Today, we'll take a look at highlights from the Academy Awards with Rebecca Keegan, entertainment reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Plus, we'll examine how close this year's Oscar predictions really were. We’ll also talk about the announcement to incorporate "12 Years a Slave" as part of the curriculum for high schools around the country. And how libraries are celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday. Finally, we'll end the show with Yelp's list of the top 100 restaurants in the country followed by an inside look at the real life superhero movement, "Heroes in the Night.”
On the Lot: '12 Years a Slave', 'Gravity,' more
Today: A visit to LA's Creole corridor where true Mardi Gras traditions are alive and well. Plus, "Twelve Years a Slave" wins best picture and a part in public school curriculum around the country.
In a few minutes, we're going to be talking with a Microsoft statistician who's been using data to predict winners.
"12 Years a Slave" and "Gravity" dominated and divided the night. Did that make this maybe a less interesting night than other Oscars?
Rebecca Keegan writes about film for the Los Angeles Times. She joins us now on the show.
Just how accurate were big data's Oscar predictions?
Last week we talked to an Oscar predictor who had some pretty highfalutin ideas about who was going to win this year. That wasn't because he'd seen all the movies—he'd actually only seen two— but because he had big data on his side.
David Rothschild is a researcher for Microsoft who makes prediction about elections, sports, and the Oscars on his website, www.predictwise.com
Last week we learned about how he makes those predictions and this morning, we thought we'd check in to see just how accurate he was.
'12 Years a Slave' moves from the big screen to classrooms
The now three-time Academy-Award winning film, "12 Years a Slave" will be making its way into classrooms nationwide in the fall. The film, along with Solomon Northup's 1853 memoir, will be integrated into high school curriculums in state-run districts across the country.
Tom Gentzel, executive director of the National School Boards Association, joins us to talk about bringing the film into schools.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Why are you doing this?
"Well, I think it's an incredibly important story and also an important topic that's important for school districts to be aware of. I do wanted to say that we're not directly putting this into any school district's curriculum. What we're trying to do is make it available as an option that each district can decide for themselves whether they want to use it, how they want to use it, but I think it's just an amazing opportunity for them and we're really proud to be able to make that possible."
How did it come about?
"Our association NSBA is conducting a campaign to promote public education in the country and one of the folks that we have been working with is Montel Williams, who has agreed to be a celebrity spokesperson for our campaign. Montel's company is involved in the distribution of this film and so in our conversations with him this opportunity came up. He presented it and we were happy to work with him on this as well as on our campaign."
How will the film be used?
"Well, I think there are probably a number of places that schools may choose to use this and I would first really like to emphasize that the agreement that we with Fox Searchlight and the other related parties is that an adapted version of this movie would be made available. It would be edited to be appropriate for high school audiences."
What does that entail?
"It's looking at some scenes that are fairly graphic or potentially violent. I think Steve McQueen and others who were involved in this were most concerned about was the story and the implications of this story, the sharing and discuss in high school classrooms and that there not be a needless controversy over some of the more graphic content."
What's different about teaching slavery through this film?
"One of the remarkable things that I think has happened in public education over the last couple of years thanks to school districts becoming wired and connected with the internet and so on, is created a fairly broaden range of materials that school districts can draw on. They're not just limited to textbooks in the traditional sense and so I think it's kind of been keeping with that. I think a lot of districts and teachers and administrators look for unique opportunities to teach important subject matter and I think this is just the latest in that way of looking how to bring material to students that is relevant and timely. Certainly the fact that this movie collected some Academy Awards makes it an even more significant offering, but it would have been in any event because I think it's an important topic. "
Mardi Gras and a slice of traditional Creole food at Harold & Belle's
If you're looking for a taste of Louisiana in Los Angeles, you can't do much better than Harold & Belle's in South Los Angeles.
The owners hail from New Orleans — and the restaurant has been serving traditional Creole food for three generations.
"My grandparents started this in 1969 as kind of a hang out for the community for, you know, their friends and family that were out here from Louisiana," said manager Ryan Legaux.
Harold & Belle's sits in what was once the center of a large and thriving Creole community. Though there's no official census data, estimates show that Los Angeles has the highest number of Creoles outside New Orleans.
The restaurant serves about 12 thousand bowls of gumbo every year — a dish filled with sausage, chicken, crab, ham and shrimp — but in light of Mardi Gras this Tuesday, it'll also be serving two-for-one Hurricanes. Because we all know: the most popular dish on Mardi Gras is the drink.
For more on Fat Tuesday in South Los Angeles, listen to the attached audio where KPCC's Meghan McCarty sought out Angelenos who are keeping Creole traditions alive.
Andrew Thierry: Keeping Zydeco alive in the Bay Area
New Orleans is gearing up for this week's Fat Tuesday celebration with its distinctive soundtrack of Zydeco music.
But Northern California has its own Zydeco scene—the merging of Cajun, blues, and R&B. It dates back to World War II and the Creole migrants who came to work in the shipyards and to find other economic opportunities.
KQED's Rachel Dornhelm met up with a Bay Area musician, one of the few Zydeco ambassadors outside Louisiana at the top of the art form.
Read the California Report's full story here.
