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“If watching a Jafar Panahi film is something of a political act, then it is also a soul-nourishing one.” NO BEARS opens Friday at the Royal, January 20 at the Claremont, Glendale and Town Center.

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A statement from Jafar Panahi, unjustly imprisoned since July 2022 by the fascist theocrats in Tehran:

“We are filmmakers. We are part of Iranian independent cinema. For us, to live is to create. We create works that are not commissioned. Therefore, those in power see us as criminals. Independent cinema reflects its own times. It draws inspiration from society. And cannot be indifferent to it.

“The history of Iranian cinema witnesses the constant and active presence of independent directors who have struggled to push back censorship and to ensure the survival of this art. While on this path, some were banned from making films, others were forced into exile or reduced to isolation. And yet, the hope of creating again is a reason for existence. No matter where, when, or under what circumstances, an independent filmmaker is either creating or thinking about creation. We are filmmakers, independent ones.”

Some of the copious praise for No Bears, the film he finished just before being arrested:

“If watching a Jafar Panahi film is something of a political act, then it is also a soul-nourishing one.” ~ Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail

“[Panahi’s] work has not astonished like this in some time.” ~ Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com
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“There’s an urgency and a currency to No Bears that is evident even if you didn’t know Panahi is currently serving a six-year sentence for “producing anti-government propaganda,” both of which add a sting to its final act. You leave feeling like you’ve just seen a truly extraordinary late work produced by one of the era’s greatest working auteurs, quickly followed by the sense of experiencing a sucker punch when you remember that the man driving away from the scene of the crime onscreen isn’t able to go anywhere once that screen fades to black.” ~ David Fear, Rolling Stone
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“Panahi, whose courage and honesty are beyond doubt, has made a movie that calls those very qualities into question, a movie about its own ethical limits and aesthetic contradictions.” ~ A.O. Scott, New York Times
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“It’s a fierce critique of small-town traditionalism and religious dogma. But while this is an angry and ultimately devastating movie, it’s also a surprisingly playful and inventive one.” ~ Justin Chang, NPR’s Fresh Air
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“There’s no way to watch this film without feeling mournful, or fearing for the man who made it.” ~ Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine

Contest! Submit your Top Ten Films of 2022 for a chance to win gift cards & read Greg Laemmle on TÁR, RRR, HALLELUJAH and the seven other films on his 2022 Top Ten.

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Have you caught up on the 2022 movies you wanted to see? Regardless, it’s time to submit your Top Ten lists. Tell us which films you liked best here and you’ll be entered into a raffle for free Laemmle gift cards! If you need inspiration, here’s Greg Laemmle on the state of arthouse moviegoing and his favorite features of the last year, with some thoughts about each:

“At some level, the best that can be said is that at least we were open for all twelve months of the year. And after 2020 and 2021, that was a positive. But given that the year both started and ended with Omicron surges, the movie exhibition sector is still not in a post-Covid environment.

