We love the New Beverly's special events so much that we sometimes forget how solid their "standard" programming is. Elsewhere, Horrible Movie Night brings the turkey a little early with Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. more ›

It's Quentin Tarantino's 48th birthday so lets celebrate with weird rubber Muppets. Today's video lunch spectacular is an homage to the ultimate mayor of the New Beverly Cinema. Enjoy the freakiness then check out the untampered with version of this 1994 classic (really... it's almost 20 years old) at 11:59 p.m. on April 1 & 2 at the New Bev. more ›

History teaches that St. Patrick went to Las Vegas, on a spaceship, with Ice T. Or something like that. The Cinefamily celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a run of short statured slasher series Leprechaun! more ›

No wonder he's spending all month at the New Beverly. According to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Quentin Tarantino is suing his True Blood creator neighbor Alan Ball over "obnoxious pterodactyl-like screams" from Ball's "exotic bird menagerie," reports The Wrap. more ›

Four years ago, Quentin Tarantino began a proud tradition of guest programming the New Beverly. Fellow film geeks have followed in his wake, including Edgar Wright (twice!), Eli Roth, Diablo Cody, Joe Dante (another two-timer) & even Peter Bogdanovich, and now the king's returned to his cinematic castle. QT's opening his private vaults for some of the grimiest, craziest, rarest exploitation to hit the silver screen - and luckily for us, they're staying open for a full month of March Madness! more ›

An autopsy is scheduled for today for Sally Menke, the 56-year-old award-winning film editor who died while hiking Monday on rugged terrain in Griffith Park. Menke's body was found north of the 5500 block of Green Oak Drive, with her "loyal Labrador retriever" at her side, the LAPD explain in an emailed release. more ›

Sally Menke, known for her work as Quentin Tarantino's film editor, has been found dead near Griffith Park, reports LA Now. Sally Menke, known for her work as Quentin Tarantino's film editor, has been found dead near Griffith Park, reports LA Now. Menke, in her fifties, was the missing hiker for whom the LAPD searched diligently yesterday evening after friends reported her missing. Her body was found at the bottom of a ravine early this morning in Beachwood Canyon. more ›

Despite the lack of Gimps, samurai slices and Nazi scalps, Jackie Brown remains my favorite Quentin Tarantino film. I'm pleased as rum punch to share that it's playing in a free, outdoor screening Friday at sundown as part of the Alamo Drafthouse's Rolling Roadshow series, presented in association with the Cinefamily. The series goes beyond the drive-in, bringing audiences to the very locations where films were shot (in this case, it's the Del Amo Mall in Torrance). If that weren't enough, QT & Co. will be on-deck, hopefully accompanied by chicks with guns. But this isn't your only chance to catch the stars under the stars this weekend! The Echo Park Film Center's Filmmobile brings writer/director Allison Anders and her girl gang drama Mi Vida Loca back to the streets of LA (follow EPFC on Twitter @EPFCfilmmobile for exact location), and the Outdoor Cinema Food Fest hauls The Hangover into Exposition Park. more ›

University students turn to their professors for education, but whom should they look to for wisdom? According to The Philosopher Kings, they would do well to leave the classroom and head for the janitor's closet. The wonderful documentary goes behind the wet floor sign of college custodians, and illustrates the dynamic personalities who deliver a clean campus amid spotty life experiences. more ›

Quentin Tarantino is in person tonight at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood for a double-feature of his films: Pulp Fiction at 6 pm, followed by Inglorious Basterds. There’s a moderated discussion following each film with director Tarantino. Tickets are $11 and student/senior are $9. more ›

This is my third year-end best list for LAist (2007, 2008), and it ain't getting any easier. I could easily list forty films that are worth your time and money, but that would get all sorts of unwieldy and expensive so I'll limit it to the traditional ten. I won't even try to rank them. All I'll say is that each one captured my imagination in a unique way, and each still lingers clearly in my memory. There's a mixture of studio and independent films, documentary and narrative -- in short, something for everyone. If there are any films listed below that you haven't seen, I urge you to spin up your Netflix queue and go add them now. Also, if there's anything you believe I've criminally ommitted, please let me know and I'll be happy to joust with you in the comments. more ›

