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Dear Laemmle Fans,

Regardless of who you supported in the November election, I sincerely hope that we can all feel thankful and honored to be Americans today. Though tumultuous, recent weeks have proven the stability and resilience of our union, even under great stress. Our nation’s sacred streak of peaceful transfers of power remains unbroken – a remarkable fact which many Americans take for granted, but nevertheless leaves me proud. I’m also thankful (albeit less confidently so) about the apparent drop in local Covid-19 case rates, and hopeful that the accelerating vaccine rollout will help to maintain those diminished numbers. Perhaps the light on the horizon really is the sunrise this time… in any case, with less drama on TV, you should have plenty of time to catch up on new Laemmle Virtual Cinema releases.

We begin today’s new offerings with the documentary Notturno, from Oscar nominated maestro del cinema Gianfranco Rosi (Fire at Sea). Notturno seeks to capture the everyday realities of those struggling to survive the violent civil wars, dictatorships, and foreign occupations that besiege the Middle East. Regardless of your opinion on the subject, the film’s painful beauty renders it essential viewing. Another terrific documentary is Coming Clean, an investigation into the personal impact of the ongoing heroin epidemic, from Sundance Grand Jury Winner Ondi Timoner. And for art aficionados, there’s My Rembrandt, which explores the widespread fascination with the work of its namesake painter.

Next up is the drama Cowboys, an empathetic and heartfelt neo-western addressing nature, transgenderism, and childhood in the United States (starring an outstanding and complex Steve Zahn). Other coming-of-age titles include the historical Lebanese film 1982, the French romance The Salt of Tears, and the contemplative Sudanese drama You Will Die at Twenty.  There’s also the subtly thrilling Mexican indie Identifying Features, as well as the striking and Kaufman-esque melodrama Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, from Hungarian filmmaker Lili Horvat. On the classic side, we’re re-opening the seminal 1968 work Mandabi (the first film ever made in the Wolof language).

And for those who might have missed a recent email, other popular titles from previous weeks include Some Kind of Heaven, which analyzes the inhabitants of American’s largest retirement community, and Acasa, My Home, a thoughtful Romanian documentary tracing a family’s adjustment to life in the city. Lastly, if you are a member of AMPAS, or any other major industry guild, you may be eligible to watch certain Laemmle Virtual Cinema releases free of charge (click here to sign up or learn more about our guild accreditation process). And if you aren’t a guild member, don’t worry… you can still catch a free screening of 76 Days tomorrow – just sign in, and head to the film’s virtual cinema listing at any time on January 3.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

When the actual news is so dramatic, movies can seem trivial by comparison. But they also provide relief – art “imitates” nature, and can help you make better sense of current events. So take a break from the news cycle, and let Laemmle Virtual Cinema be your guide. Heading into Awards season, there’s never been a better time to shop our wide selection of high quality offerings.

On that note… we begin today’s new virtual releases with Some Kind of Heaven, a delightful and philosophical documentary about the age-resistant residents of America’s largest (and most infamous) retirement community: The Villages, Florida. There’s also Acasa, My Home, which follows a large Romanian family as they struggle to conform to life in the city, after their generational family land is claimed by the government as a National Park.

Next up is Rock Camp, which (as its name implies) concerns the men, women, and children who attend an interactive summer camp to learn from their musical heroes. Other documentaries include Film About a Father Who, a personal cinematic memoir from filmmaker Lynne Sachs, and They Call Me Babu, which reconstructs a young Indonesian woman’s journey using archived footage. We’re also re-opening your Favorite Film of last year, the timely bio-doc John Lewis: Good Trouble.

It’s also a great week for narrative releases, including a never-better Sam Neill in the clever new Australian comedy Rams. There’s also the poignant German drama My Little Sister, starring Nina Hoss, alongside the heartfelt romance The Wake of Light, from indie filmmaker Renji Philip. And for those who missed its initial release, we’ve brought back Miss Juneteenth, in response to the film’s recent Best Actress Gotham Award for Nicole Beharie.

I’m impressed that even during a period of massive shutdowns and closures across the industry, the global film trade has continued to churn out such high quality, unique, and memorable new titles. And while it pains me that we can’t exhibit these films on the big screen where they belong, I’m nevertheless grateful for their availability online (and for your overwhelming support of our digital efforts thus far).

Lastly, I’d like to pay homage to British filmmaker Michael Apted, who passed away last week. He was perhaps best known as the prolific documentarian behind the continuation of the septennial Up Series, although his versatility as an artist extended far beyond that capacity. His biopic Coal Miner’s Daughter was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and his 1982 Neo-western Thunderheart will always be a personal favorite. Mr. Apted’s legacy will survive in the continued viewing and study of his films, for many years to come.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

I’m sure that many of you spent this last week reviewing the results of our 2020 Favorite Films survey, and catching up on the array of virtual movies that we’ve brought back from the last few months. But I’m also sure that just as many of you were unable to peel your attention away from the national headlines and news footage that now marks the beginning of this new year.

