Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Justin Chang review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also check in with the American Film Institute Festival's director Jacqueline Lyanga on this year's buzz movies as well as a new global spotlight award they will be introducing.
FilmWeek: ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ ‘Bad Moms Christmas,’ ‘Last Flag Flying’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Justin Chang review this weekend’s new movie releases.
- " Thor: Ragnarok " in wide release
- "
A Bad Moms Christmas
" in wide release
- Morning Edition host Alex Cohen interviewed actress Kathryn Hahn, which you can listen to here
- "
Lady Bird
" at ArcLight Hollywood & The Landmark
- The film's director, Greta Gerwig, spoke to KPCC's The Frame this week
- "
Last Flag Flying
" at The Landmark
- KPCC film critic Claudia Puig will be monitoring a Q&A with the film's director Richard Linklater and actor Laurence Fishburne on Friday, Nov. 3 at the ArcLight Hollywood . She will also host a Q&A with Linklater at The Landmark on Saturday, Nov. 4.
- " BPM " at Laemmle's Royal & AMC Dine-In Sunset
- " 11/8/16 " at Laemmle's NoHo
- " LBJ " at AMC Atlantic Times Square, AMC Del Amo & ArcLight Sherman Oaks
- " Most Beautiful Island " at Lemmle's Music Hall
Critics' Hits
Claudia: "Lady Bird" & "Last Flag Flying"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNi_HC839Wo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmS4lTZ34uk
Justin: "BPM (Beats Per Minute)" & "Most Beautiful Island"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fhO2A4SL24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urnl7GfsWLY
Mixed Feelings
Claudia: "11/8/16" & "LBJ"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh6LwsfWV-g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrnEp8WLH0g
Justin: "Thor: Ragnarok"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue80QwXMRHg
Misses
Claudia: "A Bad Moms Christmas"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFfxsrFDkHE
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
AFI Fest director on what to watch for in this year’s lineup
The American Film Institute’s AFI Fest comes back to Los Angeles next weekend with a slate of fresh films to be on the lookout for as we head into 2018.
The festival kicks off on Friday, November 9th with a screening of the Netflix film ‘Mudbound,’ directed and co-written by Dee Rees and starring Carey Mulligan and Jason Clarke. It takes place in the American South during World War II and follows two families who work the same plot of Mississippi Delta land but are separated by social hierarchy. Another highly-anticipated film is ‘Molly’s Game,’starring Jessica Chastain Idris Elba in the true story of former Olympic skier Molly Bloom, who ran high-stakes poker games for a decade before she was arrested. Director Guillermo del Toro also makes an appearance this year with his film ‘The Shape of Water,’ starring Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer. Rounding out the festival’s closing day will be ‘All The Money In The World,’ from director Ridley Scott. This adaptation of a true story stars Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams in the story of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, scion of the Getty oil dynasty.
AFI Fest is also introducing a new annual feature where they’ll spotlight a filmmaker of global significance, and Robert Altman will get the inaugural honors this year with discussion and screenings of twelve of his films. There will also be a Storytelling Bootcamp offered to high school students and teachers in partnership with LAUSD.
As she enters her seventh year heading up the festival, we’ll talk with AFI Fest director Jacqueline Lyanga about the other films on the docket this year.
Tickets to screenings at AFI Fest are free. You can find them here .
Guest:
Jacqueline Lyanga, festival director of the American Film Institute Festival (AFI Fest); she tweets