Odd Hollywood Jobs: Creature Creator
With the popularity of computer generated effects in the movies these days, you'd think that hand made props would have gone the way of the floppy disk, but that's not the case.
In our most recent installment of Hollywood Jobs, we talk to talk to creature creator Ben Bayouth who regularly sculpts, molds and makes really cool props by hand for movies like Superman: Man of Steel and for TV shows like Grimm and Robot Chicken.
Celebrating Dr. Seuss's triumphs: What’s your favorite read?
From "Green Eggs and Ham" to "Horton Hears A Who," he wrote 46 books. Don't believe me? It's true!
Yesterday at the Los Angeles Public Library, poems and stories celebrated Dr. Seuss's triumphs and glories. And for more, Mara Alpert joins us on the line.
Eli Broad appoints head of philanthropic education efforts
Philanthropist Eli Broad has donated billions of dollars over the years, and a nice chunk of it has gone to public education.
Now 80 years old, Broad says its time to groom a replacement to run his foundation and he's hired a high profile operative from Washington, D.C., to do the job.
KPCC's Adolfo Guzman-Lopez has the story.
Ron Calderon announces leave from California state Senate
Last night, state Senator Ron Calderon announced that he's taking a leave of absence.
The Democrat from Montebello faces federal corruption charges alleging he took kickbacks while in office and is currently awaiting trial.
Here with more on what this leave of absence means for Sacramento, is KPCC's political reporter, Frank Stoltze.
Mexico faces test in regulating powerful telecom industry
In Mexico, change could soon be coming to the telecoms and television industry – long dominated by just a handful of powerful players, including multi-billionaire Carlos Slim. The result could be a shift not just for the companies but for tens of millions of consumers throughout the country.
For more, we’re joined by Henry Tricks, bureau chief in Mexico for The Economist.
Some tech interns earn $5k+ a month
Being an intern can be grueling, thankless work.
Getting coffee, making copies, no one remembering your name—all for the sliver of hope that there might be a job offer in the end.
If you're lucky during this time, you might get a stipend or a small wage.
If you're really lucky, you're an intern in Silicon Valley where, at the country's top tech firms, you could pull an average of $5,000 or more a month.
GlassDoor is a jobs site that just posted a list of where in the country the top paying internships are, and 18 of the top 25 are in tech.
Scott Dobroski, GlassDoor's spokesperson and community expert, explains to Take Two why it's so lucrative.
Put away your wallet for Yelp's best restaurants
Lists of the nation's top restaurants usually include the likes of The French Laundry in Napa, Alinea in Chicago, or Per Se in New York.
These are Michelin-starred places where a meal can set you back by hundreds per person. But sometimes you don't need to break the bank to eat the very best.
Yelp just compiled its list of the country's top 100 restaurants by averaging out reader-submitted reviews.
The very best in Southern California is an institution in Burbank at the busy corner of Magnolia Boulevard and North Hollywood Way -- Porto's Bakery.
Meanwhile, the nation's top place is tucked away in a condo complex in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii: Da Poke Shack, a humble seafood joint with just two tables AND bragging rights that it's number one.
Betty Porto of Porto's Bakery and Albert Vasconcelles, owner of Da Poke Shack, join Take Two to explain why their places are beloved online.
What else in the LA-area is on Yelp's list:
- 17. Ricky’s Fish Tacos, Los Angeles, CA
- 46. El Chato Taco Truck, Los Angeles, CA
- 62. District Wine, Long Beach, CA
- 64. Bludso’s BBQ, Compton, CA
- 65. Tiki Juice Bar, Anaheim, CA
- 74. Mattern Sausage & Deli, Orange, CA
- 75. The Market Grill, Monrovia, CA
- 76. Urasawa, Beverly Hills, CA
- 88. Kang Hodong Baekjeong, Los Angeles, CA
- 90. Stuff I Eat, Inglewood, CA
- 92. Hy Mart Sandwiches, North Hollywood, CA
- 94. Mastro’s Steakhouse, Beverly Hills, CA
The lives of real life superheroes in 'Heroes in the Night'
Superheroes lead pretty remarkable lives. They have secret identities, wear fabulous costumes, perform amazing feats and of course, they are beloved by the public.
Which is why some people have decided they want to be superheroes, to the best of their abilities.
They're a small but fascinating demographic known as RLSH or Real Life Super Heroes and writer Tea Krulos spent a lot of time with them for his book called Heroes in the Night.
He recently joined us from a studio in Milwaukee to talk about what he's learned
Why do black infants die so much more often than white infants?
The vast majority of babies born in the U.S., to women of all ethnicities, are born healthy.
But, race is still the strongest predictor of whether an infant will die within his or her first year.
Nationwide—and in Los Angeles County—black babies are far more likely to die soon after birth than white ones.
KPCC's Adrian Florido finds out the reasons are more complicated than you might expect.
Paramount drive-in theatre to make a comeback
The drive-in theater is making a comeback. There were once dozens of drive-in in Southern California, but today there's only one in all of L.A. and Orange counties.
But soon there may be two. This April, Glenn Bianchi plans to re-open the Paramount Drive-in. It's the theater that his father opened in 1947 in Paramount, California, originally called the Roadium Drive-in. Bianchi joins Take Two to talk more about his plans.