Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Weekend Movie Guide 01/13: Dimensional Dancers & Musical Beasts
Ditta Miranda Jasjfi in “Vollmond” in Wim Wenders’ PINA. ©Neue Road Movies GmbH, Photo by Donata Wenders. A Sundance Selects release.
()
Most 3D filmmakers still use the format to focus on explosions & exploitation. Unless they're German documentarians. In Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Werner Herzog trained his 3D cameras on the oldest human art, and now Wim Wenders (Buena Vista Social Club, Wings of Desire) captures the power of kinetic theater in Pina, Germany's official submission for the Oscar. For those unfamiliar, Pina Bausch was a German-born, Juilliard-trained choreographer renowned for introducing unconventional objects - chairs, leaves, water, dirt - into the modern dance stage. Additionally, her work is propelled by bold, sexual interplay between male & female bodies. Cinephiles may recognize her work from the opening of Pedro Almodóvar's Talk to Her.
Sadly, Pina Bausch passed away days before filming began. Rather than eulogize her with talking heads, Pina lets her legacy speak for itself with full performances of her pieces by dancers who had worked closely with her for decades. Wenders' decision to shoot in 3D highlights the format's unique ability to capture dance's kinetic energy, as anyone who caught Step Up 3D during its theatrical run two summers ago can attest (really!). Now imagine that completely divorced from bright lights & silly stories, and instead channeled completely into raw, revolutionary performance. Pina opens exclusively at Arclight Hollywood & The Landmark.
Sing Your Song is another documentary about powerful performers. Its subject, Harry Belafonte, is immortalized for the calypso classic "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" and a multi-genre output on stage & screen that extended from the 1950s to the 2000s. Sing Your Song links Belafonte's artistic work back to an activist drive, detailing how he used the spotlight to advocate for human rights every step of the way - from the Civil Rights Movement to the engineering of "We Are The World" to community organization against the Iraq War. The film plays for one week at Laemmle's Pasadena Playhouse.
Support for LAist comes from
The themes of music & unity even loosely carry over into wide releases. Joyful Noise pits Queen Latifah against Dolly Parton as rival choir directors who must come back together for the good of their community & lovestruck grandchildren. Their star personalities augment what looks like an otherwise-standard "let's put on a show" story, though it should be noted writer-director-actor-musician Todd Graff is well-seasoned in inspirational musicals. He started out performing on Sesame Street & The Electric Company, and Joyful Noise follows his work as writer-director on Camp & Bandslam.
To circle back to 3D, we close with Disney's retrofitted re-release of Beauty and the Beast. As with the recent naked cash-grab successful re-release of The Lion King, is it really necessary? If your answer is "yes", you really ought to catch it at the El Capitan. As you probably know, the all-Disney, all-the-time theater features a live organ & short stage show before every screening. For Beauty and the Beast, there's a live appearance from "Belle", and would-be Gastons can even share five dozen eggs with her at the VIP "Breakfast with Belle" events every Saturday & Sunday morning.
Speaking of beauties, feast your eyes on LA's bounty of revival houses, film festivals & midnight movies in our weekly Film Calendar! See you at the movies!
Wide Release
Beauty and the Beast (3D) (Reviews) (Showtimes)
Contraband (Reviews) (Showtimes)
Joyful Noise (Reviews) (Showtimes)
Support for LAist comes from
Limited Release
Addiction Incorporated (Reviews) (Nuart Theatre)
In Heaven, Underground (Reviews) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
Pina 3D (Reviews) (Arclight Hollywood) (The Landmark)
Sing Your Song (Reviews) (Laemmle's Playhouse 7)
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. -
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
Best of LAist