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Home » Director's Statement

1970s New York City on the brink ~ DROP DEAD CITY opens tomorrow.

May 21, 2025 by Jordan Deglise Moore Leave a Comment

Named after the famous New York Daily News headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead,” Drop Dead City is the first documentary to focus on the New York City fiscal crisis of 1975, an overlooked episode in urban American history that saw that city of eight million people come face to face with bankruptcy.

The film is an immersive ticking-clock drama built entirely from archival 16mm footage interspersed with present eyewitness interviews, and propelled by a great soundtrack drawn from 1970s radio as it follows a year in the life and near death of this iconic city. Laemmle Theatres opens the film May 22 at the NoHo and May 23 at the Monica Film Center and Town Center.

The film captures N.Y.C. at a moment of contrast, gritty and down on its luck, but also vibrant and alive. The basic underlying questions of governance, community and economic priorities are of immediate relevance to Los Angeles and so many other American cities.

These are unprecedented times for Americans, and for our public institutions. The systematic dismantling of the administrative state, as well as the demonizing of public servants, is something we are watching happen every day. The playbook of today’s right-wing government bashing has it’s roots in the rightward swing of the Republican Party in the 1970’s. NYC’s near-bankruptcy was a critical event in this transformation. Drop Dead City addresses these themes and ideologies, and examines the origins of NYC’s problems with an even hand. Was it the banks, the unions, the poor who were arriving, or the rich who were leaving? Was it the recession? Was it cynicism in the White House or incompetence in City Hall?

“Our goal as filmmakers was to honor the story and the people in it – the men and women who stepped up to deal with this challenge as well as the so-called ordinary New Yorkers who dealt with this uncertainty as a fact of life during this tumultuous period,” said directors Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn. “While the film often feels like a wild time machine ride to New York in its good-old bad days, we also hope it inspires conversations on how urban centers can fairly cope with the enormous challenges we face today.”

“The film raises striking parallels with the present…a visual delight for anyone who enjoys footage of vintage New York City…Set to a funk and soul soundtrack that would make Tarantino’s music supervisor bow in respect.” – WNYC / Gothamist

100% Rotten Tomatoes rating!

Drop Dead City is produced and directed by Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn. Executive produced by Karoline Durr. The archival producer is Frauke Levin. Cinematography by Jerry Risius. Edited by Don Kleszy and Anna Auster. The film’s running time is 108 minutes.

Rohatyn and Yost will participate in Q&A’s after the evening screenings on May 22 at the NoHo and May 23 and 24 at the Monica Film Center.

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Filed Under: Director's Statement, Featured Films, Featured Post, Filmmaker in Person, Filmmaker's Statement, Monica Film Center, NoHo 7, Q&A's, Santa Monica, Theater Buzz, Town Center 5

Bille August on adapting a Stefan Zweig novel for his new film THE KISS ~ “It’s probably one of the most beautiful and peculiar stories that exists.”

May 7, 2025 by Jordan Deglise Moore Leave a Comment

Next week we’re opening the latest film from veteran Danish director Bille August, best known for Pelle the Conqueror, The Best Intentions, The House of the Spirits and dozens more.

“He spoke to Variety about The Kiss, his enduring interest in the complexity of human beings, book-to-screen adaptations, and his belief in the big screen experience.

“Loosely based on Stefan Zweig’s novel Beware of Pity and transposed from an Austrian to a Danish setting, The Kiss is a romantic drama set in 1913. The helmer has reunited with A Fortunate Man’s lead Espen Smed, cast as cavalry officer trainee Anton. Introduced to Baron von Løvenskjold’s daughter Edith, a wheelchair user following an accident, Anton is attracted to her, but unsure if his feelings are of pity or true love.”

What was the genesis for The Kiss and what attracted you to the story?

Originally the film was meant to be a more international co-production but for several reasons it didn’t go through. I was so much in love with the story, and keen to make it happen, that I decided to turn it into a Danish story, to have a better control of the financing process.

The Kiss is freely adapted from a Stefan Zweig’s novel Beware of Pity. Now it is set in Denmark, just before the outbreak of WWI. It’s probably one of the most beautiful and peculiar stories that exists, about the love between the soldier Anton and handicapped girl Edith. There is a profound humanity in the story, that makes it relevant and important today for a wide audience.

The film deals with exclusion, bullying, which is a real issue in our societies, and why I feel the story has to be told. It exposures the reasons why intolerance happens. And tolerance, compassion and healing are themes that I’m very fond of.

The complexity of love relationships is a recurrent theme in your films. We’ve seen it earlier in The Best Intentions, A Fortunate Man and The Pact, for instance….

Yes. I love stories about the complexity of human beings, that dive into the secret side of people. And telling it in a dramatic context is super interesting.

Do you feel that the complexity of the human soul deepens as we grow in age?

It does! It is strange. You would think that with age, you know more about human beings and that things get clearer. But it’s not the case. That’s the beauty of it. At the same time, there is always a healing process, and it is possible to dig into the human soul to unravel this complexity.

You’ve done many literary adaptations over the years. What was the challenge of transferring this story into a Danish content?

First of all, when you decide to make a film based on a novel, you have to decide what’s the story in the story that you want to tell, and you have to dare to be unfaithful to the novel in order to be faithful. Otherwise you risk creating illustrated literature, which doesn’t work.

For me, a lot of great films in history are literary adaptations. like The Godfather, One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest or The Shawshank Redemption. It is the director’s role to decide how to make the stories work for the big screen.

Did you have Esben Smed in mind when you wrote the script? And how did you cast Clara Rosager as the young handicapped Edith?

I knew Esben very well after A Fortunate Man and wanted him to do this part from the beginning. He goes deep into a character and has a leading quality to carry a movie. He is so perceptive, clever and wonderful to work with.

Regarding Clara, I wanted an actress who had the beauty, the innocence, and a great quality as an actress. We did a lot of casting with different actors but when I saw her I knew it was right. She is amazing. It will be her big breakthrough.

When you do a love story, as director and storyteller, it’s all about engaging and you have to find this magic connection between actors, to make audiences believe in their relationship. There has to be a chemistry, an urgency for characters to be together. And you should want the relationship to happen, even if it’s forbidden.

I believe photography was your very first love and introduction to the visual world. How was your collaboration with cinematographer Sebastian Blenkov on this film?

He is a great photographer and works a lot in the U.K., with John Madden among others.

Yes, I did start as cinematographer, and have a pretty clear vision about how I want a film to look, regarding the light. Light influences the truth of the story, the characters’ lives.

Here, I didn’t want the film to look like a period film. Thanks to today’s cameras that are super sensitive, we were able to shoot with the existing light, which makes it so beautiful and authentic.

I guess advances in technology enable you to fully concentrate on the actors…

Yes of course, my job is to make sure actors are comfortable and do their best. But you have to make it cinematically interesting. And a film has to be one piece. The level of acting, has to fit with the level of cinematography, costume, production design and so on. Again, when you look at The Godfather, everything is at the highest level. It all comes together as one piece, which makes it true and very cinematic. This is what makes film true art.

How do you feel about films being financed by streamers and many people watching films in their homes?

It’s true and not true. I think it’s great that we have so many platforms. However, when I go to a cinema, I can see how people enjoy being in a dark room to watch a film. It allows them to have an open mind, to be like children again. When you’re watching a film at home, your concentration level is very different. You don’t have the same openness. It’s a different experience.

People who make films for streamers are aware of that. Films or TV dramas made for the small screen are for different concentration levels by the audience. They are perhaps less sophisticated.

A film made for the big screen, can be more ambitious and challenging in its film language, which I love. This is why I don’t think films in cinemas will ever die.

You rarely have a break between each film. What drives you?

I just love it! It’s not a job, more like a big hobby that I’m lucky to be paid for. And if you are surrounded by the right crew, actors and have a great story – it’s fantastic. It stimulates my curiosity to dive into different universes and to try to find the best cinematic form for each project.

Do you have favorite films in your filmography?

I’ve made so many films. Already when I start shooting, I know if it will work or not. It’s horrible when you start filming and you realize – for whatever reason, that something is wrong. Other times, you feel things come together magically.

After finishing a film, it’s key to reflect and recognize the mistakes you’ve made, not to repeat them and learn from your experience.

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Filed Under: Claremont 5, Director's Statement, Featured Films, Featured Post, Filmmaker's Statement, Films, Moviegoing, Newhall, Royal, Theater Buzz, Town Center 5

“Joel Potrykus, the undisputed maestro of ‘metal slackerism,’ again serves up a singular experience by taking a simple idea to its logical conclusion, and then a lot further.” VULCANIZADORA opens May 9.

April 30, 2025 by Jordan Deglise Moore 1 Comment

Filmmaker Joel Petrykus on his acclaimed, sui generis fifth feature film, Vulcanizadora, opening May 9 at the Laemmle Monica Film Center and NoHo: “One of my biggest concerns about fatherhood is that I’d soften up and start telling stories of hope and inspiration. Five years after the birth of my one and only son, and I’m mostly consumed with fears of inadequacy, abandonment, and mortality; going to prison by accident, falling off a cliff by accident, jumping off a cliff by accident. Vulcanizadora is my most heartfelt and personal, but not in a good way. It’s my most sincere and emotional, but also my bleakest and most haunting.”

