Although the Hays Code and Lavender Scare served as a deterrent to queer representation in cinema, many filmmakers still found ways to include queer themes into their works. In his new book Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness , film historian Michael Koresky collects examples of these early queer projects and helps provide context to their development. Detailing the use of queer innuendos and development of Hays-code approved stereotypes, the book shares...
Jun 27, 2025•17 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Manuel Betancourt review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: F1: The Movie Wide Release M3GAN 2.0 Wide Release Sorry, Baby In Select Theaters AMC| The Grove 14| AMC Century City 15 Familiar Touch Laemmle Glendale My Mom Jayne Streaming on Max Enigma Streaming on Max Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything Streaming On Hulu Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore Laemmle NoHo 7 Off the Grid Lumiere Music H...
Jun 27, 2025•33 min
Celine Song, writer-director of the new film Materialists , uses a similar framework that garnered her a lot of admiration from moviegoers. In her feature directorial debut, Past Lives , the lead character Nora struggles to manage a love triangle, only for her to discover what the differences are between these lives she’s romanticized. In Materialists , Lucy deals with a similar problem, although the film spends a lot more time on why we date, and the equations we come up with in our head to fin...
Jun 20, 2025•20 min
Guest host Austin Cross and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell , Peter Rainer , and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Correction: A previous version of this episode had errors related to a review of the film Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project, which partially referenced another found footage film. The inaccurate review has been removed from the episode. The episode also mentioned that the film 28 Years Later is the fi...
Jun 20, 2025•28 min
On May 31, the FilmWeek team hosted a screening of the 1962 Robert Aldrich film What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Larry got up on stage for a conversation with FilmWeek and LA Times critic Amy Nicholson , and UCLA film historian Jonathan Kuntz .
Jun 13, 2025•20 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt , Christy Lemire , and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
Jun 13, 2025•30 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: The Life of Chuck In Select Theaters|Expands June 13 Ballerina Wide Release Karate Kid: Legends Wide Release Dangerous Animals Wide Release The Ritual Wide Release I Don’t Understand You In Select Theaters Bad Shabbos Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] |Laemmle Royal [West LA] Barron’s Cove Laemmle Monica Film Center We Are Guardians Laemmle Mon...
Jun 06, 2025•32 min
FilmWeek: ‘The Phoenician Scheme,’ ‘Bring Her Back,’ ‘Mountainhead,’ ‘Lost in Starlight,’ and More Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein , Beandrea July , and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: The Phoenician Scheme In Select Theaters| Expands June 6 (next Friday) Bring Her Back Wide Release Mountainhead Streaming on Max May 31 Lost in Starlight Laemmle Glendale|Streaming on Netflix Ocean with David Attenborou...
May 30, 2025•30 min
Charles Burnett talks ‘Killer of Sheep’ 4K restoration, and the film’s lasting influence After a theatrical release in select theaters by Janus Films, the Criterion Collection now introduces the new 4K restoration of Charles Burnett’s 1977 feature debut film, Killer of Sheep , into its library. The film follows a family in Watts, with the father in this household being Stan, who works in a slaughterhouse. Burnett's understanding of working-class family dynamics makes for a story that’s as relata...
May 30, 2025•19 min
Feature: Bleak Week returns for Year 4, we talk to programmers behind the festival This year marks the 4th year of the American Cinematheque ’s Bleak Week : Cinema of Despair , a weeklong festival dedicated to screening films with dark and bleak themes. In this year’s lineup, you’ll find screenings of Michael Haneke’s English adaptation of Funny Games , the Soviet anti-war film Come and See , and Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies . You’ll also find that the Year 4 l...
May 23, 2025•17 min
FilmWeek: 'Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning,' 'Lilo & Stitch,' 'Drop Dead City,' and more Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Claudia Puig , Charles Solomon , and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning Wide Release Lilo & Stitch Wide Release Drop Dead City Laemmle Monica Film Center| Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] Jane Austen Wrecked My Life In Select Theaters | Expands May ...
May 23, 2025•33 min
For those who grew up during the British Rock Invasion of the 1960s, you’re probably familiar with many of the names who made their way through the U.S. charts, one such being the psychedelic rock band The Zombies. For a lot of younger generations— their name might not ring a bell— but it might not take too long into their hit song Time of the Season to understand just how important of a band they are. A new feature by filmmaker and musician Robert Schwartzman titled Hung Up on a Dream: The Zomb...
