FilmWeek

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein of Variety and Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com discuss the week’s new film releases including The Bounty Hunter, Repo Men, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, The Runaways, Greenberg, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Tales From The Script, among others. Then, a look at the new documentary, Waking Sleeping Beauty.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Jean Oppenheimer and Claudia Puig of USA Today review the week’s new film releases, including Green Zone, Remember Me, She's Out of My League, Our Family Wedding, Toe to Toe, American Radical, The Art of the Steal, Children of Invention, Mother, and Brooklyn's Finest. Later, George Lucas' latest project isn't a movie- it's a 976 page book. In "Blockbusting," Lucas surveys over 100 years of moviemaking to pick 300 films that stand the test of time. Of interest to film buffs are the shooting schedules, financial figures and trivia behind the making of each movie. The production costs and box office numbers are also listed in present-day dollars to allow for insightful comparison between decades of film. What's the highest-grossing film ever made? Adjusted for inflation, it's still Gone with the Wind. Larry Mantle discusses fun facts from the book with editor Alex Ben Block.

Charles and Andy drag Larry down the rabbit hole to discuss Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Then, Larry Mantle and all the FilmWeek critics traveled to the Egyptian Theatre for our 8th annual Academy Awards preview show. Who will take home Oscar gold? Who will be disappointed? KPCC’s critics make their predictions.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com and Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor discuss the week’s new film releases including Cop Out, The Crazies, A Prophet, Defendor, Easier With Practice, Formosa Betrayed, and The Yellow Handkerchief. Then, Larry talks with Gabourey Sidibe, the Oscar-nominated star of Precious.

Larry Mantle and critics Wade Major of boxoffice.com and Claudia Puig of USA Today discuss the week’s new film releases including Shutter Island, Ghost Writer, The Girl On The Train, Ajami, The Good Guy, Happy Tears, Blood Done Sign My Name, and October Country. KPCC critic Charles Solomon of Amazon.com will also join Wade and Claudia to talk about the Oscar nominated animated and live actions shorts.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein of Variety and Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com discuss the week’s new film releases including Valentine’s Day, Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The Wolfman, North Face, Red Riding Trilogy and Terribly Happy. Larry will also discuss the Santa Barbara Film Festival that runs through this weekend. Later, do romantic films distort our ideas about love?

Larry Mantle and KPCC critics Jean Oppenheimer and Andy Klein of Brand X discuss the week’s new film releases including From Paris with Love, Dear John, District 13: Ultimatum, and Frozen. The critics will also discuss the Academy Award nominations and the “Best of British Noir Series” at the NuArt. Then, true stories from Up in the Air.

Larry and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Wade Major review the week's releases, including Edge of Darkness, When in Rome, Fish Tank and Saint John of Las Vegas. Then Peter Rainer joins us live from Utah with the latest from the Sundance Film Festival. Later, Larry talks with biographer Mark Viera about the life of Hollywood producer Irving Thalberg.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Jean Oppenheimer and Henry Sheehan discuss the week’s new film releases, including Tooth Fairy, Extraordinary Measures, To Save a Life, Drool, and Creation. Larry and the critics also discuss the Golden Globe winners, and check in with Peter Rainer from the Sundance Film Festival. With memorable roles in Bonnie and Clyde, Shampoo, Bugsy, and Bulworth, Warren Beatty is one of the most iconic figures in film. Along with Orson Welles, he is the only person to be nominated for four Academy Awards for a single film- though Beatty did it twice, earning actor, director, screenwriter, and producer nominations for Heaven Can Wait and Reds. But Beatty was just as well-known for his life off the screen, with a reputation as the biggest playboy in Hollywood. In his comprehensive biography, Peter Biskind details Beatty’s accomplishments in moviemaking as well as his captivating private life.