FilmWeek

After months of negotiations, the president of the teachers union has rejected the latest offer from the Los Angeles Unified School District and has scheduled a strike authorization vote for mid-February. * A.J. Duffy, President, United Teachers of Los Angeles * Kevin Reed, Chief Legal Counsel, LAUSD

AirTalk broadcasts from the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Larry's guests include Anthony Hopkins, Steve Buscemi, Sarah Polley and Jessica Yu, among other filmmakers.

Larry Mantle and critics Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com, and Jean Oppenheimer of New Times, discuss this week's new releases, including Alpha Dog, Stomp the Yard, God Grew Tired of Us, Black Gold and Romantico.

Larry Mantle and critics Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic for CityBeat and Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com, discuss this week's new releases, including Freedom Writers, Code Name: The Cleaner, Happily N'Ever After, and Absolute Wilson.

Larry Mantle and critics Jean Oppenheimer of New Times, Andy Klein of CityBeat, and Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com, discuss this week's new releases, including Notes on a Scandal, Pan's Labyrinth, Miss Potter, Arthur and the Invisibles, The Dead Girl, Factory Girl, Perfume, The Tiger and the Snow, and Rules of the Game.

Larry Mantle and critics Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com, Jean Oppenheimer of New Times, and Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic for CityBeat, discuss this week's new releases, including Letters From Iwo Jima, The Good Shepherd, The Painted Veil, Rocky Balboa, We Are Marshall, Venus, Children of Men, Curse of the Golden Flower, The Secret Life of Words, Family Law, and Two or Three Things I Know About Her.

Larry Mantle and critics Jean Oppenheimer of New Times, Lael Loewenstein of Variety, and Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic for CityBeat, discuss this week's new releases, including Dreamgirls, The Good German, The Pursuit of Happyness, Charlotte's Web, Inland Empire, Eragon, Breaking & Entering, Home of the Brave, and Wondrous Oblivion. Larry and the critics also discuss the recent award announcements from the Los Angeles Film Critics, New York Film Critics Circle, American Film Institute, and The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.

The first full biography of Colin Powell, Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell (Random House), traces his origins as the son of Jamaican immigrants to soldier-statesmen icon serving under four administrations to tarnished American hero. Author Karen DeYoung covers his rise to fame during the Gulf War and the last minute decision not to run for President in 1995. The book captures new information on the inner workings of the Bush White House and the internal ideological struggle between Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld over various issues such as the Iraq War, and the events surrounding his infamous UN Security Council speech. * Karen DeYoung, associate editor of the Washington Post and author, Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell (Random House)

Larry Mantle and critics Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor and Scott Foundas, film editor for the L.A. Weekly discuss this week's new releases, including Apocalypto, Blood Diamond, The Holiday, Off the Black, Unaccompanied Minors, and Days of Glory.

A report detailing the effects of U.S. involvement in Iraq will be released tomorrow morning, complete with policy suggestions and advice for the current administration. According to the facilitators of the group, the United States Institute for Peace, the report will focus on topics such as security and strategic environment in Iraq and the region, political developments following the elections and formation of the new government, as well as the Iraqi economy and reconstruction. The report will be made available to the public on December 6, at 8:00 AM PST, but Patt Morrison takes an early look. * Doyle McManus, Washington Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times * Wayne White, a former Deputy Director of the State Department's Middle East Intelligence Office. He is also adjunct scholar with the Middle East Institute in Washington D.C.