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We’re Back and Our Cinematic Cup Runneth Over: Tickets Now on Sale!

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After more than a year of mandated closure, Laemmle Theatres is reopening on Friday. Tickets are up for sale and we have a bouquet of wonderful films to see and share as they were meant to be seen and shared …on the big screen! We can do this safely because we are following epidemiologist-approved #CinemaSafe protocols, including reserved seating to ensure physical distancing. We’ve revamped our ticketing system to allow for reserved seating, and you are now able to choose your seats on our site or, if you prefer, at our box offices beginning Friday. We have created step-by-step how-to instructions for those new to online ticketing. You can check out the guide here and we’ll have printed copies available at the theaters.

Friday also marks the opening (not reopening) of our brand-spanking-new Laemmle Newhall Theater, which was completed during the pandemic. We are thrilled to bring great movies to northern L.A. County, and happy for all the SCV residents who will no longer have to make the long drive to Encino or NoHo for non-mainstream films.   For those who would like to join in the opening, we will be livestreaming the ribbon cutting ceremony which is scheduled to take place at 11:00 AM on Friday morning.  You’ll also be able to see patrons coming for our first set of shows. For details, please join the theatre’s Facebook followers here (https://www.facebook.com/laemmlenewhall) for all updates on this new venue.

Among the films you’ll get to enjoy are many of the 2021 Oscar nominees, including three of the Best International Film nominees, ANOTHER ROUND with Mads Mikkelsen, QUO VADIS, AIDA? from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN from Tunisian-born director Kaouther Ben Hania.  COLLECTIVE, nominated for both Best International Film and Best Documentary is coming next week.  We also have two of the Best Feature Documentary nominees, MY OCTOPUS TEACHER and CRIP CAMP, five of the Best Picture nominees, NOMADLAND, MANK, MINARI, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN and SOUND OF METAL, and  all of the Oscar-nominated Live Action, Animated, and Documentary shorts.  We are also opening the magical WOLFWALKERS, nominated for Best Animated Feature. Among the non-Oscar contenders are FRENCH EXIT, featuring a never-better Michelle Pfeiffer; the gorgeous Italian-set documentary, THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS; the intimate portrait of the gifted pop star BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY; the intense gay-themed South African drama MOFFIE; and the French film SLALOM, a drama set in the world of downhill racing. And if you’re in the mood for some monster movie escapism, we’ve got that for you too with the spectacular GODZILLA VS. KONG.

For those who are still unsure about returning to indoor public spaces, I want you to know that we are still offering films for streaming via the Laemmle Virtual Cinema platform. In fact, a number of the films that we have in theatre this weekend will also be available for at-home viewing. But a few titles that are only available via VOD include MALNI – TOWARDS THE OCEAN, TOWARDS THE SHORE, GRANNY NANNY, THE MALI-CUBA CONNECTION/AFRICA MIA, IT’S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, LOOKING FOR A LADY WITH FANGS AND A MOUSTACHE, and 15 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT BIGFOOT. I hope you’ll check them out.

The pandemic has been hard. Hard for businesses that had to be closed. Hard for the essential workers who kept things going while risking their health. And hardest for those who lost loved ones, had to endure illness, and are still dealing with lingering health issues caused by the virus. If we’re sounding upbeat, please know that we don’t want to paper over any of that pain and grief. But things really do seem to be improving here in L.A. Vaccinations are up. Infections are down. And by and large, people are still following guidelines about continuing to mask up and maintain social distancing. The time is right to slowly and safely begin to return to public spaces, and we aim to be part of that long-sought “return to normalcy.”

Thank you for all the support over the months of the pandemic, and I look forward to seeing you soon at the movies.

Sincerely,

Greg Laemmle

One More Week Until the Return of Laemmle Moviegoing. Plus the Oscar Doc Shorts & More

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Dear moviegoers, one more week until a return to some normalcy, the April 9 reopening of the Laemmle theatres. We will be posting film titles, showtimes and ticketing in the coming days. On April 5, L.A. County will move into the less restrictive Orange Tier, a long-sought accomplishment that will allow us to open at 50% capacity. (There are many more details at the County Health Department website.) At least locally, the virus is still in retreat, so kudos to all SoCal residents for helping stave off a fourth surge so far. We’ll do our part with our enhanced safety measures in compliance with the CinemaSafe protocols developed by the National Association of Theatre Owners. These measures include enhanced ventilation systems, reserved seating to ensure physical distancing, plexiglass barriers, hydrogen peroxide fogger machines each morning before opening, between-show auditorium cleaning and sanitizing wipe downs between every screening, hand-sanitizing stations, plentiful personal protective equipment, and devices to make customer/staff interactions as contact-free as possible. Visit www.Cinemasafe.org to learn more about the protocols and guidelines, developed and supported by leading epidemiologists to support a safe return to movie theaters.

