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A rare chance to see all five Oscar-nominated foreign language films before the Academy Awards.

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embraceThe Academy Awards are many things: entertaining, infuriating, moving, boring. For foreign films, our bread and butter, the Oscars can be quite effective at bringing attention to worthy movies from abroad. That done, the next challenge for cinephiles in the general public is to find a way to see them as they were meant to be seen: on a big screen with an audience in a movie theater. In a typical year, the five nominees for the Foreign Language Film Oscar include one or two that hit theaters months earlier, one or two that are currently in theaters, and one or two that may come out after the big night. This year, that night is February 28 and as luck would have it all five films have or will have Laemmle engagements between now and the Academy Awards ceremony.

The nominees are:

EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT ~ from Colombia, with its first nomination. We open the film February 26th at the Monica Film Center, Playhouse 7 and Town Center 5 and March 5 as a weekend morning show at the Claremont.

MUSTANG ~ from France, with its 37th nomination, its first since A Prophet in 2009. France hasn’t won this award since Indochine in 1992. Now showing at the Playhouse; opening Friday at the Music Hall and February 5th at the NoHo 7 and Claremont 5.

SON OF SAUL ~ from Hungary, with its ninth nomination in this category. It has won once, in 1981 for Mephisto. It’s now playing at the Playhouse and Town Center and opening January 29th at the Monica Film Center and February 12th at the Claremont 5 and NoHo 7.

THEEB ~ from Jordan, with its first nomination. Opens Friday at the Music Hall with weekend morning shows at the Playhouse and Claremont.

A WAR ~ from Denmark, with its 11th nomination. Denmark has taken this prize three times, including for Babette’s Feast in 1987. We open it February 12th at the Royal, Playhouse and Town Center.

Avail yourself of these terrific films before the Oscar ceremony!

Back by Popular Demand: Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet! What’s more, Orson Welles as Falstaff in CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT

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Last month the thought of seeing Benedict Cumberbatch, one of the most exciting British actors of his generation, starring in the new West End production of Hamlet, crowded our theaters with people eager to see him take on the ultimate role in English-language drama. Thus, some encore screenings are in order. We’ll screen it again at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, January 27 at our Fine Arts, Claremont, Playhouse and Town Center venues. Click here to purchase tickets.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet.

Writing in the New York Times, theater critic Ben Brantley wrote of Cumberbatch, “For the monologues…he is superb, meticulously tracing lines of thought into revelations that stun, elate, exasperate and sadden him. There’s not a single soliloquy that doesn’t shed fresh insight into how Hamlet thinks.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5JZbeFvTZA

Equally exciting news for fans of the Bard: on February 3rd at those same theaters we’ll have Janus Films’ beautifully restored version of Orson Welles’s Chimes at Midnight.  The crowning achievement of his later film career, Chimes has been unavailable for decades. This brilliantly crafted Shakespeare adaptation was the culmination of Welles’s lifelong obsession with Shakespeare’s ultimate rapscallion, Sir John Falstaff, the loyal, often soused childhood friend to King Henry IV’s wayward son Prince Hal. Appearing in several plays as a comic supporting figure, Falstaff is here the main event: a robustly funny and ultimately tragic screen antihero played by Welles with towering, lumbering grace. Integrating elements from both Henry IV plays as well as Richard II, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor, Welles created an unorthodox Shakespeare film that is also a gritty period piece, which he called “a lament . . . for the death of Merrie England.” Poetic, philosophical, and visceral—with a kinetic centerpiece battle sequence as impressive as anything Welles ever directed—Chimes at Midnight is as monumental as the figure at its center.

Jeanne Moreau as Doll Tearsheet and Orson Welles as Falstaff. Courtesy of Janus Films.
Jeanne Moreau as Doll Tearsheet and Orson Welles as Falstaff. Courtesy of Janus Films.