Sure, it may not have received the near-universal acclaim of Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, but I thought Inglourious Basterds was a welcome return to form for Tarantino after the over-long Kill Bill diptych and the dull Death Proof. I really dug The Hangover the first time I saw it, but a second viewing wasn't nearly as satisfying (contrast that with, say, Anchorman which I found far funnier on the tenth screening.) More than any other movie, The Goods suffered from all the Hangover success since it seemed mild in comparison. It's worth a look on DVD, though. The same guys for Taking Woodstock. I was apparently the only one in the world who loved it, but how can you not love Ang Lee? The Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-Ray = perfect gift for Dad. more ›

On this icy weekend, nobody's more explosive than Black Dynamite! The blaxploitation tribute lights up Long Beach this Friday, with exclusive giveaways & Adrian Younge, the Dynamite composer who brings more funk than the junk in your trunk! Want even more bang for your buck? The New Beverly has a neo-grindhouse triple-threat of Black Dynamite, Planet Terror & Death Proof sure to make your Sunday sizzle. Or go to LACMA for a quadruple Korean KO of Bong Joon-ho's The Host, Barking Dogs Never Bite, Memories of Murder (for free!) & Mother (South Korea's hard-boiled Oscar submission). If space is your place - head to Echo Park, for alien abduction documentary Hollywood UFO. Check your Milla Jovovich at the door. more ›

Millions of moronic teenagers pushed The Final Destination to the top of the weekend box-office chart as it snagged a richly undeserved $28.3M (largely due to the inflated price of tickets to the 3D showings). Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds managed to hold onto second place despite forecasts to the contrary ($20M | $73.8M). In a bit of good news, the worthless Halloween II came in below expectations ($17.4M). Surprise hit District 9 continued to perform well ($10.7M | $90.8M) while G.I. Joe rounded out the top 5 ($8M | $132M). more ›

Quentin Tarantino roared back into prominence as his World War Two revenge flick, Inglourious Basterds, uh, roared to the top of the weekend box office, earning a way-above expectations $37.2M. Last week's champ, District 9 had a reasonable hold and earned an additional $18.9M ($73.4M). After that it was the sort of okay G.I.Joe ($12.5M | $120.5M), the weepy Time Traveler's Wife ($10M | 37.4M) and the winning Julie & Julia ($9M | $59.2M). Kids commanded the next three slots: the lame Shorts debuted to $6.6M followed by the odd G-Force ($4.2M | $107.3M) and the super Harry Potter 6: Harry Battles Voldemort! ($3.5M | $290.2M) more ›

There's already been a ton of Inglourious Basterds material on LAist this weekend, so I'll only say, "Check it out. It's a helluva ride." My One and Only looks like an intriguing film. Based in part on the life of George Hamilton, it tells the story of a determined woman looking for a wealthy man to provide a nice life for her and her sons. It's been awhile since there's been a film about The Troubles, but Five Minutes of Heaven is a welcome addition to the canon. Liam Neeson stars as a man who, as a child, murdered the brother of another man (a fantastic James Nesbitt). The film tells a story of forgiveness as both try to reconcile the past. more ›

(editor's note - LAist sent our intrepid reporter, Lois Lane, er, Courtney Quinn to the Inglourious Basterds Press Day last weekend. In the spirit of Tarantino's film, she's segmented her coverage into something very, well...Basterd-like. It's a good, long read so get comfortable in your chair. Extra points for creativity, Coco.) more ›

Though it first aired a decade ago, most people still remember Samm Levine quite clearly from the cult TV show, Freaks and Geeks (look back at the cast and writers and marvel at the talent). Since then he has worked steadily, both in television (the best episode of Entourage ever) and film (the hilarious and underrated Not Another Teen Movie.) This Friday, Samm appears as one of Brad Pitt's basterds in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. LAist had a chance to speak with Samm recently about working on the film. more ›

The difficulty in reviewing a film like Inglourious Basterds is that it's really two films mashed up into one. One of those films concerns a young Jewish woman named Shoshanna who exacts a brilliant revenge against the Nazis who murdered her family. The other regards a group of mostly Jewish-American military assassins (the titular "Basterds") who scour the French countryside killing everyone in a German uniform. What's strangely problematic about Inglourious Basterds is that while the latter story is full of Quentin Tarantino's characteristic bluster and brio, you can't wait to get back to Shoshanna and find out what's happening with her life. more ›

