FilmWeek

The topic: Julia Paskin and the LAist film critics talk about the fourth installment to the Tom Holland Spider-Man series that takes an introspective look at the superhero, and they applaud Olivia Wilde’s performance as a sexually dominant boss in Gregg Araki’s new film I Want Your Sex .                &nbs...

The topic:  Julia Paskin and the LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. The films:  Motor City , In Select Theaters Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender , Streaming on Paramount+ Her Private Hell , Wide Release Hadestown: The Musical , In Select Theaters Sheep in the Box , AMC Century City|Expands to more theaters July 31 N...

The topic: The documentary Nothing to See Here: Watts takes viewers through the lives of community members as they experience violence, decades long gang rivalries, and neglect from city services. How it was made: Twenty participants were given iPhones to film themselves and their community over three years. The filmmakers included gang members, community activists, students, victims of violence,...

The topic:  Larry Mantle and LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. The films:  The Odyssey , Wide Release Reading Lolita in Tehran , Laemmle Royal [West LA]                           ...

The topic: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is turning out to be the event of the summer, with screenings selling out at theaters a year in advance. Nolan shares how he adapted the Greek epic for a modern audience. On what makes a successful adaptation: “If somebody watching the film who read the poem in high school or something, who doesn’t know it that well but knows it pretty w...

The topic: Larry Mantle and LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. The films:      Evil Dead Burn , Wide Release Moana , Wide Release Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass , Wide Release Mary Oliver: Saved By the Beauty of the World , At Select Laemmle Theaters Night Nurse , In Select Theaters The Isolate Thief...

The topic: Horror movies are having a moment. Two of this year's greatest box office successes are two horror films, each from unknown directors with non-IP scripts and relatively small budgets. A horror darling: Obsession is the unexpected runaway hit of the summer, having grossed over $400 million worldwide on less than $1 million budget. Now almost two months out from its initial release, it is...

The topic: Larry Mantle and LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.                    The films: Minions & Monsters Wide Release Young Washington Wide Release             ...

The topic: Criterion released two director-approved 4k restorations for John Waters’ 1988 film Hairspray and his 1977 film Desperate Living . The disc releases include exclusive commentary tracks from Waters and some of the actors as well as bonus interviews. Waters’ trash cinema: Known for his provocative, camp films, Waters is considered one of the formative directors of gay cinema....

The topic: Larry Mantle and LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.                    The films: Supergirl Wide Release The Invite In Select Theaters|Expands Wide July 10 Jackass: Best and Last  Wide Release Lucky Strike  Wid...

The topic: The new documentary Peter Asher: Everywhere Man shines a spotlight on the man behind some of America's most famous singer-songwriters. The man: Asher started as a performer himself in the 60s pop duo Peter and Gordon. Despite some hit songs, Asher decided to step off the stage and became a producer and manager for acts including James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and Carole King, just to nam...

The topic: Austin Cross and LAist film critics Charles Solomon , Manuel Betancourt , and Katie Walsh review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. The films: Toy Story 5 Wide Release                             &nbsp...

The topic:  The new film Burt tells the story of Burt Berger, a 69-year-old musician in LA living with Parkinson's who reconnects with an adult son he never knew he had. The film was shot over seven days in Los Angeles on a micro-budget of $7,000.  A personal story: Director and co-writer of the film, Joe Burke’s own father is living with Parkinson’s. A portion of the proceed...

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Charles Solomon , Christy Lemire , and Maureen Lee Lenker review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.   The films: Disclosure Day , Wide Release Jinsei , In Select Theaters The Furious , In Select Theaters The Little Sister , Laemmle Glendale & Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] I am Frankelda , Laemm...

The topic: Documentary Magazine, published by the International Documentary Association (IDA), released a list of what it determined to be the 25 greatest documentaries of the 21st Century. How the list was made: Documentary polled 300 documentary filmmakers and producers, critics, programmers, and academics, asking them to name three documentaries they deemed the “greatest.” Each docu...

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics  Claudia Puig  and  Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. The films: Masters of the Universe , Wide Release Renoir ,  Laemmle Nuart [West LA] Scary Movie , Wide Release Carolina Caroline ,  In Select Theaters The Currents ,  Laemmle Royal [West LA] Time and Water , &nb...

The Topic: Marilyn Monroe’s life and career has been dissected and displayed for almost a century. But for such a pervasive and enduring figure, Monroe’s true internal life remains mysterious: was she forced into her “dumb blonde,” “bimbo” persona, or did she use it to her advantage? Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in-between. The exhibit: In honor of what woul...

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Wade Major , along with guest critic William Bibbiani review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.   The films: Backrooms , Wide Release Power Ballad , In Select Theaters| Expands wide June 5 Pressure , Wide Release The Last Viking , Laemmle Royal [West LA]|Available on digital & VOD Propel...

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire , Lael Loewenstein and Maureen Lee Lenker review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. The Films: Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu , Wide Release Tuner , AMC Grove & AMC Century City|Expands May 29                 ...

The Topic: Larry Mantle speaks with the stars of the new film Tuner , Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu. The plot: Leo Woodall plays Niki, a former music virtuoso now serving as an apprentice to the vivacious but stubborn piano technician Harry Horowitz, played by Dustin Hoffman. Niki suffers from a unique hearing condition that makes him extra sensitive to sound: a useful skill for tuning pianos as...

The topic: Movies on film are having a resurgence. Just take late year’s biggest movies: One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Marty Supreme . But the craft of screening movies on film is a dying one, with few projectionists experienced enough to handle the delicate prints.  A film stronghold: In L.A., it's the local repertory theaters that have helped maintain the art of film projecti...

Austin Cross and LAist film critics Claudia Puig , Tim Cogshell , and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: Is God Is , Wide Release Life Hack , In Select Theaters The Propagandist , Available on select digital platforms Decorado , In Select Theaters Silent Friend , AMC Burbank & Laemmle Royal [West LA] American Agitato...

The topic: Last week, the Academy Awards released new rules for the Oscars. Some of the changes include awarding the director rather than the country for Best International Feature and allowing actors to be nominated for multiple films in the same category, such as Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress.  Other changes: Two of the new rule changes included explicit language abou...

Guest host Austin Cross and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: The Sheep Detectives , Wide Release Mad Bills to Pay: (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) , Laemmle NoHo, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica], and Vidiots [Eagle Rock] Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour , Wide...

In order to keep up with the changing film landscape, Canada’s Motion Picture Bureau was re-established as the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). It was helmed by filmmaker John Grierson, known for coining the term ‘documentary.’ Grierson recruited filmmaker and animator Norman McLaren to lead the NFB’s animation division, and under the two of them, the NFB supported pion...