Until then, we have Laemmle Virtual Cinema to tide us over. (And we’ll continue LVC after April 9 for those who can’t make it out to the theaters.) Leading the pack this week are the always amazing 2021 OSCAR SHORTS: DOCUMENTARY. The five nominees this year are A Love Song for Latasha: A portrait of a 15-year-old girl whose shooting death sparks the ‘92 L.A. Uprising. Do Not Split: The story of the 2019 Hong Kong protests. Filmed from inside therapeutic feeding centers in war-torn Yemen, Hunger Ward documents two health care workers fighting to thwart the spread of starvation. Colette: Resistance took courage in Nazi-occupied France. Seventy-five years later, facing one’s ghosts may take even more. A Concerto is a Conversation: A jazz pianist and composer tracks his family’s lineage through his 91-year-old grandfather from Jim Crow Florida to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In the winning comedy SHIVA BABY college student Danielle must cover her tracks when she unexpectedly runs into her sugar daddy at a shiva — with her parents, ex-girlfriend and family friends also in attendance. THE OUTSIDE STORY is a comedy about an introverted editor (Brian Tyree Henry) on a tight deadline who gets locked out of his apartment. In order to get back inside, he’s forced to do something he always avoids, interacting with his neighbors. NINA WU, which earned its director a nomination for the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes, follows a struggling actress who finally gets her big break with a leading role in a spy thriller set in the 1960s, until her psychological resolve begins to crack under the pressure.

When her village is threatened with forced resettlement due to reservoir construction, an 80-year-old widow at the center of THIS IS NOT A BURIAL, IT’S A RESURRECTION finds a new will to live and ignites the spirit of resilience within her community. In CENTER STAGE Maggie Cheung embodies tragic screen siren Ruan Lingyu, known as the ‘Greta Garbo of China,’ in this unconventional biopic by Hong Kong New Wave master Stanley Kwan. In SOUL ECLIPSE a gold digger is coerced into a spiritual quest for enlightenment by a shaman, a man with dark secrets of his own.

Finally, we are delighted to have French New Waver Eric Rohmer’s restored Four Seasons tetralogy, A TALE OF SPRING (1990), A TALE OF WINTER (1992), A TALE OF SUMMER (1996) and A TALE OF AUTUMN (1998). In SPRING, a burgeoning friendship between philosophy teacher Jeanne and pianist Natacha is strained by jealousy, suspicion, and intrigue. WINTER is about a woman trying to choose between two men five years after losing touch with the love of her life and the father of her young daughter. In SUMMER amateur musician Gaspard travels to a seaside resort in Dinard, on the coast of Brittany, where three women each offer the possibility of romance, if he can overcome his inability to make a decision. AUTUMN is set in the Rhone Valley, the final film of the series concerns simultaneous schemes to find a new love for reserved winegrower and widow Magali.

Considering Laemmle Theatres made its bones screening French cinema, any of Rohmer’s titles would be perfect as an aperitif to our reopening after our first closure in 83 years.

Laemmle Theatres is Reopening April 9! Plus ‘The Mole Agent’ and Other New Films

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Dear moviegoers,

Now that L.A. County’s health department has announced we have left the purple tier and entered the red, we are thrilled to announce that we will reopen on April 9, 2021 at 25% capacity! If the County is in the orange tier at that time, we’ll go with 50% capacity. Our veteran general managers have returned, like cavalry coming over the hill, to ready our theaters and make sure the reopening will be safe. We’ll share the big date with you shortly. Go to www.laemmle.com/reopening for details on venues, films, advance ticketing, and more.

For those who are hesitant about returning, we understand. Consider, however, that a recent study — reported by the New York Times yesterday — showed that there has been a negative bias in national media coverage of the pandemic. International and U.S. local and regional coverage has been markedly more balanced. The virus is still an issue and we must not drop safety practices, but we want to share that there is good news, and not just regarding the resumption of commercial activity.

