FilmWeek

The topic:
Don’t understand the 70mm IMAX craze for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey? LAist host Julia Paskin talked to Taylor Umphenour, one of L.A.’s top IMAX projectionists, on FilmWeek to understand why the format is becoming a filmmaker favorite and why audiences are clamoring to theaters to see The Odyssey in the largest format possible.
Guest:
Taylor Umphenour, IMAX projectionist

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The topic:
Julia Paskin and the LAist film critics talk about the fourth installment to the Tom Holland Spider-Man series that takes an introspective look at the superhero, and they applaud Olivia Wilde’s performance as a sexually dominant boss in Gregg Araki’s new film I Want Your Sex.
The films:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Wide Release
I Want Your Sex, Wide Release
Wild Inside, In Select Laemmle Theaters
Everybody Calls Me Mike, Available on Indiepix
The Samurai and the Prisoner, Landmark Nuart Theater [West LA]
The Best Pizza is in LA, Available on VOD
Middle Life, Laemmle Glendale
The critics:
Lael Loewenstein, film critic for LAist
Maureen Lee Lenker <like ‘link’>, freelance journalist who's written for Gold Derby, The Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and Turner Classic Movies. She was previously at Entertainment Weekly for nearly nine years. She's also the author of three novels set in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
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The topic:
Julia Paskin and the LAist film critics review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
The films:
Motor City, In Select Theaters
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, Streaming on Paramount+
Her Private Hell, Wide Release
Hadestown: The Musical, In Select Theaters
Sheep in the Box, AMC Century City|Expands to more theaters July 31
Nothing to See Here: Watts, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez, In Select Theaters
Cruel Hands, Laemmle Glendale & Available on VOD
The Kidnapping of Arabella, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] & Laemmle NoHo
The Dink, Streaming on Apple TV+
Lars Shrike Walks the Night, Streaming on Digital
Correction: In the original broadcast for the review for American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez, Lou Diamond Phillips was incorrectly credited for the role of 'El Pachuco' in the 1978 Mark Taper production of 'Zoot Suit'. The character 'El Pachuco' was played by Edward James Olmos.
The critics:
Peter Rainer, film critic for LAist and the Christian Science Monitor
Tim Cogshell, film critic for LAist, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for LAist, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
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The topic:
The documentary Nothing to See Here: Watts takes viewers through the lives of community members as they experience violence, decades long gang rivalries, and neglect from city services.
How it was made: Twenty participants were given iPhones to film themselves and their community over three years. The filmmakers included gang members, community activists, students, victims of violence, and police officers. They all later came together to decide what ultimately made the final cut.
The first screening: The first screening of the film was presented to active members of the rival gangs in Watts in an effort to bring about talks of peace. We see the discussions unfold as decades long rivalries come to a halt to protect their collective community.
Guests:
Cornelius Wills, gang interventionist and mentor with Soledad Enrichment Action and Bounty Hunter Blood gang member
Quiana Williams, mother of Sean Reynolds, a student who was shot in Watts
Tim Pearce, retired LAPD gang officer who served in Watts and South Central LA
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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
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