FilmWeek

The topic:
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
The films:
The Odyssey, Wide Release
Reading Lolita in Tehran, Laemmle Royal [West LA]
The Floaters, Laemmle Royal [West LA] & Laemmle Town Center [Encino]
Horsegirls, Laemmle NoHo
Remake, Laemmle Royal [West LA]
Sherman’s March, Laemmle Royal [West LA]
Heartstopper Forever, Streaming on Netflix

The topic:
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is turning out to be the event of the summer, with screenings selling out at theaters a year in advance. Nolan shares how he adapted the Greek epic for a modern audience.

On what makes a successful adaptation: “If somebody watching the film who read the poem in high school or something, who doesn’t know it that well but knows it pretty well — if that person feels that my additions or my allusions actually were from the poem, then I think I've succeeded.”

The dialogue: “I’m not having the actors speak with mid-Atlantic or some British accents the way Hollywood in the 50s or 60s often did… We want it to be more accessible than that.”

The sound and score: “[Ludwig Göransson] is trying to create a soundscape that is as much a part of the sense of place as the sound effects. So in a way we’re trying to blur the boundaries completely between music and sound effects.”

New technology: “This blimping system, it’s essentially a high-tech box you put the [70MM IMAX] camera in and it silences it. And so for the first time ever, we could do the entire film that way.”

Does the format matter? “They’re all drawn from this massive negative, so they can be as sharp and clear as possible. We’re able to fill the screen with the brightest and clearest image no matter what format you see it in.

The topic:
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
The films:
Evil Dead Burn, Wide Release
Moana, Wide Release
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, Wide Release
Mary Oliver: Saved By the Beauty of the World, At Select Laemmle Theaters
Night Nurse, In Select Theaters
The Isolate Thief, In Select Theaters
Mockbuster, Laemmle Glendale & Available on Digital & VOD
The American Southwest, Available on Digital and VOD
Barrio Triste, Landmark Nuart Theater [West LA] & American Cinematheque’s Los Feliz 3

The topic:
Horror movies are having a moment. Two of this year's greatest box office successes are two horror films, each from unknown directors with non-IP scripts and relatively small budgets.

A horror darling: Obsession is the unexpected runaway hit of the summer, having grossed over $400 million worldwide on less than $1 million budget. Now almost two months out from its initial release, it is still playing in theaters nationwide.

Another hit: Backed by the studio A24, Backrooms had a budget of $10 million and has grossed almost $350 million worldwide. Some of its success can be attributed to it being based on a popular 4Chan post that sparked a webseries and several internet games.

Guests:
Amy Nicholson, film critic for LAist, film critic for the Los Angeles Times and host of the podcast ‘Unspooled’
Christy Lemire, film critic for LAist, and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ YouTube and podcast series
Tim Cogshell, film critic for LAist, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com

The topic:
Larry Mantle and LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
The films:
Minions & Monsters Wide Release
Young Washington Wide Release
Romería Laemmle Glendale|Laemmle Royal [West LA]
Enola Holmes 3 Streaming on Netflix
Reeling Available on Digital & VOD Tues. July 7
Drunken Noodles Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]|Laemmle NoHo
Lockbox In Select Theaters
The Get Out Available on Digital & VOD
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The critics:
Charles Solomon, film critic for LAist, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
Christy Lemire, film critic for LAist, and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ YouTube and podcast series
Claudia Puig, film critic for LAist and program director for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival