Actors from the Sins O' The Flesh shadow cast that performs during the midnight screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Nuart Theatre
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Courtesy of Sins O' The Flesh
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Topline:
Nuart Theatre celebrates 50 years as LA’s home of the 'cult' Midnight Movie. How ‘Pink Flamingos,' 'Rocky Horror’ and 'Eraserhead' helped build its rep as a destination for arthouse films.
Why it matters: The Nuart Theatre opened in 1930 like so many movie theaters did back then. There was a big premiere, lots of lights, music and fanfare. The film was Sweethearts on Parade starring Alice White, and big silent film stars like Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were in attendance.
For decades after it was considered just another “sub-run neighborhood theater,” according to a local theater blog. That is, until group that would become known as Landmark Theatres bought it in 1974. Offbeat — and sometimes "repulsive" — films would showcase, helping build Nuart's reputation as an arthouse.
Why now: The Nuart is celebrating its 50th anniversary of being owned by Landmark this year and it is still LA's home of the Midnight Movie, like the long-running Saturday screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's being featured in How to LA's 10-part podcast series, Revival House.
Listen:
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Revival House: The Nuart Theatre, LA's 'Edgy' 'Cult' Home Of The Midnight Movies
Revival House: The Nuart Theatre, LA's 'Edgy' 'Cult' Home Of The Midnight Movies
The Nuart Theatre opened in 1930 like so many movie theaters did back then. There was a big premiere, lots of lights, music and fanfare. The film was Sweethearts on Parade starring Alice White, and big silent film stars like Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were in attendance.
It got a “beautiful remodel” in the 1940s, says theater historian Ross Melnick, that left us with the three-cornered Art Deco marquee and the sunburst terrazzo out front that still adorns the Nuart today.
An arthouse rep is built
“Every theater in Los Angeles, especially all these rep houses, have a history that's not consistent, “ says Melnick. “They have a history that's related to the changes in the neighborhood, the changes in the city, the changes in moviegoing, and then they just have histories related to the people who ran them.”
The Nuart changed hands a couple of times and, at one point in '40s and '50s, showcased international films from Latin America and Japan, driven by the interests of nearby students from UCLA and Santa Monica College. But for decades the Nuart was just seen as another “sub-run neighborhood theater,” according to a local theater blog.
The lit up marquee of the Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles.
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Courtesy of Landmark Theatres
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That is, until a group that would become known as Landmark Theatres bought it in 1974.
“They got the L. A. first-run engagement of Pink Flamingos,” says longtime former programmer at The Nuart, Mark Valen. “But it was a midnight show. Midnights only because, you know, it's such a weird movie.”
Or, as critics called it, “one of the most vile, stupid and repulsive films ever made.
"In Pink Flamingos, famed drag queen Divine (aka criminal Babs Johnson) has just been named the “filthiest person alive,” and some nasty rivals try to come for her title.
And, really, it just gets nastier from there.
The film had been running in New York for about a year but never on the West Coast. When it premiered at the Nuart, Valen remembers Divine showing up on a motorcycle with a trash truck in tow. Out of the back of the truck emerged a group Valen recalls as the Cycle Sluts.
“They were all dressed in leather biker gear and made up with their wigs and stuff and they, you know, did a little dance in front of the theater,” he says. “It was amazing.”
And a success.
Pink Flamingos ran as the midnight show at the Nuart for years after that and helped build the theater’s reputation as a destination for arthouse film.
“It’s legacy, I would say, is really bold, edgy and eclectic,” says Landmark Theatres president Kevin Holloway, noting that after 50 years of being recognized for this, it’ll probably never change.
“We're just excited to be at year 50, and to be able to give our audience more of what we've been doing from the past 50 years, and trying to endure for, hopefully, another 50,” he says.
The Landmark Nuart Theatre on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2024.
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Julie Leopo
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LAist
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The Landmark Nuart Theatre is a one-screen movie house with 4K DLP digital projection and 35mm projection.
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Julie Leopo
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LAist
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The 'defining theater of cult movies'
After Divine christened the newly-owned Nuart, other cult movies like David Lynch’s Eraserhead would find a home there too.