For now, virtual cinema is still all we are offering. And as always, we have some terrific new films available via Laemmle Virtual Cinema, starting with The Mole Agent, the warm, funny, Oscar-nominated feature documentary about an 83-year-old man who poses as a resident in a Chilean nursing home to investigate allegations of abuse. The powerful documentary Francesco portrays Pope Francis as he confronts gigantic issues such as the climate crisis, the refugee crisis, peace and religious intolerance, economic inequality, and more. Based on a real-life 1972 experiment, The Marijuana Conspiracy is a beautifully-made ensemble drama about an outlandish study on the effects of ever-increasing doses of tetrahydrocannabinol on young women. William Shatner and Jean Smart star in the Palm Springs-set Senior Moment. He plays a retired NASA test pilot fighting to regain his driver’s licence and impounded car who meets Smart’s character on a bus. Kuessipan is a Canadian film about two girls in a Quebec Innu community whose longtime friendship is shaken when one of them falls for a white boy. Her Name is Chef spotlights six bad-ass, inspiring, sheroes of the restaurant industry. We’re also screening Charles Gounod’s Faust, filmed lived at the famed Teatro Real in Madrid in 2018. Finally we’ll have two gallery experience films: Water Lilies of Monet: The Magic of Water, which recounts the story of Monsieur Claude’s groundbreaking series of paintings of Giverny, and The Prado Museum: A Collection of Wonders, which offers viewers a spell-binding experience through the works of Vélazquez, Rubens, Titian, Mantegna, Bosch, Goya, El Greco and more.

‘Soros’ and Other New Films

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

Do you lie awake at night, tossing and turning in a cold sweat, craving the return of hot-buttered-popcorn? If so, Laemmle Theatres is here to help: you can stop by our North Hollywood location this weekend for our final PopCorn Pop-Up event of the year. Laemmle Virtual Cinema may be here to stay, but this weekend is your LAST CHANCE to fully realize the Laemmle-At-Home experience with a Movie Night Combo ($2 off with recent online film rental).

On that note… this week’s virtual lineup begins with the bio-doc Soros, highlighting the complicated career and public standing of the billionaire investor, philanthropist, and Holocaust-survivor for which it’s named. Other outstanding documentaries include Born To Be, concerning a pioneering hospital center for transgender medicine and surgery, as well as the investigative Romanian film Collective, a deep dive into corruption and fraud following a deadly nightclub fire in 2015.

The documentary train rolls on with Coded Bias, a fascinating foray into racial bias within facial-recognition algorithms, as uncovered by 29-year-old MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini. Next up is Koshien, a touching Japanese film which follows a high-school baseball team as they compete for their national championship. Our final new documentary of the week is Manny Kirchheimer’s Free Time, an homage to New York City composed entirely of footage originally shot from 1958-1960.

We’re also offering a selection of new foreign dramas, from the refined French period-piece The Black Book of Father Dinis, to the “superbly imaginative” animated Japanese film No.7 Cherry Lane (Hollywood Reporter). There’s also the action-thriller Knuckledust, as well as two lighter entries: the independent romantic-comedy Modern Persuasion, and the absurdly fantastical and historically re-visionary Canadian black-comedy The 20th Century.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Laemmle Virtual Cinema
New Releases for Friday November 20 • Click posters for “Watch Now” instructions.

                                        

PopCorn Pop-Ups: LAST CHANCE

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UPCOMING DATES AND LOCATIONS

Friday 11/20 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Laemmle NoHo 7 Theatre – 5240 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601

Saturday 11/21 from 2:00 to 6:00 PM
Laemmle NoHo 7 Theatre – 5240 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601

NEW COMBOS AND SPECIAL DISCOUNTS

Special Pricing – THIS WEEKEND ONLY
1 beer (from Lincoln Beer Company) – $5
1 personal pizza (cheese or pepperoni) – $4
1 hot-dog (regular or vegan) – $3
1 large popcorn – $3
1 candy – $2

Beer Combo – $10
1 personal pizza (cheese or pepperoni) or hot-dog (regular or vegan)
1 beer (from Lincoln Beer Company)
1 large popcorn
1 candy

Soda Combo – $9
1 personal pizza (cheese or pepperoni) or hot-dog (regular or vegan)
1 large fountain drink
1 large popcorn
1 candy

Movie Night – $2 Discount
Get $2 off a minimum $3 purchase
with proof of recent rental on
Laemmle Virtual Cinema (since 10/9)

POPCORN POP-UPS

Laemmle Theatres is proud to introduce PopCorn Pop-Ups, a recurring series of concession take-out events held at our various locations. The program will continue until our theatrical operations resume (or until we run out of corn, whichever comes first).

Customers will be able to order from a limited concessions menu, including classic movie snacks like soda, candy, and Laemmle’s signature hot popcorn (available with real butter). Premiere card discounts will be honored, and you can even order ahead so your items are ready for pickup.