“For those of us who have returned to communal moviegoing, there were some memorable movies to see. But overall, we are still dealing with fewer movies in release, less review coverage in the local press of theatrically released films, and distributor marketing campaigns for critically driven films that are still adjusting to the new landscape. There are hopeful signs. But we are still not out of the woods.
“But enough about the business. How about the films! Following is my Top 10. Like all lists, this is a work in progress, given that there are a number of films which I have not yet had a chance to watch. So if you are wondering why something is not included, it may just be that I haven’t gotten around to seeing it…yet!”
#1 – TÁR – I will admit that there is something emotionally unsatisfying about this film. But not every story can be tied up in a neat bow at the end, and such is the case here. The complex character at the center of this tale is a mass of contradictions, and to its credit, the film does not try to smooth out the rough edges. Built around Cate Blanchett’s masterful performance, Todd Field’s film is one that grows richer with each viewing.
#2 – RRR – If my top film is one that requires rigorous viewing, this #2 title is perhaps the polar opposite. But director S. S. Rajamouli is equally in control of his canvas, and the resulting film is again something that provides pleasure after repeated viewing.
#3 – HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG – There have been a number of worthwhile Leonard Cohen documentaries. But in focussing on the lengthy process involved with the creation of his most famous (and most covered) song, this film reveals something about the spiritual quest that each of us go through, and becomes something more than a film about a famous work of art. It is a revelation about the universal search for meaning.
#4 – HOLY SPIDER – Another spiritual journey. But this time, a cautionary tale about how the desire to do God’s work in the world can be corrupted. And all that is wrapped up in a taut thriller that features two great performances.
#5 – LIVING – I’m not a fan of remakes. And given that Akira Kurosawa’s IKIRU is a favorite, there was every reason to dislike this film. And yet, it gets so much right, being both respectful of the original film and understanding the need to bring the tale into a new and different setting. No film delivered as much emotionally in 2022, aided no doubt by Bill Nighy’s tremendous lead performance.
#6 – CORSAGE – Another film that benefits from a masterful lead performance. Vicky Krieps is terrific in this beautifully made costume drama. But as much as we focus on the corsets and gowns from a different era, we are really drawn into the inner life of this complex historical figure. Kudos to director Maria Kreutzer for for the complete film that supports and enhances the lead performance, creating a whole that is so much more than the sum of its parts.
#7 – CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH – Too few people saw this terrific American indie film, the sophomore effort from actor-writer-director Cooper Raiff. That’s a real shame as I found it to be one of the year’s more interesting efforts. You can find it on Apple TV, and hopefully the interplay between Raiff, the emotionally raw Dakota Johnson, and the newcomer Vanessa Burghardt delivers the same punch. I look forward with great anticipation to filmmaker Raiff’s next picture.
#8 – THE BATMAN – Yes, it’s long. Yes, it’s dark. Yes, it is a commercial film. But it is also a work that represents the singular vision of director Matt Reeves, marshalling all the talents both in front of and behind the camera to present his spin on this oft-told tale. I’m an indie guy. But I also believe that Hollywood should be given its due when it gets things right. And with this film (also TOP GUN: MAVERICK and – in a different way – ELVIS), the raw power of studio filmmaking is clear.
#9 – THE NORTHMAN – Director Robert Eggers (THE LIGHTHOUSE) was given a huge budget to make this Nordic tale. That may not have made the most financial sense, but the film itself delivers. Look for big screen revival showings.
#10 – ONLY IN THEATERS – Is it fair to include this on my list? Probably not. But is it fair to exclude it? Director Raphael Sparge’s documentary about the history of Laemmle Theaters, and our struggles over the past few years as we weathered bad box office and then the pandemic is 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so critics agree that it is a worthy effort. And so many people have approached me at the theatres to say how much they enjoyed the film as well. As we work in the coming year to rebuild our business, this film reminds us how powerful and worthwhile the experience is of seeing a movie with an audience in a movie theatre. And isn’t that something to be thankful for?
Happy New Year and Happy Moviegoing,
Greg Laemmle

Culture Vulture 2023 starts off strong in Glendale, Newhall and Santa Monica with Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux.

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Happy New Year! We’re welcoming 2023 with five powerful titles in our long-running Culture Vulture series: The Super 8 Years; Children of the Mist; Filmmakers for the Prosecution screening with Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today; and Geographies of Solitude.

The Super 8 Years, January 23 & 24: One of France’s most respected contemporary writers, 2022 Nobel Prize laureate Annie Ernaux’s intimate and autobiographical body of work captures the inner lives of women alongside societal and cultural changes in France from the 1960s onwards. A natural extension of her literary work in its form and content, The Super 8 Years shows the pastimes, lifestyle and aspirations of a social class in post-1960s France through the lens of the Ernaux family archive. Read Manohla Dargis’ rave review in the New York Times: “The film’s images have faded, but the memories they’ve stirred up are vivid and full of feeling…short, potent, quietly elegiac.”

