Today on AirTalk, we review the impeachment hearings and look ahead at what's to come with the process. Also on the show, we discuss the democratic debates; the weekend's film releases; and more.
Impeachment Hearings Are Done For Now So What Comes Next?
President Donald Trump says he does not expect to be impeached, claiming Democrats have “absolutely nothing” incriminating, despite days of public testimony by witnesses who said Trump withheld aid from Ukraine to press the country to investigate his political rivals.
Trump told “Fox & Friends” on Friday, “I think it’s very hard to impeach you when they have absolutely nothing." Trump said if the House did vote to impeach him, he would welcome a trial in the Senate. Witnesses including State Department officials, current and former U.S. ambassadors and a former White House Russia analyst provided evidence in the House impeachment public hearings. Testimony indicated Trump explicitly ordered U.S. government officials to work with his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on matters related to Ukraine, a country deeply dependent on Washington’s help to fend off Russian aggression. But Trump says he was only holding back aid to root out corruption in Ukraine.
Today on AirTalk, we do an in-depth recap of the week’s hearings and discuss what comes next in the process.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Jennifer Haberkorn, congressional reporter for the LA Times who is reporting from Washington D.C.; she tweets at
Jeffrey Engel, Director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and one of the co-authors of Impeachment: An American History (Random House, 2018); he tweets
Barbara McQuade, professor of law at the University of Michigan and former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan (2010-2017); she tweets
David Rivkin, partner at the law firm BakerHostetler; he has previously held positions at the Department of Justice, in the Office of White House Counsel and elsewhere in the federal government; he tweets
Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush
Ana Kasparian, host and executive producer of The Young Turks; she tweets
Fifth Democratic Presidential Debate: Recap And Analysis
Democratic presidential candidates clashed in a debate over the future of health care in America, racial inequality and their ability to build a winning coalition to take on President Donald Trump next year.
The Wednesday night faceoff came after hours of testimony in the impeachment inquiry of Trump and at a critical juncture in the Democratic race to run against him in 2020. With less than three months before the first voting contests, big questions hang over the front-runners, time is running out for lower tier candidates to make their move and new Democrats are launching improbable last-minute bids for the nomination.
We recap last night’s events and think about what it portends for the candidates. Plus, if last night’s debate swayed your opinion about any of the candidates, let us know in the comments or call us at 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Sean T. Walsh, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush
Ana Kasparian, host and executive producer of The Young Turks; she tweets
FilmWeek: ‘Frozen 2, ‘A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood,’ ‘Knives Out’ And More
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Wade Major and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
- "Frozen II" in wide release
- "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" in wide release
- "Knives Out" in select theaters (check local listings)
- "Dark Waters" at ArcLight Hollywood & The Landmark
- The Frame's John Horn spoke with "Dark Waters" star Mark Ruffalo earlier this week. You can listen to their interview here.
- "21 Bridges" in wide release
- "Citizen K" at Laemmle’s Royal
- "When Lambs Become Lions" at Lammle’s Monica Film Center
- "Retablo" at Arena Cinelounge Hollywood
- "Never Surrender: A ‘Galaxy Quest’ Documentary" in select theaters Nov. 26
Critics' Hits:
Wade: "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" & "Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary"
Lael: "Dark Waters" & "Retablo"
Mixed Feelings:
Charles: "Citizen K"
Wade: "21 Bridges" & "When Lambs Become Lions"
Lael: "Knives Out"
Misses:
Wade: "Frozen II"
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
All In Good Fun: The Best (And Worst) Spoof Movies
While we typically measure a film’s cultural relevance by its accolades and box office numbers, there is another, more informal consideration: the quality of its spoofs.
The best spoofs tend to key into a beloved film’s charm and mock it from the inside out, without resorting to bad-faith humor. Movies that have done so successfully have gone on to become well-known franchises in their own right. James Bond has been satirized in countless parodies, from “Austin Powers” to “Johnny English.” “Scary Movie” took classic horror films like “The Grudge” and “The Shining” and made their most terrifying moments disarmingly humorous, a strategy that was so successful it spawned four follow-up movies.
Occasionally a spoof becomes its own punchline, as was the case when Dean Parisot’s Star Trek parody “Galaxy Quest” flopped upon release in 1999. But in the years since, the film has gone on to draw a cult-like following among fans. Its influence is now the subject of the new documentary, “Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary.”
For a list of theaters where "Never Surrender" is playing, click here.
This week on FilmWeek, we discuss the makings of a great spoof. What makes a successful parody? What are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments or call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine