FilmWeek

LAist 89.3 | Southern California Public Radio

4.3 (287)
TV & FILM
UPDATED WEEKLY

FilmWeek on AirTalk, hosted by Larry Mantle, is a one-hour weekly segment devoted to films. It offers reviews of the week's new movies, interviews with filmmakers, and discussions on various aspects of the industry.

6 DAYS AGO

FilmWeek: 'Red One,' 'Elton John: Never Too Late,' 'Daruma,' and More

FilmWeek: 'Red One,' 'Elton John: Never Too Late,' 'Daruma,' and More Larry Mantle and FilmWeek critics Lael Loewenstein, Manuel Betancourt, and Charles Solomon review the latest releases on FilmWeek. Red One All We Imagine as Light Elton John: Never Too Late Bird The World According to Alle Willis Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes Ghost Cat Anzu Daruma Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy Night Is Not Eternal Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom The Lost Children

36 min
6 DAYS AGO

Feature: As Hollywood begins its “Christmas creep,” we talk our favorite holiday movies

Feature: As Hollywood begins its “Christmas creep,” we talk our favorite holiday movies The holidays are here… or at least film distributors are under that impression. It’s been two weeks since Halloween has wrapped, and in that time we’ve seen some new Christmas-centric films make their ways to theaters and streamers. This week’s most-promoted theatrical release being the Christmas, action-comedy Red One; the film includes stars like Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, and J.K. Simmons. Last week on the show, we had the chance to discuss Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, two films that fit into the rich tradition of comfort movies that you can watch with your family during the holidays. So for this week’s FilmWeek feature, we’ll speak to our critics about the trend itself and hear about their favorite movies centered on the holiday season.

13 min
NOV 8

Feature: New book ‘Opening Weekend’ provides insider perspective on film marketing

Feature: New book ‘Opening Weekend’ provides insider perspective on film marketing Although the film industry can be quite lucrative, there are a lot of moving parts to how a film gets to be a “success” or “flop.” As it relates to building up hype for a movie, marketing teams play a huge role in growing excitement and finding ways to resonate with general audiences. A new book, Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops, by longtime film marketing executive Jim Fredrick. Frederick’s career in the business has included working on the marketing team for films like Eyes Wide Shut, The Shawshank Redemption, and even the Harry Potter film franchise. So for this week’s feature, we’ll talk to Frederick about Opening Weekend and get an insider’s understanding of how marketing works within the film industry. Jim Fredrick, studio marketing executive, and Chapman University film professor; he’s also the author of the new book Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops

20 min
NOV 8

FilmWeek: "Heretic," "The Piano Lesson," "Small Things Like These," and more

FilmWeek: "Heretic," "The Piano Lesson," "Small Things Like These," and more Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms. Heretic The Piano Lesson Small Things Like These Elevation The Last Rifelman Christmas Even in Miller’s Point The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Meanwhile on Earth Sallywood Weekend in Taipei

30 min
NOV 1

Feature: Critics discuss the best election movies

The upcoming general election has of course been on many peoples’ minds, and what better way to work through the angst than by viewing how generations of artists have tried depicting politics on the big screen? Since early September, Turner Classic Movies has been airing some of the most political films to be released, with some examples being The Great Dictator and JFK. So for today’s feature, Larry and LAist film critics Andy Klein and Christy Lemire talk about their favorite election-related movies, getting into what makes them so topical and worth looking back at following their initial release.

9 min
NOV 1

FilmWeek: ‘Blitz,’ ‘Emilia Perez,’ ‘A Real Pain,’ and more

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire and Andy Klein review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on-demand platforms. They also remember actress Teri Garr, who passed away at the age of 79. Here Blitz Emilia Perez A Real Pain Juror #2 Endurance Freedom The Gutter Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

41 min
OCT 25

Feature: Larry talks to Sean Baker and Mikey Madison about the making ‘Anora’

Feature: Larry talks to Sean Baker and Mikey Madison about the work that went into making ‘Anora’ Since his 2012 feature-length film Starlet, critically acclaimed director Sean Baker has made films that bring realism to the lives of sex workers across the United States. Angelenos are likely familiar with the locations of Starlet and Tangerine, with the former taking place in the San Fernando Valley and the latter in Hollywood. Baker would eventually shoot his next films in Florida and Texas, but his latest picture, Anora, brings viewers to Brooklyn, New York. In Anora, Mikey Madison portrays Ani, an exotic dancer who eventually finds herself eloping with the son of a Russian oligarch. The film has garnered positive reviews since being screened at film festivals and was awarded the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival by fellow filmmakers judging the competition. For this week’s feature, we sit down with Anora’s writer-director Sean Baker, and the film’s star, Mikey Madison. Anora is now in select theaters and will expand on November 1

19 min
OCT 25

FilmWeek: 'Venom: The Last Dance,' 'Conclave,' 'Memoir of a Snail,' and More

FilmWeek: 'Venom: The Last Dance,' 'Conclave,' 'Memoir of a Snail,' and More Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Peter Rainer, Wade Major, and Charles Solomon Venom: The Last Dance Conclave Memoir of a Snail Martha My Name is Alfred Hitchcock Magpie Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) The Remarkable Life of Ibelin Rule of Two Walls The Sacrifice (1986)

30 min

See All (102)

Larry Mantle

Host

4.3

out of 5

287 Ratings

Love the show most of the time but…

07/10/2023

JMS32205

I cannot listen when Andy Klein is on. He gives away way too much plot. He’s not reviewing movies…he’s ruining them for people that haven’t seen them.
Excellent show, but adding junk to my feed

Apr 24

patconnor

I hate to hit Filmweek with a 3-star rating, as I love the show and look forward to it every week. I dinged the 2 stars because HTLA or whatever is sneaking their show into my feed! One “preview” episode is ok, and a lot of podcasts do this. But SEVEN episodes of a show that’s only tangentially related to the podcast I signed up for? No thank you. Bad LAIST. Bad.
Love that Andy is still hanging in there

09/03/2023

pamklawonn

If it weren’t for Andy I’m not sure I would still be tuning in. What happened to the critics who actually know how to dissect a movie based on the structure, writing etc. and relate to older films? Instead we get a blow by blow of the story most of the time or an opinion on like or dislike of an actor.
Andy Ruins It

08/25/2023

Black Boy Sheen

Loses a point for including Andy, who consistently spoils movies. If it weren’t for him, FilmWeek would be the perfect movie review show.

FilmWeek on AirTalk, hosted by Larry Mantle, is a one-hour weekly segment devoted to films. It offers reviews of the week's new movies, interviews with filmmakers, and discussions on various aspects of the industry.