“There is no film you’ll ever see like it.” – Collider

“A darkly funny heavy metal comedy that deftly shifts into a poignant existential drama. Potrykus helms with edgy style, but it’s his and Burge’s transformative performances that carry this unconventional gem.” -Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting

“A fascinating film. What I admire most about the truly strange Vulcanizadora is that I haven’t seen anything like it. Joshua Burge is phenomenal.” -Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

“Unexpectedly poignant. Potrykus’ most accessible film to date. A sincere rumination on mortality and enduring relationships.” -Stephen Saito, Moveable Fest

“Joel Potrykus, the undisputed maestro of ‘metal slackerism,” again serves up a singular experience by taking a simple idea to its logical conclusion, and then a lot further.” -David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“Mind-bending. Nothing can really prepare viewers for where Vulcanizadora ends up going.” -Carla Hay, Culture Mix

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Filed Under: Director's Statement, Featured Films, Filmmaker's Statement, Films, Monica Film Center, NoHo 7, Q&A's, Santa Monica, Theater Buzz

“I wanted to bring to light the inner lives of these women, their mutual attraction, their powers, the ways in which they conceal in order to reveal at their own pace.” BONJOUR TRISTESSE opens Friday.

April 30, 2025 by Jordan Deglise Moore Leave a Comment

Based on Françoise Sagan’s controversial 1954 novel, published when she was only 18 years old, the new adaptation of Bonjour Tristesse follows teenage Cécile (Lily McInerny). Her relaxing summer with her father (Claes Bang) in the south of France is upended by the arrival of the enigmatic Anne (Chloë Sevigny), her late mother’s friend.

First-time filmmaker Durga Chew-Bose is a writer, editor, and filmmaker living in Montreal. Prior to making Bonjour Tristesse, her film writing and interviews have focused on a range of international directors, from Abbas Kiarostami to Mia Hansen-Løve, Mike Leigh, Olivier Assayas, and many more. She is a devoted cinephile and has spoken on the works of masters of the craft from Michelangelo Antonioni to Hsiao-Hsien Hou at numerous screening retrospectives around the world. Her study continued with the gorgeous collaboration she achieved on this film with her crew, especially her cinematographer and costume designer. As she says in her just-posted interview on Inside the Arthouse, “From the beginning, I had a strong sense of who I wanted to build this world with and, honestly, learn from, because I was going to be the least experienced person on the set. You’re very aware of every individual who is there making it with you because you only get this finite amount of time to do it.”

In another interview, Chew-Bose was asked, “What made you want to tell this story?”

A: I was drawn to the women. There was still more to tell. My understanding of what an adaptation could be, for a book as beloved as Bonjour Tristesse, that had also been previously adapted, was entirely based on…potential. I wanted to bring to light the inner lives of these women, their mutual attraction, their powers, the ways in which they conceal in order to reveal at their own pace, of course. Françoise Sagan was a singular force and I was inspired to use my voice to continue the story of Bonjour Tristesse, instead of simply retelling it. In some ways, it’s a very simple story. But is jealousy ever simple? Is growing up as a girl and feeling misunderstood by those you trust most, simple? Is finding love in the same places you might find pain, ever simple? I found myself under the influence of Cécile, even if on paper, we had little in common. I admired her ability to contradict herself, to experience the full-blown capacity of her feelings. There’s real freedom in that. I admired Anne, but wanted to write a version that felt truer to my understanding of womanhood, free of expectations, bright, funny, soft. I was excited to tell this story, scene by scene, allowing these women to compose a rhythm for the movie. Their choices are its momentum.

Q: The cinematography in the film is gorgeous, what was the process like of striking the right tone for the visual language of the film?

A: Max and I spent a long time simply watching movies. We’d watch a movie and then talk about it, even if it wasn’t an obvious inspiration for Bonjour Tristesse. In fact, we seemed drawn to films that weren’t sun dappled or set on beaches. We loved movies with dramatic blocking, where conversations were made tense, simply by how the characters were or were not facing each other. I wanted stillness, and Max encouraged me to seek moments where we could favor movement. We found a sweet spot in Ozu’s use of “pillow shots,” these sort of ‘place setting’ moments where cutaways of everyday life at the Villa provided an opportunity for composition and color, gentle rhythm, and summer’s natural appeal to time passing in a more poetic way.