Dean of film criticism Pauline Kael wrote of the film, “[Welles] has directed a sequence, the Battle of Shrewsbury, which is unlike anything he has ever done, indeed unlike any battle ever done on the screen before. It ranks with the best of Griffith, John Ford, Eisenstein, Kurosawa—that is, with the best ever done.” And Welles was very proud of Chimes, saying, “If I wanted to get into heaven on the basis of one movie, that’s the one I would offer up. I think it’s because it is, to me, the least flawed . . . I succeeded more completely, in my view, with that than with anything else.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAs2bL4Sasw

New Year’s Resolution: See More Movies, Spend Less Money

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‘Spend less money’ always ranks high on those annual lists of top resolutions for the New Year. And, no matter how many films we see here in Laemmle-land, ‘see more movies’ always sits atop our list. Using a bit of our own movie magic we’ve combined these seemingly incompatible resolutions and outlined how you can see more movies at Laemmle for less money!

premiere-cardLaemmle Premiere Card
With a Laemmle Premiere Card you receive $2 off movie tickets and 20% off concessions. Plus, every Thursday Premiere Card holders get a free medium popcorn. You can buy a Premiere Card online or at the box office for $100. Use it for all your Laemmle purchases and when it’s running low, reload it for as little as $50. Think of it as buying a gift card for yourself! For more information and the full list of card-holder perks, click here.

Senior Wednesdays
One of our most popular discount programs is Senior Wednesdays. If you’re 62 or over, all tickets before 6PM on Wednesdays are $5. Yes, five dollars. We also offer a Senior Concessions Combo (Small Popcorn & Fountain Drink for $4.50) that’s available ANY TIME.

Student Sundays
Catching a flick may not be an ideal study habit, but you sure can learn a lot from the movies. Students with a current ID can nab $8 tickets and a $1 small popcorn every Sunday for films that start after 6PM.

Frequent Movie-Goer Tickets
Pay only $7.50 per admission when you purchase a block of 20 tickets. Our new Frequent Movie-Goer Tickets are now available at theater box offices and online.

Group Activity Tickets
Many local organizations use our Group Activity tickets to reward their members but there’s nothing keeping you from participating in this amazing deal. Pay only $6 per admission when you buy a block of 100 tickets! Group Activity Tickets can only be purchased online.

To learn more about ALL our discount programs, visit www.laemmle.com/discounts.

Certain restrictions apply. Specific terms are detailed on each program’s web page.

Anniversary Classics – 2015 Wrap-up, John Ford’s YOUNG CASSIDY to Kickoff 2016

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Our Anniversary Classics Series closed out 2015 in grand fashion with a sold out 35th anniversary screening of SOMEWHERE IN TIME at the Royal on 12/15. This romantic fantasy cast its spell once again to an appreciative crowd, many of whom had not seen their favorite on the big screen since its original opening in 1980. Through the years it has developed a cult following and after viewing again last night its easy to see why.

Jane Seymour with Michael McClellan and Stephen Farber at the 35th anniversary screening of SOMEWHERE IN TIME.
Jane Seymour with Michael McClellan and Stephen Farber at the 35th anniversary screening of SOMEWHERE IN TIME.

The film’s co-star Jane Seymour and director Jeannot Szwarc entertained the audience with remembrances about making the film and even a few heretofore unknown secrets. Some fans came dressed in period costumes so altogether it was quite a memorable evening!


We will have many more memorable screenings in 2016, and to start the new year off we feature the 50th anniversary of John Ford’s YOUNG CASSIDY, starring Rod Taylor, Maggie Smith and Julie Christie. Our special guest is the film’s Oscar-winning editor, Anne V. Coates, the recipient this year of a lifetime achievement award by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. This screening takes place on January 6, 2016 at 7:00 pm at the Royal in West LA.

More about this and other Anniversary Classics events for 2016 very soon. For the latest updates visit www.laemmle.com/ac or join our Facebook group! Happy Holidays!

The Laemmle Charitable Foundation’s Year in Giving, 2015

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We’re pleased to report that the Laemmle Charitable Foundation contributed $145,300 to local non-profit organizations in 2015. The upward trend continues this year with a nearly 10% increase over 2014 giving.

