Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms: “Challengers” Wide Release  “Boy Kills World” Wide Release  “Egoist” Wide Release “Bad Faith” VOD  “Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story” Laemmle Glendale [Glendale] April 26th | Streaming on PBS May 13 “Uncropped” Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] on April “Little Empty Boxes” Laemmle Monica [Santa Monica] April 26 | Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] April 28 “Humane”  The Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA] April 26th “ALAM” VOD “Infested” Streaming on Shudder 

One of the most prolific and exceptional filmmakers who ever lived, Akira Kurosawa has an anniversary for his best works. His 1954 film “Seven Samurai” has now hit its 70th anniversary, released on April 26. It’s a film that was voted the 20th best film of all time by prominent members of the film industry who took part in BFI’s Top 225 list back in 2022. ‘Seven Samurai’ followed hits in Kurosawa’s filmography like “Rashomon” and “Yojimbo’... but what’s led to that common sentiment? For this week’s FilmWeek Feature, we talk to LAist film critics Peter Rainer, Tim Cogshell, and Andy Klein about why Seven Samurai is essential viewing for cinephiles and all moviegoers.

Go back to the movies with us! We're still profiling LA's repertory theaters in Revival House cause there are SO MANY to check out! In this episode, we explore a cool space with some deep, messy history. Fashion label Brain Dead has taken over a site that some would consider....a little cursed. Originally opened in the 1940s as The Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax, the venue was home to premieres and parties. Until a theft and murder shut the theater down. In the 2000s, it was taken over by Cinefamily, which programmed in that space until allegations of abuse came to light in 2017. But today, Brain Dead Studios is keeping the lights on for nerds, artists, and skate punks in Los Angeles -- aiming to create an eclectic community space to inspire creatives and show good movies. Take a listen as we explain the history and present of this theater. Guests: Professor and historian Ross Melnick, Brain Dead founder Kyle Ng  

David and Nathan Zellners’ latest feature, ‘Sasquatch Sunset,’ is an unconventional story about a family of sasquatches living their lives in the woods of California’s Humboldt County. The film’s presentation has qualities not much different than popular live nature cams you’ll find today, making for a narrative that’s less to do with structure and more focused on a “day in the life” of a fictional creature.   Today on FilmWeek, we hear about the process of filming “Sasquatch Sunset” with David and Nathan Zellner.  

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire, Wade Major, and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms: “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” Wide Release  “Abigail” Wide Release  “Spy x Family Code: White” Wide Release  “We Grown Now” Cinemark Baldwin Hills [Crenshaw] & XD, AMC Century City 15 [Century City] “Tiger”  Streaming on Disney +  “Kung Fu Panda 4” Wide Release & VOD “Dusk for a Hitman” VOD “The People’s Joker” Vidiots April 19 & 20 | The Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA]  19-25 | The Frida Cinema [Santa Ana] April 19-25 “City Hunter” Streaming on Netflix April 25th  “Hard Miles” Wide Release

We're back with another episode of Revival House, but this time we're not heading to a 100 year old theater... The David Geffen and Ted Mann theaters at the Academy Museum of Motion Arts and Pictures are a new addition to L.A's revival programming. In this episode, we explore what the theaters, which only opened in 2021, have to offer our city's moviegoing landscape. And hopefully, we demystify what seeing a movie here is actually like! (Did you know that tickets are only $10? And no, they don't just show Oscar winners.) In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro sits in the red velvet seats of the David Geffen theater with Academy Museum Director of Programming, K.J. Relth-Miller, to talk community access, screening trends, and the power of movie theaters. If you're curious about the Academy Museum, you can check out our other LAist Studios series, The Academy Museum Podcast here. Guests: Academy Museum Director of Programming K.J. Relth-Miller 

‘Civil War’ sees director Alex Garland’s imagined universe of what a second civil war would look like in the United States. Audiences are guided through the film by its main protagonists, a quartet of journalists played by Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Shows the lengths to which these journalists are willing to go, to not only document history but also try and live past it. Today on FilmWeek, we welcome ‘Civil War’ stars Wagner Moura and Cailee Spaeny, to discuss their time working with Garland and developing their characters.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms: “Civil War” Wide Release “The Old Oak” Leammle Royal April 12th [West LA] “Coup de Chance” Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] & VOD “Sasquatch Sunset” Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA] April 12th | Expands April 19th  “Arcadian” Wide Release  “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” The Egyptian Theater [Hollywood] April 14 | Laemmle Claremont [Claremont],  Laemmle Glendale [Glendale], and Laemmle Monica [Santa Monica]  April 15 and 16 | The Frida [Santa Ana] April 17 and 18 “Chicken For Linda”  Laemmle Royal [West-LA] April 12 + Select Theaters April 15 “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead” Wide Release  “Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill” Wide Release   

Revival House is breaking format for this episode, and we’re saying goodbye to a historic first-run movie theater.   The Highland Theatre in Highland Park was one of the only movie theaters in Northeast LA. A designated historic cultural monument, the exterior will remain intact, but its future is uncertain.    In this episode, How To LA producer Victoria Alejandro chats with host Brian De Los Santos about community memories, the history of the theater, and what might be next…   Links we mentioned in this episode: Eastsider LA Los Angeles Theatres Guests: Highland Park Independent Film Festival co-founder and executive director, Marita De La Torre; historian and film professor Ross Melnick, and local employee Denise Hernandez

A new documentary, directed by Emmy-award-winning directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, looks into the decision-making of 500 civically engaged teen girls in Missouri who go through the process of electing their peers to different branches of government. This follows the 2020 documentary “Boys State,” which won them their Primetime Emmy, following teen boys in Texas building their democratically-elected government. For this week’s FilmWeek feature, we talk to Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss about their second look into teen-led governments and the takeaways they got from their subjects in ‘Girls State.’ “Girls State” releases on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 5.