Today on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also discuss our favorite, and least favorite, American remakes of foreign films.
FilmWeek: ‘Alita: Battle Angel,’ ‘Isn’t It Romantic,’ ‘Happy Death Day 2U’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
- " Alita: Battle Angel " in wide release
- " Isn't It Romantic " in wide release
- " Happy Death Day 2U " in wide release
- " Fighting with My Family " at the ArcLight Hollywood & AMC Century City
- " Lords of Chaos " at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theater
- "
Birds of Passage
" at Laemmle's Royal Theater
- The Frame's John Horn interviewed the directors of Birds of Passage earlier this week. You can listen to that interview here
- " Mirai " at Lemmle's Glendale & Laemmle's Monica Film Center (IN SELECT THEATERS STARTING MONDAY, MARCH 18)
- " The Image Book " at the American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre
- " The Breaker Uppers " streaming on Netflix
- " A Tuba to Cuba " at Laemmle's Glendale
CRITICS' HITS
Amy: 'Isn't It Romantic, 'Lords of Chaos' & 'The Breaker Upperers'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqJ-hfOb9Cc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7zrHiqoJ6k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKAjnXG3m4A
Peter: 'Fighting with My Family'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqF3VTv0cqU
Charles: 'Mirai' & 'A Tuba to Cuba'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d-lsJZgmJs&t=
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmUenpdDbNc
MIXED FEELINGS
Amy: 'Happy Death Day 2U' & 'Birds of Passage'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeXqWDFJZiw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV0uWf72ZQw
Peter: 'Alita: Battle Angel' & 'The Image Book'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3D2vmWD88w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAXMVkV3idE
Guests:
Amy Nicholson , film critic for KPCC, film writer for The Guardian and host of the podcasts ‘ The Canon ’ and ‘ Unspooled ’; she tweets
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
American remakes of foreign films: the good, the bad and the ugly
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But when it comes Hollywood remakes of foreign films, this isn't always the case.
Whether it’s jokes lost in translation, a complete shift in genre, or cultural nuances changed in the writing process Hollywood doesn't have the best track record with remakes. Movies such as Scarlett Johansson’s Ghost in the Shell , Josh Brolin’s Oldboy , 2004’s Taxi with Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah, Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla , and last but not least Nicolas Cage’s The Wicker Man , come to mind as some of the worst offenders.
However, despite these films, Hollywood does manage to have a good remake from time to time. One of the earliest Hollywood films to set itself apart from the original foreign film is 1960’s The Magnificent Seven starring Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen (which itself was remade in 2016 starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt).Other notable examples include Clint Eastwood’s A Fistful of Dollars , Robin Williams’ The Birdcage , the horror remake The Ring and Martin Scorsese’s The Departed
Which are your favorite or least favorite American remakes of foreign films? What do you think makes a good one versus a bad one? Do you think Hollywood should leave foreign films alone? Are there any foreign films you’d like to see given an American remake? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Amy Nicholson , film critic for KPCC, film writer for The Guardian and host of the podcasts ‘ The Canon ’ and ‘ Unspooled ’; she tweets
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine