FilmWeek: "Heretic," "The Piano Lesson," "Small Things Like These," and more Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms. Heretic The Piano Lesson Small Things Like These Elevation The Last Rifelman Christmas Even in Miller’s Point The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Meanwhile on Earth Sallywood Weekend in Taipei...
Nov 08, 2024•30 min
The upcoming general election has of course been on many peoples’ minds, and what better way to work through the angst than by viewing how generations of artists have tried depicting politics on the big screen? Since early September, Turner Classic Movies has been airing some of the most political films to be released, with some examples being The Great Dictator and JFK . So for today’s feature, Larry and LAist film critics Andy Klein and Christy Lemire talk about their favorite election-related...
Nov 01, 2024•9 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms. They also remember actress Teri Garr, who passed away at the age of 79. Here Blitz Emilia Perez A Real Pain Juror #2 Endurance Freedom The Gutter Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat...
Nov 01, 2024•41 min
FilmWeek: 'Venom: The Last Dance,' 'Conclave,' 'Memoir of a Snail,' and More Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Peter Rainer , Wade Major , and Charles Solomon Venom: The Last Dance Conclave Memoir of a Snail Martha My Name is Alfred Hitchcock Magpie Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) The Remarkable Life of Ibelin Rule of Two Walls The Sacrifice (1986)...
Oct 25, 2024•30 min
Feature: Larry talks to Sean Baker and Mikey Madison about the work that went into making ‘Anora’ Since his 2012 feature-length film Starlet , critically acclaimed director Sean Baker has made films that bring realism to the lives of sex workers across the United States. Angelenos are likely familiar with the locations of Starlet and Tangerine , with the former taking place in the San Fernando Valley and the latter in Hollywood. Baker would eventually shoot his next films in Florida and Texas, b...
Oct 25, 2024•19 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Amy Nicholson and Manuel Betancourt review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms. Smile 2 Wide Release Anora In Select Theaters Rumors In Select Theaters Exhibiting Forgiveness In Select Theaters Woman of the Hour In Select Theaters and Streaming on Netflix Goodrich Laemmle Newhall [Santa Clarita] and Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan And Sara Streaming on Hulu MadS In Select Theaters | Streaming...
Oct 18, 2024•32 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell , Wade Major , and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. Piece by Piece Wide Release The Apprentice Wide Release My Hero Academia: You’re Next Wide Release We Live In Time In Select Theaters | Expands to Wide Release October 18th Last of the Sea Women Laemmle NoHo 7 [North Hollywood] | Streaming on Apple TV+ Food and Country Laemmle Royal [West LA] Nurse Unseen Laemmle Glendale In Her Place ...
Oct 14, 2024•41 min
Referred to by Vulture as a box office “Mega Flop(olis) ,” Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-long project didn’t have an ideal opening, making $4,000,000 domestically across 1,854 theaters. Coppola, now 85 years old, hasn’t gotten much love from audiences for the film, although one sequence has become the subject of many online memes. Megalopolis also arrives at a time when advertisements for the 94-year-old Clint Eastwood’s new film, Juror #2 , are set to release in November. Both filmmakers have ...
Oct 14, 2024•9 min
Daniel Day-Lewis is coming out of retirement, seven years after his last movie, for a film directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis. The project was announced Tuesday by Focus Features and Plan B, who are partnering on “Anemone.” The film, Ronan Day-Lewis’ directorial debut, will star his father along with Sean Bean and Samantha Morton. The two Day-Lewises co-wrote the film. Earlier Tuesday, Daniel Day-Lewis and Bean were spotted driving a motorbike through Manchester, England, stoking intrigue about...
Oct 04, 2024•19 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein and Claudia Puig review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. Joker:Folie a Deux Wide Release The Outrun In Select Theaters Blink In Select Theaters Stripped For Parts: American Journalism On The Brink Laemmle Royal [West LA] Daytime Revolution In Select Theaters One Night Only on October 9th [Wednesday] The Problem with People Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] White Bird In Select Theaters Guests:...
