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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour

NPR

Get obsessed with us. Four days a week, Pop Culture Happy Hour serves you recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, videogames and more. Join arts journalists Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, and Aisha Harris - plus a rotating cast of guest pop culture aficionados. The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe. From lowbrow to highbrow to the stuff in between, they take it all with a shot of cheer.

Make your happy hour even happier with Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus! Your subscription supports the podcast and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/happyhour

  • 24 minutes 26 seconds
    Toy Story 5 and What's Making Us Happy
    In Disney’s Toy Story 5, Jessie, Woody, and Buzz are back to confront a new threat – screen time. When their kid Bonnie gets a new tablet called Lilypad, she forgets about the rest of her toys. But Jessie is determined to win Bonnie back, even after a series of events separates them. Toy Story 5 features a familiar and beloved voice cast with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack reprising their roles. 

    Are you a fan of all things Pixar? Check out these episodes!

    Top 5 Pixar movies, ranked by listeners 

    Nature needs a little help in the inventive Pixar movie ‘Hoppers’

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    19 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 21 minutes 18 seconds
    Olivia Rodrigo you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
    Olivia Rodrigo is back blending spikey rock with tender ballads. How do we feel about her evolving sound? Her third album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is a collection of fizzy, sometimes jagged pop songs about a love that goes amazingly well until it doesn’t.

    If you’re looking for other fizzy pop songs, check out: 
    Taylor Swift re-enters her banger era in ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
    Sabrina Carpenter returns with the short and saucy 'Man's Best Friend'
    Harry Styles' new album has vibes all the time. Bangers, occasionally.

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    17 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 21 minutes 30 seconds
    Widow’s Bay
    Widow’s Bay is a spine-tingling blend of horror and comedy you won't want to miss. The buzzy Apple TV series follows a mayor (Matthew Rhys) who is desperately trying to bring tourism to a small island town that might be cursed. The cast includes Stephen Root, Kate O’Flynn, and Betty Gilpin.

    If you’re looking for other eerie island escapes, check out these episodes 

    A bratty boss gets a dose of his own medicine in ‘Send Help’

    ‘Lord of the Flies’ gets the Netflix treatment

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    16 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 21 minutes 59 seconds
    Stop! That! Train!
    The ridiculously fun new film Stop! That! Train! brings the gags-a-minute silliness of Airplane! to the bawdy world of RuPaul’s Drag Race. But does it chug along smoothly or does it veer off the rails? RuPaul stars as the president of the United States who must help save a train from a massive stormaganza. Drag queens Jujubee and Ginger Minj are train attendants aboard the runaway train filled with Drag Race alumni and comedy heavy-hitters who are here to serve looks and bring the shade. 

    If you need more goofy little movies, check out:
    'The Naked Gun' packs jokes on jokes on jokes
    Our favorite movies on Tubi

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    15 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 25 minutes 36 seconds
    Disclosure Day and What’s Making Us Happy
    Stephen Spielberg brings aliens back to the big screen in Disclosure Day. But how does his new blockbuster compare to his alien classics like E.T. and Close Encounters of The Third Kind? Our heroes Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor are compelled by something they don’t understand, and there are authority figures trying to keep a huge secret from the public. 

    If you need more summer blockbusters, check out: 
    ‘Jaws’ is still stuck in our teeth, 50 years later
    The summer blockbusters we finally watched

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    12 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 22 minutes 14 seconds
    Summer House
    Have you been keeping up with all the drama of Summer House? The cast of the Bravo reality series is currently embroiled in a scandal involving Kyle Cooke, Amanda Batula, West Wilson and Ciara Miller. We’re unpacking why people in and outside the Bravo fandom can’t stop talking about Summer House, what drives the drama of Bravo, and where the franchise might go from here. 

    Do you like messy and fun reality shows? Check out these episodes:

    We're taking a chaotic trip to 'Love Island,' babe

    'Vanderpump Rules,' 'Scandoval' and a fight that never ends

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    11 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 22 minutes 12 seconds
    Office Romance
    The new Netflix film Office Romance pairs rom-com veteran Jennifer Lopez with Brett Goldstein in a story about the hazards of falling for your boss. But is the on-screen chemistry there? And how does it fit into J.Lo’s rom-com history? Directed by Ol Parker (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), the film was written by Goldstein and Joe Kelly, one of the writers he worked with on Ted Lasso.

    If you need another Jennifer Lopez fix, check out these episodes:
    Can Jennifer Lopez's 'This Is Me... Now' say anything new?
    A silly 'Shotgun Wedding' sends J.Lo on an adventure

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    9 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 20 minutes 2 seconds
    Scary Movie
    The horror comedy franchise Scary Movie is back in theaters with a new movie. But does this legacy sequel that parodies other legacy sequels have anything new to say? Helmed by the Wayans Brothers, it lampoons horror tropes new and old amid a flurry of jokes and references, and brings back familiar faces like Anna Faris and Regina Hall. It also introduces a new generation to face the dreaded Ghostface.

    Do you want to hear about more legacy sequels? Check out these episodes:

    ‘Scream 7’ takes a weak stab at continuing the franchise

    'I Know What You Did Last Summer' gets hooked on nostalgia


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    8 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 24 minutes 9 seconds
    Masters of the Universe and What’s Making Us Happy
    The new Masters of the Universe movie is packed with Easter eggs for fans of the old 80s cartoon and toys, but does this wannabe summer blockbuster have anything to offer for everybody else? It features big names playing the signature characters, like He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine), Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie), Man at Arms (Idris Elba), and Skeletor (Jared Leto). But the movie also adds a contemporary and comedic comic riff on the story.    

    If you like nostalgic adaptations for superfans, check out these episodes:

    In 'Mortal Kombat II,' fatality meets fan service

    'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' has high charisma

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    5 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 20 minutes 31 seconds
    Power Ballad
    In the wonderful new film Power Ballad, Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas play two musicians whose careers haven’t exactly gone to plan – but one song may change that. Rick (Rudd) is a wedding band singer in Ireland and Danny (Jonas) is a former boy band member. They collaborate on a song that Rick wrote a few years ago, but Rick later finds out that Danny is trying to pass off the song as his own. Power Ballad was directed by John Carney, who also made Sing Street and Once. 

    If you like movies with great songs, check out these episodes:

    'KPop Demon Hunters' is a viral smash that crushes the songs 

    We debate the best movie musical numbers


    Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
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    See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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    4 June 2026, 7:00 am
  • 17 minutes 55 seconds
    Spider-Noir
    Does Spider-Noir get its blend of noir and superheroes right? In the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Nicolas Cage gave us a taste of a black and white, film-noir Spider-Man who talked in Dashiell Hammett dialogue. That cameo has spun into a full series that’s streaming on Prime Video. 

    If you like off-the-wall superhero adaptations, check out these episodes:

    Marvel’s ‘Wonder Man’ is a low-key, low-stakes buddy comedy 

    In 'The Penguin' a C-list villain gets an A-list series

    Connect with Pop Culture Happy Hour:
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    NPR Privacy Policy
    2 June 2026, 7:00 am
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