Back to late night for Jay Leno? Would legalizing undocumented immigrants help the economy? Governor releases the state budget. And it's FilmWeek on AirTalk. This week's movies include Leap Year, Youth in Revolt, and Daybreakers. Later, Aboriginal director Warwick Thornton on his film Samson & Delilah.
A late night return for Jay Leno?
As Conan O’Brien prepared to take over the Tonight Show earlier this year, NBC moved Jay Leno to 10 pm, hoping to keep their star from defecting to other networks. But the experiment flopped – audiences stayed away, and NBC affiliates are complaining that Leno’s poor ratings are killing late local news, a large source of revenue. How can NBC salvage its brand? Should Jay and Conan go back-to-back in the late-night hours? Or will they lose one of their hosts to another network?
Guest:
Joe Flint, entertainment business reporter, Los Angeles Times
Immigration reform good for the economy?
A study released yesterday by the Center for American Progress and the Immigration Policy Institute concludes that granting legal status to the US’s estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants would have positive economic repercussions, to the tune of $1.5 trillion added to the GDP over 10 years. On what grounds? Lead author Raúl Hinojosa of UCLA examined economic data after 3 million illegal immigrants were granted amnesty in 1986. What are the fiscal consequences of illegal immigration? Will immigration reform benefit the U.S. economy?
Guests:
Raul Hinojosa, lead author of new study, Raising the Floor for American Workers: The Economic Benefits of Comprehensive Immigrations Reform, Professor of Chicano Studies, Director of North American Integration and Development Center, UCLA
Steven Camarota, Director of Research, Center for Immigration Studies
Schwarzenegger's final budget fight
Governor Schwarzenegger is set to unveil his new budget plan for the coming fiscal year later today. He’s expected to propose more spending cuts, request billions of dollars in additional federal aid and seek tax changes to address a projected $20 billion shortfall through June 2011. Is fixing California’s battered economy possible?
Guest:
Julie Small, KPCC's State Capital Reporter
FilmWeek
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com and Wade Major of boxoffice.com discuss the week’s new film releases including Leap Year, Youth In Revolt, Daybreakers, Wonderful World, Bitch Slap, Waiting For Armageddon, Bicycle Thief, and The Loss Of A Teardrop Diamond. They will also discuss their top films from 2009.
Guests:
Henry Sheehan, henrysheehan.com
Wade Major, boxoffice.com
Wade's Top Films of 2009
1. The White Ribbon
2. The Young Victoria
3. (500) Days of Summer
4. Paris 36
5. Coco Before Chanel
6. Departures
7. Seraphine
8. Up in the Air
9. An Education
10. Bright Star
11. A Serious Man
12. Damned United
13. Broken Embraces
14. Everlasting Moments
15. Disgrace
Henry's Top Ten Films of 2009
2009 was a marked improvement over recent years in terms of the number of good-to-excellent films. After this list’s top three, there is no real order to the films and many of the honorable mentions could just as easily been top tens. If I had to compile the list on another day, there might be seven different movies on it.
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Avatar
3. Police, Adjective
4. Lorna’s Silence
5. Coraline
6. Tokyo Sonata
7. Thirst
8. The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
9. The Informant!
10. Inglourious Basterds
Honorable Mention (again, listed in no particular order):
Animation: Ponyo, Up, The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Comedy: Year One, State of Play
Action/Drama: Invictus, District 9, Red Cliff, Still Walking, 35 Shots of Rum, Bright Star, The Girlfriend Experience, Summer Hours, Julia
Nonfiction: The Beaches of Agnes, Tyson, The Cove
Samson & Delilah: a cinematic window into indigenous life
Samson & Delilah, Australia’s foreign-language entry for the 82nd Academy Awards, tells the story of two children growing up in a remote Aboriginal community in Australia and falling in love for the first time. The film, directed by Warwick Thornton, was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where it won the Caméra d'Or for first time filmmaking. Larry talks with Warwick, who is Aboriginal himself, about Samson & Delilah and the challenges of bringing his culture to the screen.
Guest:
Warwick Thornton, writer and director, Samson & Delilah