FilmWeek

The Hollywood system was never a secret, even in the Golden Age. A young girl would be discovered, plucked from a small town in the Midwest, made over to look “the part” of a movie star, and then wholly become one as one of the major studios “it girl.” Although the idea of what a “star” is has changed over the decades to reflect societal ideals of each decade, the process and effects remain the same. The same is true for the film A Star is Born, which has been adapted four times. The original was released in 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, and follows the Hollywood machine of making a movie star. Over the subsequent versions, music was introduced, first with the 1954 adaptation where Judy Garland tries to become a leading lady in a Hollywood musical. The 1976 and 2018 versions modernize the commentary by setting it in the music industry with Barbara Streisand and Lady Gaga starring respectively. These differences and what they say about each era of the entertainment industry are explored in the book “A Star is Reborn: The Most Filmed Hollywood Story of Love Found and Lost.” On FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with the author Robert Hofler.
“A Star is Reborn” is on sale now.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Lael Loewenstein review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. Also joining us on FilmWeek to talk about the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and some of the films being shown is program director for the festival and LAist film critic, Claudia Puig.
Films:
Send Help, Wide Release
The Moment, In Select Theaters
A Poet, Laemmle Royal [West LA]
Miracle: The Boys of '80, Streaming on Netflix
Pike River, Lumiere Cinema [Beverly Hills]
Islands, In Select Theaters
Shelter, In Select Theaters
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

The LA Times released a list of the best 101 films set in Los Angeles. The number one spot went to the 1974 film Chinatown, directed by Roman Polanski, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, with the backdrop of a 1930’s Los Angeles. Second place went to David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001), and some other notable picks include Blade Runner (1982), Her (2013), Tangerine (2015) and Boyz n the Hood (1991). Joining Larry Mantle on FilmWeek to discuss some of the more surprising films included and their personal favorites are LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt, assistant editor of Documentary Magazine, and one of the contributors to the LA Times’ Best LA Movies list, and Wade Major, film critic for CineGods.com and author of the “Hollywood Heretic” Substack.
You can read the LA Times’ 101 Best LA Movies list here.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Peter Rainer, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. And we remember the beloved animation director Roger Allers, known best for co-directing Disney’s The Lion King, and award-winning actress Joan Plowright.
Films:
Mercy, Wide Release
Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Streaming on the Kino Film Collection
Arco, AMC Burbank & AMC Century City
H is for Hawk, In Select Theaters
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, Streaming on HBO Max
Disneyland Handcrafted, Streaming on Disney+
Sound of Falling, Laemmle Royal [West LA]
Cosmic Princess Kaguya, Streaming on Netflix
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 Tim Cogshell and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.
Films:
28 Years Later: the Bone Temple, Wide Release
The RIP, Streaming on Netflix
Night Patrol, In Select Theaters
The Shadow of the Sun, Laemmle Glendale
Young Mothers, Laemmle Royal [West LA]
A Private Life, Laemmel Royal [West LA], AMC Burbank, & AMC The Grove
Sheepdog, In Select Theaters
Obex, Laemmle NoHo
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