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The Top Ten Films of 2022 contest results are in!

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And the Top Ten Customer-Chosen films of 2022, in order from 1 to 10, are [drum roll]:

  1. Everything Everywhere All at Once
  2. The Banshees of Inisherin
  3. TÁR
  4. The Fabelmans
  5. RRR
  6. Top Gun: Maverick
  7. Nope
  8. Aftersun
  9. Triangle of Sadness
  10. Decision to Leave

It’s a terrific list, arguably better than the one AMPAS announced this week, which excluded RRR, Nope, Aftersun and Decision to Leave. Films 2-4 and 9, hyperlinked for your convenience, are still in theaters!

Randomly chosen winners for free Laemmle movie passes are:
1) Jodi Siegner
2) Drew McAnany
3) Jacob Berman
Thanks to everyone who played!

Top Ten Films of 2022 contest ends Sunday: Tell us your favorites for a chance to win free movie passes!

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Keep those Top Ten contest entries coming. You have until this Sunday, January 22 to give it some thought and enter here. So far, unsurprisingly, it looks like many Laemmle moviegoers are kvelling about Everything Everywhere All at Once, Top Gun: Maverick, and RRR. We’ll have final results next week. You can read Greg Laemmle’s list and leading American film critics’ lists if you need inspiration. Personally, my favorite is Jordan Peele’s spectacular Nope. No doubt my reaction was influenced by the fact that I saw it in a packed, sold-out theater on opening night, because movies are better in theaters!

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

Which are the ten best movies of 2022?

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We all like a good Top Ten list. They’re fun to make, entertaining to read, and amusing to argue over. In 2003 I included Love, Actually on my Top Ten list and an erudite film critic friend practically did a spit take he was so shocked I would put such an admittedly middlebrow entertainment among my other choices, which were more esoteric and in line with his tastes. But, hey! Enjoy the art you enjoy and don’t be ashamed of it.

This is a roundabout way of saying we’ll be collecting your Top Ten lists the first week of 2023. We’ll include the entry form in that week’s newsletter and, assuming he catches up on the buzzy films he hasn’t seen yet, Greg Laemmle’s Top Ten list. By submitting your list you’ll be entered into a raffle for free Laemmle gift cards!

For inspiration, here are some Top Ten lists the nation’s leading film critics have submitted and — good news! — many of the titles — No Bears, One Fine Morning, EO, and Return to Seoul — are either now playing or coming soon so you can see them as they were meant to be seen, theatrically. They are hyperlinked below.

Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
1. No Bears
2. Aftersun
3. The Eternal Daughter
4. Tár
5. Benediction
6. Decision to Leave
7. Kimi
8. Crimes of the Future
9. One Fine Morning
10. EO
11. Nope

Manohla Dargis, New York Times

1. EO
2. Petite Maman
3. Nope
4. No Bears
5. Kimi
6. The Eternal Daughter
7. Happening
8. Decision to Leave
9. Expedition Content
10. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

From NO BEARS. Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety

  1. Tár
  2. The Fabelmans
  3. The Batman
  4. Bros
  5. Navalny
  6. Holy Spider
  7. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
  8. Vengeance
  9. Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb
  10. 13: The Musical

Peter Debruge, Variety

  1. Tár
  2. Saint Omer
  3. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
  4. Playground
  5. The Batman
  6. Corsage
  7. Happening
  8. After Yang
  9. The Whale
  10. You Won’t Be Alone

Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

1. Tár
2. Aftersun
3. No Bears
4. Return to Seoul
5. Riotsville, USA
6. We Met in Virtual Reality
7. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
8. Emily the Criminal
9. The Cathedral
10. Top Gun: Maverick

The critics of RogerEbert.com

1. The Banshees of Inisherin
2. The Fabelmans
3. Decision to Leave
4. Tár
5. Aftersun
6. Nope
7. No Bears
8. Everything Everywhere All at Once
9. RRR
10. Babylon

Laemmle Oscar Contest, plus Kevin Costner’s Best Director Oscar Presentation.

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Welp, that’s a wrap for the 2022 Oscars and our contest. Laemmle moviegoers were able to foresee the Academy’s choices very accurately with two exceptions: they went for the more conventional Best Picture nominee with CODA over The Power of the Dog and the artier choice with Best Animated Short nominee Windshield Wiper over the family-friendly Robin Robin. The Power of the Dog was in a tight race for Best Adapted Screenplay with eventual winner CODA. Best Original Screenplay split somewhat evenly between Paul Thomas Anderson for Licorice Pizza and eventual winner Kenneth Branagh for Belfast.

