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FilmWeek on AirTalk, hosted by Larry Mantle, is a one-hour weekly segment devoted to films. It offers reviews of the week's new movies, interviews with filmmakers, and discussions on various aspects of the industry.
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The Hollywood system was never a secret, even in the Golden Age. A young girl would be discovered, plucked from a small town in the Midwest, made over to look “the part” of a movie star, and then wholly become one as one of the major studios “it girl.” Although the idea of what a “star” is has changed over the decades to reflect societal ideals of each decade, the process and effects remain the same. The same is true for the film A Star is Born, which has been adapted four times. The original was released in 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, and follows the Hollywood machine of making a movie star. Over the subsequent versions, music was introduced, first with the 1954 adaptation where Judy Garland tries to become a leading lady in a Hollywood musical. The 1976 and 2018 versions modernize the commentary by setting it in the music industry with Barbara Streisand and Lady Gaga starring respectively. These differences and what they say about each era of the entertainment industry are explored in the book “A Star is Reborn: The Most Filmed Hollywood Story of Love Found and Lost.” On FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with the author Robert Hofler. “A Star is Reborn” is on sale now.
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Also joining us on FilmWeek to talk about the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and some of the films being shown is program director for the festival and LAist film critic, Claudia Puig. Films: Send Help, Wide Release The Moment, In Select Theaters A Poet, Laemmle Royal [West LA] Miracle: The Boys of '80, Streaming on Netflix Pike River, Lumiere Cinema [Beverly Hills] Islands, In Select Theaters Shelter, 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
The LA Times released a list of the best 101 films set in Los Angeles. The number one spot went to the 1974 film Chinatown, directed by Roman Polanski, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, with the backdrop of a 1930’s Los Angeles. Second place went to David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001), and some other notable picks include Blade Runner (1982), Her (2013), Tangerine (2015) and Boyz n the Hood (1991). Joining Larry Mantle on FilmWeek to discuss some of the more surprising films included and their personal favorites are LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt, assistant editor of Documentary Magazine, and one of the contributors to the LA Times’ Best LA Movies list, and Wade Major, film critic for CineGods.com and author of the “Hollywood Heretic” Substack. You can read the LA Times’ 101 Best LA Movies list here.
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Peter Rainer, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. And we remember the beloved animation director Roger Allers, known best for co-directing Disney’s The Lion King, and award-winning actress Joan Plowright. Films: Mercy, Wide Release Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Streaming on the Kino Film Collection Arco, AMC Burbank & AMC Century City H is for Hawk, In Select Theaters Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, Streaming on HBO Max Disneyland Handcrafted, Streaming on Disney+ Sound of Falling, Laemmle Royal [West LA] Cosmic Princess Kaguya, Streaming on Netflix 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 Tim Cogshell and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: 28 Years Later: the Bone Temple, Wide Release The RIP, Streaming on Netflix Night Patrol, In Select Theaters The Shadow of the Sun, Laemmle Glendale Young Mothers, Laemmle Royal [West LA] A Private Life, Laemmel Royal [West LA], AMC Burbank, & AMC The Grove Sheepdog, In Select Theaters Obex, Laemmle NoHo 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
The new film Sheepdog was over a decade in the making. Writer, director, and star, Steven Grayhm, spent 14 years talking to veterans about their mental health struggles after returning home, and families of veterans who have taken their own lives. The film follows combat veteran, Calvin Cole (played by Grayhm), as he goes through court mandated therapy. His therapist, played by Oscar-nominated actor Virginia Madsen, is new to the job, still finishing her schooling. Madsen’s connection to the film is also a personal one. On FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with filmmaker Steven Grayhm and actor Virginia Madsen about the making of Sheepdog and their respective emotional connections to the film. Sheepdog is playing 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
1Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein and Beandrea July review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. And we remember Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr. Films: Dead Man's Wire, AMC Burbank & AMC Grove|Expands Jan. 16 Greenland 2: Migration, Wide Release I Was a Stranger, In Select Theaters All That's Left of You, Laemmle Royal [West LA] The Mother and the Bear, Laemmle Glendale Homegrown, Available on VOD The Forgotten Occupation, Lumiere Cinema [West LA] Jan 10 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
South Korean director Park Chan-wook is considered one of living legends working today, known for his dark comedies inspired by film noir like his breakout hit Oldboy. His work also plays with shifting tones, like the paranoia and romance in the 2022 film Decision to Leave. Chan-wook’s newest film No Other Choice continues this pattern, melding the dark tone of a crime thriller with the slap-stick of a comical farce. The film stars Lee Byun-hun as a paper company employee who has just been laid off. Desperate to maintain his identity as a working man, he takes drastic measures to eliminate his competition in the job market. This time on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with director Park Chan-wook about his new film No Other Choice and how he decides what films to make at this stage in his career. Park Chan-wook is accompanied by his interpreter Jiwoon Lee. You can see No Other Choice 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
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Amy Nicholson and Manuel Betancourt review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: Marty Supreme Wide Release Song Sung Blue Wide Release No Other Choice In Select Theaters|Expands January The Testament of Ann Lee In Select Theaters|Expands January Anaconda Wide Release The Plague At Select Laemmle Theater locations|Expands Wide Jan 2 Goodbye June Streaming on Netflix Father Mother Sister Brother Landmark Nuart Theater [West LA]|Expands Jan. 9 The Choral AMC Burbank & Laemmle Royal [West LA]|Expands to select theaters Jan. 15