Masks are required for all customers, and social distancing is expected while waiting in line or approaching the counter. Interaction will be limited, with contactless payment using credit/debit cards or Premiere/gift cards (those who pay in cash will receive change in the form of a gift card).

We hope to continue the program, and offer concessions at all of our locations over the coming weeks as we prepare to reopen theatrically. Stay tuned for another email later this week, with more information about a Drive-In Movie Series we’re working on too.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

PAST EVENTS

Saturday 9/12 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Claremont 5 Theatre – 450 West 2nd Street, Claremont 91711
 
Sunday 9/13 from Noon to 4:00 PM
NoHo 7 Theatre – 5240 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601

Friday 9/18 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Playhouse 7 – 673 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena 91101

Sunday 9/20 from Noon to 4:00 PM
Monica Film Center – 1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica 90401

Friday 9/25 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM
NoHo 7 Theatre – 5240 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601

Sunday 9/27 from Noon to 4:00 PM
Playhouse 7 – 673 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena 91101

Saturday 10/3 from 3:00 to 7:00 PM
Claremont 5 Theatre – 450 West 2nd Street, Claremont 91711

Sunday 10/4 from Noon to 4:00 PM
Royal Theatre – 11523 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles 90025

Saturday 10/10 from 2:00 to 6:00 PM
Laemmle Glendale Theatre – 207 N. Maryland Avenue, Glendale 91206

Sunday 10/11 from Noon to 4:00 PM
NoHo 7 Theatre – 5240 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601

Saturday 10/17 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Laemmle Glendale Theatre – 207 N. Maryland Avenue, Glendale 91206

Sunday 10/18 from Noon to 4:00 PM
Laemmle Glendale Theatre – 207 N. Maryland Avenue, Glendale 91206

Friday 10/23 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
NoHo 7 Theatre – 5240 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601

Saturday 10/24 from 2:00 to 6:00 PM
NoHo 7 Theatre – 5240 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601

Friday 11/6 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Playhouse 7 – 673 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena 91101

Saturday 11/7 from 2:00 to 6:00 PM
Playhouse 7 – 673 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena 91101

Friday 11/13 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Laemmle Glendale Theatre – 207 N. Maryland Avenue, Glendale 91206

Saturday 11/14 from 2:00 to 6:00 PM
Laemmle Glendale Theatre – 207 N. Maryland Avenue, Glendale 91206

‘Monsoon’ and Other New Films

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

There’s mixed news on the Coronavirus this week, as new treatment approvals and encouraging reports of vaccine effectiveness have been overshadowed by rising case counts and positivity rates across the nation. As we approach the holidays, it’s important to maintain vigilance, and continue to practice the safety guidelines established by the medical community: keep washing your hands, keep wearing your masks, and keep watching movies on Laemmle Virtual Cinema. Or something like that…

New releases this week include the steamy romantic drama Monsoon, starring Henry Golding as a British man returning to Vietnam after fleeing the American war years prior. Other dramas include Dirty God, a character study and societal critique from the United Kingdom, and Antigone, a modern French-Canadian re-interpretation of the Greek tragedy.

Next up is Divine Love, a dystopian science-fiction romance set in a futuristic neon Brazil. Theres also the enigmatic thriller Make Up, from talented first-time director Claire Oakley, as well as today’s only new documentary: Queen of Hearts, concerning the groundbreaking feminist artist Audrey Flack.

We’re also offering a variety of excellent action-oriented films, a slight departure from our traditional programming. New releases include the WWII drama Recon, the satirical law enforcement training video Survival Skills, and the home-grown American thriller Blindfire, detailing the aftermath of a police shooting gone wrong. Last up in the genre category is a special presentation of Action USA, a re-release of the “extremely bonkers” 1980’s stunt film (Entertainment Weekly).

We conclude this week’s list of virtual titles with three other re-released classics: there’s 1985’s Smooth Talk (featuring a breakthrough role from a young Laura Dern), the French New Wave compilation film Six In Paris, and lastly Francisca, the opulent masterpiece from Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira. Whether you’ve seen these throw-back films or not, try watching any classic movie this weekend… though the times may have changed, the stories – and the lessons therein – remain the same.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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P.S. Make sure to stop by our Glendale location this weekend for some hot buttered popcorn, and more of your favorite movie snacks! We’ll be open on Friday from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, and on Saturday from 2:00 to 6:00 PM, as part of our Pop-Corn Pop-Ups program.

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Laemmle Virtual Cinema
New Releases for Friday November 13 • Click posters for “Watch Now” instructions.

