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Linda Holmes

Linda Holmes is a pop culture correspondent for NPR and the host of Pop Culture Happy Hour. She began her professional life as an attorney. In time, however, her affection for writing, popular culture, and the online universe eclipsed her legal ambitions. She shoved her law degree in the back of the closet, gave its living room space to DVD sets of The Wire, and never looked back.

Holmes was a writer and editor at Television Without Pity, where she recapped several hundred hours of programming — including both High School Musical movies, for which she did not receive hazard pay. Her first novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over, was published in the summer of 2019.

  • Oscar nominations were revealed Thursday morning. We get reaction from NPR critic Linda Holmes.
  • Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the shows The Agency and The Pitt, audiobooks by Philomena Cunk, and cinema from the late director David Lynch.
  • Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: A documentary about yacht rock, Colouring's new album, the game Pentiment and an action movie about TSA.
  • Pop culture critic Linda Holmes has been making this annual list since 2010. Big, small, inspirational, silly — what these items have in common is that they are all wonderful and brought her joy.
  • Watching a movie on a plane can be a great way to pass the time if you're traveling for the holidays – particularly if you're going a long way. But picking the right movie can be very tricky. Today, we're debating the best movies to watch on an airplane, and making recommendations, including Moana, Jackie Brown, The Holdovers, and The Lion in Winter. Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture.
  • Grab your blanket, your cocoa, your snuggler of choice – holiday movie season has arrived. Here's a rundown of the standard and not-so-standard offerings you'll find on TV this year.
  • If you've ever loved a movie musical, then you've probably got a favorite movie musical number — a song that makes you want to sing along, swoon, celebrate, or simply dance with the nearest lamppost. But what makes these moments great? With Wicked hitting theaters, there's never been a better time to debate the best movie musical numbers. For even more of our favorite movie musical numbers, check out our list at Letterboxd — at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture.
  • In the deeply goofy Christmas action comedy Red One, the holiday season comes to an emergency halt when Santa (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped. It's up to his head of security, played by Dwayne Johnson, and a ne'er-do-well played by Chris Evans to save Christmas. Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture
  • Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The film The Shadow Strays, the memoir Ephemera, and Rachel Bloom’s Death, Let Me Do My Special.
  • Netflix's Woman Of The Hour is not your conventional serial killer movie. It's based on the true story of a serial killer who appeared on The Dating Game in the 1970s. But it's also about the women who became — or almost became — his victims. Directed by and starring Anna Kendrick, it's a tense, thoughtful film that has much to say about the systems that make life easier for dangerous and otherwise crummy men. Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture