FilmWeek

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major of boxoffice.com and Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media review the week’s new releases including Inglourious Basterds, Shorts, My One and Only, X-Games 3D:The Movie, Post Grad, Beeswax, Earth Days, and Gotta Dance. Plus, the films and career of director Quentin Tarantino. From Reservoir Dogs to Pulp Fiction to Kill Bill and beyond, what do you think of the films of Quentin Tarantino? What do you like best or least? Violence? Dialogue? Characters?

On Filmweek, Larry Mantle and critics Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com, Lael Loewenstein of Variety and Charles Solomon of amazon.com discuss the week’s new releases including District 9, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, Ponyo, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Spread, Bandslam, It Might Get Loud, Flame&Citron, and Grace, among others. They also discuss which films should NOT be re-made. Steven Spielberg announced he will be re-making the classic Jimmy Stewart film, “Harvey.” WHAT? WHY? Larry asks our KPCC film critics and listeners, “What films are fine just the way they are and should NEVER be re-made?”

Larry Mantle and film critics Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor and Andy Klein of Brand X discuss the week’s new film releases including G.I. Joe, Rise of the Cobra, Julie & Julia, Cold Souls, Paper Heart, Fragments, and A Woman in Berlin, among others. Then, Larry Mantle and critics Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor and Andy Klein of Brand X discuss the deaths of screenwriter Bud Schulberg and writer/director John Hughes, and take calls from listeners.

Larry Mantle and critics Claudia Puig of USA Today and Lael Loewenstein of Variety discuss the week’s new film releases, including Adam, Funny People, Thirst, The Cove, Local Color, and The English Surgeon, among others. Also, visionary filmmaker Werner Herzog kept a diary during the making of his epic film "Fitzcarraldo." The lavish 1982 film told the story of a would-be-rubber baron who pulls a steamship over a hill in order to access rich rubber territory. The film won the Outstanding Director Prize at 1982's Cannes Film Festival. Shot in the Amazon, Herzog later spoke of the difficulties in producing the film. "Conquest of the Useless: Reflections from the Making of Fitzcarraldo" (Ecco, 2009) is Herzog's diary that he kept during the film. From weather conditions, language barriers to casting troubles Werner Herzog joins Larry to talk about one of his greatest achievements.

Larry Mantle and critics Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media and Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com discuss the week’s new releases including The Ugly Truth, G-Force, Orphan, Shrink, The Answer Man, Humpday, In The Loop, American Cowslip, Yoo-Hoo Mrs. Goldberg, and Afghan Star.

Larry Mantle and critics Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor and Wade Major of boxoffice.com discuss the week’s new film releases including Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, (500) Days of Summer, Tony Manero, Death In Love, Homecoming, The Poker House, Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America, and The Queen and I.

Larry Mantle talks with KPCC film critics Claudia Puig of USA Today and Andy Klein of Brand X about the week’s new film releases including Bruno, I Love You Beth Cooper, Blood: The Last Vampire, Weather Girl, Soul Power, An Unlikely Weapon, and Herb and Dorothy.

Larry Mantle and film critics Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com, Wade Major of boxoffice.com, and Charles Solomon, animation critic and historian for amazon.com discuss the week’s new releases including Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs, Public Enemies, The Girl From Monaco, The Beaches of Agnes, Youssou N'dour: I Bring What I Love, I Hate Valentine’s Day, Betty Blue and Kambakkht Ishq. Larry will also talk about the death of Karl Malden. In addition, 20 golden years of the Disney master classes. For the first time ever, the complete series of lectures by legendary animator Walt Stanchfield have been compiled and published in a two-volume set. For over twenty years, Stanchfield breathed life into the new golden age of animation with these teachings at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and influenced such talented artists as Tim Burton, Brad Bird, Glen Keane, and John Lasseter. Don Hahn, who edited and compiled the series, and Charles Solomon, animation critic and historian, join Larry Mantle to talk the collected teachings of animator Walt Stanchfield.

David Lazarus talks with Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media and Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor about this week's new releases, including Transformers, My Sister’s Keeper, Cheri, The Hurt Locker, The Stoning of Soraya M, Surveillance, Life is Hot In Cracktown, Dead Snow and Under Our Skin. In addition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has chosen to expand the Oscar category for Best Picture from five to 10 films. David discusses the decision with film critics Jean Oppenheimer and Peter Rainer.

Larry Mantle talks with KPCC film critics about the week’s new film openings including "Year One," "The Proposal," "Whatever Works," "Irene In Time," "The Narrows," "Sex Positive," "$9.99" and "The End of the Line."