See the full results in cool pie charts at laemmle.com/oscars. We’ll announce our winners on this page on Thursday, March 31.

The sad, shocking incident during the ceremony overshadowed everything but one thing worth taking a second look at is Kevin Costner‘s presentation of the Best Director Oscar. It was probably the best presentation of the evening. He has won the award himself, of course, 30 years ago for Dances with Wolves. He spoke movingly and deliberately about the experience of seeing movies in theaters and how seeing How the West was Won at the Cinerama Dome inspired him to become an actor and filmmaker. The in-person audience giggles at first, but by the end you could hear a pin drop. Here’s a transcription and video:

You know, about a half-mile from here, I saw my first full-length adult movie. I know what you’re thinking, but I was seven years old and I was away from my parents and wanted to have some fun. It was a cowboy movie called How the West Was Won. And what I witnessed that afternoon in the Cinerama Dome was perfect. The curtain, when we still had them, opened to a film almost four hours long. It had an intermission where the score continued, subtly signaling at one point that the second half was about to start. I don’t know where everyone went, but I wasn’t going to move an inch. I decided that I would not give up my magic seat. I was determined that I would not miss a minute. And as I sat in that dark that afternoon 60 years ago, all I really knew was that I was in careful hands. Little did I know that three directors would be responsible for that epic moment in my life. They fired my imagination, and they captured my heart. That’s what can happen when you direct a movie. You can change a mind. You can change the trajectory of a life, of a career. You can capture a heart. But you can’t do it alone. And directors, tonight’s directors all know the possibilities. They know what’s at stake. It’s why they give their precious time. It’s why they choose to fight through the long days, and the longer nights, and the endless questions, and the inevitable second guessing that comes from those who would do it differently if given half a chance. These five directors have all managed to stay the course. They have all held the line and masterfully given us the gift of a single vision, and for that we honor them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y52t3CVKeyc&t=167s

The Top Ten Films of 2021 contest results are in.

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Filmmakers managed to create some amazing cinema during the beginning of the pandemic, as our Top Ten Contest results below attest. Heavyweights like Campion, P.T. Anderson, Spielberg, Almodóvar, and Villeneuve delivered, as did younger filmmakers like Hamaguchi and Ducournau.
We assigned each level a point value (1st choice = 10 points, 2nd choice = 9 points, and so on). Based on the results of that calculation, Laemmle moviegoers loved:
Nightmare Alley was a close 11th place. No one had an exact match to this list. In fact, even though Licorice Pizza was number one in terms of points, it was picked as number one only three times. It just happened to be somewhere on everyone’s list. Our point system does favor the more “popular” films since they are likely to have been seen by the most people. Had we used different metrics, where we listed the most common film in each category, #1 would be Drive My Car as it was the film most frequently chosen as the number one choice and The Power of the Dog would be the second most frequent number one pick. Licorice Pizza would be tops in category #2, #4, & #6, and probably tops in other categories too.
We will announce three randomly chosen contest winners on this page soon. We’ll send each of them 10 passes, good at any of our theaters and watch.laemmle.com.

Moviegoers, start your guesses: The Umpteenth Annual Laemmle Oscar Contest has begun.

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The Oscar nominations are out, and in spite of the fact that Bradley Cooper was robbed of one and possibly even two nominations, it’s time for our Umpteenth Annual Laemmle Oscar Contest! Correctly guess how the Academy will vote and win movie passes good at all Laemmle venues and Laemmle Virtual Cinema.

Oscar Update: Contests, KStew, Sleepers from India and Bhutan, Plus Doc, Animated and Live Action Shorts!

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It’s Oscar nomination week which means it’s time for our Umpteenth Annual Laemmle Oscar Contest! Correctly guess how the Academy will vote and win movie passes good at all Laemmle venues and Laemmle Virtual Cinema.
Plus, there’s still time to win Laemmle passes by telling us your favorite ten films of 2021. That contest ends February 21.
Oscar nominations mean we’re almost ready to start screening the perennially popular Oscar-nominated shorts. We’ll open the documentaries February 25 at the Royal with other venues TBD. We’re planning to open the animated and live action shorts at the Claremont, Newhall, Playhouse, Town Center, NoHo and Monica Film Center, exact dates TBA.

Please note: this year neither the animated nor live action short programs are appropriate for children.

We have many other brilliant Oscar nominees on screen now, including Best International Film nominee Lunana and multiple nominees Drive My Car and Flee (Best International, Animated and Documentary Feature nominee!), and this Friday we’re bringing back Spencer to make sure everyone sees Kristen Stewart’s performance on the big screen. Beginning March 4 we’ll have Best Feature Documentary nominee Writing with Fire on our virtual platform.