FilmWeek

As we enter the second half of the year, and the 4th of July weekend, our critics Manuel Betancourt and Lael Loewenstein will take some time to recap what’s been released this year so far and talk about their favorite films that have been released as of now.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: Jurassic World: Rebirth Wide Release 40 Acres In Select Theaters Nobu Laemmle Monica Film Center The Old Guard 2 Streaming on Netflix Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print Streaming on Max Heads of State Streaming on Prime Video In The Mood For Love Laemmle Royal [West LA]| Laemmle Glendale Igualada Premieres July 7 on PBS| Streaming on PBS until October 5   Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!

Although the Hays Code and Lavender Scare served as a deterrent to queer representation in cinema, many filmmakers still found ways to include queer themes into their works. In his new book Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness, film historian Michael Koresky collects examples of these early queer projects and helps provide context to their development. Detailing the use of queer innuendos and development of Hays-code approved stereotypes, the book shares how films like The Children’s Hour and Rebecca served as some of the earliest examples of LGBTQ-themed cinema. Joining us to discuss their book, early films with queer themes and the filmmakers behind them, is Michael Koresky, author of the new book Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness. ‘Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness’ is out now, click here for more information. Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Manuel Betancourt review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: F1: The Movie Wide Release M3GAN 2.0 Wide Release Sorry, Baby In Select Theaters AMC| The Grove 14| AMC Century City 15 Familiar Touch  Laemmle Glendale My Mom Jayne Streaming on Max Enigma Streaming on Max Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything Streaming On Hulu Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore Laemmle NoHo 7 Off the Grid Lumiere Music Hall [Beverly Hills]| VOD Union Streaming on PBS App until August 31, 2025 Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!

Celine Song, writer-director of the new film Materialists, uses a similar framework that garnered her a lot of admiration from moviegoers. In her feature directorial debut, Past Lives, the lead character Nora struggles to manage a love triangle, only for her to discover what the differences are between these lives she’s romanticized. In Materialists, Lucy deals with a similar problem, although the film spends a lot more time on why we date, and the equations we come up with in our head to find ‘the one.’  Today on FilmWeek, we’re joined by Materialists writer-director Celine Song, and getting a sense of how she created this world that reflects today’s dating culture.

Guest host Austin Cross and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell, Peter Rainer, and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Correction: A previous version of this episode had errors related to a review of the film Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project, which partially referenced another found footage film. The inaccurate review has been removed from the episode. The episode also mentioned that the film 28 Years Later is the first sequel Danny Boyle has directed. He directed T2 Trainspotting, which is a sequel to his film, Trainspotting. 

On May 31, the FilmWeek team hosted a screening of the 1962 Robert Aldrich film What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Larry got up on stage for a conversation with FilmWeek and LA Times critic Amy Nicholson, and UCLA film historian Jonathan Kuntz.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt, Christy Lemire, and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: The Life of Chuck In Select Theaters|Expands June 13 Ballerina Wide Release  Karate Kid: Legends Wide Release Dangerous Animals Wide Release The Ritual Wide Release I Don’t Understand You In Select Theaters Bad Shabbos Laemmle Town Center 5 [Encino] |Laemmle Royal [West LA] Barron’s Cove Laemmle Monica Film Center We Are Guardians Laemmle Monica Film Center|Art Theatre [Long Beach] June 21 Pavements Alamo Drafthouse DTLA|The Frida Cinema [Santa Ana]

FilmWeek: ‘The Phoenician Scheme,’ ‘Bring Her Back,’ ‘Mountainhead,’ ‘Lost in Starlight,’ and More Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein, Beandrea July, and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Films: The Phoenician Scheme In Select Theaters| Expands June 6 (next Friday) Bring Her Back Wide Release Mountainhead Streaming on Max May 31 Lost in Starlight Laemmle Glendale|Streaming on Netflix Ocean with David Attenborough Laemmle Monica Film Center|premieres on National Geographic Channel on June 7|Streaming on Disney+ and Hulu starting June 8 Bono: Stories of Surrender Streaming on Apple TV+ Ghost Trail Laemmle Royal May 30 Book of Joshua: Walls of Jericho Streaming on VOD Tim Travers & the Time Travelers Paradox Laemmle Glendale