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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.

“Beautiful…timely” new documentary about Laemmle Theatres ‘Only in Theatres’ premieres at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

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The new documentary about Laemmle Theatres, ONLY IN THEATERS, was begun just before the pandemic began and completed last year. It recounts the company’s history and features interviews with all the surviving players as they face the seismic changes in the film exhibition industry. The family members behind this multigenerational business—whose sole mission has been to support the art of film—remain determined to see it survive, despite enormous challenges. From the festival program:

“Laemmle Theaters, the beloved L.A. art house cinema chain, has an astonishing legacy with ties to the origins of Hollywood. This is a story about a family business and their determination to survive in the face of headlines that question the future of movie theaters. For more than 84 years and through three generations, this family’s personal mission has been to elevate the art of films and the artists who make them.”

ONLY IN THEATRES premieres this Saturday night at the prestigious Santa Barbara International Film Festival. There is a second screening on Monday, March 7. Programming Director Claudia Puig was quoted in the L.A. Times today calling it “a beautiful film, and a timely one.”

Follow the film on Facebook for updates on future screenings at https://www.facebook.com/onlyintheaters and check out the trailer:

https://vimeo.com/547583876

Moviegoing safely.

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     The Washington Post published a good article by their chief film critic Ann Hornaday last week headlined “Is it safe? In the movie theater business, the question is how much to promise older audiences.” One of the public health experts quoted is Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who thinks that “for people who are fully vaccinated, watching a movie in a theater while keeping a tightfitting N95 mask on the entire time (i.e. no sipping soda or nibbling popcorn) is among the safest group indoor activities they can have.”
     According to the L.A. County Health Department, test positivity rate has been plummeting. While it is too soon to say that the pandemic is over, it does appear that the Omicron surge has basically passed in L.A. Our seven-day average test positivity rate is at 2.56%, which is as low as its been since November of last year. L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said last week that “we do anticipate that if we have these continued steep declines in cases, which indicate lower transmission, we will be able to safely lift indoor masking mandates in mid-to-late March.” In the meantime, this week the Health Department announced a partial roll-back of the mask mandate. Fully vaccinated people who show proof may go without masks while visiting indoor businesses. Additionally, we will continue to allow our patrons extra space and breathing room by not selling adjacent seats to different parties and we keep our HVAC systems in excellent condition, regularly changing the filters. People can still choose to stay masked indoors as a way to help increase their personal safety — experts say one-way masking works. If you’re vaccinated, boosted, and wearing an N95, you’re protected, no matter what others are doing. What’s more, because of the availability of rapid home testing, instances of asymptomatic spread are increasingly rare.
     All of which is to say that it is relatively safe to go to the movies and it is now urgent for L.A. cinephiles to show up. Distributors of arthouse films need to see results or we risk losing something precious, the chance to experience truly brilliant, challenging, foreign and/or independent cinema as it was intended to be seen. Are you a movie lover who appreciates how integral public moviegoing is to cinema and everything cinema is? From the Post piece:
     “For Leana Wen, a physician and public health professor at George Washington University, the decision of whether to go back to theaters comes down to three factors: individual medical circumstances, risk tolerance and how highly one values going out to see a movie. “For some people, going to the movies was not something they particularly enjoyed, and therefore it’s something they don’t miss,” she says. “On the other hand, there are some individuals for whom it may be close to an essential activity, it’s such an important part of life.”

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.

 

 

Reminder: Submit your 2021 Top Ten Movie List for a chance to win fabulous prizes (gift cards)!

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Tell us your favorite ten films of 2021 for a chance to win a Gift Card valid at all eight Laemmle locations and at home on watch.laemmle.com! The deadline for submission is February 21, 2022.