As I mentioned during the protests following George Floyd’s killing, Laemmle Theatres is an entertainment venue, not a political institution. But as a member of the community, I believe it is also our civic responsibility to not stand idly by when we perceive a threat to our shared democracy. As such, I think it best not to dignify the ugliness of Wednesday’s incident with any sort of nuanced discussion, but rather to call it out explicitly for what it was – an act of indefensible violence.

Moving now to an area that I do feel more comfortable discussing in such a nuanced manner… high quality arthouse cinema. We begin this week’s new offerings with Savage State, a gunslinging French drama set in the American west. It’s rootin’ and tootin’, without being highfalutin. Next up is Beautiful Something Left Behind, an intimate documentary on childhood mourning which we profiled in our last update earlier this week. Another new documentary is The Reason I Jump, which delicately illuminates the lived experiences of those living with autism.

There’s also the Latvian historical war drama Blizzard of Souls, the thought-provoking and minimalist Absent Now The Dead from filmmaker and sound designer Hamilton Sterling, as well as the indie thriller #LIKE and the meta-narrative satire film I Blame Society. Head to our website for more information about upcoming titles in 2021 (including next week’s returning virtual engagement of John Lewis: Good Trouble, the winner of our aforementioned survey).

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

Happy New Years! I hope you’ve all had a joyous holiday season so far. Looking back, it’s certainly been a rough year for the world (and for the movie theater industry), but that doesn’t mean great films haven’t continued to be produced throughout. I’d like to thank our film distribution partners for continuing to provide such excellent content over the past nine months, and I look forward to more properly showcasing these films at a later date – in our largest auditoriums, where they belong, with live, safe, public audiences.

Until then, I’m wholeheartedly grateful for our customer support of Laemmle Virtual Cinema since we launched in October. The response has been truly overwhelming, and we hope that with your feedback we’ll continue to improve the functionality and ease of access on the new site as we test and add new features. The vaccine may be imminent, but our virtual offerings will remain for those who prefer the at-home experience, even after we reopen.

Now for the fun part – the winner of this year’s inaugural Favorite Virtual Movie survey is the documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble, by filmmaker Dawn Porter. Congressman Lewis may have left us this year, but the spirit of activism and civic responsibility that he embodied lives on. The contents of the film as well as the timing of its release in relation to this summer’s racial reckonings left me not only sorrowful, but also perhaps more importantly hopeful, which I think makes it a fitting symbol as we look ahead to 2021.

You can access a more detailed report of the survey results by clicking here, and you may have already seen our top-10 countdown on social media. For those of you who missed it, they are: (10) Miss Juneteenth – (9) Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President – (8) The Booksellers – (7) Fantastic Fungi – (6) The Donut King – (5) Bacurau – (4) And Then We Danced – (3) Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things – (2) Driveways. Some of my personal favorites that missed the top-10 cut, but are still available on our platform and deserving of an honorable mention, include Another Round, 76 Days, and Assassins.

There’s also a new lineup of virtual releases to begin 2021, starting with the musical Stand, adapted from the labor-themed musical Strike. There’s also the war-thriller Shadow in the Cloud, starring Chloe Grace Moretz in a stellar turn as an airborne action hero. Next up is the indie drama Donna: Stronger than Pretty, as well as the intimate short film Caregiver: a Love Story. Lastly, we’ve brought back two popular documentaries from earlier in the year that you may have missed: the investigative historical analysis Coup 53, and Frederick Wiseman’s prolific City Hall.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

Last week’s virtual releases were mostly documentaries, but those who prefer fiction can now rest at ease – today we’ve got an excellent new round of narrative films to help balance the ratio. First among them is Louis Van Beethoven, the exquisitely crafted period-piece tracing the early years of its titular composer. Next up is Effigy – Poison and the City, another highly engaging period-piece, as well as Tazzeka, a cooking-themed coming-of-age comedy from Morocco.

Other narrative films include the French action-thriller Night Shift, starring Omar Sy and Virginie Efira, alongside the suspenseful Polish mystery film Spoor. International offerings continue with the Uzbekistan-set drama To the Ends of the Earth, from Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, alongside a re-release of Kurosawa’s 2003 classic Bright Future.

For English audiences, there’s also Tiger Within, starring Ed Asner as a Holocaust survivor who becomes unlikely friends with a homeless teenager, and the indie vampire drama Climate of the Hunter. Last up for Anglophones is Love Sarah, another fun cooking-themed comedy, this time from the United Kingdom (it just might be the next Great British Baking… Movie).