This year we continued our sponsorship of the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition‘s OPERATION FIREFLY at the $10,000 level. This program runs from November through February, setting up bike light distribution points throughout LA County. Free light sets are distributed to riders who are caught out at night without this vital safety equipment. Since many people are riding out of economic necessity, they are unable to afford lights, or can not afford to replace stolen lights. This program helps make our streets safer for the most vulnerable road users.

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We believe that water conservation is going to be a long-term issue for Los Angeles, and Tree People has been the leading voice in the community for years on this matter. In addition to our $10,000 donation to Tree People, we continue to support a number of local environmental groups that are helping to make Los Angeles more sustainable. Included here are organizations such as Friends of the Los Angeles River, Heal the Bay, and The Trust for Public Land – Parks for People LA.

Homelessness has become a greater and greater problem.  We hope that it is not a chronic issue (as may be the case with the drought), but it is something that needs to be addressed immediately. Chrysalis and OPCC are two terrific organizations working to address this crisis, and we are proud to offer additional support at this time of increased need …along with our support of Union Station Homeless Services and LA Family Housing.  Also great organizations.

Los Angeles is a great place to live. But it can be better, healthier, more sustainable, and more just. We feel that these organizations are working hard everyday to address the problems that face our community. We are proud to be able to support them with our grants and we invite you to join us and make a year-end, tax deductible contribution.

In 45 YEARS, Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay give a master class in screen acting.

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On December 23rd we’ll be opening one of the most acclaimed films of the season, 45 Years, starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay.  The veteran actors were both awarded Silver Bears for Best Actor and Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year and this month the Los Angeles Film Critics Association voted to name Ms. Rampling Best Actress of the Year. The film was directed by a relative newcomer, Briton Andrew Haigh, whose perfectly realized 2011 romance Weekend played to great acclaim all over the world. His follow-up feature is 45 Years, a moving, profound and superbly performed look at a marriage and its secrets. The story opens one week prior to Kate Mercer’s (Rampling) 45th wedding anniversary and the planning for the party is going well. But then a letter arrives for her husband (Courtenay). The body of his long-lost first love has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the glaciers of the Swiss Alps. By the time the party is upon them, five days later, there may not be a marriage left to celebrate.

In Time Out London Dave Calhoun wrote, “It’s a film of small moments and tiny gestures that leaves a very, very big impression.” In the New York Post Lou Lumenick mused that “Rampling has never received an Oscar nomination, but she deserves one for this performance. Courtenay, who has two Oscar nods under his belt, rates another one for helping Rampling reach this peak.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg5cpiX18TA

We are thrilled to open 45 Years on December 23rd at the Royal and New Year’s Day at the Playhouse 7 and Town Center 5.

See the Films on the 2016 Oscar Documentary Shortlist at Laemmle and Online

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The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced January 14th but Oscar completionists can get a head start on the Documentary Features category thanks to the Academy’s 15-film shortlist and Laemmle Theaters.

The Academy’s Documentary Branch narrowed the field to 15 from 124 submissions. While we’ve already screened many films, seven will play as morning shows over the next few weeks. Check out the schedule below.

Weekend morning shows:

WE COME AS FRIENDS – 12/12, 12/13, 12/19, 12/20, 12/26, 12/27 at the Royal.

BEST OF ENEMIES – 12/12, 12/13 at the Royal and Playhouse.

THE HUNTING GROUND – 12/19, 12/20 at the Royal and Playhouse.

HEART OF A DOG – 12/26, 12/27 at the Royal and Playhouse.

MERU – 1/2, 1/3 at the Royal and Playhouse.

LISTEN TO ME MARLON – 1/2, 1/3 at the Royal and Playhouse.

THE LOOK OF SILENCE – 1/2, 1/3 at the Royal and Playhouse.

Coming Soon:

Michael Moore’s WHERE TO INVADE NEXT is scheduled to open 2/12/16 in Claremont and NoHo.

Where to see the rest:

AMY – Amazon

CARTEL LAND – Amazon

GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF – Amazon

HE NAMED ME MALALA – Amazon

3 1/2 MINUTES, 10 BULLETS – ???

WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? – Netflix

WINTER ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM – Netflix

Watch all 15 trailers:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-lqVRCBIDPnuegC8n3YLWRVmyQYHemG7

Wonder of Wonders – It’s Fiddler Sing-a-Long Time Again!

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*** FIDDLER UPDATES  (skip to main article)
We’re pleased to announce an all-star line-up of Fiddler Hosts for 2015!
Also, as in year’s past, we’ll have food trucks out at select locations. Here’s the per-location rundown of what’s shaking in the shtetl:

Ahrya Fine Arts
Dr. Ron Wolfson – author, professor – BUY TIX
BONUS! – Dr. Wolfson will be signing a copies of his new book, The Best Boy in the United States of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses.

Claremont 5
Cantor Paul Buch – BUY TIX

NoHo 7
Craig Taubman – entertainer, community organizer – BUY TIX
FOOD TRUCK – The Deli Doctor (truck food welcome inside the theater)

Playhouse
Gary Wexler – blogger, public speaker – BUY TIX
FOOD TRUCK – Hungry Nomad (truck food welcome inside the theater)

Royal
Naomi Ackerman – actress, social activist – BUY TIX
BONUS! – Naomi will be joined by BARBARA ISENBERG who will be signing copies of her book TRADITION!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World’s Most Beloved Musical.
FOOD TRUCK – The Hurricane Kitchen (truck food welcome inside the theater)

Town Center 5
Cantors Herschel Fox & Phil Baron – BUY TIX

See below to find out more about our hosts.

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Wonder_of_Wonders_edit_2Will the matchmaker make you “the perfect match?” There’s only one way to find out … join us this year for our 8th annual FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Christmas Eve SING-A-LONG!

(Scroll down to watch the event trailer.  For tickets, visit Laemmle.com/Fiddler).

This year, the popular Fiddler program has been extended to more venues to accommodate demand including, for the first time, the recently reopened AHRYA FINE ARTS in Beverly Hills.

In addition to exuberant movie and song, the evening will feature TRIVIA with PRIZES being awarded to Fiddler buffs with the quickest recall.  Dressing in COSTUME is not required, but highly encouraged!  Will the best costume will garner a prize?  That will be up to the emcee.

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CRAIG TAUBMAN will be hosting at the NoHo 7
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RON WOLFSON will be hosting at the Fine Arts

Speaking of which, we’re very excited to announce two new, dynamic hosts for this year.  Acclaimed Jewish singer-songwriter and founder of the Pico Union Project CRAIG TAUBMAN will be bringing his signature blend of charisma and high-powered energy to the NOHO 7.  Over in the city side, professor, author, and community mensch Dr. RON WOLFSON will be headlining at the stunning AHYRA FINE ARTS in Beverly Hills. Wolfson is most recently the author of The Best Boy in the United States of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses offered by Jewish Light Publishing. You can’t go wrong with either of these incredible gentlemen!

Our own Greg Laemmle is enthusiastic as ever about the Fiddler experience, declaring that “Christmas Eve isn’t just Chinese food anymore!”  Furthermore, “we welcome all those in the community who are looking for an alternative Christmas Eve experience.”

He continues, “This is your once-a-year chance to be the star of the shtetl. Join voices with friends and neighbors and sing your heart out alongside Fiddler’s screen legends. And it’s okay if you haven’t memorized all the songs. We provide the lyrics.”

Song highlights include the iconic “TRADITION”, “IF I WERE A RICH MAN”,  “TO LIFE”, “SUNRISE SUNSET”, “DO YOU LOVE ME?” and “ANATEVKA”, among many, many more.

Don’t miss the buggy! Those who wish to attend the program are advised to purchase tickets in advance as the program has traditionally sold to capacity.