                                                

‘The German Lesson’ and Other New Films

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

To those of you who have never visited our blog before, welcome – this is a place where we share information about special events, discount opportunities, and new programs, as well as our weekly film releases. In order to save space in our email newsletter, my weekly update (this written post) has been relocated here, to the blog. You’ll be able to access my weekly update from a link in the email newsletter, or you can bookmark this page (blog.laemmle.com) for access at any time.

In other news, the presidential election is finally behind us, although results are still too close to call. It may be several days before we know any more information, and many are struggling to manage their anxiety in the meantime. My personal recommendation is this: turn off the news, switch your TV to Laemmle Virtual Cinema, and escape with one of this week’s excellent new independent films (CLICK HERE for support on how to connect your TV).

We begin with The German Lesson, adapted from the seminal post-war novel of the same name. Other dramas include Luxor, starring Andrea Riseborough in an archaeologically-themed romance, and Ainu Mosir, the Japanese coming-of-age film presented by Ava DuVernay’s Array. We’re also offering the modern-day Christmas drama The Family Tree, and a re-release of Raining in the Mountain, the 1979 period piece from prolific wuxia director King Hu.

Moving towards funnier fare, we have Call Me Brother, starring long-time Saturday Night Live writer Andrew Dismukes, who just joined the show’s cast last month as it’s newest featured member. Next on the comedy list is 18 to Party, described by one critic as the would-be “lovechild” of John Hughes’s and Richard Linklater’s filmmaking. Other genre films include the Oakland-based dark thriller Disrupted, from indie filmmaker Andre Welsh, and the twisted Swedish horror film Koko-Di Koko-Da.

New documentaries this week include The Tree Man, which digs deep into the roots (pun intended) of Rolling Stones pianist and noted environmentalist Chuck Leavell. There’s also Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking, from CNN presenter and radio host Michael Smerconish, as well as Sky Blossom, a candid look at the millions of teens caring for injured veterans in family homes across America. Last up is Frederick Wiseman’s Hospital, the final film in our retrospective promoting his newest effort, City Hall (also available).

Lastly, while we’re glad to see that our new platform seems to have addressed many of your concerns, we understand that there are some in our audience who are still having difficulty accessing Laemmle Virtual Cinema. In addition to our pre-existing automated support functions, we’re now available for LIVE-CHAT support, several hours every day. You’ll see an optional pop-up chat window on your screen whenever a qualified representative from Laemmle Theatres is available to speak.

That’s all for now – leave a comment below, and we’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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P.S. Make sure to stop by our Pasadena location this weekend for some hot buttered popcorn, and more of your favorite movie snacks! We’ll be open on Friday from 4:00 to 8:00 PM, and on Saturday from 2:00 to 6:00 PM, as part of our Pop-Corn Pop-Ups program.

In addition to our usual offerings, you can pick up a $3 LARGE POPCORN SPECIAL, and show proof of a virtual cinema purchase to redeem a $2 MOVIE NIGHT DISCOUNT. I’m not a mathematician, but that adds up to a pretty good deal (no recount necessary).

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Laemmle Virtual Cinema
New Releases for Friday November 6 • Click posters for “Watch Now” instructions.

                                                

‘The Donut King’ and Other New Films

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

2020 has been an exceptionally difficult year for us all, but Tuesday night offered a silver lining: after thirty-two long years, the Dodgers finally regained their rightful position as World Series champions! And if you’re wondering what to watch now that the baseball season has ended, Laemmle Virtual Cinema has a variety of upcoming films in the pipeline which you can track (and even pre-purchase) on our new platform.

We begin this week’s virtual selections with The Donut King, Alice Gu’s standout documentary about Cambodian-immigrant-turned-pastry-magnate Ted Ngoy. Next up is prolific documentarian Frederick Wiseman’s City Hall, a four-hour-long expose on the inner workings of local government. Other docs focus on Philadelphia Eagles fans during their 2017 Super Bowl run, the re-emergence of “vogue” dancing in the United Kingdom, a record-breaking father-son ultra-marathoning team, and a diplomatic mission in the Egyptian desert (also by Frederick Wiseman).

Narrative offerings include the historical drama Radium Girls, the chilling Spanish indie Madre, and a re-mastered version of Fellini’s 1954 classic La Strada. There’s also the Italian drama Alone With Her Dreams, as well as A Place Among the Dead, the genre-bending art film from first-time director Juliet Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

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Laemmle Virtual Cinema
New Releases for October 30 • Click posters for “Watch Now” instructions.