FilmWeek

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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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.
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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
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