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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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Dear Laemmle Fans,

With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, and the remainder of the holiday season rapidly approaching, I want to remind you of the various gifting opportunities available from Laemmle Theatres. Whether you’re looking to access our member’s-only virtual discounts for yourself, or share your love of cinema with friends and family, our Premiere Cards and Gift Cards are the perfect way to support Laemmle Theatres while staying up to date on the best in independent film.

I’m also excited for this week’s diverse new slate of virtual releases, leading off with Thomas Vinterberg’s much-awaited comedy Another Round, starring Mads Mikkelsen as an unmotivated school teacher attempting to stay drunk around the clock. Normally my wife finds watching film screeners with me to be a task – they aren’t “fun” – but she jumped at the opportunity to watch this one. I’m starting to believe that she’d leave me for Mads Mikkelsen, should the opportunity present itself (and having watched his dance moves in the film, I’m not sure I can compete).

Continuing with my personal recommendations, we have the eye-opening Covid-19 documentary 76 Days, a real-life thriller recorded in Wuhan during the early days of the virus. Next up is the Bhutanese documentary Sing Me a Song, exploring the impact of technology on the daily life and aspirations of a young Buddhist monk. Thirdly is Mayor, documenting a local politician’s efforts to improve his town of Ramallah, Palestine. Each of the three films is diverse in subject matter and style, but all are worth watching.

We’re also opening the inspirational documentaries Ending Disease, a deep-dive into emerging technologies such as stem-cell and antibody-based medicines, alongside Music Got Me Here, which traces an young man’s miraculous recovery from traumatic brain injury with the help of a musical therapist. Other bio-doc subjects include Broadway star Sam Harris, Pogues lead singer Shane McGowan, mysterious prisoner-guitarist Ike White, as well as prolific Iranian educational activist Touran Mirhadi. There’s also the science-fiction festival favorite Minor Premise, concerning a DIY neurological experiment gone wrong, and an 11-minute short film on the influential career of visual artist John Van Hamersveld (available Monday 12/7).

Looking ahead, stay tuned for next week’s celebratory retrospective, where we’ll be revisiting the works of esteemed Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai (courtesy of Janus Films). You may also have noticed a few recent upgrades to our platform, including the ability to add interesting films to your “watchlist” for later viewing. And if you haven’t already, please make sure to check out and re-share our new promotional trailers on Youtube, where we hope to be more active moving forwards.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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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

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