Joe Dante returns to the New Bev, and this time he's brought company! Living legend Roger Corman joins Dante for a double-feature of his films St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Corman's first directed for a major studio) & Not Of This Earth (far from his first directed for a schlocky drive-in). The inferno rages all-day Saturday, with a screening of The Movie Orgy, a cut-and-paste epic of found footage & cinematic anarchy. Best of all, to quote Dante, "admission is free because even I don't know who owns the rights to all this found footage". It all climaxes with a 25th anniversary screening of Dante's classic Gremlins. You will have to pay for that, but Gizmo's so cute! Just keep your popcorn away...it's a midnight show. more ›

I don't know if I've gotten even nerdier, or if documentaries have gotten even better, but half the films I've seen or wanted to see this year are non-fictional in nature. Which is why I'm stoked for DocuWeeks 2009, playing through the end of August at the Arclight. Sponsored by the International Documentary Association, the festival features compelling characters & stranger-than-fiction stories in first-look Academy-qualifying runs. Each week is a different program; this week features a look at ecology from the ground up, Up With People, the uphill struggle of Congolese & Nepalese refugees, and the uppest of the up, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. more ›

It may seem like a thankless struggle at times, but I will not rest until everyone who needs to see Battlestar Galactica has seen Battlestar Galactica. I don't think there has ever been a show so great that has been viewed by so few. Remedy that today! I sort of like the graininess of my current Spinal Tap DVD, but if you'd rather see Nigel, David, Derek and, uh, Liam in delicious 1080P than today is your day. I was excited about the prospect of a live-action Green Lantern movie right up to the point where Ryan Reynolds became involved. I like Ryan in light comedies, but he is all wrong for the Lantern Corps. I mean, Sinestro would just completely kick his ass! Finally, I urge everyone to do their patriotic duty by clicking on the Sarah Palin link and donating today! more ›

Barack Obama bested the Presidential campaign by reaching across all places and people. It seems only fitting that his inauguration week bears a similarly dynamic platform: from the earliest cinematic pioneers to the latest digital technologies, from campy cult comedies to maverick macho westerns, from classic actors to Jean Claude Van Damme, from sea to shining sea. This is why I love L.A. Nay, this is why I love America! more ›

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In 1992, Quentin Tarantino made a huge splash at the Sundance Film Festival with his directorial debut, . He didn't return to Park City until this year to serve as a member of the Festival's Jury. Last night, he was honored with the Ray-Ban Visionary Award and LAist was there. Following a short introduction by Dennis Hopper, Quentin took the stage and riffed about his first Sundance experience for about twenty minutes. Following that, The Bravery took the stage for a short concert. Videos and photos of all of it are after the jump. more ›

Roger Avary, the Academy Award-winning writer of the 1994 cult classic Pulp Fiction, was arrested this weekend on charges of manslaughter. more ›

Who is brave or foolish enough to go out tonight? No, seriously. Why do you want to leave the house? There are some things to do if you are so inclined (queue writer's raised eyebrow). more ›

Helena Bonham Carter and her boyfriend, director Tim Burton, both Golden Globe nominees for Sweeney Todd welcomed their second baby together, a girl, in London this weekend - People more ›

"Atonement" leads the pack of nominees for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards with seven nods, including top actor nominations for both leads, Keira Knightly and James McAvoy. "American Gangster," "No Country for Old Men," and "Sweeney Todd" also garnered nominations; you can read a partial list of the nominees here at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association website. Hayden Panettiere, Dane Cook, Ryan Reynolds and Quentin Tarantino read the list at the Beverly Hilton at... more ›

In Which we Discover how the Golden Girls helped make stuff we like Have you ever written anything? I don't mean like a letter or a note, but something long, something good. Sure, you think you could. A lot of people do. But unless you're actually writing something, you're not a writer. Writing is really time consuming. It's not just about fun and ideas. It's about forcing yourself to sit down, get off the phone,... more ›