Today on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also remember John Singleton’s career as a filmmaker and the impact that his work and life had on Hollywood and the millions who loved his work.
FilmWeek: ‘Long Shot,’ ‘UglyDolls,’ ‘The Intruder,’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
- " Long Shot " in wide release
- " UglyDolls " in wide release
- " The Intruder " in wide release
- “ Ask Dr. Ruth ” at the Laemmle’s Royal, Playhouse, Town Center, Claremont & Glendale
- “ Meeting Gorbachev ” at the Nuart Theater
- “ Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile ” at the Vintage Los Feliz and streaming on Netflix
- “ At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal ” at Laemmle’s Playhouse and HBO On Demand
- “ Bolden ” at Laemmle’s Monica Film Center, Playhouse, Town Center, Claremont, NoHo & Glendale
CRITICS' HITS
Lael: 'Long Shot,' 'At The Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal' & 'Foster'
Tim: 'Meeting Gorbachev'
Charles: 'Ask Dr. Ruth'
MIXED FEELINGS
Tim: 'The Intruder,' 'Bolden' & 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'
MISSES
Charles: 'UglyDolls'
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com ; he tweets
Lael Loewenstein , KPCC film critic; she tweets
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
‘Boyz n the Hood’ director John Singleton, first African-American nominated for a directing Oscar, passes away at 51
Director John Singleton passed away on Monday after his family removed him from life support following a stroke that he suffered in mid-April.
The 51-year-old was the first African-American to earn an Oscar nomination for best director, which he received in 1991 for his film “Boyz n the Hood.” At age 24, he was also the youngest to ever earn an Oscar nomination for directing.
Singleton grew up in South-Central Los Angeles and attended film school at USC, where he parlayed his student thesis into the screenplay that would eventually become “Boyz n the Hood.” Singleton also directed the 1993 film “Poetic Justice, the 2000 remake of “Shaft” starring Samuel L. Jackson, and the second installment of the Fast and Furious series “2 Fast 2 Furious.” He had originally signed on to direct the Tupac Shakur biopic “All Eyez on Me,” but ended up leaving the project due to creative differences. Singleton was also a champion for black filmmakers, and spoke publicly about the need for more inclusion of directors of color.
Today on AirTalk, we remember John Singleton’s career as a filmmaker and the impact that his work and life had on Hollywood and the millions who loved his work.
Guests:
Tim Cogshell , film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com ; he tweets
Craig Brewer , director of “Hustle & Flow” and “Black Snake Moan”; both films were produced by Singleton; he tweets
Steve Nicolaides , film producer and longtime friend of John Singleton; he produced several of Singleton’s films, including “Boyz N the Hood,” “Poetic Justice,” and “Shaft”