But no film has had as lasting a run as The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
When the film first premiered in 1975 with Tim Curry as the “sweet transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania,” it was a flop. But its story, about two square lovers who get lost in a castle with a cast of characters who show them how to “give [themselves] over to absolute pleasure,” eventually found a delighted audience. The innuendo-laden musical rock numbers probably didn’t hurt, and a cult classic was born.
It soon became a must-see midnight movie complete with raucous audience participation — and props — and its appeal has never really waned. Rocky Horror is now considered one of the longest running theatrical releases in film history.
The Nuart was one of the first theaters to play the film continuously (aside from a few special hiatuses) starting in 1976.
The performance troupe that evolved in 1988 from all that audience engagement is called Sins O’ The Flesh. They’re now what’s known as the Nuart’s Rocky Horror “shadow cast” — actors who come out in full costume and makeup to lipsync and perform live as the film screens.
“I would come to the Nuart for Rocky Horror … and then just come to the Nuart for all of their other screenings,” says Nina Minnelli, who now performs with Sins O’ The Flesh. “The Nuar t… since probably about the '60s is the defining theater of cult movies.”
Tickets to Rocky Horror still sell out most Saturday nights.
Films from directors like John Waters, David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky helped make the Nuart. It also found a lot of success with classic films, or versions of them, like the director’s cut of Blade Runner. One of its biggest programming successes, however, says Valen, was in 1999 with a small little horror film you may have heard of: The Blair Witch Project.
“I remember driving by the theater at noon on that Friday and there was a huge line down the street waiting to buy tickets,” says Valen. “I remember a couple came up to me and they said, ‘is this just a one-movie theater house?’ And I realized, ‘wow, they're bringing in people from, like, the suburbs in Orange County who are used to only going to multiplexes.’”
He adds: “I was kind of glad to have, you know, introduced a new audience to the Nuart.”
The Landmark Nuart Theatre lobby in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. The historic theater has undergone renovations.
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Julie Leopo
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LAist
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Now in its 50th year owned by Landmark, the Nuart is still looking to provide a space for moviegoers to discover new films in a packed house full of other folks — that may or may not include dancing or screaming.
“Our core focus, even though it has evolved, has really just been being those community locations for moviegoers,” says Landmark’s Holloway.
Adds historian Ross Melnick: “I just trust it because it's the Nuart … it's always been this hallmark of arthouse cinema.”
If you are looking to catch a film at the Nuart, keep your eye on the calendar this year. There are two special film series coming up to celebrate moviegoers with great picks from the New Hollywood era of the '60s, '70s and '80s, and also from 1999, which means that, yes, you’ll be able to catch The Blair Witch Project again on the big screen.
Kavish Harjai
reported from Exposition Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Published January 19, 2026 2:34 PM
People gather outside the California African American Museum in Exposition Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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Kavish Harjai
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LAist
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Topline:
At the California African American Museum’s annual King Day event, museumgoers listened to and reflected on a speech the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered less than a year before his assassination.
“Three Evils of Society”: As part of its program celebrating the civil rights leader, the Exposition Park museum played King’s keynote address to the 1967 National Conference on New Politics in Chicago. Attendees participated in a group discussion after.
Read on … for more about the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event.
The words were spoken by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967. But for those listening to a recording in 2026 at the California African American Museum, they still felt fresh.
“When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, economic exploitation and militarism are incapable of being conquered,” King said in “The Three Evils of Society,” his keynote address at the 1967 National Conference on New Politics in Chicago.
Cameron Shaw, executive director of the Exposition Park museum, told LAist on Monday that the speech has “incredible relevance to the political and social moment and what we’re going through as a people today.”
The playing of the speech was part of the program the California African American Museum created for its annual “King Day” event, held on the federal holiday that honors the legacy of the Baptist preacher whose nonviolent protests and eloquent speeches helped shift American attitudes about race in the 1960s and beyond and lead to landmark Civil Rights legislation.
In a brief discussion after the speech, museumgoers shared their thoughts on King’s words. One attendee spoke about the need to interrogate racism as a systematic ill, not just as one-off acts. Another commented on the importance of standing up to injustice.
Shaw says the museum’s celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has evolved over the last several years, but one of the main throughlines she sees is the continued message of “speaking truth to power.”
