FilmWeek

LAist 89.3 | Southern California Public Radio

FilmWeek on AirTalk, hosted by Larry Mantle, is a one-hour weekly segment devoted to films. It offers reviews of the week's new movies, interviews with filmmakers, and discussions on various aspects of the industry.

  • 33 minutes 17 seconds
    FilmWeek: ‘Death of a Unicorn,’ ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island,’ ‘Thank You Very Much,’ and more

    Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein and Manuel Betancourt review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms.

    28 March 2025, 5:04 pm
  • 16 minutes 19 seconds
    Feature: Fandango releases study highlighting moviegoing, summer box office

    Earlier this week, American entertainment company Fandango published a study that surveyed moviegoers, casual and loyal, on their viewing habits. Insights ranged from the way they learned about movies, to what amenities made the theatrical experience most worthwhile. With CinemaCon— a yearly event comprised of theater chain owners— happening next week in Las Vegas, we thought it’d be good to dig into this data and break down what’s driving moviegoing this year. Joining us, alongside our critics Lael Loewenstein and Manuel Betancourt, is Deadline business editor Dade Hayes.

    28 March 2025, 5:03 pm
  • 18 minutes
    Feature (re-air): New book ‘Opening Weekend’ provides insider perspective on film marketing

    Feature: New book ‘Opening Weekend’ provides insider perspective on film marketing

    Although the film industry can be quite lucrative, there are a lot of moving parts to how a film gets to be a “success” or “flop.” As it relates to building up hype for a movie, marketing teams play a huge role in growing excitement and finding ways to resonate with general audiences. A new book, Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops, by longtime film marketing executive Jim Fredrick. Frederick’s career in the business has included working on the marketing team for films like Eyes Wide Shut, The Shawshank Redemption, and even the Harry Potter film franchise. So for this week’s feature, we’ll talk to Frederick about Opening Weekend and get an insider’s understanding of how marketing works within the film industry.

    Jim Fredrick, studio marketing executive, and Chapman University film professor; he’s also the author of the new book Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops

    21 March 2025, 5:05 pm
  • 31 minutes 30 seconds
    FilmWeek: 'Snow White,' 'The Alto Knights,' 'Magazine Dreams,' 'Locked,' and More

    FilmWeek: 'Snow White,' 'The Alto Knights,' 'Magazine Dreams,' 'Locked,' and More

    Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

    Snow White

    The Alto Knights

    Magazine Dreams

    The Assessment

    Misericordia

    Locked

    Asian Persuasion

    Bob Trevino Likes It

    Ash

    AUM: The Cult at the End of the World

    21 March 2025, 5:03 pm
  • 31 minutes 30 seconds
    FilmWeek: 'Black Bag,' Novocaine,' 'Opus,' 'The Electric State,' and More

    FilmWeek: 'Black Bag,' Novocaine,' 'Opus,' 'The Electric State,' and More

    Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Amy Nicholson and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

    Black Bag

    Novocaine

    Opus

    The Electric State

    The Actor

    Borderline

    The World Will Tremble

    The Visitor

    14 March 2025, 5:10 pm
  • 32 minutes
    FilmWeek: 'Mickey 17,' 'Last Breath,' 'Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse', 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl ' and More

    FilmWeek: 'Mickey 17,' 'Last Breath,' 'Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse', 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl ' and More

    Guest host Austin Cross and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

    Mickey 17

    Riff Raff

    Last Breath

    Art Spielgelman: Disaster Is My Muse

    Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna

    Eephus

    On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

    The Accidental Getaway Driver

    The Rule of Jenny Pen

    The Empire

    7 March 2025, 6:24 pm
  • 17 minutes 30 seconds
    Feature (re-air): ‘Anora’ filmmaker Sean Baker and star Mikey Madison discuss the film’s production

    At this year’s Academy Awards, the comedic drama Anora, came away 5 Oscar wins, including Best Picture. The film follows Ani, an exotic dancer and escort in Brighton Beach, who’s relationship with a Russian oligarch’s son takes her on an emotional rollercoaster. Having premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, it received the festival’s prestigious Palme d’Or. Since then, it’s received critical acclaim and many awards. So for this week’s FilmWeek feature, we re-air our conversation on Anora, with Best Actress winner Mikey Madison, and 4-time Academy Award winner, filmmaker Sean Baker.

    7 March 2025, 5:21 pm
  • 49 minutes 30 seconds
    FilmWeek’s 2025 Oscars Preview: LIVE from the Alex Theatre

    The 97th annual Academy Awards is this Sunday— with dozens of films having campaigned across 23 categories this awards season— and many spectators are unsure on which folks will come home with Oscars. With all that drama comes our 23rd annual FilmWeek Oscars Preview, which was held this year at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. Eight of our FilmWeek critics joined host Larry Mantle on stage and broke down their picks in all the major categories; categories mentioned include Best Picture, Director, International Feature, Animated Feature, as well as each acting and screenwriting category.

    For a list of all the nominees this year, click here.

    28 February 2025, 6:46 pm
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING: And the Oscar Goes To...

    With Hollywood getting ready for the biggest awards show in movies, this episode of the new LAist Studios podcast NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is all about the Oscars! Hear Oscar nominees Peter Straughan and Kris Bowers, and actress Caitlin Reilly duke it out for the ultimate award — winning a game show where the points are made up by our host, Franklin Leonard.

     

    Guests: Screenwriter Peter Straughan (“Conclave”), composer Kris Bowers (“The Wild Robot”), and actress and comedian Caitlin Reilly (“Hacks,” “Loot”).

     

    NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is a production of The Black List and LAist Studios, in partnership with The Ankler.

     

    Support for this podcast is also brought to you by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes L.A. a better place to live.

     

    New episodes premiere Tuesdays and you can listen to the show on the radio at LAist 89.3 Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

    27 February 2025, 10:00 am
  • 21 minutes 50 seconds
    Feature: Critics discuss the 2025 Academy Award Best International Feature category

    The Best International Feature category at the Academy Awards has grown in prominence over the years, coinciding with the inclusion of more international voters. It’s now meant more films typically confined to the Best International Feature category are now making their way to the conversation for Best Picture. This year, I’m Still Here and Emilia Perez serve as examples of films being nominated in both categories. In the recent past, we’ve seen the likes of Drive My Car and Parasite gain recognition from Academy voters in both categories. For this week’s FilmWeek feature, we’ll focus on this year’s crop of films for Best International Feature, and discuss our critics’ favorites. Joining us are Manuel Betancourt, Lael Loewenstein, and Christy Lemire.

     

    21 February 2025, 6:18 pm
  • 27 minutes 40 seconds
    FilmWeek: 'The Monkey,' 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,' 'Millers in Marriage,' 'Cleaner' and More

    FilmWeek: 'The Monkey,' 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,' 'Millers in Marriage,' 'Cleaner' and More

    Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

    The Monkey

    Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

    Millers in Marriage

    Ex-Husbands

    Cleaner

    The Unbreakable Boy

    Old Guy

    21 February 2025, 6:18 pm
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