I wanted certain scenes to feel like theater, on a stage, but in order to achieve that for our movie, Max and I found ways to bring the outdoors inside and vice versa, so our stage, so to speak, still involved shadows, a breeze.

We also focused our attention on photographers like Luigi Ghirri or painters like Félix Vallotton. The former was a huge source of inspiration for the movie’s faded blues and browns. The latter inspired us to favour dark interiors, stylized with a single lamp. One painting in particular, titled “Le Diner, effect de lamp” was the blueprint for a dinner scene in the movie where I insisted our characters should look like they are floating in space at the table, surrounded by blackness. We planned a lot and then forgot everything, finding our rhythm each day on set. We played. We listened to our surroundings.

Also, while it isn’t totally related to the movie’s cinematography, it is related to its visual style. We worked closely with the designer and artist, Cynthia Merhej, whose work inspired the world of Anne’s designs. Cynthia’s eye for color, fabric, detail, was a collaborative no-brainer for Miyako. Together, they imagined a sophisticated, romantic, dancerly, and sometimes handsome design language for Anne. Cynthia’s dresses provide real moments of beauty in the movie, and personally, reminded me of so many classic films where costume encouraged an otherworldly quality to a scene. We can marvel, be awed. She makes clothes for twirling and twirling is so cinematic.

Q: The music in the film is singular and incredibly thoughtful—can you talk through your decisions and inspiration for it?

A: I’ve always loved movie soundtracks. If I was going to make my first film, I was going to make one with a singular soundtrack. Aliocha Schneider was a huge source of inspiration for our music, given his talent and voice. I rewrote scenes for his character, Cyril, after he and I went for a walk a couple years ago in Montreal. He was learning how to sing in Italian, the rest is history.

Our composer, Lesley Barber, designed a score that feels timeless but also spooky, and in moments, very romantic. I loved working with her in Toronto, watching as she played the piano, feeling out a scene’s many movements. We referenced everything from Disney movies to John
Adams to Laraaji to Ravel to Harold Budd, but ultimately, we found our own sound. My friend Hailey Gates recorded an original song for the movie with Z berg—something like a narration of Cécile’s summer. It’s haunting and totally out there but also, like everything with Bonjour, it feels familiar (and again, a little bit Disney). Early in the movie, a song by Dorothy Ashby plays. Something about her harp always sets forth a dreamier side of my imagination, and I wanted that same stirring quality to awaken our audience.

Q: How did your own research of Francoise Sagan inform your approach to Bonjour Tristesse?

A: I researched for my own curiosity. I’ve always found it strange that book covers of Bonjour Tristesse are designed with photos of Françoise. She became fiction, in some ways, and I wanted to preserve her original story, and in turn preserve her, separate from the book. She was so much more. I was under the influence of her love of cars, though, and made sure we had plenty of road, so to speak, and moments of speed (in image and score), to pay tribute to her love of racing. She loved an accelerated life. Personally, I’m much…slower. I tried to strike a balance. I loved reading about her life and learning about her life, through her son, Denis and her longtime publisher Editions Julliard.

Q: Where did the shoot take place and how long did you film for?

A: Beautiful Cassis. There wasn’t a day that passed where I wasn’t acutely aware of our breathtaking location—white rocks, blue water, wild, 300 year old pine trees that our Villa was actually built around. I loved our Villa. It was the first one we saw and I couldn’t unsee it. A real
coup de cœur. It was designed by the architect Fernand Pouillon and what drew me to it was how it was all at once unassuming but rich with character, like sneaky colors here and there, heavy doors and shallow stairs. It had an inside-outside build with windows that provided something voyeuristic to the design. There were multiple terraces which is ideal for a movie with a lot of sitting and talking—I was able to adapt the script to the Villa’s character easily, as if it was all preordained. Max choreographed the camera movements to bring out the Villa’s
particularities, and in some ways, I think the Villa encouraged our imagination, challenged our imagination. We listened to the Villa; we spent time there at various moments in the day, to understand what it looked like at sunset or midday, how the stone walls shifted their varieties of warmth. Even our costume designer, ever-thoughtful in her thinking, Miyako Bellizzi, joined us at different times of day, to understand how her costumes might look against the Villa’s walls, among the trees. We shot for 30 days.

Q: Talk about the casting process and how you came to cast such an extraordinary group of actors here?

