Academy Award nominations were announced today! We'll speak with nominee, screenwriter John Ridley. Plus, we'll look at the economics behind Oscar-bait films. Then Senator Barbara Boxer discusses Congress's failure to extend unemployment benefits, California's ongoing struggle with deadly Valley Fever, and Caltech debunks some common earthquake myths. Finally, Director Wong Kar-wai talks about getting "The Grandmaster" to the big screen and much more.
Screenwriter John Ridley reacts to his Oscar nomination for '12 Years a Slave'
The film "12 Years A Slave" has been nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director.
Screenwriter John Ridley joins the show to talk about where he was and how he found out about the good news.
Interview Highlights
On the variety of films on his resume:
"It's funny, over time if you're fortunate, you build a nice career and you have these interesting moments and I would not, looking back, trade any of them - Red Tails, 12 Years a Slave and Undercover Brother. People are sometime surprised I've done different kinds of things but on a morning like this, you look back and reflect and I've been very fortunate to have a career at all."
On what this Academy Awards nomination means to him:
"It means a certainly positive peer review, that people that I have admired since I thought about getting into film or people who have just exploded onto the scene they look at what I was a part of and they think it's worth rewarding. They look at what we've done and they think it's worth rewarding and that's very special."
On adapting Solomon Northup's autobiography into a screenplay:
"For me, to have spent four years with Solomon Northup's memoir, to have this memoir that I was so unfamiliar with that I didn't know about...Four years later, months on from our release, that people know about Solomon, that people know his story and what he went through to write it and tell it, that people want to acknowledge that means a great deal to me because honestly, in that time, you can't spend time with a story and not become attached to it and beholden to it and recognize that if the words on the page are good it's because Solomon's words were great and that's very special to me."
On this year's increase of culturally diverse films in the Oscars discussion:
"When you look at the diversity of the kinds of films in general, and then the diversity within that storytelling, as much as I would have loved to have seen "Fruitvale" nominated, as much as there was so much good work within The Butler and so many places you could have nominated it, the fact that you have these outstanding films largely by and largely about people of color that have played so well. I think in some ways this may be a small victory to say "Wow, even the ones that didn't make it were quality and represented people of color."
Academy Awards: Which films were overlooked?
Early this morning, actor Chris Hemsworth presented this year's Academy Award nominees along with the president of the Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs.
"Gravity" and "American Hustle" led the pack with 10 nominations each. Here to help us sort through the rest is Rebecca Keegan, who writes about film for the Los Angeles Times.
Sen. Barbara Boxer on failure to extend unemployment benefits
Earlier this week, Congress failed to extend unemployment benefits for people who've been out of work in the long-term. The proposal on the table was to provide assistance past the usual 26 weeks that are available.
But lawmakers deadlocked in negotiations. That leaves 1.3 million people without help until Congress reconvenes later this month and resumes talks. For more, we're joined by California Senator Barbara Boxer.
California's ongoing struggle with Valley Fever
Valley Fever is a disease caught by inhaling the microscopic spores of a soil-dwelling fungus known as cocci, a fungus found buried in the desert of the Southwest from California to Texas.
Over the past 10 years, Valley Fever has increased 10-fold and an estimated 150,000 people are affected by it every year. According to infectious disease specialists, that's equal to the impact of Polio or Chicken Pox before vaccines were discovered, but there's no vaccine for Valley Fever.
Most people who show symptoms feel like they have a bad case of the flu, but for a small minority, it can be fatal. No one seems to know why it sickens some and kills others.
The New Yorker's Dana Goodyear has been researching Valley Fever. She joins the show with more.
Getting to know Philippe Vergne, MOCA's new museum director
The Museum of Contemporary Art named Philippe Vergne as its new museum director. Vergne was unanimously approved by the museum’s board. Take Two talks to Joel Wach, who was on the search committee that found MOCA's new director, to find out more about the new museum director.
Director Wong Kar-wai on getting 'The Grandmaster' to the big screen
Around this time in Los Angeles, there are three words commonly heard: For your consideration.
One of the films that almost made it to the final list of best foreign language films was the sweeping martial arts film, "The Grandmaster."