Oct 04, 2024•30 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Charles Solomon , Christy Lemire and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. Megalopolis Wide Release The Wild Robot Wide Release Saturday Night AMC Burbank 16 + AMC Burbank Town Center 6 | Expands October 11th Lee In Select Theaters Sleep Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA] + Available on VOD Amber Alert Laemmle Royal [West LA] Rez Bell Streaming on Netflix Girls Will Be Girls Landmark’s Nuart Theatre [West LA] | Expands ...
Sep 27, 2024•35 min
Having done film criticism for decades, it was around the early points of the COVID-19 pandemic that film critic and historian Carrie Rickey decided to take up the task of outlining the life of beloved director, Agnes Varda. In A Complicated Passion: The Life and Work of Agnès Varda , Rickey looks at not just Varda’s filmography, but also how she became such a public-facing individual who embodied the politics she preached in interviews and on the big screen. Writing about the work that went int...
Sep 27, 2024•19 min
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 perceptions of and conversations around interracial relationships have changed since Larry was growing up in the ’60s… for better, and for worse. 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....
Sep 24, 2024•27 min
Although infrequent movie watchers might be most familiar with filmmaker Brian De Palma’s Scarface and Mission Impossible , his most prolific era actually came between 1972-1981, which is what filmmaker and book author Laurent Bouzereau refers to as “The De Palma Decade” in his new book of the same name. Beginning with De Palma’s 1972 film Sisters , and ending with his 1981 film Blow Out , Bouzereau break down the iconic filmmaker’s themes and thought process when developing each work within thi...
Sep 20, 2024•19 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Claudia Puig , Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. Never Let Go Wide Release A Different Man In Select Theaters Transformers One Wide Release The Substance In Select Theaters Wolfs In Select Theaters | Streaming on Apple TV+ September 27th In The Summers Laemmle Royal All Happy Families Laemmle Royal Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] | Streaming on PB...
Sep 20, 2024•31 min
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 movies can help teach us about the world, and ourselves… and what makes some more effective than others in getting their messages across. 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....
Sep 17, 2024•17 min
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...
Sep 13, 2024•31 min
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...
Sep 13, 2024•9 min
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 hav...
Sep 13, 2024•11 min
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 qual...
Sep 10, 2024•25 min
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...
Sep 06, 2024•31 min
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...
Sep 06, 2024•19 min
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.
Sep 04, 2024•22 min
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 So...
Aug 30, 2024•31 min
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 C...
Aug 30, 2024•19 min
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.
Aug 27, 2024•19 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Andy Klein and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. Blink Twice Wide Release The Crow Wide Release The Killer Streaming on Peacock Between the Temples In Select Theaters Strange Darling In Select Theaters Red Island Laemmle Royal Greedy People In Select Theaters Rear Window (70th Anniversary) In Select Theaters The Secret Art of Human Flight Available on VOD The Other Laurens Available on VOD Incoming Stre...
Aug 23, 2024•31 min
1960’s exploitation films did so much for the industry, as they created a general roadmap for how to make a commercially successful film. The following decade would bring further proof in the form of “blaxploitation,” a ethnic subgenre that saw Black filmmakers and creatives take center stage in stories that were meant to entertain audiences while also serve as representation in the industry. Although still quite controversial within the community for their explicit storylines, the heros many ti...
Aug 23, 2024•19 min
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 swearing has changed over the years... becoming more common, less taboo, and moving the dial on what it means to be vulgar today. 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....
Aug 20, 2024•15 min
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. “Alien: Romulus” Wide Release “My Penguin Friend” Wide Release “Jackpot!” Streaming on Amazon Prime “Close to You” Laemmle Royal | Monica Film Center | Laemmle NoHo 7 | Laemmle Glendale “Skincare”...
Aug 16, 2024•31 min
