The Official Blog of Laemmle Theatres.

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The official blog of Laemmle Theatres

EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL Director in Person at the Music Hall

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How does a 16-year-old honor student evolve into a bank robber? In EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL, filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe asks this very question about himself. After seeing his mother and stepfather struggle to make ends meet while living outside of Houston, Monroe decided to help them by robbing a bank with two friends. Executive produced by Spike Lee.

Monroe, director of this acclaimed new autobiographical documentary, will participate in Q&A’s after the 7:10 screenings at the Music Hall on Friday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 21.

http://www.vimeo.com/106990392

LIFE INSIDE OUT Q&A’s All Week at the Playhouse 7

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LIFE INSIDE OUT tells the story of Laura, the mother of three teenage boys, and her youngest son Shane, the family misfit and a disappointment to his father. When Laura stumbles upon her long forgotten guitar, she is taken under its spell and rediscovers her love for song writing.

LIFE INSIDE OUT lead actress/co-writer Maggie Baird, director Jill D’Agnenica, co-writer Lori collins and/or producer Tessa Bell will participate in Q&A’s after most screenings:

10/17: Collins for the 1:50 and 4:30 shows; Baird, D’Agnenica, Collins and Bell after the 7:10 screening; Baird, D’Agnenica and Bell after the 9:50 show;

10/18: D’Agnenica and Baird after the 1:50 screening; Baird, D’Agnenica and Bell after the 4:30, 7:10 and 9:50 shows;

10/19: Baird, D’Agnenica and Bell after the 1:50, 4:30, 7:10 and 9:50 shows;

10/20: Baird after the 4:30, 7:10 and 9:50 screenings;

10/21: Bell after the 1:50, 4:30, 7:10 and 9:50 screenings;

10/22: Baird after the 4:30, 7:10 and 9:50 shows;

10/23: Baird after all screenings with Bell joining her for the first two and D’Agnenica for the 7:10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScMka0aKN3s&feature=youtu.be
Director Jill D'Agnenica
Producer Tessa Bell
Co-writer Lori Collins
Lead Actress-co-writer Maggie Baird

Greg Laemmle on transforming neighborhoods into pedestrian-friendly business hubs

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In last week’s issue of the Los Angeles Business Journal (membership required), Greg Laemmle urged leaders in Sacramento and Los Angeles to help create a greener, more connected Los Angeles through good policy, urban planning, and smart business practices.

Business owners often have a stereotype of being cold and dismissive of their employees and the local area’s needs. However, this is a stereotype of owners in the past and isn’t true for the newest, brightest owners and CEO’s who understand that in order to have a thriving business, every part of the business needs to be looked after.

For the employees, this includes providing employee benefits, have a high-quality HR system that deals with issues quickly, and look for new ways to keep employees engaged. Using Zenefits for HR software is a good idea for companies who want to maintain a good working environment for their employees. However, it’s not just the employees that need to be considered. Providing care and resources for the local area will help businesses be thought of fondly by the locals and ensure a good public image. This mutually benefits the area and business which is why Laemmle is calling for businesses to contribute to transforming neighborhoods into pedestrian-friendly business hubs. To contribute to this, businesses should really consider installing Burglar alarms in order to deter criminals from operating in the neighborhood which will, in turn, encourage more consumers and business owners to show an interest in the area. If businesses show that they care about their premises enough to take their security seriously, this will give customers confidence in their local businesses.

Greg cited the Playhouse 7 in Pasadena as an example of how an infrastructure that encourages walking, cycling, and public transit can benefit commerce and community.
“When we built the Playhouse 7 in Pasadena in 1999, we used shared-parking agreements. There was an understanding that as the area grew, the Playhouse District would add parking. Once the Gold Line started running in the area, many of the surface parking lots in the immediate vicinity of the theater were developed into mixed-use buildings with retail on the ground floor and residential units above. The area became denser, more vibrant – a real 24-hour neighborhood.

The Playhouse District never did add more parking but our business hasn’t suffered. Instead, people are finding alternative ways to get to the area – walking, biking or taking public transit. The economic boom that made the neighborhood more vibrant happened without adding parking – instead, we helped create a more authentic neighborhood commercial experience, and the city of Pasadena saved money for other vital needs.”
We hope to replicate the success of the Playhouse 7 in the coming months when we break ground on the Laemmle Lofts project in Glendale, a five-screen theater with 42 apartments and 6,000 square feet of commercial space.

Download and read the full article: Measuring-Commerce-by-Foot-LA-Business-Journal.PDF

A special note to our Valley fans: We continue to search for similar projects in West Valley neighborhoods and sincerely appreciate your support.

