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 12/03: The Dirty Shame of Alois Nebel
ALOIS NEBEL courtesy Negativ.
()
After last week's monster Thanksgiving schedule, Hollywood wisely takes a breather from wide releases. In limited release is the latest prestige picture from Fox Searchlight, Shame. The British production shines a light on the troubled relationship between an insatiable sex addict (Michael Fassbender) and his needy sister (Carey Mulligan) in New York City. Whereas our culture still primarily plays sex addiction for laughs (guilty!), Shame promises an intimate portrait of what might otherwise be seen as merely empty, selfish people. If nothing else, there's that NC-17 rating; the film's frank depictions of sexuality have raised stirs up and down the festival circuit, most notably at the Venice Film Festival, where Fassbender and writer/director Steve McQueen (Hunger) took home trophies for their respective work.
Most Bollywood films limit their balancing acts to dance numbers, but biopic The Dirty Picture walks on eggshells around its notorious subject. Though unknown on our shores, actress Silk Smitha could be called an Indian Marilyn Monroe. Both sought control over their image through overt sexuality, only to be typecast as mere sexpots (Smitha even more so than Monroe; she played the scantily-clad vamp literally hundreds of times) until they burned out in suspicious circumstances. Considering Bollywood's famous chastity, it'll be interesting to see if & how the filmmakers present such a checkered personality.
Support for LAist comes from
If this week's Film Calendar wasn't animated enough, check into Redline at Downtown Independent. The high-octane anime won the audience award at last year's Los Angeles Animation Festival, as well as an outstanding achievement at this year's Newport Beach Film Festival. There's also Alois Nebel, playing for one week only at Laemmle's Encino. Based on a trilogy of Czech noir comics, the film's style resembles bits of FX's Archer & A Scanner Darkly if the former were played straight or the latter toned down the talking. The Czech Republic have submitted Alois Nebel for a Best Foreign Language Oscar; if selected, it will be only the second animation ever nominated in that category. Regardless, it's one to watch.
Full list appears below. What will you be watching this weekend?
Limited Release
Alois Nebel (Review) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
Answers to Nothing (Reviews) (AMC Century City 15)
Beneath the Darkness (Reviews) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
Coriolanus (Reviews) (The Landmark)
Crazy Wisdom: The Life & Times Of Chogyam Trungpa (Reviews) (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex)
The Dirty Picture (Reviews) (Laemmle's Fallbrook 7)
Kinyarwanda (Reviews) (Laemmle's Music Hall 3) (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
The Lady (Reviews) (Laemmle's Music Hall 3)
Outrage (Reviews) (Nuart Theatre)
Pastorela (Reviews) (AMC Theatres)
Redline (Reviews) (Downtown Independent)
Shame (Reviews) (Arclight Hollywood) (The Landmark)
A Warrior's Heart (Reviews) (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex)
Wish Me Away (Reviews) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
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
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
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.
Best of LAist