Today on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also discuss the impact of Laemmle’s potential sale on Los Angeles and the changing landscape of movie theaters.
FilmWeek: ‘Angel Has Fallen,’ ‘Brittany Runs A Marathon,’ ‘Jawline’ And More
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases:
"Angel Has Fallen" in wide release
"Brittany Runs A Marathon" at The Landmark & ArcLight Hollywood
"Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles" in select theaters
"Tigers Are Not Afraid" at Laemmle's Monica Film Center, NoHo & Playhouse and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
The film’s director Issa López was interviewed on “The Frame” this week. You can listen to that interview here.
"Jawline" at Laemmle's Playhouse and on Hulu
“The Frame’s” John Horn spoke with the director of the documentary Liza Mandelup. You can hear that interview here.
"This Is Not Berlin" at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre
"Hot Air" at Laemmle’s Music Hall
"Adam" at Laemmle's Music Hall
CRITICS' HITS:
Claudia: "Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles," "This Is Not Berlin" & "Tigers Are Not Afraid"
Lael: "Brittany Runs A Marathon" & "Jawline
MIXED FEELINGS:
Lael: "Hot Air"
MISSES:
Claudia: 'Angel Has Fallen'
Lael: "Adam"
Guests:
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA); she tweets
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets
LA’s Long-Standing Laemmle Theater Chain Reportedly Looking To Sell
The Laemmle Theatres chain, a hub for independent film and arthouse fare, is up for sale.
The nine-location theater chain has stayed within the Laemmle family since its founding in 1938. But theater attendance has hit low and after low in recent years. Though this year’s record-setting box-office behemoths like “The Lion King” and “Avengers: Endgame” might make 2019 a net positive year in ticket sales, even those blockbuster can’t course-correct the downward trend.
This news comes on the heels of the iPic’s Chapter 11 filing. Recent years have seen a rise in experimentation at the theaters, like dynamic pricing and subscription services for movie tickets, as the film industry tries to battle the rising popularity of streaming services.
Ironically, reports say that streaming services like Amazon and Netflix may be among the interested buyers, but Laemmle’s president, Greg Laemmle, said only that the company is “exploring a number of different options.”
Larry and the FilmWeek critics are joined by reporter Bob Strauss and media analyst Paul Dergarabedian to discuss the impact of Laemmle’s potential sale on Los Angeles and the changing landscape of movie theaters.
Guests:
Bob Strauss, entertainment news reporter at LA Daily News, where his recent piece is “Laemmle Theatres is reportedly up for sale after 81 years as an iconic independent arthouse chain”; he tweets
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst and box-office expert at Comscore, a global media measurement and analytics company based in Sherman Oaks; he tweets from
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA); she tweets
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets