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“You do what’s needed. You show up.” Greg Laemmle on Jewish Family Service L.A. and the Laemmle Charitable Foundation.

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Founded in 2000, the Laemmle Charitable Foundation gives back to moviegoers and the Los Angeles community by supporting organizations that address the critical social and environmental challenges of our region.

The admirable local charity Jewish Family Service L.A. recently featured the foundation on its Donor Spotlight page with the headline “A Legacy of Giving Back.” It begins:

“For Greg Laemmle, giving back is a family tradition deeply rooted in history, legacy, and a commitment to community.

“A third-generation Angeleno, Greg’s roots in Los Angeles run deep. Greg’s grandfather, Max Laemmle, and his brother Kurt founded Laemmle Theatres in 1938, after being introduced to the film industry by their relative Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal Studios. Carl wasn’t just a Hollywood pioneer; he helped rescue hundreds of European Jews before World War II, including Greg’s relatives, by providing affidavits for immigration.

“’After World War I, Carl focused on helping rebuild Germany. But when the situation changed—when there was a change in government and a change of heart in Germany—he shifted. As much as he loved his homeland, there was a greater priority,’ said Greg. ‘It’s a powerful reminder that we must adapt to the moment and do what’s most needed. As much as we may cling to our image of who we are and what our place in the world is, sometimes things change, and we have to adapt.’

“Greg’s grandfather continued the legacy of community and service in Los Angeles by serving on nonprofit boards and helping establish institutions like the Brandeis-Bardin Institute at the American Jewish University.

“As a way to carry that commitment forward, Greg and his father created the Laemmle Charitable Foundation. The foundation focuses on nonprofits working to improve life in Los Angeles, especially around key social and environmental issues. It remains flexible, adapting each year to meet the changing needs of the community.

“’By the end of this year—our 25th—we will have granted more than $2.5 million to nonprofits across Los Angeles,’ said Greg.”

Click here to read the rest of the piece.

Feast on this fall’s cornucopia of Culture Vulture screenings.

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We choose the best films from the world of ballet, opera, stage, fine art, architecture, design, photography and more to feature on the big screen every Saturday and Sunday morning and Monday evenings at five Laemmle theaters — the Laemmle Claremont 5, Glendale, Monica Film Center, Newhall, and Town Center 5 — as part of our long-running Culture Vulture series.

August 23-25: The first documentary exploring the visionary genius of Rudolph Schindler, the architect who redefined modern living by blending innovative design with the natural world, Schindler Space Architect is narrated by Meryl Streep and features architect Frank Gehry. The film affirms the singular genius of one man and the eternal challenge every artist faces to stay true to their vision in an effort to leave a lasting impact. We’ll bring the film back in November for a regular engagement at the Monica Film Center.

Culture Vulture skips Labor Day weekend but comes back to start autumn with:

September 6-8: Lotto and Berenson: Crossed Destinies follows the intertwined journeys of Lorenzo Lotto, a forgotten Renaissance master, and Bernard Berenson, the Jewish American art critic who resurrected his legacy. Through the eyes of actor Alessandro Sperduti, the film retraces Lotto’s artistic path across Italy, uncovering the painter’s personal and professional struggles.

September 13-15, Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager, the photographer behind the bikini, Bettie Page’s rise, and the invention of the selfie, comes to life in this rediscovery of a brilliant yet overlooked artist, featuring testimonies from Bruce Weber, Dita Von Teese, and more. Also screening September 12 at the NoHo.

September 20-22: A Savage Art: The Life and Cartoons of Patrick Oliphant chronicles the life and career of the brilliant Australian-born, Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist. Oliphant’s tenure as an American cartoonist spanned five decades and ten U.S. Presidents. In 1990 The New York Times called Oliphant “the most influential editorial cartoonist now working.” The film covers the history and importance of political cartoons in global democracies, as well as the decline in the profession and in the newspaper industry. Also screening September 17 at the Royal.

September 27-29, back by popular demand: The True Story of Tamara De Lempicka & the Art of Survival is a visually stunning and sweeping feature documentary that traces the life and survival of the renowned painter through her powerful paintings – from her rise to international stardom in 1920s Paris, to her move to the United States in 1940, fleeing the rise of fascism, and her revival in the current art market.

October 4-6, Inter Alia: Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Saltburn) is Jessica in the much-anticipated next play from the team behind Prima Facie. Jessica Parks is a smart Crown Court Judge at the top of her career. Behind the robe, she is a karaoke fiend, a loving wife and a supportive parent. When an event threatens to throw her life completely off balance, can she hold her family upright? Writer Suzie Miller and director Justin Martin reunite following their global phenomenon Prima Facie, with this searing examination of modern motherhood and masculinity.

October 11-13: Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief is a feature-length documentary that focuses on the career of Bruno Lohse, a Nazi art dealer who served as Göring’s art agent in Paris and headed the ERR, the Nazis’ clearinghouse for confiscated art in France. Captured and interrogated by the Monuments Men after the war, Lohse served a brief prison sentence. Following his release, he profitably dealt in stolen art for sixty years, selling to collectors, galleries, and major museums.

October 18-20: Jago: Into the White follows Jago, known worldwide as “the new Michelangelo,” for two years from New York to Naples as he worked day and night and in complete solitude on his new sculpture: a modern version of Michelangelo’s Pietà. Jago is not only an artist who retraces the footsteps of the great Renaissance masters, he is also a young pop star with over a million followers on social media, a tireless traveler who moves to every corner of the world, a motivator for new generations of artists, and an entrepreneur.

October 25-27, Rebel with a Clause: A grammar guru takes her pop-up grammar advice stand on an epic road trip across all 50 states to show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time. One fall day, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a homemade sign that said “Grammar Table.” Right away, passersby began excitedly asking questions, telling stories, and filing complaints. What happened next is the stuff of grammar legend. Ellen and her filmmaker husband, Brandt Johnson, took the table on the road, visiting all 50 states as Brandt shot the grammar action. Also screening October 22 at the Royal.

November 1-3, Mrs. Warren’s Profession (National Theatre Live): Five-time Olivier Award-winner Imelda Staunton (The Crown) joins forces with her real-life daughter Bessie Carter (Bridgerton) for the very first time, playing mother and daughter in Bernard Shaw’s incendiary moral classic. Vivie Warren is a woman ahead of her time. Her mother, however, is a product of the old patriarchal order. Exploiting it has earned Mrs. Warren a fortune – but at what cost?

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s new thriller CLOUD, “a cautionary tale of e-commerce — and the summer’s best action movie,” opens Friday at the Laemmle Encino, Glendale and Monica Film Center.

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“A master of existential dread, Kurosawa was early to posit a creepy side to online culture… Things have gotten even grimmer in Cloud. The malevolence is not supernatural but human.” ~ John Powers, NPR
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“Kurosawa inches back toward the knotted-stomach dread of his horror classics Cure and Pulse with Cloud, albeit accented this time with a healthily morbid sense of humour. And, perhaps more surprising, a serious affinity for action movie shoot-outs.” ~ Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail
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“That tension between modes [of realism and online fantasy] gives Cloud tremendous visceral and intellectual force, plus a persistent air of moral inquiry.” ~ Justin Chang, The New Yorker
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“Kurosawa’s slow, patient direction throws just enough stones into the stagnant waters of Ryosuke’s life to make the vengeance of those he has harmed seem almost justified.” ~ Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle

“Kurosawa films the descent into kill-or-be-killed mayhem with his typically masterful visual proficiency — any given frame of Yasuyuki Sasaki’s no-nonsense cinematography can quickly go from bland to ominous.” ~ Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

“For all of his genre-bending on display, Kurosawa is interested in something more real and more dark about humanity’s capacity for greed and bitterness, and the quiet ways that the internet can further mutate those diseases in us.” ~ Brandon Yu, New York Times

“Cloud is a portrait of merciless 21st-century commerce and social cruelty that’s filtered through various genre lenses.” ~ Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

“Kurosawa films psychological torment with real gravity, and he films physical cruelty with humorous detachment. The absurdity of his vision matches our topsy-turvy reality.” ~ Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture

“A brisk film that leaves one pondering its themes, especially what it means to live in an era when nothing is real.” ~ Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
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“Unfolding at a hauntingly subdued register before unleashing its pent-up tension during its final act, director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud skewers the anonymity that characterizes our presence in online spaces.” ~ Zachary Lee, Chicago Reader

“Kurosawa Kiyoshi is an empathetic yet pitiless poet of the modern void.” ~ Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine

“Cloud is a sophisticated send-up of social commerce culture.” ~ Adam Nayman, The Ringer

Repertory Cinema Lives! Bruce Goldstein on Film Forum, Rialto Pictures & restoring movie history.

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The latest episode of Inside the Arthouse features a luminary of the American indie, art house, and repertory exhibition scene, Bruce Goldstein. From the ITA website:

At Inside the Arthouse, we love discovering bold new voices and emerging filmmakers. But there’s something uniquely rewarding about revisiting a classic—whether it’s an old favorite or a legendary film you’ve always meant to watch. And seeing these films on the big screen in a real movie theater is the way they were meant to be experienced.

Repertory cinema in the U.S. has faced its share of challenges, from the rise of home video and streaming to rising urban real estate costs. Many iconic rep theaters have closed. But in recent years, there’s been a revival of interest in classic and cult films, shown theatrically in new restorations and 35mm prints.

One of the most influential figures in this movement is Bruce Goldstein, longtime repertory programmer at Film Forum in New York City and founder of Rialto Pictures. For over 50 years, Bruce has been a champion of film history—curating, restoring, and re-releasing cinematic landmarks. In early 2025, Rialto re-released Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman, and coming soon is Forbidden Games, brand-new 4K restorations of Jean-Jacques Beineix’s Diva, [and, from Janus Films, The Lovers on the Bridge].

We sat down with Bruce Goldstein in New York to talk about the past, present, and future of repertory film programming in the U.S.—and how he’s helped shape what American audiences get to see on the big screen.

“Even if she does do crazy things, it’s not out of nowhere: He’s kind of leading her down this road to craziness.” Sophie Brooks on her new film, OH, HI!, opening Friday.

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Sophie Brooks’s subversive new romantic comedy Oh, Hi!, co-written with lead actress Molly Gordon, follows a new couple (Gordon and Logan Lerman) whose weekend road trip takes a crazy turn. Drew Taylor of The Wrap wrote that the film “zigs where you think it’ll zag, weaponizing that knowledge and using it to subvert expectations.” Kristy Puchko of Mashable called the film a “comedy as current and enthralling as it is outrageous. And by rights, it should prove Gordon is a star.”

Inverse just posted the following interview with Brooks headlined “How Oh, Hi! Finds the Humanity in Millennial Misery.”

Q: This film came together in the thick of COVID. Walk me through how it all began — what sparked the first seed of the idea?

A: It was May or June of 2020, and I had another project that I’d been working on for a couple of years, and that was kind of falling apart — as so many things did during COVID. I was on the phone with my agent just expressing my fears about my career and life in the moment, and she challenged me to come up with an idea that I could shoot during COVID: limited locations and limited actors. After that phone call — I would say truly five minutes off that phone call — I came up with the seed of the idea: “A couple takes trip away together; he breaks up with her; she holds him captive.”

Molly Gordon and I have been friends for years. We were in a pod together during COVID, and I told her the idea, not fully knowing what it was, and she loved it. We decided to develop the story together. Then I wrote the first draft alone in my childhood bedroom. I was truly in a kind of cabin-fever-dream situation. I wrote the first draft in under three weeks.

Q: How did you go about casting Isaac? What were you looking for, and why was Logan Lerman the perfect choice?

A: I mean, gosh, Logan is such a delight, and such a good actor. I think it was really important to have an actor who had the balance of… How do I say this correctly? Of looking like the hot guy but also being a real sweetie. Logan is. He’s gorgeous, but he also describes himself as an Iris. He’s engaged and a very devoted partner. I think having an actor who is so not a f*ckboi, it kind of freed us up, because we could really lean into everything without him overthinking it. He’s also a proper, proper actor and hadn’t done a ton of comedy before this. I think it felt like an exciting opportunity for him, and for me, to work with someone who has this really lovely commitment to his craft, but also was down to improvise and down to have fun.

Q: The big comparison for this film coming out of Sundance was “millennial Misery.” Were you actively trying to homage that story, or was it more about riffing on the stereotype of a “hysterical” woman?

A: I definitely watched Misery again when I was writing it, and it was something that Molly and I talked about in the story-building process. It was definitely a conscious reference, but obviously in that movie, it’s very dark, and she is truly unhinged. This is the comedic version, I think… I hope. There were other movies that I certainly kind of always call on: Classic rom-coms are something I’m eternally inspired by. I really wanted the movie to start off feeling like a rom-com and a romance, so that when we have the shift into more absurdity and comedy, it feels like we’d established them enough as a couple and as real people. For me, those filmmakers are Nora Ephron, Noah Baumbach, and Nicole Holofcener — people who really have a great grasp on character.

Q: There’s another great homage in this to Practical Magic. Was that another intentional choice?

A: That was very intentional. I just feel like this movie was a fun opportunity to lean into all of the tropes about women and the idea of women being witches. There was actually a scene in the movie that we ended up having to shorten, but kind of exploring the origin of witches and — this is true — there being a correlation to single women with cats because the single women with cats weren’t dying during the plague because the cats were scaring off the rodents that were carrying the plague. And I just love the idea that the origin of witches is basically just single women and how we’re so scared of them.

Q: Right. From the time you’re 16, everyone’s like, “Why don’t you have a boyfriend?” I’m a baby. Why are you instilling this in me so early?

A: Yeah. I also think that we live in a culture where a man wanting love is viewed as romantic and sweet and a woman wanting it is considered desperate. I think that’s really unfair. I’m incredibly romantic and hopeful, and Iris is a very romantic person who really wants love — and I just wanted to show that you can want those things and it doesn’t make you desperate or crazy. Even if she does do crazy things, it’s not out of nowhere: He’s kind of leading her down this road to craziness. She, in her mind, is really just fighting for love.

Q: I really appreciated the way that you show us both perspectives from Iris and Isaac. We understand exactly where they’re coming from. Did you encounter any struggles in balancing those two perspectives?

A: I never wanted the film in any way to be sh*tting on men or painting a broad brush that all men are like this. I don’t think that’s true at all. Even my relationships with men who have inspired this in certain ways, I still see the humanity in them. I have so much compassion for Isaac because he is just a wounded kid like the rest of us. I think Isaac is someone who really wants love too but has certain hang-ups and certain limitations. A lot of us sabotage our own desires. It’s a very human thing to want things and also fear the things we want because if you get them, then you can lose them.

I think if you don’t have that balance in this movie, for me, it feels more shallow. I want the movie to be hyper-entertaining and funny, but I do also want it to feel relatable and honest. That’s also a huge part of wanting John Reynolds’ character, and his relationship with Geraldine’s, in the movie. He’s the most committed and in love and obsessed with his girlfriend — and he’s also a real person. There is not this one-dimensional male figure for us to fear. I hope that the takeaway is actually that we are all responsible for our own standards and walking away when something isn’t being met. And I hope that women relate to that and find what Iris finds, which is her self-worth. You should never have to convince a man to like you.

 

Greg Laemmle on DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT.

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This week we’re opening the new drama Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight at the Royal. We’ll expand the engagements to all but one of our our other venues around L.A. County the following week. Laemmle Theatres president Greg Laemmle saw the film and loved it so much he was able to secure an interview with the filmmaker/co-star, Embeth Davidtz on his and Raphael Sbarge’s podcast Inside the Arthouse. He wrote the following to introduce the episode:

“As part of producing Inside the Arthouse, we see a lot of movies. And while many are compelling and well-made, naturally some of them stand out. Of all the films we’ve seen so far this year, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight has definitely moved to the top of the list.

“Based on Alexandra Fuller’s memoir of the same name, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight captures the childhood of eight-year-old Bobo on her family farm in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) at the end of the Zimbabwean War for Independence in 1980. Growing up in the midst of this long-running war, Bobo internalizes both sides of the struggle. Conflicted by her love for people on opposing sides, she tries to make sense of her life in a magical way. Through her childish gaze we witness Rhodesia’s final days, the family’s unbreakable bond with Africa, and the deep scars that war leaves on survivors.

“This powerful film has been brought to the screen by first-time director Embeth Davidtz. An actress who has worked with filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman, and Sam Raimi, Ms. Davidtz draws from her own experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa to bring striking authenticity to the story of a family of white farmers in Zimbabwe.

“The film is told through the eyes of young Bobo — played with extraordinary depth by newcomer Lexi Venter — as she witnesses the political upheaval in a land on the brink of change.

“A hit at the prestigious Telluride and Toronto International film festivals, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is opening on July 11 in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out nationally.

“You won’t want to miss our conversation with Ms. Davidtz where we discuss her journey from actor to filmmaker and the challenges of adapting this beloved memoir — on Inside the Arthouse.”

THE LIFE OF CHUCK is an art house summer sleeper. Don’t skip this one.

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We have been playing the Neon-released Stephen King adapatation The Life of Chuck at two of our theaters since mid-June and are expanding it to three more venues this Friday because the film, as they say, has legs. It’s a charmer and a sleeper. “Telling the story of Chuck’s life in reverse chronology, the film is a big, bold crowd-pleaser, complete with a showstopping dance number featuring [Tom] Hiddleston and Annalise Basso. But it’s also startlingly personal, as we learn about Chuck’s childhood being raised by his grandparents Albee (Mark Hamill) and Sarah (Mia Sara). The deceptively simple drama takes a look at the unexpected legacy we leave behind, kicked off by the appearance of cryptic billboards all over town reading: ‘Charles Krantz, 39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!’ The film…is buoyed by a remarkable ensemble that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and several talented young actors sharing the role of the titular accountant.” ~ Janelle Riley, Variety

“A lot of movies barely have a point of view at all. This one is a prism in comparison. It gives viewers what David Lynch called ‘room to dream.'” ~ Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

“It’s an unexpected emotional wallop that knocks you off your feet. The Life of Chuck pricks the soul like that even as it warms our aching hearts.” ~ Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News

“This is one of the best ensembles of the year, filled in with appearances by many of Flanagan’s past collaborators.” ~ Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

“A film that’s as sweet as it is scary, and whose frights are the sort that come from all-too-relatable fears about being alone, being apart, and being unable to hold onto the people and memories that matter most.” ~ Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

Filmmaker Embeth Davidtz & Executive Producer Trevor Noah in Person for DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT July 10.

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Based on Alexandra Fuller’s memoir of the same name, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight captures the childhood of eight-year-old Bobo on her family farm in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) at the end of the Zimbabwean War for Independence in 1980. Growing up in the midst of this long running war, Bobo internalizes both sides of the struggle. Conflicted by her love for people on opposing sides, she tries to make sense of her life in a magical way. Through her eight-year-old gaze we witness Rhodesia’s final days, the family’s unbreakable bond with Africa, and the deep scars that war leaves on survivors.

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight writer-director Embeth Davidtz & executive producer Trevor Noah will participate in an in-person Q&A after the July 10 early access screening at the Royal.

The regular engagement will begin the following day at the Royal, followed by an expansion to all but one of our other theaters on July 18.