The film is inspired by the life and times of the legendary Kung Fu master, Ip Man. Most people know of Ip Man's most famous pupil, none other than Bruce Lee. Host Alex Cohen talks to the film's director, Wong Kar-wai about the movie, and what it took to get it to the big screen.
For those that wonder what it took to prepare the actors, here's a short documentary of the training the actors experienced to get ready.
State Of Affairs: Sen. Kevin de León, LA County Sheriff race and more
It's Thursday and that means it's time for State of Affairs, our look at politics and government throughout California. To help us with that we're joined in studio by KPCC political reporters Alice Walton and Frank Stoltze.
Let's start this week with a coming change in state leadership. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg announced this week that Kevin de Leon will likely be the next leader of the Senate. Does this come as a surprise?
There's long been a tradition that a politician from Southern California leads the Assembly and a politician from Northern California leads the Senate. But this would change that tradition. What's been the response?
Another change in elected office was announced this morning by Congressman Buck McKeon of Santa Clarita. After 24 years in the House, McKeon announced he won't seek reelection. What does this mean for Republican?
From one race to another, let's talk about the campaign for L.A. County sheriff for a moment. This week, Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell made a 180 and announced he would run for sheriff, despite announcing months ago that he wasn't interested. I guess it helped that Sheriff Lee Baca is stepping down?
Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake. This week L.A. city leaders commemorated that event by announcing a new push to prepare the city for the next big one. How serious is City Hall about taking what could be some really costly measures?
Finally, the 20-20 Commission led by former U.S. Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor and former jobs czar Austin Beutner released this past week that takes a critical eye toward L.A. city government. How has the City Council responded?
Earthquake readiness varies widely at 'Epicenter U'
As one of the first faculty members to arrive to at California State University, Northridge after the earthquake struck, Cynthia Rawitch saw images that became seared into memory. Firefighters trying to control a blaze in the science lab. The insides of buildings shaken until bookcases fell over, chairs tumbled.
The most unforgettable sight for Rawitch, then a journalism professor, was the concrete parking structure that had collapsed onto itself.
”Literally the steel girders were bent double," Rawitch said.
Up until that time, no other school had sustained as much damage from a natural disaster - more than $400 million. Some on campus remember its nickname after the quake - "Epicenter U." - the same name as a documentary about the event. But go onto campus these days, where many employees who lived through the quake still work, and you'll find short memories and admittedly cavalier attitudes.
Northridge Earthquake Anniversary: Debunking 8 common earthquake myths
This is one in a weeklong series of stories on KPCC leading up to Friday's 20th anniversary of the devastating 1994 Northridge Earthquake. The series will explore the quake's history, its effects and its legacy. You can view more stories on our Northridge Anniversary page. Let us know what you think on our Facebook page, on Twitter ("@" mention ) and in the comments below.
Most people living in quake country have heard the advice that standing in a doorway is the safest place to be during a temblor, but is that true? What about the image of Los Angeles breaking off and falling into the Pacific Ocean? That can't actually happen...can it?
To help explain some common misconceptions about earthquakes, we brought in Margaret Vinci, manager of Earthquake Programs at Caltech.
Popular Myths:
1. The safest place to be during an earthquake is in a doorway
Not true. This myth came about after the 7.9 Fort Tejon earthquake back in 1857 when most homes were made of adobe. In a doorway you may be thrown off your feet and hurt. Doorways now have doors on them that are going to be slamming open and shut. The minute you feel shaking, you should immediately drop to the ground before the energy throws you off your feet. You then need to crawl and get underneath something that will protect you from falling objects and hold on.
2. A large quake could cause Los Angeles to fall into the ocean
This belief comes from a misunderstanding of how faults work. We're not going to fall off into a hole. We sit on the Pacific plate and the North American plate. Where those two plates come together is our San Andreas Fault. The Pacific plate is moving in a Northwest direction, we move at about two inches a year. In a few billion years, Los Angeles will be adjacent to Oakland, but we're not going to fall off and become an island.
3. The Earth can open up and swallow homes
That's a myth in books and movies. When we have movement, it is ground that is moving across the fault, from friction that builds up from that stress. If the ground opened up, there would be no friction, there would be no earthquake. You will see indentations. A car could fall into that indentation because you will have the ground sink. It will also create landslides, you will also have uplift, so in some areas such in the recent Baja event, you had seven feet of uplift. So you might have an indentation, but you're not going to have a big hole where it pulls apart and you drop into it.