A: I always knew I wanted a very international cast, built entirely on instinct. I wanted to make a contemporary version of Bonjour Tristesse and that included updating the characters’ pursuits, sensibilities, sensitivities. I had known Lily for years and personally, just had a feeling she would become Cécile beyond what was on the page. The moment we cast her, Cécile was no longer mine. She was Lily’s. And Lily took the role and ran, with intensity, with subtlety, with an Audrey Hepburn-type grace.

Many years ago, when I was only outlining Bonjour, my producers joined me in Montreal to go over my vision for the film. We talked a lot about Anne and I expressed my deep love for this woman who wants to protect her powers but also, who moves with elegance, who is tender with those that she loves, who is visionary and a romantic. Chloe was an immediate choice. Her immense talent, the roles she takes and the directors she takes chances on, her wit, her style, her deep love for her family and friends, it was so obvious. It took us years to make this movie and years to reach the moment we would cast her, but like everything with this process, there’s been some magic, some destiny. The day we wrapped Chloe, there were tears on set. Nobody wanted her to leave.

It took us a long time to find our Elsa but the moment I saw Naïlia, I knew she was the one. Her smile, her impossible coolness, her kindness. Elsa, in our adaptation, is probably the biggest departure from the book, and Naïlia was very excited and passionate about giving Elsa a story
beyond her relationship to Raymond. There’s a softness, too, to Elsa that isn’t obvious, but Naïlia has a natural tenderness to her. She’s an observer. She pays attention to everyone’s feelings in the room. I learned so much from Naïlia about the power of subtlety.

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Filed Under: Claremont 5, Director's Statement, Featured Films, Featured Post, Filmmaker's Statement, Films, Glendale, Greg Laemmle, Inside the Arthouse, Newhall, News, NoHo 7, Royal, Theater Buzz, Town Center 5

The bio-documentary JANIS IAN: BREAKING SILENCE opens tomorrow.

April 2, 2025 by Jordan Deglise Moore 2 Comments

Tomorrow we’ll be opening Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, the new documentary about the singer-songwriter. Filmmaker Varda Bar-Kar will participate in Q&A’s after the 7:00 o’clock shows on Thursday, April 3 at the Laemmle NoHo and April 4 and 5 at the Monica Film Center, as well as after the 1:00 o’clock show at the Laemmle Glendale on April 5.  Ms. Ian will join her for the NoHo and Santa Monica screenings. The filmmaker is also featured on the latest episode of Raphael Sbarge and Greg Laemmle’s video podcast Inside the Arthouse.

Director’s Statement: “The pandemic began when I finished my music documentary Fandango at the Wall (HBO/MAX), about a transformative musical convergence at the border between the United States and Mexico. Before Fandango, I had made another music documentary called Big Voice (Netflix) about a high school choir director and his most advanced ensemble. I love experimenting with the alchemy of combining film with music and wanted to continue working in that genre.

“Conversations about identity and how we identify were buzzing at that time. I considered my own identity. How do I identify? Do I feel represented in mainstream media? I resist defining my identity since definitions mainly serve to box us in. I am a free thinker, a bisexual woman, born Jewish, now with a Buddhist bent, and an artist. Like all artists, I am an outsider. I am capable, a roll-up-your-sleeves can-do-it kind of person, and I am an optimist. I don’t see many women like me represented in the media.

“I sat with the question, ‘If I made a film about a female artist with whom I closely identify, who would she be?’ Janis Ian popped into my mind. Her name hit me like a lightning strike. Yet I knew nothing about her outside of a lingering high school memory of listening to her masterful album Between the Lines and crying because her music penetrated my isolation, making me feel seen and heard. Her music assured me that I was not alone. Her music meant the world to me at that time.

“Through research, I discovered that Janis Ian has a significant body of work spanning 60 years. I compiled lengthy playlists of my favorite of her songs – many I had never heard before. I discovered she had written a riveting autobiography called Society’s Child. I could not put the
book down. I learned that not only has Janis made significant contributions to the music world, but she is also a social justice champion and an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She has endured tremendous hardships and overcome them one after another. Her story of commitment to
artistry and incredible resilience inspired me.

“How could it be that a film had not yet been made about her? This might sound crazy, and maybe it is, but I felt it was my destiny to make a film about Janis.

“I am forever grateful that Janis entrusted me with her magnificent musical story, and I am excited to share it with the world. I am also thankful to my unstoppable producing team and creative collaborators for working with me to overcome a myriad of obstacles and challenges to bring Janis Ian’s story to the screen so that today’s audiences can feel seen and heard just as I did when I listened to Between the Line so many years ago.”

