Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan is the film critic for the Los Angeles Times and NPR's Morning Edition, as well as the director of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. He has been a staff writer for the Washington Post and TV Guide, and served as the Times' book review editor.
A graduate of Swarthmore College and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, he is the co-author of Call Me Anna: The Autobiography of Patty Duke. He teaches film reviewing and non-fiction writing at USC and is on the board of directors of the National Yiddish Book Center. His most recent books are the University of California Press' Sundance to Sarajevo: Film Festivals and the World They Made and Never Coming To A Theater Near You, published by Public Affairs Press.
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Four years ago, 12 boys and their soccer coach were trapped in deep, dark tunnels during heavy rains in Thailand. People around the world were captivated as a mission began to rescue them.
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There has already been a high-profile documentary about Edward Snowden. Now comes a drama from a filmmaker known for dramatizing the Vietnam war and the Kennedy assassination.
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In 1959, Charlton Heston starred in Oscar-winning movie Ben-Hur. The question is: Why take another turn at making a film that defined epic when it was released, and was itself a remake?
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In Jason Bourne, the latest in the secret agent series starring Matt Damon, director Paul Greengrass presents a thriller relevant to today's world, says Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times.
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Japanese dramas don't get the publicity of that country's animated films but our reviewer says there is a new drama that deserves our attention. He says Our Little Sister must be seen to be believed.
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Captain America: Civil War is the latest offering from the Marvel universe and it's a thriller with strong political themes. It already opened overseas and has brought in more than $200 million.
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Jeff Nichols has made a few other films, but his latest, Midnight Special, is him moving up to another level — reminiscent of Steven Spielberg, says our film critic.
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Joel and Ethan Coen — better known as the Coen Brothers — have brought moviegoers some of the most distinctive, quirky movies of the last three decades. They are back in theaters with: Hail, Caesar!
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The last two films by writer-director David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, had 18 Oscar nominations between them. So anticipation is high for his new film, Joy.
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi. The evil Empire has been replaced by the even more ruthless First Order, and the Republic continues to fight the good fight.