers in question are Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the American president and Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), the prince of England. Directed by Matthew López, the movie is based on Casey McQuiston's wildly successful and much-loved novel.

Will 'Red, White & Royal Blue' be your cup of tea?

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Friday

'Mutant Mayhem' reboots the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and does it well

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Nickelodeon Movies/Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Nickelodeon Movies/Paramount Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Mutant Mayhem' reboots the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and does it well

The fun new animated movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem reboots the iconic series. It's directed by Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs. the Machines), who co-wrote the script with Seth Rogen and others. The formula is familiar — an ooze turns four baby turtles into ninja-fighting warriors who must save humanity and find acceptance along the way. The film is bolstered by its funny pop-culture references and a strong voice cast, including Jackie Chan, Ice Cube and Ayo Edebiri.

'Mutant Mayhem' reboots the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and does it well

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Wednesday

'This Fool' is an odd-couple comedy with L.A. flair

Chris Estrada as Julio in This Fool. Hulu hide caption

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Hulu

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'This Fool' is an odd-couple comedy with L.A. flair

The Hulu comedy series This Fool is set in South Central Los Angeles and follow an odd couple of cousins named Julio and Luis. They bicker, help each other out and try to figure out what's next for themselves. Star and co-creator Chris Estrada, who plays Julio, based a lot of the show on his standup.

'This Fool' is an odd-couple comedy with L.A. flair

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Friday

'Haunted Mansion' is grave

Chase Dillon as Travis and Rosario Dawson as Gabbie in Haunted Mansion. Walt Disney Studios hide caption

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Walt Disney Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Haunted Mansion' is grave

In Disney's Haunted Mansion, a rag-tag group of paranormal experts attempt to get rid of ghosts that haunt a crumbling New Orleans mansion. Based on the beloved theme park experience, the film stars Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Tiffany Haddish — who band together to confront the dangers of the unseen world. But despite its star power, does the movie live up to its supernatural premise?

'Haunted Mansion' is grave

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Thursday

'They Cloned Tyrone' is a funky and fun sci-fi mystery

Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles and John Boyega as Fontaine in They Cloned Tyrone. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'They Cloned Tyrone' is a funky and fun sci-fi mystery

The Netflix movie They Cloned Tyrone is a thrilling, quirky sci-fi comedy about a drug dealer, a sex worker, and a pimp who uncover a vast government conspiracy against their community. It's got a great cast: starring John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and a very flamboyant Jamie Foxx.

'They Cloned Tyrone' is a funky and fun sci-fi mystery

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Thursday

A 'Barbie' v. 'Oppenheimer' Game

Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie as Ken and Barbie in Barbie and Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. Warner Bros. Pictures/ Universal Pictures hide caption

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Warner Bros. Pictures/ Universal Pictures

Pop Culture Happy Hour

A 'Barbie' v. 'Oppenheimer' Game

In honor of the upcoming clash between the same-day releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer, we asked our listeners to weigh in on some of pop culture's most contentious matchups. And boy, did you deliver. We've got NSYNC versus Backstreet Boys. Superman versus Batman. And most importantly, who is the best Chris?

A 'Barbie' v. 'Oppenheimer' Game

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Friday

'Theater Camp' lovingly lampoons theater kids in grades 5! 6! 7! 8!

Ben Platt and Molly Gordon star in Theater Camp. Searchlight Pictures hide caption

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Searchlight Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Theater Camp' lovingly lampoons theater kids in grades 5! 6! 7! 8!

In the funny new mockumentary Theater Camp, a summer camp for musical theater kids falls on hard times when its founder slips into a coma. The movie stars Ben Platt and Molly Gordon as two codependent instructors staging an original musical, and Jimmy Tatro as the business influencer son of the camp's founder, who reluctantly takes over the camp. Directed by Gordon and Nick Lieberman, the film both skewers and glorifies the love of theater.

'Theater Camp' lovingly lampoons theater kids in grades 5! 6! 7! 8!

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Tuesday

'Mission: Impossible' is back, but will you accept it, or will it self-destruct?

Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. Christian Black/Paramount Pictures and Skydance hide caption

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Christian Black/Paramount Pictures and Skydance

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Mission: Impossible' is back, but will you accept it, or will it self-destruct?

In the new film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Tom Cruise is back as superspy Ethan Hunt. This time he has to defeat an all-powerful AI known as "The Entity." With many familiar faces and new ones like Hayley Atwell, the movie has chases, peril, and explosions. And yes, Cruise still does a lot of his own stunts. Take our Barbie v. Oppenheimer survey. We're throwing out a few other pop-cultural either-ors, to see if we can't settle a few age-old disputes once and for all. We'll talk about some of the results in an upcoming episode of the show.

'Mission: Impossible' is back, but will you accept it, or will it self-destruct?

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Friday

'Joy Ride' is a raucous adventure for four friends

Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola, Ashley Park, and Sabrina Wu in Joy Ride. Ed Araquel/Lionsgate hide caption

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Ed Araquel/Lionsgate

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Joy Ride' is a raucous adventure for four friends

The new film Joy Ride follows four friends (Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu, and Stephanie Hsu) embarking on a trip to China. The film is in step with The Hangover and Girls Trip. Sex, drugs, and musical interludes ensue, but the friends also deal with issues of identity and family. It's directed by Adele Lim, who co-wrote the screenplay for Crazy Rich Asians. Take our Barbie v. Oppenheimer survey. We're throwing out a few other pop-cultural either-ors, to see if we can't settle a few age-old disputes once and for all. We'll talk about some of the results in an upcoming episode of the show.

'Joy Ride' is a raucous adventure for four friends

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Friday

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' is a whip-crackin' good time

Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Lucasfilm Ltd. hide caption

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Lucasfilm Ltd.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' is a whip-crackin' good time

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the fifth and apparently final film starring Harrison Ford as everyone's favorite globe-trotting, whip-cracking, Nazi-punching archeologist. The movie finds Indy on the cusp of retirement, when he's forced to chase an ancient artifact around the world to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. Directed by James Mangold, and also starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen, it's in theaters now.

'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' is a whip-crackin' good time

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Tuesday

In 'No Hard Feelings,' Jennifer Lawrence throws herself into comedy

Andrew Barth Feldman and Jennifer Lawrence star in No Hard Feelings. Sony Pictures Entertainment hide caption

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Sony Pictures Entertainment

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'No Hard Feelings,' Jennifer Lawrence throws herself into comedy

Jennifer Lawrence has starred in The Hunger Games, played a member of the X-Men, and won an Oscar — but she hasn't done a ton of broad comedy until now. She makes a left turn in the movie No Hard Feelings, in which rich helicopter parents hire a woman to seduce their teenage son, in the hopes that he'll come out of his shell in time for college.

In 'No Hard Feelings,' Jennifer Lawrence throws herself into comedy

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Thursday

We gaze (again) into 'Black Mirror'

Annie Murphy in the Black Mirror episode "Joan Is Awful." Nick Wall/Netflix hide caption

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Nick Wall/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We gaze (again) into 'Black Mirror'

It's been four years since the Netflix anthology series Black Mirror made new episodes of terrifying speculative fiction. The series is now back with a new season that dives into questions of identity, celebrity, apocalyptic demons, and the true crime explosion. This season's cast includes Annie Murphy, Aaron Paul, Zazie Beetz, Salma Hayek Pinault, Kate Mara, and more.

We gaze (again) into 'Black Mirror'

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