For inspiration, here’s Greg Laemmle’s Top 10 list:

#10 – SHIVA BABY – This true indie gem came out just as theatres were reopening in April, and got a little lost in the shuffle.  I understand that director Emma Seligman and star Rachel Sennott are teaming up on another project, and can’t wait to see the results.
#9 – THE CARD COUNTER – Writer-director Paul Schrader is again at the top of his game with this meditation on the collective guilt arising from our country’s adventures in nation building and the ensuing crimes against humanity.  Oscar Isaac is terrific as Schrader’s scapegoat, and Tiffany Haddish and Tye Sheridan provide excellent support.
#8 – THE VELVET QUEEN – We wonder if patience will be rewarded as the subjects of the documentary wait for a glimpse of an elusive Himalayan snow leopard.  But either way, the audience’s patience is rewarded in this quiet and contemplative documentary.
#7 – JOCKEY – Clifton Collins Jr. has always been a welcome presence on screen.  But also such a chameleon that even the most astute moviegoer may miss his presence.  But he’s hard to miss as the aging jockey at the center of this quietly powerful story.  If there is any justice in Hollywood, he will be remembered when nominations for Best Actor are announced.
#6 – C’MON C’MON – Writer-director Mike Mills may only have four films to his credit (previously THUMBSUCKER, BEGINNERS, 20TH CENTURY WOMEN), but he has yet to deliver a bad film.  Anchored by strong performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann and young newcomer,Woody Norman, this is worth searching out.
#5 – tick, tick…BOOM! – I’m not a fan of RENT.  And although I was familiar with the songs from this earlier Jonathan Larson musical, I wasn’t particularly a fan of the music.  But I loved what director LIn-Manuel Miranda did to blend Larson’s musical within a documentary framework to create something that goes above and beyond the source material.  And in a year when he also delivered amazing performances in MAINSTREAM and THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE, Andrew Garfield is beyond fabulous in the lead.
#4 – DRIVE MY CAR – Adapted from a short story by Murakami Haruki, this breakthrough film from director Ryusuke Hamaguchi is the foreign language sleeper of the year.
#3 – DUNE – It should come as no surprise that Denis Villeneuve delivers a visual feast in this epic telling of the first part of Frank Herbert’s beloved sci-fi novel.  But the emotional and philosophical aspects of the tale are given equal attention, and the result is that rare Hollywood blockbuster that satisfies on all fronts.  How often does one get to say that they eagerly look forward to the sequel to a Hollywood blockbuster.
#2 – BELFAST – Too sentimental? Who cares.  It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.  And like Dickens, writer-director Kenneth Branagh shows us both the beauty and terror of his youth in Belfast in this elegiac tale.  The cast is uniformly excellent, from old pros like Judy Dench and Ciaran Hinds to newcomer Jude Hill.
#1 – THE POWER OF THE DOG – I beg you.  Please find a way to see this on the big screen.  Or if you must stream it, put your phone in another room and commit yourself to giving this film the same level of care and attention that director Jane Campion and her cast and crew clearly delivered in bringing this into existence.  This may be Ms. Campion’s finest work yet and coming from the director of AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE, THE PIANO and BRIGHT STAR, that is saying a lot.  I sincerely hope that she does not take off for another 12 years (the span between BRIGHT STAR and THE POWER OF THE DOG) from making feature films, but if that kind of break is needed to produce a movie as perfect and complete as THE POWER OF THE DOG, I will patiently wait.  This film is that good.

“Touchingly absurd and absurdly touching,” BRIGHTON 4TH comes to L.A. February 11 via Tbilisi, Georgia and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

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In this portrait of parental sacrifice and the love of a father for his son, former wrestler Kakhi (played by real-life Olympic champion Levan Tediashvili) embarks on a journey from his home in the Republic of Georgia to visit his son Soso (Giorgi Tabidze) in the Russian-speaking neighborhood of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. There he finds him living in a shabby boarding house populated by a colorful group of fellow Georgian immigrants. Soso is not studying medicine, as Kakhi believed, but is working for a moving company and has accrued a $14,000 gambling debt to a local Russian mob boss. Kakhi sets his mind to helping his hapless son out of his debt, leading to situations as often comic as they are dire. Lensed by Oscar®-nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (The Trial of the Chicago 7, Nebraska), Levan Koguashvili Brighton 4th won three major awards at the Tribeca Film Festival – Best International Film, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay – and is Georgia’s official submission to the 94th Academy Awards®.

Laemmle Theatres is proud to open Brighton 4th on February 11 at our Encino, Pasadena and West L.A. theaters.