Children of the Mist, January 30 & 31: In a village hidden in the mist-shrouded Northwest Vietnamese mountains resides an indigenous Hmong community, home to 12-year-old Di, part of the first generation of her people with access to formal education. A free spirit, Di happily recounts her experiences to Vietnamese filmmaker Diễm Hà Lệ, who planted herself within Di’s family over the course of three years to document this unique coming of age. “Diem’s intimate access and sensitive approach, together with editor Swann Dubus’ keen eye for texture and detail, make for a compelling and eye-opening drama.” ~ Nikki Baughan, Screen Daily

Filmmakers for the Prosecution screening with Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today, February 6 & 7: Filmmakers: Near the end of WWII, filmmaker John Ford, head of the Field Photographic Branch of the OSS, assigns the Schulberg brothers to carry out a special mission: track down German footage and photographs of Nazi atrocities in order to convict the leaders scheduled to stand trial. Nuremberg: One of the greatest courtroom dramas in history, the film shows how prosecutors built their case against Nazi war criminals using their own films and records. “Haunting and vivid. What this documentary shows is how a vital and indispensable principle of humanity was restored.” [on Nuremberg] – A. O. Scott,  New York Times

From ‘Filmmakers for the Prosecution.’

Geographies of Solitude, February 13 & 14: An immersion into the rich ecosystem of Sable Island, a remote sliver of land in the Northwest Atlantic, the film follows Zoe Lucas, a naturalist and environmentalist who has lived there for over 40 years collecting, cleaning and documenting marine litter that persistently washes up on the island’s shores. Shot on 16mm and created using eco-friendly filmmaking techniques, Geographies of Solitude is a playful and reverent collaboration with the natural world filled with arresting images and made with an activist spirit. “A work of art.” – Marc Glassman, POV Magazine “A beguiling and poetic film.” – Wendy Ide, Screen Daily

From ‘Geographies of Solitude.’

Tickets for all the films are now on sale. Couple changes: west side Culture Vulture screenings are now at the Monica Film Center instead of the Royal and the Monday screenings will start at 7 PM instead of 7:30 PM. Also screening at our Glendale and Santa Clarita theaters.

Join our tradition: SING-ALONG FIDDLER ON THE ROOF tickets are going fast!

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So few movies stand the test of time and can delight wildly different audiences even decades after their release. Fifty-one years later, Fiddler on the Roof is one of those few. All of which is to say that tickets for our Christmas Eve Sing-Along Fiddler on the Roof screenings at six of our seven theaters are going fast. There is still room for those who want to come out and celebrate, but act soon. Bring your Hanukkah menorah (and candles) to the theatre and help celebrate the miracles in our lives, not least of which is the “Wonder of Wonders” that Laemmle Theatres is still open after a year of closure and two years of halting recovery.  Are brighter days ahead? Who knows. But I’m betting on yes. So buy a ticket, and I’ll feel as “If I Were a Rich Man” because there are still people who value the “Tradition” of seeing a movie in a movie theatre! ~ Greg Laemmle
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ONLY IN THEATRES – 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Add your review!

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Only in Theaters, the new documentary about the Laemmle family and their film 85-year-old foreign and art film exhibition business, is a critical success, universally praised by critics and audiences alike. You can add your review here (scroll down to the “rate and review” section and click on “what did you think of the movie?”). Now playing at the Monica Film Center.

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“I felt like I was watching a family’s home movie… A celebration of people to whom we owe an enormous debt.” ~ Wade Major, FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
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“A fascinating and poignant look at the Laemmle family.” ~ Claudia Puig, FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
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“Watching how it was a struggle to get people into the seats even before the pandemic and all the stress that Greg and Tish Laemmle endure is a little tough to watch at times, but Only in Theaters is essential viewing for every filmgoer.” ~ Jason Delgado, Film Threat
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“Like a knotty, poignant family business saga you might see on one of their screens, the story here is beautiful and complicated, one in which the twin weights of legacy and calling bear down on the need to survive in changing times.” ~ Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
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“It’s not a film about how important theatrical exhibition is for filmmakers (though that is nice too). Rather, it’s an intimate portrait of a man burdened by legacy, navigating uncharted waters, not even sure that he wants to.” ~ Katie Walsh, TheWrap
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“Only in Theaters isn’t just a celebration of the Laemmles and their love of sharing cinema but the American Dream.” ~ Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
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“The kind of film where the viewer loses sense of time itself, mesmerized by the beauty and melancholy of each shot,” NANNY opens Friday.

