Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Justin Chang review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also sit down with film critic and historian David Thomson to hear how the Warner brothers started a studio that reshaped ideas of what it meant to be Jewish, an immigrant and an American.
FilmWeek: ‘Logan Lucky,’ ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Justin Chang review this weekend’s new movie releases including:
- " Logan Lucky " in wide release
- " The Hitman's Bodyguard " in wide release
- " Marjorie Prime " at Laemmle's Monica Film Center and Laemmle's Playhouse
- " Patti Cake$ " at ArcLight Hollywood and The Landmark
- " Gook " at ArcLight Hollywood and Regal Cinemas L.A. Live
- '" Lemon " at Nuart Theatre
- " Whitney: Can I Be Me? " at Laemmle's Music Hall
- " The Fencer " at Laemmle's Playhouse and Laemmle's Royal Theatre
Critics' Hits
- Justin: "Logan Lucky" & "Patti Cake$"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPzvKH8AVf0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-591Dqa48g
- Claudia: "Marjorie Prime" & "Gook"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SccmZSOW3OA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Duh20o-qWs
Mixed Feelings
- Justin: "Lemon"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_WE2vue4c
- Claudia: "Logan Lucky"
Misses!
- Justin & Claudia: "The Hitman's Bodyguard"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpKmt4MpctM
Guests:
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; she tweets
Justin Chang , film critic for KPCC and the Los Angeles Times; he tweets
How four immigrant brothers created an American film empire
The studio behind the “Harry Potter” film franchise, Heath Ledger’s award-winning turn as the Joker and now feminist box office hit “Wonder Woman” didn’t always have a promising future.
Founded in the early twentieth century by four Jewish immigrants, Warner Bros. got off to a shaky start before making history with groundbreaking films like “The Jazz Singer” and “Casablanca.”
In his new book “Warner Bros: The Making of an American Movie Studio,” film critic David Thomson reveals how the Warners’ roots led them to create a film empire that reshaped ideas of what it meant to be Jewish, an immigrant and an American.
FilmWeek sits down with Thomson to hear about the rise of Warner Bros. through the four very different brothers behind the scenes, their most notable films, and the producers, directors and stars who made them.
Guest:
David Thomson, film critic, historian and author; his most recent book is “ Warner Bros: The Making of an American Movie Studio ”