Pop Culture Happy Hour

HBO’s new DC superhero show Lanterns is not the show you think it is. It’s about a couple of space cops: Kyle Chandler plays Earth’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, a grizzled, impulsive old-timer reluctantly training up his backup, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). Yet the story avoids cosmic sweep and spectacle in favor of a character-driven mystery and a grounded setting. Does this series thread the needle to appeal to comics nerds and newcomers alike?

If you need more superhero stories, check out these episodes: 
'Supergirl' has a solid hero but could use a better villain
Marvel’s ‘Wonder Man’ is a low-key, low-stakes buddy comedy

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In the new film Tony, we meet chef and author Anthony Bourdain before he was in the public eye. He was a wayward, overconfident young guy, and, as played by Dominic Sessa, kind of a piece of work. The movie focuses on a pivotal summer in 1975, when Tony worked in his first kitchen, a tiny hole-in-the-wall in Provincetown. But does the film break out of the familiar biopic formula to tell a compelling story?

Do you like biopics about complicated artists? Check out:
‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ is better than your average biopic
In 'A Complete Unknown,' Timothée Chalamet captures the idea of Bob Dylan

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We're traveling way back in time to 1971 -- when Richard Nixon was president, the Beatles were newly broken up, and Fiddler on the Roof was one of the biggest movies at the box office. Today in this encore episode, we’re revisiting a special edition of What's Making Us Happy, recommending pop culture from the 1970s – including Isaac Hayes’ Shaft soundtrack, Carol King’s Tapestry, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, and The Monster at the End of This Book.

Looking for more pop culture from the past? Check out these episodes:

The American dream according to ‘The Wire,’ ‘Apollo 13’ and more

‘Jaws’ is still stuck in our teeth, 50 years later

'Shrek' – a weird, flatulent and beloved franchise – turns 25

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Phoebe Bridgers is your favorite pop star’s favorite pop star. And she’s just released a gorgeous new solo album, Lost Weekend. It’s packed with guest stars including her boygenius bandmates, pop superproducer Jack Antonoff and her partner, Bo Burnham. The record’s 16 songs are full of lore, lush sonic ideas, and quotable insights about love, sex, and death. But does Bridgers’ long-awaited return make up for lost time?

If you need more multifaceted pop music, check out these episodes: 
Ariana Grande stares down the public eye in 'Petal'
Olivia Rodrigo seems pretty sad, but does she still generate bangers?

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The new movie Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is a bloody and bewildering queer slasher film. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow), it stars Hannah Einbinder as a queer young filmmaker tapped to reboot a defunct slasher franchise, and Gillian Anderson as a reclusive actress. The movie is a meditation on slashers and film itself, sexuality and identity – and it’s also gore-filled fun you won’t want to miss.

Want more queer indie horror? Check out these episodes:

'I Saw the TV Glow' is weird and transfixing

'Love Lies Bleeding' is the queer erotic thriller Kristen Stewart fans have wanted
 

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