Film Critic
Chief film critic for The Wrap and co-host of the podcast Linoleum Knife
PROFILE
Alonso Duralde
Guest
FROM Alonso Duralde
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Captain Jack Sparrow returns, and Netflix gets booed at Cannes Our critics review the fifth franchise of “Pirates of the Caribbean;” “War Machine,” in which Brad Pitt plays General McMahon and Ben Kingsley portrays Hamid Karzai; and “Baywatch,” a film adaptation of the old David Hasselhoff series. We also look at what’s been going on at the Cannes Film Festival.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Is Katherine Heigl memorable as a psycho ex in 'Unforgettable?' Our critics review “Unforgettable,” a thriller starring Katherine Heigl and Rosario Dawson; “A Quiet Passion,” a costume drama about poet Emily Dickinson; and a film about one of the first celebrity chefs, “Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
2017 movies: what to watch and what to skip Our critics discuss “Hidden Figures,” the story of three pioneering black women at NASA; and look at the most anticipated films of 2017.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Rock as a Polynesian god in Disney's 'Moana' Our critics review Disney’s new “Moana,” which has music by “Hamilton” star Lin-Manuel Miranda; “Allied,” a thriller starring Brad Pitt; “Rules Don’t Apply,” which tells the story of Howard Hughes; and more.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Film: ‘Snowden,’ a Christian rock doc & two sequels New film releases this week include Oliver Stone’s “Snowden,” a Christian rock doc , and two sequels – rom-com “Bridget Jones’s Baby” and horror flick “Blair Witch.” What’s good?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
‘Ben-Hur’, new Herzog documentary On our weekly movie segment, we review a new remake of “Ben-Hur” from an inventive Russian director, and a new animated film from upstart Portland studio Laika called “Kubo and the Two Strings.” Plus, we review “Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World,” a new documentary from Werner Herzog, and “War Dogs,” a comedy about two guys who get a big Pentagon contract, starring Jonah Hill.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
New Releases: Bourne, Bad Moms and New Documentaries On our Friday movie segment, we discuss the latest installment in the action spy series about Jason Bourne, which features a reteaming of actor Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass. Then a comedy with a lot of big names called Bad Moms, and a thriller called Nerve. Two documentaries are also out this weekend, both about influential figures from film: photographer and filmmaker Robert Frank and Hollywood costume designer Orry-Kelly.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
LA’s Outfest Has Come a Long Way Since ‘82 Outfest , LA’S LGBTQ film festival, opened last night with a gala screening of “The Intervention,” a film about friends who go on a trip to break up a marriage. The festival has come a long way since it began in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference." Alonso Duralde, one of Press Play’s regular film reviewers is a Senior Programmer at Outfest.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Reviews of “Money Monster” and Two Indie Comedies We’ve got a hostage crisis thriller starring George Clooney and a couple of indies rocking the cinema this weekend. Love and Friendship and The Lobster are two very different comedies crafted by beloved independent film directors.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Friday Film Roundup: ‘Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ One of the most highly anticipated movies of the year is out today, and it might be somewhat less anticipated after the terrible reviews. We’re talking Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. We’ll also talk about the late great Garry Shandling. The comedian died yesterday at the age of 66.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Friday Film The latest Nicholas Sparks romance movie is out this weekend. It’s called “The Choice.” The New York Times says it’s “filmed like an ad for erectile-dysfunction medication.” Ouch. Is it really that bad? We find out about that and more in our regular Friday film roundup.
To the Point
Snubs and Surprises and Oscars Nominations Hollywood is a multi-billion-dollar business, that's also all about ego and prestige. There are 10 candidates for best picture this year and countless other nominations. Many careers and lots of money hang on the outcome of Motion Picture Academy voting. Alonso Duralde, writer and movie critic for the The Wrap , a digital news outlet, has more on the latest Oscar nominations . Charlotte Rampling was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role ( 45 Years )
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Friday Film: 'The Revenant,' 'The Hateful Eight' and More Hollywood is busy with awards season these days. Too busy, in fact, to give us much of anything new to see in the movies in early January. So for our inaugural 2016 movie roundup, we’re talking about a few movies that you may have missed over the holiday break, including The Hateful Eight and The Revenant.
Recommended
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why did Jared Kushner want a back channel with Russians? News broke Friday that President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, tried setting up a back channel between the Trump transition team and the Russian government. What are the consequences for Kushner, President Trump, and the investigation into Russian meddling?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Terrorism in London: Lessons for the US This weekend’s terrorist attack in London left seven people dead and almost 50 injured. London police fatally shot the attackers, and ISIS claimed responsibility.
Good Food
'Dandelion and Quince,' food and crime, 'All About Eggs' Sarah Lohman talks about the murder and historic recipes that form the backbone of her new book, “Ohio 1910,” and Rachel Khong shares highlights from Lucky Peach’s last cookbook, “All About Eggs.” Michelle Mckenzie tells us how to cook oft-forgotten fruits, veggies and herbs, and Jonathan Gold reviews AR Cucina in Culver City. Plus: raspberries at the market and a special guest DJ set from Alton Brown.
Good Food
Shaking up the USDA, 'The Beef Cookbook' and 'Tartine All Day' Peggy Lowe explains why Trump’s pick for USDA Secretary is rattling rural America. Dario Cecchini talks future plans for Chianti ramen, and Richard Turner shares cuts from “PRIME: The Beef Cookbook.” Writer Matthew Sedacca looks at the controversy behind liquid smoke. Jonathan Gold tries Chengdu-style dishes, and Elisabeth Prueitt of Tartine fills us in on the latest. Plus, chef Michael Beckman shares a recipe for cactus confit.