“When we celebrate Dr. King today, we celebrate all of the folks past and present who have been brave enough to speak truth to power,” Shaw said. “That is something we truly need.”
Monday’s event also featured a faux stained glass workshop inspired by an exhibition at the museum on architect Amaza Lee Meredith. The Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles will also perform a tribute concert.
Italian fashion designer Valentino died Monday at his Roman residence. He was 93.
Valentino's legacy: In the world of haute couture, Valentino embraced sophistication, elegance and traditional femininity through his dresses. His work embodied romance, luxury and an aristocratic lifestyle. He dressed the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis, as well as modern stars, including Anna Wintour to Gwyneth Paltrow and Zendaya.
How he got his start: Valentino owed much of his success to his former lover and business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti. The two met in Rome in 1960, where Valentino had opened his first couture studio. They founded Valentino Company the same year. Together, the pair built a fashion empire over five decades.
Retirement: They sold the Valentino company in 1998 for nearly$300 million. It made $1.36 billion in revenue in 2021, according to Reuters.
Read on ... for more about Valentino's early life.
Italian fashion designer Valentino died Monday at his Roman residence. He was 93. His foundation announced his death on Instagram.
Dubbed an "international arbiter of taste" by Vogue, notable women wore his designs at funerals and weddings, as well as on the red carpet. He dressed the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis, as well as modern stars, including Anna Wintour to Gwyneth Paltrow and Zendaya.
The image of style and lavish living, Valentino's signature features included crisp suits and a "crème brûlée" complexion — due to his fervor for tanning. He was heavily inspired by the stars he saw on the silver screen and had a lifelong fixation with glamour.
"I love a beautiful lady. I love a beautiful dog. I love a beautiful piece of furniture. I love beauty. It's not my fault," he said in The Last Emperor, a 2008 documentary about him.
In the world of haute couture, Valentino embraced sophistication, elegance and traditional femininity through his dresses and trademarked a vibrant red hue. His work embodied romance, luxury and an aristocratic lifestyle.
He was born Valentino Garavani and named after the silent movie star Rudolph Valentino. A self-described spoiled child, the designer acquired a taste for the expensive from a young age; his shoes were custom-made, and the stripe, color and buttons of his blazers were designed to his specifications.
His father, a well-to-do electrical supplier, and his mother, who appreciated the value of a well-made garment, catered to their young son's refined palate and later supported his fashion endeavors, sending him to school and financing his early work.
Growing up in the small town of Voghera, Italy, he learned sewing from his Aunt Rosa in Lombardy. After high school, he moved to Paris to study fashion and take on apprenticeships.
Valentino owed much of his success to his former lover and business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti. The two met in a café on the famed Via Condotti in Rome in 1960, where Valentino had opened his first couture studio.
They founded Valentino Company the same year, and its first ready-to-wear shop opened in Milan in 1969. Together, the pair built a fashion empire over five decades.
They separated romantically when Valentino was 30 but remained business partners and close friends. Valentino knew little about business and accounting before meeting Giammetti; together, they formed two parts of a whole — Giammetti the business mind, and Valentino the creative force.
"Valentino has a perfect vision of how a woman should dress," Giammetti told Charlie Rose in 2009. "He looks for beauty. Women should be more beautiful. His work is to make women more beautiful."
They sold the Valentino company in 1998 for nearly$300 million. It made $1.36 billion in revenue in 2021, according to Reuters.
Even after his retirement in 2008, he couldn't completely leave fashion behind and continued to design dresses for opera productions.
Once the fashion world became more accessible to the public, millions of aspiring fashionistas bought jeans, handbags, shoes, umbrellas and even Lincoln Continentals with his gleaming "V" monogram. By the peak of his career, Valentino's popularity would rival that of the pope's in Rome.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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Matthew Ballinger
has been wearing the same L.A. Rams hat since elementary school.
Published January 19, 2026 11:32 AM
Kyren Williams scores a touchdown against the Bears on Sunday at chilly Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday.
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Michael Reaves
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Getty Images North America
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Topline:
Rams fans are snapping up $10 tickets for Sunday's SoFi Stadium watch party of the NFC Championship game.
