FilmWeek

Five-time Academy Award winner, Francis Ford Coppola, joins Larry to talk about his career. Coppola's new film, Youth Without Youth, marks his return to creating personally meaningful films, on a modest budget, far from Hollywood.

This new documentary tells the little-known story of how hundreds of thousands of Estonians sang forbidden patriotic songs in public to rally for independence. Larry talks with Jim Tusty, co-director of The Singing Revolution, and Mart Laar, member of the Estonian Parliament, about how this nonviolent revolution helped topple an empire.

From 1934 to 1954 a former journalist and public relations agent ran the Hollywood office that censored the films shown in movie theatres across America. Joseph I. Breen reigned over the Production Code Administration and was one of the most powerful men in the motion picture industry. Larry talks with cultural historian and author, Thomas Doherty, about his new book, Hollywood's Censor (Columbia University Press), which tells the story of Breen's ascent to power and the widespread effects of his reign.

Reviews of this week's new releases, including "Enchanted"; "August Rush"; "I'm Not There"; "Margot At the Wedding"; "Stephen King's The Mist"; "Starting Out in the Evening"; "Holly"; "What Would Jesus Buy?"; "Everything's Cool: A Toxic Comedy About Global Warming"; and the re-release of two short films, "The Red Balloon" and "White Mane". The critics also share their film gift lists for this holiday season.

Disney's latest film, Enchanted, gives a new meaning to "cross-cultural" when characters from the animated fairy tale world arrive in present day New York City. Larry talks with Kevin Lima, director of Enchanted, about the challenges of simultaneous filmmaking in two genres.

Eric Lax has been talking with Woody Allen for years. Since 1971 Allen has given the writer complete access to his film sets and editing rooms, as well as his thoughts and observations. Allen has talked with Lax about every facet of his own filmmaking as well as the work of directors he admires. Larry talks with Lax about his new book, Conversations With Woody Allen, which reveal Allen's artistic development from comedian to world-acclaimed filmmaker.

The documentary, Darfur Now, is a call to action for people to end the crisis in Darfur. It focuses on six individuals who struggle to bring attention to the situation in Darfur and the need to get involved. Larry talks with Ted Braun, the film's director, Adam Sterling, an L.A. activist featured in the documentary, and Rabbi Gary Greenebaum, one of the film's Executive Producers.

The 21st AFI FEST will be held in Los Angeles from November 1st through 11th. It features international competitions of new films from emerging filmmakers, the latest works from great film masters, and premieres. Larry talks with the festival's Artistic Director, Rose Kuo, as well as festival programmer Shaz Bennett.

Every day people walk by something that is a direct result of Richard Pimentel's efforts: wheel chair ramps, parking spaces for the disabled, handicapped bathroom stalls, etc. Pimentel is a deaf Vietnam veteran who pioneered training people in how to work with the disabled, which eventually led to what is known today as the Americans with Disabilities Act. A new film, Music Within, covers Pimentel's difficult battle for acceptance and equal rights for the disabled community. The film documents his own experience going to jail for being out in public with his best friend Art Honneyman, who was wheelchair-bound, violating "Ugly Laws," ordinances that were in effect as late as the 1990's that punished the disabled community. Those laws have since been recanted thanks to Pimentel's efforts. Larry talks with Pimentel and the film's director, Steven Sawalich.

Larry and critics Andy Klein of CityBeat and Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media discuss the week's new releases including the feature films Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Sleuth, We Own the Night, Lars and the Real Girl, Berkeley, The Final Season, Summer '04, and the documentaries For the Bible Tells Me So, Lake of Fire, and Terror's Advocate.