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FilmWeek

FilmWeek: ‘Coco,’ Darkest Hour,’ The Man Who Invented Christmas,’ and more

Christopher Plummer (center, left) stars as Ebenezer Scrooge and Dan Stevens (center, right) stars as Charles Dickens in director Bharat Nalluri’s THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS, a Bleecker Street release.
Credit: Kerry Brown / Bleecker Street
Christopher Plummer (center, left) stars as Ebenezer Scrooge and Dan Stevens (center, right) stars as Charles Dickens in director Bharat Nalluri’s THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS, a Bleecker Street release. Credit: Kerry Brown / Bleecker Street
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Kerry Brown
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Listen 49:53
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.

FilmWeek: ‘Coco,’ Darkest Hour,’ The Man Who Invented Christmas,’ and more

Listen 39:03
FilmWeek: ‘Coco,’ Darkest Hour,’ The Man Who Invented Christmas,’ and more

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.

Critics' Hits

Amy: "Thelma"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgQMHG9SGlU

Charles: "Coco"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNCz4mQzfEI

Peter: "1945"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWm0uu_zun8

Mixed

Amy: "Darkest Hour"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pNOCzV5jG0

Peter: "Call Me By Your Name"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9AYPxH5NTM

Misses

Amy: "Porto"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIVBl-v0TSk

Charles & Peter: "The Man Who Invented Christmas"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxcnYR3mcPU&t=10s

Guests:

Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and host of The Canon podcast; she tweets

Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor

Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine

Composer Michael Giacchino raises the dead with his original score for ‘Coco’

Listen 8:58
Composer Michael Giacchino raises the dead with his original score for ‘Coco’

Though Pixar’s “Coco” takes viewers on a grand adventure through the afterlife, there’s plenty of heartbeat in the film, much of which comes from composer Michael Giacchino’s sincere, ranchera-driven score.

Songs like “Día de los Muertos Suite” and “A Blessing and a Fessing” parallel the expansiveness of the film’s storyline, and combine elements of acoustic guitars and traditional horns to create a Mexican folk atmosphere without being kitschy.

Larry speaks with Giacchino on how he got involved in the project and his process for creating the score, while also discussing the composer’s collaboration with director Adrian Molina and other musicians when creating the film’s distinct sound.

Guest:

Michael Giacchino , Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning composer for many films and television series, including the new Pixar film, “Coco”