In their second project together, writer-directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare strikes a much different tone than last year’s Civil War. Garland’s solo writing and directing project, with Mendoza on as a military supervisor, served as a thematic look at the political divide found in the United States— Warfare, despite using similar thematic elements, takes a much more realist filming approach to the war in Iraq. Warfare follows a platoon of Navy SEALs in 2006 Iraq, going through the process of scouting insurgent territory, and eventually finding themselves in a gunfight with people they often identify as MAMs (military-age males). Told using the memories of those involved in this real event, the film isn’t focused on making a political statement on the war itself as much as it is putting together a chain of events that helps viewers understand one story a part of the greater picture of the war in Iraq. The film takes these stories and uses an ensemble cast of up-and-coming actors to help put together a linear story, with D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai notably portraying Mendoza, who was one of the Navy SEAL team members involved.

Joining us, to discuss their directorial partnership and the work that went into telling this story as truthfully as possible, are Warfare writer-directors Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein, Charles Solomon, and Peter Rainer  review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

• Warfare Wide Release
• The Amateur  Wide Release 
• King of Kings In Select Theaters
• One to One: John & Yoko In Select Theaters | Expands April 18th 
• Neil Young: Costal In Select Theaters April 17 [One-Day Only]
• Pets Streaming on Disney+
• Kaiju No. 8 Mission Recon In Select Theaters [Three-Day Event: April 13, 14 and 16]
• Not Just A Goof Streaming on Disney+

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Beandrea July review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms.

• A Minecraft Movie Wide Release
• Freaky Tales  In Select Theaters 

• Janis Ian: Breaking Silence  Laemmle Glendale|Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] 
• We Were Dangerous Lumiere Music Hall [Beverly Hills]
• Julie Keeps Quiet  Laemmle Glendale 
•  A Nice Indian Boy In Select Theaters
• The Friend In Select Theaters
• Viet and Nam Laemmle Glendale 
• William Tell In Select Theaters
• The Luckiest Man in America In Select Theaters    

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!

Executing a fight scene requires a lot of attention to detail, but spending time to get the right fight choreographer and stunt doubles to execute their vision can make for a rewarding watch. In the case of stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski, his directorial debut John Wick helped spark a franchise that moviegoers love due to its well-choreographed action. Although the series has become a common example of great fighting, there’s a whole host of other examples that date back decades. Hong Kong action cinema has given so much to the action genre, having helped popularize high-speed martial arts fighting for international audiences; through this style of filmmaking, audiences were introduced to filmmaker John Woo and actor Jackie Chan.  Joining us to share their extensive knowledge of fight scenes are Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein.

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!

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

• Death of a Unicorn Wide Release
• Ballad of Wallis Island AMC Burbank 16|AMC Burbank Town Center 6| AMC Century City 15

• Grand Tour In Select Theaters 
• Thank You Very Much In Select Theaters
• The Penguin Lessons In Select Theaters 

• Being Maria Landmark Nuart Theater [West LA]
• Audrey’s Children In Select Theaters

Earlier this week, American entertainment company Fandango published a study that surveyed moviegoers, casual and loyal, on their viewing habits. Insights ranged from the way they learned about movies, to what amenities made the theatrical experience most worthwhile. With CinemaCon— a yearly event comprised of theater chain owners— happening next week in Las Vegas, we thought it’d be good to dig into this data and break down what’s driving moviegoing this year. Joining us, alongside our critics Lael Loewenstein and Manuel Betancourt, is Deadline business editor Dade Hayes.

Feature: New book ‘Opening Weekend’ provides insider perspective on film marketing

Although the film industry can be quite lucrative, there are a lot of moving parts to how a film gets to be a “success” or “flop.” As it relates to building up hype for a movie, marketing teams play a huge role in growing excitement and finding ways to resonate with general audiences. A new book, Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops, by longtime film marketing executive Jim Fredrick. Frederick’s career in the business has included working on the marketing team for films like Eyes Wide Shut, The Shawshank Redemption, and even the Harry Potter film franchise. So for this week’s feature, we’ll talk to Frederick about Opening Weekend and get an insider’s understanding of how marketing works within the film industry.

Jim Fredrick, studio marketing executive, and Chapman University film professor; he’s also the author of the new book Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops

FilmWeek: 'Snow White,' 'The Alto Knights,' 'Magazine Dreams,' 'Locked,' and More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Snow White

The Alto Knights

Magazine Dreams

The Assessment

Misericordia

Locked

Asian Persuasion

Bob Trevino Likes It

Ash

AUM: The Cult at the End of the World

FilmWeek: 'Black Bag,' Novocaine,' 'Opus,' 'The Electric State,' and More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Amy Nicholson and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Black Bag

Novocaine

Opus

The Electric State

The Actor

Borderline

The World Will Tremble

The Visitor

FilmWeek: 'Mickey 17,' 'Last Breath,' 'Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse', 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl ' and More

Guest host Austin Cross and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Mickey 17

Riff Raff

Last Breath

Art Spielgelman: Disaster Is My Muse

Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna

Eephus

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

The Accidental Getaway Driver

The Rule of Jenny Pen

The Empire