Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Fighting Hollywood Development, Gay Marriage Study Falls Apart, Movies
Why is one lawyer fighting big development in Hollywood? A gay marriage study gets retracted. What to see (and avoid) at the movie theater over Memorial Day.
By Madeleine Brand • • 49m ListenLike much of Los Angeles, Hollywood is getting denser. Why is one lawyer fighting big Hollywood development? We also look at a new initiative to simplify L.A.’s building codes. We talk about why a study showing that it’s not so hard to change opinions on gay marriage has been retracted. Also, Memorial Day is Monday and with the holiday comes a slate of new movies; we get reviews. Finally, the New York Times has quietly ended its policy of reviewing every movie that opens in New York, with possible effects on smaller independent films and documentaries.
In this episode
5 storiesRobert Silverstein’s “David v. Goliath” Battle
Los Angeles lawyer Robert Silverstein is known for stopping development in Hollywood. His litigation has either stopped or slowed at least half a dozen real estate projects including the Millennium Hollywood and a new skyscraper at the location of Old Spaghetti Factory.
Read the story9 minLA Rewrites Its Code
Los Angeles is in the midst of a five-year project called re:code LA that will significantly change the city’s building codes. When the zoning code was first published back in the 1940s, it was fewer than 100 pages. Now with all the various additions and amendments it’s grown to more than 600 pages.
Read the story8 minHow the Gay Marriage Canvassing Study Fell Apart
It is rare for people to change their minds on emotionally charged political issues like gun control, climate change, abortion and gay marriage. So when a study that came out last year found that you reverse opinions on gay marriage in a matter of minutes during face-to face encounters, it got a lot of attention.
Read the story9 minMemorial Day Movie Roundup
A scary remake, a disgusting sequel and a star-studded trip to the future are all coming to a screen near you this weekend. We talk about “Poltergeist,” “Tomorrowland” and “The Human Centipede 3” in this week’s film segment.
Read the story13 minThe New York Times Stops Reviewing Every Movie
The New York Times has changed its movie reviewing policy and is no longer weighing in on every movie that opens in the city. The paper quietly adopted this policy a few months ago. The reason? There are simply too many new movies: nearly 700 opened last year, more than twice as many as 20 years ago.
Read the story9 min