4. Animals can predict earthquakes
Some people believe that their pet acts strangely right before an earthquake. There have been studies that look into how animals react to earthquakes, but there is no proof than animals can predict them. Animals will sometimes sense things that we don't. Earthquakes start and stop, so your pet may feel a magnitude 1 or a magnitude 2 that we're not feeling that may be a pre-shock to that main shock. But they cannot predict when an earthquake will hit.
5. Scientists can predict earthquakes
There is no technology to predict earthquakes. Scientists are, however, working on an early warning system. It's a co-seismic tool. When the rupture starts, their instruments will pick up the ground motion, and an algorithm will estimate the magnitude of the earthquake based on the energy that was released from the initial rupture, it will then estimate the intensity of the shaking and how long until the damaging waves reach areas where people are. But, according to the U.S. Geological Survey: "Neither the USGS nor Caltech nor any other scientists have ever predicted a major earthquake. They do not know how, and they do not expect to know how any time in the foreseeable future."
6. Earthquakes are more likely to happen early in the morning
People tend to remember the quakes that fall into this myth. Believers of this theory think that the cooler temperatures in the morning cause the ground to contract, thus resulting in tremors. Scientists have been keeping records of earthquakes for the past 100 years, and have found that there is no correlation that earthquakes happen early in the morning.
7. Earthquakes occur during "earthquake weather"
Some people believe that dry, balmy weather is an indicator of an impeding earthquake, but scientists say earthquake weather does not exist. Earthquakes start miles down in the ground where stress is building up. It is not affected by weather at all.
8. We have strict building codes in LA, so our structures are safe
While more modern buildings have the latest anti-earthquake technology, there are several buildings in Los Angeles that were built prior to these codes. A recent investigation by the Los Angeles Times found that as many as 1,000 concrete structures, both homes and businesses, are at risk of collapsing during a major seismic event.
Safety lessons learned after Northridge:
Audio Postcard: Remembering the 1994 Northridge Earthquake
The economics of creating Oscar bait
Making a movie with Oscar appeal is risky business. The types of films that get Oscar nods don't necessarily get your typical movie-goer in to the theater.
RELATED: Academy Awards announced: 'American Hustle,' 'Gravity,' '12 Years a Slave' top nominees
They're usually serious, not fun or funny, which could mean less of a box office draw. But, then again, a movie that does get an Academy Award nomination will see a bump in ticket sales. For more on the economics of making Oscar bait, as some have coined these films, is Gabriel Rossman, associate professor of sociology at UCLA.
Decemberists singer Colin Meloy covers hits by The Kinks
Back in the early 2000s, musician Colin Meloy made a name for himself in the indie rock scene with a band called the Decemberists.
Then in 2005, Colin Meloy struck out on his own, with a cover album called "Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey."
Since then, he's followed up with other cover EPs, taking on Shirley Collins, Sam Cooke and now The Kinks. Meloy will be singing from his new recording "Colin Meloy Sings the Kinks" at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood tonight. He joins Take Two to talk about covering such famous musicians' music and more.
Forum Reopening: Former Lakers remember the Inglewood venue's glory days
The Forum in Inglewood was built back in 1967 and for over 30 years was arguably the entertainment capital of Los Angeles.
RELATED: The Forum in Inglewood reopens with the Eagles
The circular building with the iconic columns on the corner of Manchester Blvd and Prairie Ave was designed to evoke the Roman Forum and had all the dramatic flair of its Italian counterpart.
The Magic Johnson-led Lakers won championships there. Wayne Gretzky and the Kings made hockey sexy in L.A., and along with concerts ranging from Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin and Janet Jackson, the Forum was arguably the entertainment centerpiece of the city.
For many, the Forum was as much a symbol of Los Angeles as the Hollywood sign.
Since the Lakers left in 2001, the Forum hasn't been used with much consistency. Vacant at times, the Forum still hosted concerts from time to time and once was used as a church, it's glory days seemingly a thing of the past.
However today, a renovated Forum makes its comeback.
