FilmWeek

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Amy Nicholson and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms:

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” Wide Release
“Wicked Little Letters” AMC The Grove 14 + AMC Century City 15|Expands April 4th [Next Thursday]
“Californie” Available to stream on Film Movement Plus
“Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in Two Pieces” Streaming on Apple TV+ 
“The Beautiful Game” Streaming on Netflix
“DogMan” In Select Theaters
“Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” Streaming on HULU
“Asphalt City” In Select Theaters
“In The Land of Saints and Sinners” In Select Theaters
“Lousy Carter” Alamo Drafthouse DTLA [DTLA]  + Available on VOD Platforms
“The Lie: The Murder of Grace Millane“ Available on VOD Platforms
“The Listener” Available on VOD platforms
“Femme” AMC The Grove [Beverly Hills]

From the film noir classics “Double Indemnity” and “The Lost Weekend,” to the comedies of “Sunset Boulevard” and “Some Like It Hot,” Billy Wilder’s nearly five-decade film career dove into the milieu of then-contemporary American life through character-driven stories which garnered the filmmaker seven Academy Awards and 22 nominations. His work often pushed beyond the boundaries of mainstream culture, particularly during Hollywood’s Hays Code era — a period of self-censorship within the film industry —, and helped to usher in new ways for filmmakers to approach controversial subject matters. Today Larry chats with author Joseph McBride about his new book “Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge.''

Neon! Mullets! Video stores! Relive the 80s with us...

As we continue our series "Revival House," How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to Eagle Rock to check out Vidiots. The iconic video store opened in Santa Monica in the 80s, and closed its doors in 2017. But, Vidiots reopened last year in the historic Eagle theater. And yes, all of its 60,000 DVDs made the move too.

Vidiots has made renting a movie cool again – and you can check out any DVD in their massive catalog for just $3.

And, the renovated theater will be hosting screenings as part of the new Los Angeles Festival of Movies this coming April. 

Check out the past and present of Vidiots and the Eagle theater with us.

Guests: Executive director Maggie Mckay, founding member and filmmaker Noah Segan, programmer Saila Reyes, and film professor and theater historian Ross Melnick.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Peter Rainer and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms:

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” In Select Theaters

“Immaculate”  In Select Theaters

“Road House” Streaming on Amazon Prime

“Limbo” Laemmle Monica Film [Santa Monica]

“Shirley”  Streaming on Neflix

“Remembering Gene Wilder”  Laemmle Royal [West LA] + Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino]

“Do Not Expect Too Much From The End Of The World”  Laemmle Royal [West LA]

“Late Night with the Devil” In Select Theaters

“Free Time” The Landmark Westwood [Westwood]

PROBLEMISTA is a new A24 comedy about an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life. As time runs out on his work visa, Alejandro attempts to get his erratic art-world outcast boss, played by Tilda Swinton, to be that cosigner. She becomes his only hope to stay in the country. The film premiered at SXSW in 2023 where it was nominated for the Audience Award. It stars Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, and Isabella Rosselini narrates the film. 

As we continue our series "Revival House," How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to The New Beverly Cinema over in Fairfax, where movies are always on film.

The theater, owned by Quentin Tarantino, has a long history as complex as LA's. Join us as we explore the building's history and discover what makes it a special place to catch a double feature today. 

Guests: Theater and operations manager Jules McLean, projectionist Danielle Wakin, and film professor and theater historian Ross Melnick. 

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Wade Major, Charles Solomon, and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms:

“Knox Goes Away” In Select Theaters 

“American Dreamer” Laemmle’s Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] + Town Center 5 [Encino]|Available on VOD Platforms

“Demon Slayer: To The Hashira Training” In Select Theaters

“Irish Wish” Streaming on Netflix

“The Animal Kingdom” The Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA]|Available on VOD Platforms

“Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (Re-Release)” In Select Theaters For Two Days Only On March 17th & March 20th

“French Girl” Regal Long Beach [Long Beach] | Available on VOD Platforms March 19th

“The Prank” In Select Theaters

“Snack Shack” In Select Theaters

“Exhuma” In Select Theaters

“Hundreds of Beavers” Laemmle Royal [West LA] + Laemmle Glendale [Glendale]

Chrisptopher Nolan is known for his film epics that demand to be seen in theaters on the big screen with their breath-taking visuals and intricate plots. His latest film, Oppenheimer, although Nolan’s first biopic, is no exception. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” (2005) by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, and tells the story of the scientist who invented the atomic bomb. The film is shot on IMAX® much like his previous works and maintains Nolan’s signature storytelling that plays with time and our perception of it. Joining us on FilmWeek to discuss the new film Oppenheimer and the legacy of the man behind it is the film’s writer and director Christopher Nolan.

NOTE: This interview originally aired on July 21, 2023

In this episode, our guide is How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro is taking us to a midnight movie at the historic Nuart Theatre.

The Nuart Theatre's art deco marquee lights up Santa Monica and Sawtelle — so head west with us to a screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and discover cult cinema past and present. 

Guests: Austin Fresh and Nina Minnelli, performers in the Nuart's "Rocky Horror" shadow cast; longtime, retired Nuart film programmer Mark Valen; president of Landmark Theatres Kevin Holloway; and theater historian Ross Melnick.

Read her love letter to LA's indie theaters: https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/revival-house-movies-hollywood-essay

The Oscars are just around the corner! And that means it’s time for our yearly deep dive into the Oscar nominees. This year, Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” takes the lead with a total of 13 nominations, including Best Actor in a Leading Role (Cillian Murphy), Best Director, and Best Picture. It’s followed closely behind by Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” with 11 nominations, Martian Scorecees’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” with 10 nominations, and last year’s surprise billion-dollar box office hit “Barbie,” directed by Greta Gerwig, with eight nominations. With a tight race for several of the categories, including Best Picture and Best Actress, the 96th Academy Awards looks to be a thrilling show spotlighting the best cinema has to offer!

Today on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle is joined by the FilmWeek critics live at the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown LA as they highlight the best of each Oscar category, dive into what films they felt were snubbed a nomination, and deliberate over which film will take home the illustrious Academy Award for Best Picture. You can find the full list of nominees here.