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    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    “Birdman” Takes Flight

    The film Birdman tells the story of a washed-up movie superhero named Riggan Thomson trying to resurrect his career by mounting a serious Broadway play.

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    By Madeleine Brand • Jan 5, 2015 • 1 min read

    The film Birdman tells the story of a washed-up movie superhero named Riggan Thomson trying to resurrect his career by mounting a serious Broadway play. Mexican writer and director Alejandro González Iñárritu has made many critically acclaimed movies -- his films Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel, and Biutiful have been nominated for 12 Oscars between them. But Birdman, which made nearly every critics’ top 10 list for the year, might top them all in terms of praise and commercial success. We hear from the filmmaker about the inspiration behind Birdman.

    The full episode

    4 of 5
    High-Speed Train Breaks Ground, Changes to California Eggs, and New TV
    1. 0:00A First Step for L.A.-San Francisco High-Speed Rail
    2. 8:15California Upends Egg Farming
    3. 16:27New Year, New TV
    4. 26:07“Birdman” Takes FlightYou’re reading this
    5. 41:22Yosemite Climbers
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Andrew Walsh

      Too Beautiful to Live

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      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Matt Holzman

      Producer, 'The Document'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu

      filmmaker

      News

    The full episode

    4 of 5
    High-Speed Train Breaks Ground, Changes to California Eggs, and New TV
    1. 0:00A First Step for L.A.-San Francisco High-Speed Rail
    2. 8:15California Upends Egg Farming
    3. 16:27New Year, New TV
    4. 26:07“Birdman” Takes FlightYou’re reading this
    5. 41:22Yosemite Climbers
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand