Larry Mantle and LAist film critics  Manuel Betancourt and Wade Major  review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

Speak No Evil Wide Release
The Killers Game Wide Release
My Old Ass In Select Theaters
Will & Harper  In Select Theaters | Streaming on Netflix September 27th 
The Critic Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] 
Here After  Streaming on Roku
The Mother of All Lies Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]
The Goldman Case Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] 
Look Into My Eyes In Select Theaters
Am I A Racist? In Select Theaters 
Studio One Forever Landmark Sunset [West Hollywood] | Available on VOD October 3rd 

Early cinema, despite a lack of conventional sound, has always been engaging as an experience since it’s typically been paired with live scores to match a specific film’s tone. Screening with live scores can still be found today, but Austin’s Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In founder Josh Frank decided to put an interesting spin on the classic concept; Frank decided to change up the experience by pairing silent films with contemporary live performances by bands like Radiohead and R.E.M.. For its first installment of screenings, played in art theaters and drive-ins across the country, they’ll be pairing the 1922 horror film Nosferatu with Radiohead’s albums Kid A and Amnesiac. So today on FilmWeek, we talk to Josh Frank about his latest venture and the thought process behind it.

The biggest film festival in North America, the Toronto International Film Festival, has commenced with a lineup that’s showcasing an array of notable films in a relatively lackluster year following the SAG/WGA strikes. Some major releases include Edward Berger’s star-studded film Conclave, the gender-affirming pop musical Emilia Perez, and the Jason Reitman historical comedy Saturday Night. So Today on FilmWeek, Larry will check in with LAist film critic Peter Rainer, to hear what films have stood out to him at the festival and are worth keeping an eye on once they’re theatrically released. 

Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond dive into how our relationship to religion has changed since the 50s… and how the overall decline of religious faith has led Americans to hold tighter to their political views and philosophical beliefs about right and wrong.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics  Amy Nicholson and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice  Wide Release

Rebel Ridge Streaming on Netflix

I’ll Be Right There Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] | Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino]

His Three Daughters In Select Theaters | Streaming on Netflix September 20th

The Cowboy and The Queen Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]

Red Rooms Laemmle NoHo 7 [North Hollywood]

Paradise is Burning Laemmle Glendale | Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle]

Hoard In Select Theaters

The Paragon Alamo Drafthouse DTLA 

Earlier this year, a study was published that found that sex in movies has started to drop off, at least in several films that depicted them. So it did come as a bit of a surprise when film festival season highlights out of the Venice Film Festival included the Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson-led erotic drama Babygirl, as well Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey. Stateside we also saw Sean Baker’s Anora, a story about a New York exotic dancer’s relationship with a Russian oligarch, screen at the Telluride Film Festival following its success at the Cannes Film Festival. 

So for this week’s FilmWeek feature, we thought it’d be worth getting into how these films were received by those in the film community, and get into how it might translate with general audiences. We continue with FilmWeek critics Lael Loewenstein and Amy Nicholson, as well as Variety executive editor Brent Lang.

Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond talk about how LA’s food culture has changed since Larry was a kid, bringing more authentic, wide-ranging, and inventive cuisine to the city.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics  Wade Major and Claudia Puig review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

Reagan Wide Release

1992 Wide Release 

Merchant Ivory Laemmle Royal | Laemmle Town Center 5 | Landmark Pasadena September 6th

Tokyo Cowboy In Select Theaters

Hinckley: I Shot The President Available on VOD

Slingshot In Select Theaters

The Deliverance  Streaming on Netflix 

Close Your Eyes Landmark Nuart Theater 

Take My Head In Select Theaters 

Untold: Hope Solo vs. U.S. Soccer Streaming on Netflix Tuesday, September 3rd

The Hays Code, developed by Will H. Hays but most notably supervised by Joseph Breen, had profound impact on the world of American cinema through it’s elimination of any concepts that didn’t match the moral standards of those heading the department. A fascinating outcome in this era, from 1934 to 1968, was the few films that were able to filmmaking trickery to get past these sensors, with many of these moments being outlined in film historian Nat Segaloff ’s new book The Naughty Bits: What The Censors Wouldn’t Let You See in Hollywood’s Most Famous Movies. Filmmakers like Howard Hawks and Billy Wilder were able to find methods of pushing boundaries with risque language and visual euphemisms. So for this week’s FilmWeek Feature, Larry sits down with Nat to discuss this time of censorship, and how some moments in American cinema at the time were able to make it through the censors undetected.

Passing the Mantle is a new podcast from LAist Studios about family, curiosity and the things that change — and stay the same — across generations. In this episode, Larry and Desmond talk about what’s making young men so lonely these days... and how their feelings of isolation can lead to even bigger problems.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.