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Filed Under: Director's Statement, Featured Films, Featured Post, Filmmaker in Person, Films, Glendale, Greg Laemmle, Inside the Arthouse, Monica Film Center, NoHo 7, Q&A's, Santa Monica, Theater Buzz

THE PENGUIN LESSONS, the latest film from THE FULL MONTY director Peter Cattaneo.

March 26, 2025 by Jordan Deglise Moore 3 Comments

Starring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, The Penguin Lessons is a poignant dramedy inspired by a true  story, set against the backdrop of Argentina’s political turmoil in 1976.  

Tom (Coogan), a disillusioned Englishman, arrives in Buenos Aires to teach at a prestigious boarding school,  expecting an easy experience. But as the city spirals into crisis, and his students remain unteachable, Tom’s  life takes an unexpected turn when he rescues an oil-slicked penguin from a nearby beach. The bird’s  surprising loyalty and unique presence forces Tom to confront his own repressed past and awaken to the  responsibilities of both personal and political change.  

Directed by Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty, Military Wives), this heartwarming film shows how even  the most unlikely connections can spark profound change and self-discovery. We open the film at six of our seven theaters this Friday, March 28.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: When I first read Tom Michell’s memoir The Penguin Lessons, I instinctively felt it could make a wonderful  film. Tom’s tale of the unexpected bond between man and penguin in the setting of a British private school in  1976 Buenos Aires, captured my imagination and inspired me to tell this unique, original story on the big  screen. Just like Tom’s rich source material, Jeff Pope’s adaptation captures the humor, heart, and complexities of the story flawlessly. Through his script, Jeff brilliantly finds the heart of an intriguing lead  character.  

At the start of the story, Tom is clearly in need of fixing. Yet, somehow, with Steve Coogan in the role, Tom’s  grumpiness and cynicism maintains a dry humor that makes him enjoyable and entertaining to watch. As his  character forms an emotional bond with the penguin Juan Salvador, Steve swings between heartbreak and warmth seamlessly, showing remarkable range as his character gradually comes back to life.  

In his portrayal of Tom’s growing empathy for the pupils and staff of St George’s College, and his awakened  political awareness, Steve gives a truly outstanding performance. His work in the film amazes me, and I feel so  fortunate that he was the one to bring Tom to life. Working with screen legend Jonathan Pryce was an honor. His natural instinct for balancing humor and gravitas make him the perfect actor to play headmaster Buckle. Collaborating with him and Steve in two-hander scenes were some of the most enjoyable days I have  experienced as a director. 

At script stage, we decided to expand on the source material, adding elements that reflect the atrocities carried  out by the military dictatorship at the time our story unfolds. Our lead character, Tom is somewhat shielded from events unfolding on the streets of Buenos Aires, not only by the school’s walls, but also by his own blinkered outlook. However, we felt we couldn’t tell a story set in 1976 Argentina without addressing the brutal  inhumanity that was taking place. The key was to find the right balance, showing the tragic impact of the  regime on two of our supporting characters, whilst keeping the story of Tom’s redemption and awakening at the center of the narrative. I hope that through a movie with broad appeal, those in the audience who know  little or nothing about Argentina’s history will be made aware and find themselves motivated to find out more.  

The Latin American cast including Vivian El Jaber, Alfonsina Carrocio and Ramiro Blass, as well as being  terrific actors, were all valuable collaborators when it came to recreating an authentic mood of 1976 Argentina.  Although laced with period detail, I aimed to give the film a timeless, fable-like quality.  

Juan Salvador, is a small Magellanic penguin. Like all our favorite pets, his charm comes partly from his  imperfections. He can be stubborn. He’s quite scruffy, and he stinks of pungent fish. Working to capture him on  camera called for an unorthodox, naturalistic approach. I encouraged the cast and crew to stay patient and  reactive, embracing the unexpected from the penguin. This way, I found the door was opened to unscripted  magic. His little moments of spontaneity brought joy to the cast and crew alike and resulted in some of my favorite scenes in the film.  – PETER CATTANEO 

WORKING WITH THE PENGUINS: Coogan worked closely with two real penguins, Baba and Richard for most of the film. He spent weeks getting  to know them before filming began, visiting their living quarters, talking to them, and holding them to build  familiarity. Coogan mentioned, “By the time I was on set, I was comfortable picking them up. When we said  goodbye, it was very emotional. They disarm you. Human beings are too inward-looking and preoccupied with  things that aren’t important. These birds remind you not to take everything so seriously.”

Peter Cattaneo highlighted that different penguins have slightly different personalities. Some are more active,  some are friendly, others more reserved. Initially the team didn’t know what to expect, having only seen  penguins in zoos. 

