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

FilmWeek: ‘Scream VI,’ ‘Shazam! Fury Of The Gods,’ ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ and More

The 95th Academy Awards is upon us! It’s been another great year in film. “Top Gun: Maverick,” one of the Best Picture nominees, has been credited as the blockbuster that brought audiences back to theaters post pandemic. This year also saw the long awaited sequel to James Cameron’s technical achievement “Avatar” with “Avatar: The Way Of Water.” But possibly the biggest film of the year was small indie movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which has maintained a dedicated fanbase of everyday movie-goers and critics alike since its premiere in March 2022, and has dominated the award circuit leading up to this year's Oscar ceremony as the projected winner for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress among other categories. Other Best Picture nominees in addition to those three films: “The Banshees Of Inisherin,” “Women Talking,” “Triangle Of Sadness,” “The Fabelmans,” “All Quiet On The Western Front,” “Tár,” and “Elvis.” Other categories covered include Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Supporting Actress, and more!

There’s so much to talk about! Larry Mantle and LAist film critics are live at the Orpheum Theater in DownTown Los Angeles to discuss the 95th Academy Award nominations from Best Screenplay to Best Picture. We’ll hear which films are the critics’ favorites and which ones they think will take home the top prizes. You can find the full list of nominees here.

Our critics for the 21th annual Film Week Academy Awards Preview are:

Round One (0:15)

Round Two (15:45)

Round 3 (34:47)

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.

FilmWeek: ‘Creed III,’ ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre,’ ‘Transfusion’ and More (0:15)

Larry Mantle And The FilmWeek Critics Discuss The Best International Feature Category (31:48)

In preparation for the 95th Academy Awards, our FilmWeek critics discuss the Oscar nominees for Best International Feature Film which include ‘All Quiet On The Western Front,’ ‘Argentina 1985,’ ‘Close,’ ‘EO,’ and ‘The Quiet Girl.’ Joining Larry to discuss the prospective winners and share their favorite international film of the year are critics Tim Cogshell, Andy Klein, Wade Major, Peter Rainer, Amy Nicholson and Lael Loewenstein. You can see all our critics live Sunday, March 5th at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles as we break down the major Oscar categories and relive the best of 2022 in film. Tickets are on sale now at LAist.com/events. We hope to see you there!

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Wade Major and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.

FilmWeek: ‘Cocaine Bear,’ ‘Jesus Revolution,’ ‘We Have A Ghost’ and More (0:15)

Larry Mantle And The FilmWeek Critics Discuss The Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts (39:20)

In preparation for the 95th Academy Awards, our FilmWeek critics Amy Nicholson and Charles Solomon discuss the nominees for Best Animated Short Film, Best Live Action Short Film, and Best Documentary Short Film, sharing their favorites and front runners. You can see all our critics live Sunday, March 5th at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles as we break down the major Oscar categories and relive the best of 2022 in film. Tickets are on sale now at LAist.com/events. We hope to see you there!

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.

FilmWeek: ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania,’ ‘Emily,’ ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ & More (0:15)

Sequels That Are Better Than The Original (30:53)

One of the biggest films of the year is “Top Gun: Maverick,” nominated for six Academy Awards including best picture. It is also the film credited for bringing audiences back to theaters after the low of the pandemic. The film grossed $1.48 billion and is now the eleventh highest grossing movie worldwide. This is even more surprising when you take into account that “Top Gun: Maverick” is a sequel. Sequels and reboots often have a stigma around them as many never quite measure up to their predecessor. But “Top Gun: Maverick” has proven that sequels can be just as good as (and in its case far better than) the original. Larry Mantle sits down with FilmWeek critics Tim Cogshell and Lael Loewenstein to share some of their favorite sequels that outshine the first installment.

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

FilmWeek: ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance,’ ‘Marlowe,’ ‘Sharper’ & More (0:15)

What Does AMC’s New Tiered-Price System Mean For Frequent Moviegoers? (31:48)

On Monday, the nation’s biggest movie theater chain said it is implementing the same kind of ticket pricing. Called Sightline, the program from the financially strapped AMC Theatres chain will offer three different prices based on seat location. AMC is introducing Sightline this week at some of its theaters in New York, Chicago and Kansas City, and said it will expand the tiered pricing plan nationwide by the end of the year.

The price of a standard seat won’t change, but moviegoers will pay less for sitting very close to the screen, and more for the best locations, usually in the middle of the auditorium. Today on AirTalk, Larry sits down with John Horn, host of the LAist Studios podcast "Retake,” to talk about the news surrounding the large chain and what it means for the film industry.

Larry Sits Down With Ayuko Babu To Talk The 31st Pan-African Film Festival (40:50)

Thursday was the first day of the 31st Pan-African Film Festival, an event that screens over 200 films that are either from filmmakers of African descent or center folks in the African diaspora. This year, the event is taking place at the Baldwin Hills.

This week on FilmWeek, we talk to Ayuko Babu, executive director of the Pan-African Film Festival, to discuss the festivities and its artistic significance.

The Pan-African Festival will take place from February 9-20. 

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

FilmWeek: ‘Knock At The Cabin,’ ‘80 For Brady,’ ‘Baby Ruby’ And More (0:15)

Larry Mantle’s Conversation With Author Bruce Davis (31:48)

The Academy Awards never fail to bring spectacle and criticism to the world of film each year. Yet, despite its prestige and near-fanatic attention, the organization behind the awards has never produced a thorough account of its origins and early development. In his new book “The Academy and the Award: The Coming of Age of Oscar and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences” (Brandeis University Press, 2022), Bruce Davis details the Academy’s birth and maturation to become the Hollywood staple we know today. Larry Mantle speaks with Davis, who served as director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 20 years and as a staff member for 30, to discuss Davis’ book as a critical piece of filmmaking history. 

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Wade Major and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.

FilmWeek: ‘Close,’ ‘You People,’ ‘Shotgun Wedding,’ ‘Infinity Pool’ And More (0:15)

Larry Mantle Talks To KPCC’s John Horn About SUNDANCE (31:48)

The Sundance Film Festival returned in person this year for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak. The festival is known for its showcase of independent films and diverse filmmakers, many of which struck distribution deals with some of the industry’s largest buyers such as Netflix, Apple TV+ and A24 in the festival's first few days.

KPCC’s John Horn joins Larry today to discuss this year's biggest Sundance premieres and the current landscape of independent filmmaking.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Andy Klein and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.

FilmWeek: ‘When You Finish Saving The World,’ ‘Missing,’ ‘Beautiful Beings’ And More (0:15)

John Horn’s Interview with filmmakers Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, and Alejandro González Iñárritu at a Netflix event held at The Academy Museum (31:49)

In recent years, Netflix has become a platform known for its foreign films and television series, as streaming platforms allow more opportunities for foreign filmmakers to reach wider audiences. Just this year Mexican filmmakers Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu partnered with Netflix on the respective projects of “Pinocchio” and “Bardo,” and in 2019 Alfonso Cuarón won an Oscar for his film “Roma” which was also produced by Netflix.

All three filmmakers, who share a friendship spanning their film careers, sat down with KPCC’s John Horn at a Netflix event earlier this month to discuss their various projects in this new age of movie-making.