Dwayne Johnson Defies Expectations with The Smashing Machine

Actor and producer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sat down with KCRW’s Elvis Mitchell on The Treatment to discuss how his new film, The Smashing Machine, changed his life. As a former professional wrestler, Johnson is obviously comfortable in the ring, but this film challenged him to transform himself in a way he never has before. Listen to the full episode to learn more about Johnson’s goals, inspirations, and why he only looks at the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Will AI Ever Make Good Music?

Sam Sanders speaks with Andrew R. Chow about the surge of AI-generated music and how real it sounds, plus the artists, both real and unreal, behind the music. They answer questions like: Why is it becoming so much harder to identify if a song is human-made or not? Are streaming platforms responsible for filtering out machine-made music? And, how are artists fighting back against AI?

Good Food’s Best Cookbooks of 2025

Evan Kleiman asked Celia Sack of Omnivore Books On Food to share her list of notable cookbooks of 2025. Among the offerings is one of Evan’s favorite cookbooks of the year, The Heart-Shaped Tin by Bee Wilson, which explores kitchen and dining objects that have meaning to people. Any of these cookbooks can make a great gift for the chef in your life, but if you’re looking for other non-culinary book recs, check out NPR’s favorites of 2025.

December’s Resident DJ: Thomas Dolby

KCRW’s November Resident DJ, Moon Boots, is signing off after a gravity-defying ride behind the decks. Catch up if you missed them! Next up, our December DJ is Thomas Dolby, taking the (sleigh) reins with his playful futurism and finely tuned sense of surprise for four weeks of late-night mixes. Favorite the show on the KCRW app to get notifications when new playlists drop. Dolby says of his curation, “I confess I'm very picky about music, but I managed to put together about four shows worth of songs I simply adore — don't ask me for any more!”

Sponsor

The HBO Documentary Film – The Alabama Solution – Currently Oscar Eligible

KCRW sponsors include HBO Documentary Films, presenting The Alabama Solution. In 2019, filmmakers visit an Alabama prison to film a revival meeting. Off camera, incarcerated men whisper a message: terrible things are going on here and being kept secret. This sparks an immersive six-year investigation to discover the reality behind the walls of one of the nation’s deadliest prison systems.   

With unprecedented access and footage captured on contraband cell phones, The Alabama Solution uncovers a harrowing story of violence, corruption, and resistance from within.  

Directed by Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman, The Alabama Solution is a powerful blend of immersive storytelling and investigative journalism. Called “essential documentary filmmaking” by Decider, The Alabama Solution is Oscar® and Awards-eligible and now streaming on HBO Max. 

Why Are Executions on the Rise in the US?

President Trump has long supported capital punishment, and in his second term, he’s directed the Department of Justice to assist states in carrying out more executions. The result is the highest number of death-row executions in more than ten years. The episode examines whether Trump views capital punishment as politically advantageous and considers what this renewed push reveals about the nation’s values and its relationship to state power.