Thanksgiving THANK YOU: ‘Zappa’ and Other New Films

Dear Laemmle Fans,

Perhaps more so than ever before, this Thanksgiving provides an opportunity to refocus our perspective, and express gratitude (or is it gratefulness) for everything that we appreciate. Our day-to-day existences have been uprooted, lives have been lost, and billions of people have been asked to put their forward progress on hold as we make sacrifices to battle this pandemic – yet at the same time, we’re on the verge of remarkable medical breakthroughs, and have seen communities rally together in never-before-seen ways.

On that note, I’d like to give a sincere THANK YOU to everyone in the Laemmle Theatres community who has supported us this year, whether through your business, or simply through your kind words and gestures. We’ve received thousands of supportive messages since we closed our doors back in March, and though I’m unable to respond to each comment, please understand how meaningful your continued outreach has been.

As a sign of our gratitude (or is it gratefulness) we’ve joined with our film distribution partners to offer a selection of the most popular titles from the past eight months of Laemmle Virtual Cinema – you can call it a ‘Greatest Hits Album’ – all available to rent for only $5, or $4 if you pay using your Premiere Card. In addition to recent fare such as the Jimmy Carter or Harry Chapin documentaries, the selection also includes films you may have missed last Spring: including Lucky Grandma, Beyond The Visible, And Then We Danced, and Driveways (featuring a remarkable final performance from the late Brian Dennehy). Other films available within our new Bargain Bin discount category are the bio-docs Plimpton and Nomad, as well as the fantasy film Away, made single-handedly by 25-year-old Latvian animator Zints Gilbalodis.

We’re also opening five new films later this week, beginning with a riveting portrait of legendary musician Frank Zappa. Next up is the nostalgic early video game documentary Insert Coin, as well as Markie From Milwaukee, an insightful documentary which follows a Baptist minister’s gender transition over a period of ten years. There’s also the Indian coming-of-age drama Funny Boy, from director Deepa Mehta (best known for her elemental trilogy), whose work has been a fixture of our programming for nearly thirty years. Lastly, but certainly not least, is the Portuguese comedy Three Summers, starring the exceptionally-talented Regina Case. You can find the latter title, and other films that I personally enjoyed and recommend onwards, by visiting the Greg’s List category on the new-and-improved Laemmle Virtual Cinema.

Gratefully, with gratitude,

Greg Laemmle