Lastly, I’d be remiss not to mention the two new documentaries we’re opening this week: there’s Museum Town, which paints a lively portrait of a small American town in recovery from factory closures, alongside Nasrin, following the Iranian human rights activist of the same name. We’re also bringing back a few documentary favorites from previous virtual releases, including Coup 53, Frederick Wiseman’s City Hall, and others.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

I’m excited to announce our newly-available Virtual Gift Cards! They function the same way as our traditional Gift Cards and Premiere Cards, but are sent digitally instead of by mail, so you and your loved ones can begin accessing the joy of Laemmle Theatres (or Laemmle Virtual Cinema) immediately.

And as always, I’d like to thank you sincerely for your generous support and business over the past ten months (and counting). Truly each and every film rental sustains our operation, and will help to keep Laemmle Theatres afloat until we can reopen safely.

That’s all for today – stay tuned for another email on Friday, when I’ll be highlighting next week’s new releases before we head into the holiday break. In the meantime, eager customers can check out our Coming Soon section, and even pre-rent certain titles (or add them to your watchlist for later).

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

Although we can all agree that watching films at home lacks the je ne sais quoi of a crowded cinema, I’ve found it easier to suspend my home-viewing disbelief while watching documentaries. And while Laemmle Virtual Cinema has had its fair share of success with narrative features, documentaries have consistently been our top performers. Thanks to those of you that share my affection for true-life storytelling, this week’s round of new documentaries should prove no exception to that rule. 

We begin with Assassins, concerning two young women accused of murdering the brother of North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un. The real-list mystery continues with Finding Yingying, an award-winning portrait of a Chinese family’s search for their daughter after she goes missing in the USA.

There’s also Gunda (from Executive Producer Joaquin Phoenix), which intimately chronicles the lives of several farm animals as they’re raised for slaughter. In his memorable Oscar acceptance speech for Joker (a film in which he excelled), Phoenix asked us to show greater compassion to other species, especially those that we eat. Gunda helps us towards that goal by providing a different perspective on animal consciousness.

Next up is The Library That Dolly Built, focusing on Dolly Parton’s achievements in literacy activism (her charitable passion is also evident in her recent donation to Vanderbilt, which helped fund the Moderna vaccine). Music fans will also enjoy A Dog Called Money, delving into the creative process of artist PJ Harvey as she records a new album.

We’re also offering Queer Japan, a kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ life in contemporary Japan, and The Last Sermon, following two survivors of a suicide bombing as they attempt to learn more about the men who tried to kill them. Last on the documentary train (but certainly not least) is Through the Night, a verité look at the caring folks who operate and attend a 24/7 daycare center, and the way they’ve been impacted by our modern economy – it’s a story that will touch your heart (and hopefully some heads, too).

Since cinephiles can’t live on documentaries alone, we have four new narrative features for you to consume this week as well. There’s the Norwegian underwater-thriller Breaking Surface, the fascinating Iranian drama Yalda, A Night for Forgiveness, the well-reviewed Indian festival-favorite Harami, and the Argentinian comedy The Weasel’s Tale (from Oscar-winning director Juan Jose Campanella). Nothing new in English this week… but here at Laemmle Theatres, we’re still not afraid of subtitles (even when we’re watching from home).

Lastly, I’d be remiss not to wish a happy Hanukkah to those of you who observe the holiday. It was a miracle for the Maccabees that such a small amount of oil lasted for eight long nights, and it’s been a miracle for Laemmle Theatres that your support has lasted for eight long months now (and counting). Just as the Maccabees relied on that light to keep their hopes alive, so too have I relied on your support to keep mine alive as we together await our safe re-openings.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

Beginning Friday, we’ll be offering a curated retrospective series on Laemmle Virtual Cinema, highlighting the career and select works of Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai. I wanted to take the opportunity to not only let you know about the upcoming program, but also to fill you in on some of the recent upgrades and new features that we’ve added to our online platform since we launched.

I first discovered Wong Kar-Wai thanks to Quentin Tarantino, and his personal support for the American release of Chungking Express. The success of that film led to the release of Happy Together, and then his magnum opus In the Mood for Love. While the latter film perhaps best epitomizes his mastery of cinema, Wong Kar-Wai’s verve and thoughtful storytelling are evident in each of the films in this series. Now on to the new features…

As mentioned last week, you can now save interesting films for later viewing using our “watchlist” function. We’ve also introduced a new “promo code” system, and will be communicating such discount opportunities over social media in the future (make sure to subscribe if you don’t already). We’re also working on a “gift ticket” admission system, for those who want to share the joy of Laemmle with their friends and family, but aren’t yet ready to commit to a Gift Card or Premiere Card. And as always, thank you for your support – each purchase truly does help bridge the gap until we can reopen.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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