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Nanny, the acclaimed psychological horror fable of displacement, is about Aisha (Anna Diop), a woman who recently emigrated from Senegal. She is hired to care for the daughter of an affluent couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector) living in New York City. Haunted by the absence of the young son she left behind, Aisha hopes her new job will afford her the chance to bring him to the U.S., but becomes increasingly unsettled by the family’s volatile home life. As his arrival approaches, a violent presence begins to invade both her dreams and her reality, threatening the American dream she is painstakingly piecing together.

Nanny won the Grand Jury Prize for drama at Sundance at the Directors to Watch award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and is a nominee for the Someone to Watch prize at the Spirit Awards. We open the film Friday at the Monica Film Center, Claremont 5 and NoHo 7.

“Diop’s delicate, fine-tuned performance works harmoniously with movie’s shape-shifting and with the other actors, especially Monaghan’s more full-bodied, quietly violent turn.” ~ Manohla Dargis, New York Times

“Nanny starts as a movie about a reality that we’d rather not face and ends as a movie about reality that we cannot bear. That is the horror of it — and, in Jusu’s hands, the galvanizing thrill.” ~ K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone

“The film is an experience for the senses; you’ll hold your breath as you’re consumed.” ~ Pilar Galvan, NPR
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“A work of compassion and unease heralding a thoughtful, genre-probing talent.” ~ Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

“Its feeling and its images stayed with me long after it ended.” ~ Sahir Avid D’souza, TimeOut
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“Jusu digs into her heroine’s psyche in a way that is unsettling and unforgettable.” ~ Esther Zuckerman, Thrillist
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“It’s the kind of film where the viewer loses sense of time itself, mesmerized by the beauty and melancholy of each shot.” ~ Jourdain Searles, Hollywood Reporter

“Wild, boldly expressionistic” EO advance screening with the filmmaker in person Nov. 28; regular engagement begins December 2.

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     With his first film in seven years, legendary director Jerzy Skolimowski (Deep End, Moonlighting) directs one of his most free and visually inventive films yet, following the travels of a nomadic gray donkey named EO. After being removed from the traveling circus, which is the only life he’s ever known, EO begins a trek across the Polish and Italian countryside, experiencing cruelty and kindness in equal measure, all the while observing the follies and triumphs of humankind. During his travels, EO is both helped and hindered by a cast of characters that includes a young Italian priest (Lorenzo Zurzolo), a Countess (Isabelle Huppert), and a rowdy Polish soccer team. Loosely inspired by Robert Bresson’s Au hazard Balthazar, and featuring immersive, stunning cinematography by Michal Dymek coupled by Pawel Mykietyn’s resonant score, Skolimowski’s film puts the viewer in the perspective of its four-legged protagonist. EO’s journey speaks to the world around us, an equine hero boldly pointing out societal ills, and serving as warning to the dangers of neglect and inaction, all while on a quest for freedom.
     We are screening EO on Monday, November 28 at the Monica Film Center as part of the Reel Talk with Stephen Farber series. Mr. Skolimowski will attend for a Q&A. The regular engagements begin December 2 at the Royal and December 9 at our Glendale theater.
     “EO is an astonishment and so too is this wild, boldly expressionistic movie that conveys the life of its largely silent protagonist with a bare minimum of dialogue.” ~ Manohla Dargis, New York Times
     “EO may be one of the greatest movies ever made about the spirit of animals, as much as we can know it.” ~ Stephanie Zacharek, Time Magazine
     “EO’s personality shines thanks to Skolimowski’s daringly imaginative depictions, both visual and emotional, of the donkey’s point of view.” ~ Richard Brody, New Yorker

“A potent emotional charge, very contemporary eco-consciousness, and film-making that at its best fairly sizzles in its strangeness mark out EO as an animal film that stands defiantly on its own hooves.” ~ Jonathan Romney, Screen International

     “EO is a damning polemic on our relationship to other intelligent species — as free labor, food and companions — as seen through the dewy, wide eyes of a donkey whom we come to adore.” ~ Peter Debruge, Variety
     “Think of Skolimowki at this stage of his career and life as a filmmaker happily grazing, indulging in an animal need for cinema.” ~ Mark Asch, Little White Lies
     “In Bresson’s version, it’s the humans around the donkey who are the true center of the story. Not so in EO. This is Donkeyvision, and we’re better off for it.” ~ Adam Solomons, indieWire

Greg Laemmle on ONLY IN THEATERS: The filmmaker “ended up with a front row seat for two of the more tumultuous years in the history of our three-generation family business.”