See you in the shtetl…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnuyNaOEBt4&feature=youtu.be

Fiddler Hosts – 2015

Ron_Wolfson_pix_02_crop_p

Dr. Ron Wolfson at the Ahrya Fine Arts (Beverly Hills)
Renowned educator and author DR. RON WOLFSON will be our host at the Fine Arts in Beverly Hills. Wolfson is a Fingerhut Professor of Education at the American Jewish University and, most recently, author of The Best Boy in the United States of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses offered by Jewish Lights Publishing. A pioneer in the field of Jewish family education, Dr. Wolfson is a frequent scholar-in-residence for synagogues and communities and a co-founder of Synagogue 3000. He is also the author of the well-known Art of Jewish Living book series.

Craig_pix_01_edit_lr_crop_4_pCraig Taubman at the NoHo 7 (North Hollywood)
Beloved Jewish singer/songwriter and community builder CRAIG TAUBMAN will be our host at the NoHo 7 venue in North Hollywood. Taubman is renowned for original compositions and live performances that speak to the Jewish American experience. He is the originator of events such as Friday Night Live, The Big Jewish Tent, and A Sacred Noise, among others. Most recently, he founded the Pico Union Project, an interfaith community center near L.A.’s downtown that celebrates diversity and unity within the framework of art, music, and worship.

Herschel Fox_prCantor Herschel Fox
at the Town Center 5 (Encino)
For over three decades, HERSCHEL FOX (top) has shared his knowledge, talent, and Yiddishkeit with Temple Valley Beth Shalom (Encino) and the greater L.A Jewish community. Born in Europe and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, among Holocaust survivors, he became a cantor at the age of 13.  In his early career, he performed in Yiddish theater, opening for Molly Picon, Fiddler’s “Yente the Matchmaker” for many years. Fox teaches classes in Yiddish language, culture and song, prayer and the art of the cantor.

Phil Baron_prCantor Phil Baron
at the Town Center 5 (Encino)
Also of VBS (Valley Beth Shalom), cantor PHIL BARON (left) is the son of a violinist and the grandson of a Vilna rabbi. Before becoming a cantor, he took a successful detour into children’s entertainment, where he had over 300 original songs recorded – nearly 200 of these by the Walt Disney Co. He co-created two television series for Jewish children, Bubbe’s Boarding House, and the multiple award-winning series Alef…Bet…Blast-off! As a vocalist he has been featured with the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra and the New Orleans Philharmonic.

Gary Wexler_prGary Wexler at the Playhouse 7 (Pasadena)
GARY WEXLER is a USC Adjunct Professor in the Masters program at the Annenberg School of Communication, teaching both Nonprofit Marketing, as well as Advertising and Copywriting. Wexler’s first career was as a Clio-winning copywriter for ad agencies such as Chiat-Day, DDB-Needham and others with clients ranging from Apple to Coca Cola. He since made the switch to the non-profit world, working with over 1000 nonprofits, including the foundations of Steven Spielberg, the Ford Foundation, United Ways and Jewish Federations. Today, he is an active blogger, consultant, seminar leader, and public speaker.

Naomi Ackerman_prNaomi Ackerman at the Royal (West L.A.)
An actress, social activist, and special education teacher, NAOMI ACKERMAN’s credits include theater, musicals, films, television as well as being an accomplished street performer and professional clown. She was a founding member of View Points an Arab Jewish dialogue theater produced by the Shimon Peres Center for Peace. In addition, she wrote, directed and performed the acclaimed one woman show Flowers Aren’t Enough. In 2011 she founded The Advot Project, transforming the lives of incarcerated girls in the L.A. probations system through drama instruction. This garnered her KCET’s Local Hero Award in 2014.

Paul Buch_prCantor Paul Buch at the Claremont 5 (Claremont)
Cantor PAUL BUCH has served Temple Beth Israel in Claremont since 2003. He came to the cantorate after a 25 year career in TV and film production in Los Angeles, New York, and Portland. In addition to his cantorial duties, Buch is President of the Claremont Interfaith Council and serves on the Faith-Based Roundtable of the Pomona Unified School District. He is also Chair of the City of Claremont’s Human Relations Committee and serves on an advisory committee at the Claremont School of Theology. This will be his third consecutive year as our Fiddler host in Claremont!