While some scenes used a puppet or robot penguin, most featured the real birds, which required Coogan to  adapt to their unpredictable behavior and use his improvisation skills to handle unexpected moments on set.  Coogan noted, “Fortunately, I’ve done a lot of improvisation in my career, so I know not to freeze when animals  aren’t behaving as planned. You lean into it instead of pushing back against it. That can lead to some of the  best moments.” Coogan developed a strong bond with the penguins, finding their presence disarming and a  reminder not to take life too seriously, making saying goodbye to them an emotional experience.

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Filed Under: Claremont 5, Director's Statement, Featured Films, Films, Glendale, Newhall, NoHo 7, Royal, Theater Buzz, Town Center 5

Oscars 2025: The ANORA director advocates for movie theaters, and the Academy honors Robert Laemmle. Plus: Oscar Contest winners.

March 5, 2025 by Jordan Deglise Moore

The 2025 Oscars are in the history books. It was a good night, with a funny, skilled host in Conan O’Brien and a fairly equitable distribution of statuettes for some terrific movies. It was also a good night for theatrical exhibition, better known as good, old-fashioned moviegoing. As he did during his speech accepting the Palme d’Or last year in Cannes, Anora filmmaker Sean Baker gave a passionate, trenchant speech in favor of seeing movies as filmmakers have always intended them to be seen, in theaters. After accepting the Oscar for Best Director from filmmaker (and movie theater owner) Quentin Tarantino, Baker said the following to almost 20 million Americans watching live and far more people worldwide:
“I’m going to take this time up here really quick to read something I’m very passionate about…so we’re all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies. Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater. Watching a film …in the theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream in fright together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together. And in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever. It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home, and right now the theatergoing experience is under threat. Movie theaters, especially independently owned theaters, are struggling, and it’s up to us to support them. During the pandemic we lost nearly 1000 screens in the U.S., and we continue to lose them regularly. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry. Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen. I know I will. Distributors…please focus first and foremost on the theatrical releases of your films. Neon did that for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Parents…introduce your children to feature films in movie theaters, and you’ll be molding the next generation of movie lovers and filmmakers. And for all of us, when we can, please watch movies in the theater, and let’s keep the great tradition of the moviegoing experience alive and well.”
You can watch his full speech here.
The always moving In Memoriam section of the Oscars broadcast was especially powerful this year. This may have been because the losses of huge talents seemed particularly heavy this year. For us at Laemmle Theatres, of course, we are still grieving the loss of Robert Laemmle, our former president and Greg Laemmle’s father. What an honor for Bob to be the first exhibitor included in the in Memoriam montage.
Finally, we are pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Umpteenth Annual Laemmle Oscar Contest.
FIRST PLACE: Stefan with 18 correct answers.
SECOND PLACE: Joel with 18 correct answers.
TIE for THIRD PLACE: Kelly & Cole with 17 correct answers (plus closest run-time to actual runtime broadcast).
Check out our nifty pie charts to see how our savvy customers divined the Academy members’ choices. Last year our winner correctly guessed 21 categories, so this was a tough year. As predicted, the Best Actress category was one of the trickiest; only 10.7% guessed that Mikey Madison would win for her turn in Anora, defying the conventional wisdom that Demi Moore would win for The Substance, and that Fernanda Torres was the true dark horse for her performance in I’m Still Here. Half of our contestants thought The Wild Robot would take the Best Animated Feature prize, but the acclaimed little Latvian film Flow came out on top. Almost 25% of contestants thought Timothée Chalamet would win for Best Actor for A Complete Unknown, no doubt misled by his Screen Actors Guild Awards victory.
Winners, we will be in touch to get you your movie pass prizes. Congratulations!

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Filed Under: Claremont 5, Contests, Director's Statement, Featured Post, Filmmaker's Statement, Films, Glendale, Moviegoing, Newhall, News, NoHo 7, Royal, Santa Monica, Theater Buzz, Town Center 5, Tribute

“With a small crew, we were able to work within the ebb and flow of the Camino. We became invisible and nimble, and that allowed us to film the real Camino.” THE WAY, MY WAY opens March 7.

February 19, 2025 by Jordan Deglise Moore

The Way, My Way, which we open March 7 at our Claremont, Santa Monica, and Encino theaters, is the charming and captivating true story of a stubborn, self-centered Australian man who decides to walk the 800 kilometer-long Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through Spain. He doesn’t know why he’s doing it… but one step at a time, it will change him and his outlook on life forever. Based on Bill Bennett’s best-selling memoir of the same name.