Why it matters: There won't be any football on the field in Inglewood on Jan. 25. But thousands of Rams fans will get the chance to cheer together during the NFC Championship game.
Why now: The SoFi event is happening because of the Rams' overtime heroics in Chicago on Sunday. They beat the favored Bears, 20-17, to advance to the NFC Championship game. One more win and they'll be back in the Super Bowl. The Rams' most recent appearance in the big game was Super Bowl LVI (56 for those of us who don't count in Roman), when they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.
About those tickets: A check at 11 a.m. Monday showed thousands of people in the Ticketmaster queue waiting to get access to the watch party tickets — but they were all gone once the purchase window opened. By noon, it appeared more tickets had become available. Your luck may vary. You can check this Rams website for more info.
What's next: The Rams face the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 25. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of the AFC Championship (New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos, kickoff at noon Sunday) in Super Bowl LX (60) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, home to the San Francisco 49ers.
We Buy Souls gats a gallery show at Good Mother Gallery through February 14.
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Courtesy Rabi
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In this edition:
Patrick Page takes on Shakespeare’s villains, a rock & roll sleaze show, The Puffy Chair and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
Shakespeare’s villains are as timely as ever, brilliantly laid out and executed by actor and writer Patrick Page in this one-man show at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. In this 90-minute show, Page blends his take on Shakespeare’s personal history with current pop culture references and expert quick-turn soliloquies that embody the Bard’s most vicious characters.
There’s art in the tools that make art. That’s the premise of the current show at Craft in America, Tools of the Trades: American Handmade Implements & Devices. Cleverly laid out on the walls and pedestals of the gallery space, everything from intricately engraved scissors to saws to compasses and carving tools is on display and organized by their utility.
Do you like fun? Night Scene has it all — they call it a “rock & roll sleaze show” but it’s a little bit of everything — DJ night, live performances, cool visuals, featured dancers and more. This week, check out sets from Frankie and The Studs, special guest Domenica Fossati (Brazilian Girls) and creator Ashley Hayward.
Laugh along with your furry friend (and meet some potential new ones!) at Wallis Annenberg PetSpace’s Stand Up For Pets comedy night. Can't Even Comedy presents an evening of stand-up headlined by Tacarra Williams (Bring the Funny, Totally Funny Kids) and hosted by Caitlin Benson.
You’ve seen them all over — those telephone pole signs proclaiming WE BUY SOULS! that look like ads, but really are an art installation and the brainchild of L.A.-based artist RABI (David Emanuel Mordechai Torres). This conceptual installation brings his long-running subservice public intervention into a gallery space for the first time ever.
LAist has a full list of all the events going on today in celebration of MLK Day — check those out here.
I spent Wednesday night screaming my head off with Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters as they spent two-and-a-half hours ripping through their hits at the Forum, with an audience that included friends and family of the band (I even spied legendary tennis star John McEnroe in the crowd). The show included a touching — and subdued — solo tribute to drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022. They are one of the best bands to see live (the screaming just isn’t as cathartic on Spotify!), and we’re lucky to call them Angelenos.
There’s all kinds of music to lift your spirits and lighten your load this week, too. Licorice Pizza’s upcoming picks include indie-pop band Echosmith at the Mint on Monday, and Replacements legend Tommy Stinson at Alex’s Bar, also on Monday. Tuesday, U.K. singer-songwriter Jacob Banks is at the Troubadour, and on Wednesday there are a ton of options, including Robert Randolph at the Grammy Museum, hip-hop star Duckwrth at the Blue Note, Saving Abel at the Whisky and the Metal Hall of Fame ceremony at the Roxy. Also on Wednesday, Twice begin their residency at the Forum through Sunday. Plus, the Beachlife lineup for May was just announced, with sets from James Taylor and Duran Duran on tap — something to look forward to!
Shakespeare’s villains are as timely as ever, brilliantly laid out and executed by actor and writer Patrick Page in this one-man show at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Page has a long history of playing the biggest roles in Shakespeare, from Brutus in Julius Caesar opposite Denzel Washington to Iago in Othello at the Washington Shakespeare Company. In this 90-minute show, Page blends his take on Shakespeare’s personal history with current pop culture references and expert quick-turn soliloquies that embody the Bard’s most vicious characters; I especially enjoyed the after-show talkback, where Page generously answers your most pressing Shakespeare questions.