May 16, 2025•18 min
Guest host Austin Cross and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Final Destination: Bloodlines Wide Release Hurry Up Tomorrow Wide Release Deaf President Now! Laemmle Santa Monica|Streaming on Apple TV+ Caught by the Tides Laemmle Royal Black Tea Laemmle Royal The Ruse Wide Release The Old Woman With The Knife In Select Theaters The Grotto Laemmle NoHo 7 Untold: The Fall of Favre Streaming on Net...
May 16, 2025•31 min
Animation has been a major player in Hollywood, with companies like DreamWorks and Disney having made some of their most acclaimed works here in the Golden State. However, a new report has found that recent high-grossing animated films are being made outside of Hollywood. Examples mentioned include Moana, with the original film being made in Hollywood, but its sequel having been made in Vancouver. The study was co-authored by the Animation Guild, BRIC Foundation and Titmouse Foundation in partne...
May 09, 2025•20 min
FilmWeek: ‘Friendship,’ ‘Nonnas,’ ‘Fight or Flight,’ and more! Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Friendship Wide release Nonnas Streaming on Netflix Marcella Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] | Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] | Laemmle Claremont 5 Fight or Flight In Select Theaters Most People Die on Sundays Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] | Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] Henry...
May 09, 2025•30 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Thunderbolts* Wide Release Rust Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] | Available On VOD Bonjour Tristesse In Select Theaters Havoc Streaming On Netflix Another Simple Favor S treaming On Amazon Prime The Surfer In Select Theaters Monty Python and the Holy Grail In Select Theaters Two-Days Only [May 4 & May 7] Free for All: The Public Library...
May 02, 2025•33 min
The 2005 sci-fi blockbuster Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith celebrated its 20th Anniversary this year with a notable achievement, with its re-release earning $30 million at the domestic box office. Being the biggest money-making example of a re-release this year, it shows why anniversaries for beloved films mean so much to audiences. Although not as much of a moneymaker, the 20th Anniversary re-release of Pride and Prejudice was able to make $3 million close its opening and close to $6 ...
May 02, 2025•17 min
Oscar voters will no longer be able to skip watching some of the nominated films. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Monday announced that members will from now on be required to watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round of Oscar voting. Up until now, Oscar voters had only been encouraged to watch the nominees and vote in categories they felt qualified in. But in recent years, what films get watched by academy members has been increasin...
Apr 25, 2025•15 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. The Accountant 2 Wide Release Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie In Select Theaters Drop In Select Theaters | VOD April 29 The Trouble with Jessica Laemmle Royal [West LA]| AMC DINE-IN Ontario Mills 30 Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII In Select Theaters | Available on IMAX screens Sunday, April 27 Killer of Sheep (1978) Laemmle NoHo 7 April In Select ...
Apr 25, 2025•35 min
Last week , the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’s Board of Governors announced it would add a new category to its awards ceremony starting 2028– Achievement in Stunt Design. This serves as a major win for the many stuntmen and stuntwomen who’ve lobbied for such an award, with their line of work having existed since the inception of film. Although stunts from the likes of Buster Keaton won’t ever be able to win such an award, there are plenty of recent films that have drawn crowds for...
Apr 18, 2025•17 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Amy Nicholson and Manuel Betancourt review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Sinners Wide Release The Wedding Banquet In Select Theaters Sneaks Wide Release The Legend of Ochi In Select Theaters|Wide Release on April 25 The President's Wife Laemmle Royal [West LA] | Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] | Landmark Pasadena The Shrouds In Select Theaters| Wide Release on April 25 High Art [4K Restoration] Laemmle Noho 7 [Nort...
Apr 18, 2025•33 min
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 th...
Apr 11, 2025•28 min
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 Jus...
Apr 11, 2025•22 min
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 Sel...
Apr 04, 2025•32 min
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 K...
Apr 04, 2025•17 min
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...
Mar 28, 2025•33 min
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 ...
Mar 28, 2025•16 min
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 F...
Mar 21, 2025•18 min
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...
Mar 21, 2025•32 min
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...
Mar 14, 2025•32 min
