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.
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein and Manuel Betancourt review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Art Spielgelman: Disaster Is My Muse
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.