Bennett penned the following about The Way, My Way:

“I really didn’t want to make this film. I didn’t want to make a film about myself; about my failings and vulnerabilities, and hardships which took me right to the brink. Finally I decided to give it a shot – but then I was faced with the question: how do I make a film on the Camino and make it real?

“I decided the only way to tell my story truthfully was to shoot with a very small crew and use the actual pilgrims I’d walked with ten years earlier. Of the twenty speaking parts in the film, only four are professional actors. The rest are pilgrims.

“They proved to be stellar. They set the standard. They held the truth, the authenticity. The professional actors had to step up to the pilgrims’ benchmark. In fact, we all had to, even those of us behind the cameras.

“And with a small crew, we were able to work within the ebb and flow of the Camino. We became invisible and nimble, and that allowed us to film the real Camino.

“The decision to cast the real pilgrims dictated so many other major creative decisions for me as a director. The shooting style, the editing style, the tone of the movie, the staging and blocking of scenes – even what film gear we should use.

“It all had to point towards the authenticity of the Camino experience.

“Now having almost completed post-production, I feel I’ve achieved what I set out to do – to make a truthful film about a man who ultimately undergoes a fundamental shift in character and outlook, through walking the Camino.”

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Filed Under: Claremont 5, Director's Statement, Featured Films, Filmmaker's Statement, Santa Monica, Theater Buzz, Town Center 5

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1970s New York City on the brink ~ DROP DEAD CITY opens tomorrow.

“Laura Piani’s splendid debut balances reality with the effervescent charm of vintage swooners.” JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE opens May 23.

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#Niki 
Paris, 1952. Niki has recently moved from the U.S. with her husband and daughter.
Despite this newfound distance from a family and country that were suffocating her, disturbing flashbacks of her childhood continue to invade her thoughts. From the hell she is about to discover, Niki will find in her art a weapon to free herself.
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Yôko Yamanaka’s second feature follows a 21-year-old Japanese woman with erratic humor as she ghosts one boyfriend after another. A beautician with little commitment to her work and no real desire to achieve anything, she burns every bridge, accumulating broken hearts in her wake. "Yuumi Kawai is immediately magnetic…Yamanaka’s work defies binaries… The film and its lead feel[s] pulsatingly alive." ~ Variety #DesertOfNamibia #WorldwideWednesdays #yokoyamanaka #yuumikawaii #山中瑶子 #河合優実
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Single mother Sylvie (César Award-winner Virginie Efira) lives with her two young sons, Sofiane and Jean-Jacques. One night, Sofiane is injured while alone, and child services removes him from their home. Sylvie is determined to regain custody of her son, against the full weight of the French legal system in this searing Cannes official selection.

“Virginie Efira excels [in this] gripping debut.” - Hollywood Reporter
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Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/echo-valley | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3b8JTym | Kate lives a secluded life—until her troubled daughter shows up, frightened and covered in someone else's blood. As Kate unravels the shocking truth, she learns just how far a mother will go to try to save her child

Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/echo-valley

RELEASE DATE: 6/13/2025

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ABOUT LAEMMLE: Since 1938, Laemmle [Theatres] has been showing the finest independent, arthouse, and international films.

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Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/drop-dead-city | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3b8JTym | NYC, 1975 - the greatest, grittiest city on Earth is minutes away from bankruptcy when an unlikely alliance of rookies, rivals, fixers and flexers finds common ground - and a way out. Drop Dead City is the first-ever feature documentary devoted to the NYC Fiscal Crisis of 1975, an extraordinary, overlooked episode in urban American history.

Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/drop-dead-city

RELEASE DATE: 5/23/2025
Director: Michael Rohatyn, Peter Yost

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ABOUT LAEMMLE: Since 1938, Laemmle [Theatres] has been showing the finest independent, arthouse, and international films.

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Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/lost-starlight | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/3b8JTym | In 2050 Seoul, astronaut Nan-young’s ultimate goal is to visit Mars. But she fails the final test to onboard the fourth Mars Expedition Project. The musician Jay buries his dreams in a vintage audio equipment shop.

The two fall in love after a chance encounter. As they root for each other and dream of a new future. Nan-young is given another chance to fly to Mars, which is all she ever wanted…

“Don’t forget. Out here in space, there’s someone who’s always rooting for you

Tickets: http://laemmle.com/film/lost-starlight

RELEASE DATE: 5/30/2025

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ABOUT LAEMMLE: Since 1938, Laemmle [Theatres] has been showing the finest independent, arthouse, and international films.

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