“Touchingly absurd and absurdly touching… A slow-burn family drama infused with welcome doses of deadpan dark humor.” ~ Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter

"Touchingly absurd and absurdly touching," BRIGHTON 4TH comes to L.A. February 11 via Tbilisi, Georgia and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
(l. to r.) Levan Tediashvili (Kakhi) and Giorgi Tabidze (Soso) shopping on the boardwalk of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, in Brighton 4th, directed by Levan Koguashvili. Image courtesy of Kino Lorber.

“A tragicomedy that sneaks up on you stealthily before flooring you with an emotional sucker punch in the final reel.” ~ Matt Fagerholm, RogerEbert.com

"Touchingly absurd and absurdly touching," BRIGHTON 4TH comes to L.A. February 11 via Tbilisi, Georgia and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
(l. to r.) Nadezhda Mikhalkova (Lena) and Giorgi Tabidze (Soso) on the beach in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, in Brighton 4th, directed by Levan Koguashvili. Image courtesy of Lorber.

“The melancholy-infused narrative neatly balances rueful humor with genuine sweetness.” ~ Alissa Simon, Variety

"Touchingly absurd and absurdly touching," BRIGHTON 4TH comes to L.A. February 11 via Tbilisi, Georgia and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
Levan Tediashvili (Kakhi) in Brighton 4th, directed by Levan Koguashvili. Image courtesy of Kino Lorber.

“A near-perfect, semi-comic portrait of the low-rent Georgian enclave in Brighton Beach.” ~ Michael Atkinson, The Village Voice

"Touchingly absurd and absurdly touching," BRIGHTON 4TH comes to L.A. February 11 via Tbilisi, Georgia and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
Levan Tediashvili (Kakhi) in Brighton 4th, directed by Levan Koguashvili. Image courtesy of Kino Lorber.

“A touching and surprising exploration of masculinity that features a stunning central performance from former Olympic wrestling champion Levan Tediashvili.” ~ Kaleem Aftab, Cineuropa

"Touchingly absurd and absurdly touching," BRIGHTON 4TH comes to L.A. February 11 via Tbilisi, Georgia and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
Levan Koguashvili, director of Brighton 4th. Photo credit: Eliso Sulakauri

“Koguashvili deftly blends tones in his vividly realised snapshots of Georgian manhood.” ~ Wendy Ide, Screen Daily

“A compelling portrait of the Eastern European community that exists in Brighton, [featuring] a great performance by Tediashvili, in his first film role.” ~ Christian Gallichio, The Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6R0js4LoqI

Greg Laemmle: “Now is the time to show that arthouse audiences still want to support the theatrical experience.”

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Michael Ordona’s piece in today’s L.A. Times Calendar section — headlined “Movie theater safety during COVID, the sequel: This time it’s personal” —
and the latest newsletter from the National Association of Theatre Owners got Laemmle Theatres President Greg Laemmle thinking about the state of American arthouse exhibition:

“In addition to #CinemaSafe measures, Laemmle Theatres is providing a one-seat lateral buffer even though this is not required. You never have to share an armrest with someone who isn’t part of your party. And in addition to the distancing benefit, the reduced capacity also likely enhances the ability of the ventilation system to clear the air.

“For those who are vaxxed and boosted, there’s arguably a greater risk to one’s health in driving to the theatre than the likelihood of getting sick from an infection acquired while in the theatre (or other “regular” activity). And that’s not me saying that. See journalist David Leonhardt’s quote in the New York Times daily email for January 25, 2022:

“It’s a remarkable disconnect between perception and reality. A majority of the boosted say they are worried about getting sick from Covid. In truth, riding in a car presents more danger to most of them than the virus does.”

“If people want to wait another week or two to let numbers continue to drop, I can’t argue with that. But with Oscar nominations coming on February 8, and absent a new variant, now is the time to show that arthouse audiences still want to support the theatrical experience. With that show of support, distributors will feel confident that movie theatres are back for all audiences and all types of films. Without that show of support, you can expect a future where going to a movie theatre is just for blockbusters like SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME.”

Learn more about Laemmle Theatres’ health and safety measures to combat the pandemic here.