Jessica's Law unconstitutional? GDP up. John Eastman enters Attorney General race. Former LAPD Chief Bratton on his new venture. Then, it's FilmWeek on AirTalk. Larry and the critics discuss the week's new releases, including The Edge of Darkness, When in Rome, Fish Tank, and Saint John of Las Vegas. Later, a Sundance recap, and the life of Hollywood producer Irving Thalberg.
California Supreme Court questions constitutionality of Jessica's Law
Proposition 83, better known as Jessica’s Law, is facing scrutiny by the California Supreme Court. The Court will consider whether harsher punishment for sex crimes violates the Constitutional right to equal protection. The 2006 ballot measure prohibits convicted sex offenders from living near parks and schools, imposes higher fines, and permits indefinite confinement for sexually violent criminals. Should sex criminals be subject to indefinite confinement, even after serving their prison sentence? Does Jessica’s Law deter sexual violence?
Guests:
George Runner, Republican State Senator, R-Lancaster, District 17
Charles S. Doskow, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law, University of La Verne College of Law
GDP up 5.7% at the end of 2009
In the final months of 2009, the U.S. gross domestic product grew 5.7%, much faster than expected. Larry Mantle talks with the Washington Post's Neil Irwin about what the numbers portend for economic recovery.
Guest:
Neil Irwin, Washington Post economics correspondent
John Eastman leaves Chapman
John Eastman announced that he is resigning as dean of Chapman University School of Law, where he has served since 2007, to join the race for state attorney general. He'll be competing for the Republican nomination against Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley and state Senator Tom Harman of Huntington Beach. Eastman talks with Larry Mantle about his decision.
Guest:
John Eastman, Dean of Chapman Law School
Former LAPD Chief Bratton launches global security firm with ties to Los Angeles
It’s hard to believe it was only three months ago that LA’s top cop, William Bratton, left to work in the private security sector in New York. On Monday, his latest venture, Altegrity Risk International kicks off, with Bratton as chairman and former City Councilman Jack Weiss running the Los Angeles office. Larry talks with Bratton about his new gig and what he does and doesn’t miss about LA (the weather & the traffic).
Guest:
William Bratton, former Los Angeles Police Chief, chairman of Altegrity Risk International
FilmWeek
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major of boxoffice.com and Claudia Puig of USA Today discuss the week’s new film releases including Edge of Darkness, When In Rome, Fish Tank, Saint John of Las Vegas, 3 Idiots, and A Town Called Panic. Larry also talks with KPCC film critic Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor, who has just returned from The Sundance Film Festival.
Guests:
Wade Major, boxoffice.com
Claudia Puig, USA Today
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Wade's Top Films of 2009
Claudia's Top Films of 2009
1. The Hurt Locker: This profound psychological exploration of the line between bravery and bravado brings to life the Iraq War in a way that no previous film has managed to do.
2. Up : One of the funniest and most whimsical animated feats from the Pixar wizards with an exceptionally heart-wrenching montage that makes brilliant use of this shorthand device.
3. Up in the Air: An up-to-the-minute satirical dark comedy that is equal parts sharp wit and honest emotion, anchored by a charismatic George Clooney and a talented ensemble cast.
4. Sin Nombre: A harrowing Spanish-language thriller about Central American immigrants en route to the United States told in stunning, naturalistic documentary style.
5. Sugar: This beautifully written and humanistic portrait of baseball players from the Dominican Republic defies the conventions of inspirational sports movies in myriad ways, including using athletes, not actors, as stars.
6. 500 Days of Summer: This endearing and innovative boy-meets-girl story invigorates the tired romantic comedy genre, defining contemporary relationships the way Annie Hall did for an older generation.
7. District 9: This unconventional, faux documentary style sci-fi adventure about aliens in South Africa artfully blends suspenseful excitement with nuanced political commentary and also proves that a great action film can succeed powerfully without a huge budget and all-star cast.
8. Inglourious Basterds: Director Quentin Tarantino’s brash re-imagining of World War II history is long on tension, violence and all-out wackiness as well as superbly acted and visually stunning throughout.
9. A Serious Man: Darkly humorous and deeply personal, this is the Coen Brothers’ most mature to date, featuring their trademark bleakly comic style and hapless anti-hero as vehicles to pose serious questions about faith, family and mortality.
10. Summer Hours: This profoundly eloquent and compassionate tale, in French with English-sub-titles, is the rare family drama not concerned with dysfunction, but with the meaning of culture and tradition in an era of globalism and alienation.
Irving Thalberg: Hollywood's producer prince
Producer Irving Thalberg was called the Boy Wonder of Hollywood. By age 20 he ran Universal Pictures, and at age 24 he co-founded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His status was so large, in fact, that F. Scott Fitzgerald used Thalberg as the inspiration for the main character in his unfinished novel The Last Tycoon. In Mark Vieira's new biography, the author profiles the legendary producer behind films including Mutiny on the Bounty, Grand Hotel, and The Good Earth, but who died of pneumonia at age 37. Larry Mantle talks with Vieira about the man who launched the careers of Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, and wife Norma Shearer.
Guest:
Mark A. Vieira, author of "Irving Thalberg: Boy Wonder to Producer Prince" (University of California Press). He is a photographer, filmmaker, and Hollywood historian.