Rental Family explores the unique phenomena of Japanese rental family agencies through an underemployed American actor living in Tokyo. Anchored by Brendan Fraser’s empathetic performance, Rental Family explores the lyricism of loneliness and the solace we can find in connection. Joining Larry to talk about Rental Family are director and co-writer of the film HIKARI and lead actor Brendan Fraser. 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 Tim Cogshell, Peter Rainer, and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: Avatar: Fire and Ash, Wide Release The Housemaid, Wide Release The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, Wide Release Is This Thing On?, In Select Theaters The Voice of Hind Rajab, Laemmle Royal [West LA] David, Wide Release Franz, Laemmle Monica [Santa Monica] All Operators are Currently Unavailable, Laemmle NoHo Breakdown: 1975, Streaming on Netflix Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?, Streaming on HBO Max 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 Christy Lemire and Beandrea July review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
Pantone as a company is synonymous with our ideas around ‘color.’ They set the standard for what we expect “olive green” or “electric blue” to look like. But what about the man behind the iconic Pantone color square, each with a unique I.D. number? In the new documentary The King of Color, director Patrick Creadon focuses on the man who created Pantone’s Matching System, Lawrence Herbert. Creadon joins FilmWeek host Larry Mantle to discuss the legacy of Herbert and how a documentary about a niche subject like color matching gets off the ground. The King of Color is playing at the Regal Paseo theater in Pasadena. 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 Claudia Puig and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Wide Release The Secret Agent, AMC Century City 100 Nights of Hero, Wide Release Fackham Hall, Wide Release The Chronology of Water, Laemmle Royal [West LA] Cutting Through Rocks, Laemmle Royal [West LA]; Laemmle Town Center [Encino] Zodiac Killer Project, Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA]; Laemmle Glendale The Tale of Silyan, Laemmle Monica Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, Wide Release Man Finds Tape, Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA]; Available on VOD The New Yorker at 100, Streaming on Netflix 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
Horror films have been a consistent draw for movie theaters, even in a post-pandemic, streaming world. And one of the most well-known production studios in horror is Blumhouse. The production house came on the scene in 2009 with Paranormal Activity, a low-budget found-footage film that became a smash hit spawning a franchise. Blumhouse would repeat this formula with The Purge and Insidious franchise. Now, Blumhouse is known for its more crowd pleasing scary movies like M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s (with the highly anticipated sequel releasing this week), but the studio has also taken risks on up and coming directors like Jordan Peele and Damien Chazelle. So, how does a horror production house continue to survive and turn a profit in today’s film industry? And why does horror seem to be a safe bet for box office returns. Joining us to discuss the current horror movie landscape is Abhijay Prakash, president of Blumhouse. You can read all about Blumhouse’s rise in their new book Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse. 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
For our most recent FilmWeek screening event, where we show quintessential L.A. films across the city, we went to the family-owned Garden Cinema to present the Coen Brothers’ classic The Big Lebowski. The 1998 noir-comedy opened to mixed reviews during its initial release, but has since gained cult status and even mainstream praise. In 2014, it was designated a "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” film and added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. After the screening, Larry Mantle spoke with LAist FilmWeek critics Christy Lemire and Wade Major about the impact of the film and their personal love for ‘The Dude.’ 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 Tim Cogshell, Manuel Betancourt and Charles Solomon review the latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery In Select Theaters Nov 26|Streaming on Netflix Dec 12 Hamnet In Select Theaters Nov 26|Expands Dec 5 Zootopia 2 Wide Release Nov 26 Eternity In Select Theaters Nov 26 A Magnificent Life Laemmle Royal [West LA] Closes Nov 27 Cactus Pears Laemmle Royal [West LA] Nov 28 Outerlands Available on VOD Nov 26 Angel's Egg Alamo Drafthouse DTLA Nov 26|Egyptian Theater Nov 28 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 Claudia Puig and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: Wicked: For Good, Wide Release Rental Family, Wide Release Left-Handed Girl, In Select Theaters|Streaming on Netflix Nov. 28 Rebuilding, AMC Century City|AMC Burbank Out of Plain Sight, Laemmel NoHo Auction, Laemmle Town Center [Encino]|Laemmle Royal [West LA] Manas, Laemmle Glendale The Making of a Japanese, Available on VOD 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
Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve earned international recognition for her performance in the Joachim Trier film The Worst Person in the World. After roles in Hollywood in Presumed Innocent and A Different Man, Reinsve and Trier have reunited in their new film Sentimental Value about a theater actress and her estranged film director father in Oslo. Larry Mantle speaks with Renate Reinsve about her approach to acting and her latest film. You can see Sentimental Value in select theaters now. It will expand to more theaters Friday. Nov. 28. 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
Actor Cesar Romero is probably best known for his role as The Joker in the 1960s Batman series, a portrayal that would later define the character and cast a large shadow over future screen adaptations. But well before Romero put on the green wig and red lipstick, he had a successful and varied career. He acted alongside the Rat Pack in Ocean’s Eleven and Carmen Miranda in Week-End in Havana. Most of his roles fell into the ‘Latin Lover’ stereotype, a mold he did not fit in his everyday life. Yet, despite on-screen limitations, Romero was still able to imbue each character with a sense of humanity. In the new biography Cesar Romero: The Joker is Wild, author Samuel Garza Bernstein goes in depth about Romero’s life pre-Hollywood, his career pre-Joker, and his 1980s renaissance as an A-list TV actor. On FilmWeek, Larry speaks with Garza Bernstein about Romero’s legacy. 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!
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