Today on AirTalk we'll take a look at Lance Armstrong and what losing his last battle means for his legacy, shortlisting the number of trash collection companies for residential and small businesses, our esteemed panel of critics review this week's films, we look at the Cinecon Film Festival taking place next week at the Egyptian Theater and bid a fond farewell to Phyllis Diller.
Lance Armstrong's tarnished legacy
He was once the most revered and admired cyclist in the world. He beat cancer and came back to win the grueling Tour de France seven times.
But that untarnished legacy has slowing been unraveling. Yesterday, Armstrong opted out of taking U.S. Anti-Doping Agency charges to arbitration. That decision triggered the agency to forfeit all his race results from August 1, 1998 to the present. He will also be banned for life from all competitive cycling competitions.
Armstrong strongly denies the charges and says the USADA was on a “witch hunt” and has no physical evidence against him. One of Armstrong’s sponsors, Nike, says it will continue to support the athlete and his foundation for cancer survivors.
What does this mean for Armstrong legacy? How will this affect and change competitive cycling? What’s next for Armstrong and the USADA case?
Guest:
Daniel M. Rosen, author of Dope: A History of Performance Enhancement in Sports from the Nineteenth Century to Today (Praeger)
Trash for cash: who should be allowed to pick up waste from LA apartments and businesses?
Solid waste collection is about to get even more consolidated. The City of LA has plans to give just a handful of trash collectors a franchise to pick up the waste from commercial buildings and apartments.
But, a business coalition says the plan isn’t so efficient. These larger buildings buy the service from private companies, unlike residents in houses or small apartments who set out their bins to get picked up by city collectors. The coalition, known as ACE, says giving over trash duty to just one or two companies would hurt small trash haulers, cost jobs, and lead to more trucks heading in and out of the San Fernando Valley.
Environmental groups and others believe the companies in operation have widely differing standards on recycling, and their many banners make it virtually impossible to know which companies are responsible for neighborhood nuisances, like leaking dumpsters. Officials are holding a meeting to give both sides a chance to weigh in, Wednesday.
Should it be open season on trash pickup? Or is a more streamlined approach the best route for the long haul?
Guests:
Sean Rossall, Spokesperson, Angelenos for a Clean Environment – comprised of business groups and the Los Angeles County Disposal Association
Greg Good, Campaign Director, Don't Waste L.A. – a coalition spearheaded by the labor-affiliated Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
FilmWeek: Hit & Run, Premium Rush, Robot & Frank, Compliance, Red Hook Summer and more
Larry Mantle is joined by KPCC film critics Wade Major and Claudia Puig to review this week’s new films, including Hit & Run, Premium Rush, Robot & Frank, Compliance, Red Hook Summer and more.
TGI Filmweek!
Guests:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and boxoffice.com
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today
Trailer for Hit & Run
Trailer for Premium Rush
Trailer for Robot & Frank
Trailer for Compliance
Cinecon Classic Film Festival kicks off next week
One of the greatest aspects of life in Hollywood is the unprecedented access its citizens have to the world of film. Next week, the Cinecon Classic Film Festival kicks off to celebrate movies from the earlier days of the entertainment industry.
More than two dozen films will be screened in 35mm as they were originally intended at the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. For most of these titles, this is a once in a lifetime experience as they have never been released in any medium or even shown on television. Several were thought to be lost forever, particularly some of the silent films which will be screened. One highlight of the festival will be “Gentle Julia.” The 1936 screen adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner Booth Tarkington’s novel will show with two of its stars in the audience, Marsha Hunt and Jane Withers, marking the 76th anniversary of its original release.
Anyone with an appreciation for classic movie and film history will definitely find something interesting at Cinecon. What in the schedule jumps out to you? Will you catch one of these flicks? It might just be your only chance…
Guest:
Robert S. Birchard, Cinecon president and film historian, author of “Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood,” and has appeared in such movie-related documentaries as TCM's “Moguls and Movie Stars.”
Remembering Phyllis Diller
On Monday, Hollywood lost one of its greatest icons. Phyllis Diller, accomplished stand-up comic and an actress with a career that spanned decades, was a true pioneer for women in comedy.
With a prop cigarette holder in hand and a litany of self-deprecating jokes about her looks and cooking, she paved the way for women to go up on stage and be seen as equal to, if not funnier than, male comedians. Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler all owe something to the legendary Diller, as she cleared the way and the stage for their later success.
With numerous appearances on late night shows throughout the years, doling out one-liners punctuated by her signature laugh, she has immortalized herself in the comedic canon. What is your favorite Phyllis Diller moment? How can the effects of her legacy be seen today?
Guest:
Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times Television Critic