THE DECENT ONE Q&A’s with Filmmaker Vanessa Lappa this Weekend at the Music Hall

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A recently discovered cache of hundreds of personal letters, diaries, and photographs belonging to Nazi Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler seems to reveal a thoughtful, loving husband and devoted father to his daughter, Gudrun. The documents were hidden in Tel Aviv for decades and sold to the father of the Israeli documentary filmmaker, Vanessa Lapa. With her film THE DECENT ONE she has fashioned a fascinating case study: a portrait of the man responsible for some of the worst atrocities of the Second World War, who thought of himself in heroic terms. Ms. Lapa will discuss Himmler and her film during Q&A’s after the 7:20 PM screenings of THE DECENT ONE at the Music Hall, Friday-Sunday, October 10-12.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuqgHir41gk
Vanessa Lapa

ADVANCED STYLE Q&A’s at the Music Hall Opening Weekend

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In the delightful new documentary ADVANCED STYLE, street style photographer Ari Seth Cohen and director Lina Plioplyte dive into the personal lives of New York City’s most fashionable women over 60. In an industry obsessed with youth, these older women dispel conventional ideas about beauty and aging and prove that with age comes grace, confidence, boldness, flair and new, unimagined opportunities for fame and fortune.

Both Ms. Plioplyte and Mr. Cohen will be at the Music Hall for Q&A’s on opening weekend: after the 7:20 PM screening on Friday, October 17 and after the 5 and 7:20 PM screenings on Saturday, October 18.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-baPw-bE_Ec

Lina Plioplyte

 

 

Ari Seth Cohen and Lina Plioplyte

PELICAN DREAMS Q&A’s at the Royal and Playhouse with Filmmaker Judy Irving

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What’s it like to try to get to know a flying dinosaur? In PELICAN DREAMS, Sundance and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Judy Irving (“The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill”) follows a wayward California brown pelican from her “arrest” on the Golden Gate Bridge into care at a wildlife rehabilitation facility, and from there explores pelicans’ nesting grounds, Pacific coast migration, and survival challenges. Ms. Irving will attend several screenings on opening weekend to do Q&A’s: after the 7:30 PM screening Friday, November 7 at the Royal and after the 5:30 show Saturday, November 8 at the Playhouse.

http://vimeo.com/102655510
PELICAN DREAMS filmmaker Judy Irving

Pillar of the French New Wave, Long Unavailable for Exhibition in the U.S., HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR is Spectacularly Restored

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HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR is the late Alain Resnais’ seminal debut film. A pillar of the French New Wave, long unavailable for exhibition in the United States due to rights issues, HIROSHIMA has been spectacularly restored. We open the film on October 17 at the Royal, Playhouse and Town Center.

Employing a radical use of voice-over narration and quickly-flashbacked scenes, the film tells the story of a brief relationship in post-war Japan between a French actress, played by Oscar nominee Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), and a Japanese architect, played by Eiji Okada (Woman in the Dunes). The Oscar-nominated screenplay was written by Marguerite Duras, who in novels like The Lover, often dealt with European/Asian relationships. Twenty fourteen marks Duras’ centennial. Don’t miss this very special chance to see this gem of world cinema as it was meant to seen, in a dark room, on a big screen, with an audience!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLts830aLlw
Emmanuelle Riva

Discounted Tickets for Laemmle Moviegoers at the Pasadena Playhouse Production of KISS ME, KATE

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FINAL WEEK!

Save 20%* Off Tickets
Use Code: LAEMMLE20

Now Playing – October 12, 2014
The Pasadena Playhouse presents Wayne Brady Starring in KISS ME, KATE Also Starring Merle Dandridge
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Book by Bella and Samuel Spewack
Directed by Sheldon Epps
KISS ME, KATE, the beloved backstage musical, includes many of Cole Porter’s most famous songs: “So in Love,” “Another Op’nin’ Another Show,” “Too Darn Hot,” and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.”  This classic show celebrates Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and the joys, madness, and the rewards of working in the theatre – both onstage and off.The Pasadena Playhouse production will view the work through a new lens, using the wonderful material of this celebrated production to showcase the trailblazing African-American actors and entertainers of the early 20th century.

Tickets may be purchased online at PasadenaPlayhouse.org or by calling (626) 356-7529. 
The Pasadena Playhouse
39 S. El Molino Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101

*Code LAEMMLE20 is valid for 20% off tickets to KISS ME, KATE. Offer expires Fri. Oct. 10 at 11:59 p.m. and is good on all remaining performances through Sun. Oct. 12. Discount is available on all seats excluding ROW C and Hot Seats. All seats are best available. Offer not valid on previous purchases and cannot be combined with any other offer. All tickets are subject to availability. Service charges and theatre restoration fee apply to all orders.