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From Greg Laemmle:
     February, 2019.  We had recently hosted a screening of L.A. Foodways at the Fine Arts.  This documentary, about the history of agriculture in Los Angeles, and the current situation with food deserts in certain neighborhoods – where people were unable to easily access fresh fruits and vegetables – delved into a social issue that had interested me for many years.  And I was especially happy to see a favorite local charity, Food Forward, as one of the charity beneficiaries of the screening.
Filmmaker Raphael Sbarge
     I was not surprised that the filmmaker, Raphael Sbarge, had found this a worthy subject for a documentary.  His previous film, A Concrete River: Reviving the Waters of Los Angeles has also turned a lens on something of local interest, and it also was able to see the natural land underneath the asphalt and buildings, and express a desire to see the city embrace this topography and hydrology so that L.A. could become a more sustainable and equitable place for its residents.  It didn’t hurt that my wife and I appeared as interviewees in A Concrete River. But beyond that, I truly felt that Raphael and I shared a similar hope for the City of Angels.
     So when Raphael called me in February, 2019, I was happy to make time to meet with him.
Greg Laemmle
     At that meeting, he basically said that he wanted to make Laemmle Theatres the subject of his next documentary.  And given his previous films, I thought it was a natural fit. We may not be an environmental organization, but over 80+ years, we have become part of the fabric of the city, and I always hoped that we could grow and adapt, finding ways as a business where we could address some of the challenges confronting our home.
     Now over the years, many filmmakers have said that someone “should” make a movie about Laemmle Theatres. But Raphael was the first of them to say that he was going to do it. And within weeks, on March 21 and 22 of 2019, we were sitting in the auditorium at the Fine Arts having the first on-camera interviews. Little did we know how things would change over the course of the next two years.
Robert Laemmle
     Without revealing too much, let’s just say that Raphael ended up with a front row seat for two of the more tumultuous years in the history of our three-generation family business. Do we sell? Do we not sell? And then beyond that, how do we survive being closed for 13 months during the coronavirus outbreak?
     The film ends on April 9, 2021. The day of the reopening of our theatres. It was a day of hopefulness, but also a day of reckoning. Clearly, and for a variety of reasons, it was going to take some time to reconnect with the audience, and get our business back on track.
Nancy Laemmle
     As I write this now, with the finished film, Only in Theaters, about to open a theatrical run, how am I feeling? About the film, I feel very honored.  I won’t say proud, since beyond sitting for the interviews, I had nothing to do with the production or editing of the film. I trusted Raphael to make the film as he saw fit, and to be honest with his storytelling. But yes, honored.
     The reaction to the film at festival screenings across the country has been terrific, and while I know that festival enthusiasm does not always translate to the competitive realities of theatrical exhibition, I am confident that people who do see the film will emerge with a greater appreciation for the moviegoing experience, and by extension, the people who make that experience possible.
     The film is not what I thought it would be when I agreed to let Raphael make the movie. But it is honest and true, and that’s what’s important. And as hard as it is for me to watch some portions of the film, I will be forever grateful that it exists.
    Only in Theaters opens this Friday, with a full engagement at the Royal, and limited engagements at Claremont, Glendale, Newhall, NoHo and the Town Center. The filmmaker and I will be appearing at all the venues at some point over the first five days of the run for Q&A. Check here for details on which shows will have a Q&A. Whether you can make one of those screenings or not, I hope you’ll take the time to see the film. According to Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” we are destined to only find appreciation for things after they are gone. But really, it doesn’t need to be that way. We can appreciate the things that are unique, and that bring beauty and wonder into our lives. And we can support and nurture those things so that they will always be there for us and those that come after us. And you can start doing that this weekend.