Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Beandrea July review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms.

• A Minecraft Movie Wide Release
• Freaky Tales  In Select Theaters 

• Janis Ian: Breaking Silence  Laemmle Glendale|Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] 
• We Were Dangerous Lumiere Music Hall [Beverly Hills]
• Julie Keeps Quiet  Laemmle Glendale 
•  A Nice Indian Boy In Select Theaters
• The Friend In Select Theaters
• Viet and Nam Laemmle Glendale 
• William Tell In Select Theaters
• The Luckiest Man in America In Select Theaters    

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Executing a fight scene requires a lot of attention to detail, but spending time to get the right fight choreographer and stunt doubles to execute their vision can make for a rewarding watch. In the case of stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski, his directorial debut John Wick helped spark a franchise that moviegoers love due to its well-choreographed action. Although the series has become a common example of great fighting, there’s a whole host of other examples that date back decades. Hong Kong action cinema has given so much to the action genre, having helped popularize high-speed martial arts fighting for international audiences; through this style of filmmaking, audiences were introduced to filmmaker John Woo and actor Jackie Chan.  Joining us to share their extensive knowledge of fight scenes are Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein.

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 Lael Loewenstein and Manuel Betancourt review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms.

• Death of a Unicorn Wide Release
• Ballad of Wallis Island AMC Burbank 16|AMC Burbank Town Center 6| AMC Century City 15

• Grand Tour In Select Theaters 
• Thank You Very Much In Select Theaters
• The Penguin Lessons In Select Theaters 

• Being Maria Landmark Nuart Theater [West LA]
• Audrey’s Children In Select Theaters

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.

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

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

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

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.