James Worthy and Byron Scott played for the Lakers during the Forum's peak years in the 1980s and are now basketball analysts for Time Warner Cable Sports. They join Take Two to talk about the legacy of this venue and offer some of their favorite memories there.
Interview Highlights:
Why was the Forum seen as such a magical place?
Byron Scott: "I think a lot of it was because of the fact that, especially in the '80's, you had showtime. We didn't have a whole lot of things in Inglewood to be extremely proud of, but the Forum was something that we were extremely proud of because it was right in my neighborhood and you had everybody from Hollywood coming to watch us play so that was a very exciting time."
What did it mean to you growing up right in its shadow?
BS: "The Lakers were my favorite team, so it meant a great deal to me because of the fact that I was able to go to a few games when I was young. To be able to watch it on TV and say, "Hey man, I've been there and I was in the arena," especially as a kid when I was in high school and wanted to be a professional basketball player. It was something that was bigger than life at that time so it was an unbelievable feeling."
What was it like for you when you showed up to the Forum for the first time?
James Worthy: "You know, Byron grew up there. He was a city guy and I was country boy. I soaked it up. I soaked up everything. Inglewood to me was a city of pride. Back in the day, I heard it was like the little mecca of Hollywood. It was just a magical, mystical city."
When did you notice that the Forum was the happening place to be at in LA?
BS: "I almost noticed that immediately. When you left the game, the fans that stuck around, if you went in the Forum Club it was almost like a night club. It was a who's who of people in there. So from the first game that I played and after the game going towards the Forum Club to go out to the parking lot to get to my car, I knew it was something special."
Did you ever hang out at the Forum Club?
JW: "Yeah, well, from time to time guys used to rush in that shower, they wanted to get up there real quickly. It was probably before we all were married and it was nice spot because that's where Dr. Buss would have his after-dinners and all his friends and it was just a nice place to go get a drink and meet friends. It was kind of the only place to go…You saw everything and there was just no bodyguards, no social media. People were just hanging out. You know, you might look up and see the biggest star in Los Angeles at the bar so it was just a really good cohesive place to hang out. No trouble. Never was any arguments, just nice harmony in there."
Favorite memories from the Forum Club?
BS: "You would go in and see other people and just be in awe that they were in there just having a drink or having dinner or just socializing, but the thing that was crazy for me is that they looked at us the way we looked to them. They were more in awe of us than we were of them. It was just an unbelievable social place. And like you said, if you weren't an A-lister, it was kind of hard to get in there, but once you was in there the people that you saw would surprise you at times."
Did you guys catch any concerts there?
JW: "I think I saw Stevie Wonder there, I think I saw Luther Vandross, Boyz II Men, somebody like that, but there were a lot of shows there so we did take advantage of that. There's also some really good boxing there. Dr. Buss used to invite us to some of those fight nights at the Forum and we would get a good kick out of that as well."
What was the night like when you won the NBA title against the Celtics in 1987?
BS: "We partied in the locker room with champagne and everybody was just having a great time. It was hours before we left to go home after we won the championship so that's probably the only time we didn't go up to the Forum [Club] and enjoy the company up there. We just stayed in our locker rooms and enjoyed our families, our friends who were there and then after that we had a party, just a Laker party."
Did you ever feel sorry when you saw the Forum abandoned?
JW: "I fell in love with Inglewood. Byron Scott used to sneak in games as kid at the Forum. You fall in love with the people, the people across the street, you might stop and get a sandwich down on Manchester, get your haircut there so those things never go away. Crenshaw never went away. You still got get your haircut, you still go to some of your favorite eateries and I was kind of sad that maybe Inglewood didn't get the football stadium or something."
Are you happy to see that the Forum is finding a second life?
BS: "I am extremely happy that it's back open, even if it's concerts, I'm sure they will start doing even more things as the year goes on. I'm happy about the retail business and the hotel business that are going up. And like you said, being a Inglewood native, it's always good to see the city starting to get back because I still look at Inglewood as the city of champion and I've always been proud to be one of Inglewood's, I don't know if it's one of their finest boys or native son or whatever, but very proud of it."
Do you have any favorite memories of concerts or sporting events at The Forum? Post them here in the comments below, on our Facebook page or tweet .