Glen Weldon
Glen Weldon is a host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. He reviews books, movies, comics and more for the NPR Arts Desk.
Over the course of his career, he has spent time as a theater critic, a science writer, an oral historian, a writing teacher, a bookstore clerk, a PR flack, a completely inept marine biologist and a slightly better-ept competitive swimmer.
Weldon is the author of two cultural histories: Superman: The Unauthorized Biography and The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Atlantic, Slate, McSweeney's and more; his fiction has appeared in several anthologies and other publications. He is the recipient of an NEA Arts Journalism Fellowship, an Amtrak Writers' Residency, a Ragdale Writing Fellowship and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts for Fiction.
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Fans of Hot Ones refer to those celebrities who make it through the sauces without complaint as Spice Lords. This week, Conan O'Brien became a Spice Legend.
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Tom Ripley is back — and still can't be trusted. The character — created by novelist Patricia Highsmith — was made indelible by Matt Damon in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley. Now, he's played by Andrew Scott on a Netflix series called simply Ripley. Tom once again worms his way into the life of one Dickie Greenleaf and attempts to sabotage his luxurious life in the Italian countryside.
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Ahead of this weekend's Academy Awards ceremony, we find out what to watch for, and how to host a delicious viewing party.
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It's been three years since Denis Villeneuve brought his twin directorial passions (breathtaking vistas, whispered dialogue) to bear on Frank Herbert's beloved 1965 sci-fi novel/spice-opera. Now that, with Dune: Part Two, he's nailed the dismount with such assured visual sweep and splendor, it's worth examining why his approach worked then, and works now.
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After months of delays due to Hollywood strikes, the 2023 Emmys will be held in Los Angeles on Jan. 15. We look at the confusing eligibility rules and the strikes' impact on TV's biggest awards night.
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The 81st Golden Globes were held Sunday night. Was it a comeback after a scandal, or a ho hum awards ceremony? We discuss the highs and lows.
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The Marvels crashed at the box office. What does this mean for the franchise?
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A new show follows the lives of two gay men over the course of four decades – from the McCarthy era to the AIDS crisis.
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Pee-wee's creator, Paul Reubens, died Sunday of cancer. He was 70. Pee-wee was a petulant man-child and a trickster spirit, a burst of joyous id that snuck his brand of anarchy into the mainstream.
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Some of Marvel Studios' recent movies have been more critically divisive and less profitable at the box office than their predecessors. Is superhero fatigue starting to kick in?