Tools of the Trades: American Handmade Implements & Devices
Through February 28 Craft in America 8415 W. Third Street, Fairfax COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Craft in America
)
There’s art in the tools that make art. That’s the premise of the current show at Craft in America, Tools of the Trades: American Handmade Implements & Devices. Cleverly laid out on the walls and pedestals of the gallery space, everything from intricately engraved scissors to saws to compasses and carving tools is on display and organized by their utility.
The Puffy Chair
Monday, January 19, 7:30 p.m. Vidiots 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock COST: SOLD OUT, WAITLIST AVAILABLE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Ink Films
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Original mumblecore brothers Mark and Jay Duplass have gone on to numerous mainstream projects (Mindy Project, Industry and Transparent, just to name a few), but it all started with indie darling The Puffy Chair. The brothers, plus Katie Aselton, will join for a screening of the roadtrip/buddy comedy about an adventure to pick up, you guessed it, a puffy chair, on the film’s 20th anniversary.
Night Scene
Wednesday, January 21, 8 p.m. Zebulon 2478 Fletcher Drive, Frogtown COST: $38.63; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Dice
)
Do you like fun? Night Scene has it all — they call it a “rock & roll sleaze show” but it’s a little bit of everything — DJ night, live performances, cool visuals, featured dancers and more. This week, check out sets from Frankie and The Studs, special guest Domenica Fossati (Brazilian Girls) and creator Ashley Hayward.
Stand Up for Pets
Wednesday, January 21, 7 p.m. Wallis Annenberg PetSpace 12005 Bluff Creek Drive, Playa Vista COST: $30; MORE INFO
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Wallis Annenberg PetSpace
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Eventbrite
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Laugh along with your furry friend (and meet some potential new ones!) at Wallis Annenberg PetSpace’s Stand Up For Pets comedy night. Can't Even Comedy presents an evening of stand-up headlined by Tacarra Williams (Bring the Funny, Totally Funny Kids) and hosted by Caitlin Benson.
Angel City FC at LA Works MLK Day Volunteer Festival
Monday, January 19, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. LA Memorial Coliseum 3911 S. Figueroa Street, University Park COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Angel City FC
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Eventbrite
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Use your day off to support youth in L.A. with Angel City FC and L.A. Works. You’ll help put together 1,500 sports kits for youth across Los Angeles, giving them the tools they need for learning and play. The opportunity brings volunteers like you together to honor King’s community vision.
We Buy Souls
Through February 14 Good Mother Gallery 5103 W. Adams Blvd., West Adams COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Rabi
)
You’ve seen them all over — those telephone pole signs that look like ads, but really are an art installation and the brainchild of L.A.-based artist RABI (David Emanuel Mordechai Torres). This conceptual installation brings his long-running subservice public intervention into a gallery space for the first time ever. WE BUY SOULS! has attracted attention for its place as “artwork, equal parts installation, performance, marketing experiment and dark satire,” with the posters directing people to a hotline where they are prompted to leave a message dictating the value of their soul and why. Ponder that and other deep thoughts while exploring RABI’s work at the Good Mother Gallery in West Adams.
Speaker Series
Monday, January 19, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Alana’s Coffee Venice 2524 Pacific Ave., Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Three inspiring speakers from across the worlds of Hollywood and literature will share stories and insights into their careers — for free! — at the new Alana’s Coffee speaker series. Inspired by Lectures on Tap and other “hang and learn” projects popping up, this first one features Patricia Rust (The King of Skittledeedoo), Kimberly O’Hara (author and storycoach) and Nancy Nyberg (former Fox exec).
Descanso L.A. One-Year Celebration
Thursday, January 22, 5 p.m. to close Descanso 5773 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile COST: $55; MORE INFO
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Courtesy JS2 PR
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Celebrate a year of new Mexican spot Descanso on Wilshire with an all-you-can-eat taco night for $55. Plus live painting, a DJ, margarita flights and more. The event benefits Food Access L.A.
