FilmWeek

Latest Episodes:

Feature: The stars of ‘Tuner’ talk about striking the perfect chord on screen May 22, 2026

Show notes

The Topic:

Larry Mantle speaks with the stars of the new film Tuner, Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu.

The plot: Leo Woodall plays Niki, a former music virtuoso now serving as an apprentice to the vivacious but stubborn piano technician Harry Horowitz, played by Dustin Hoffman. Niki suffers from a unique hearing condition that makes him extra sensitive to sound: a useful skill for tuning pianos as well as cracking safes. His condition and secret extracurriculars isolates him from his budding relationship with music composition student Ruthie, played by Havana Rose Liu.

Tuner is playing at the AMC Grove and AMC Century City. It expands to more theaters May 29.

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

Feature: A couple of LA projectionists still working with film on the big screen May 15, 2026

Show notes

The topic:

Movies on film are having a resurgence. Just take late year’s biggest movies: One Battle After Another, Sinners, and Marty Supreme. But the craft of screening movies on film is a dying one, with few projectionists experienced enough to handle the delicate prints.

A film stronghold: In L.A., it's the local repertory theaters that have helped maintain the art of film projection with many offering screenings of old movies on vintage prints. The task may be tedious, but for audiences, it’s a striking viewing experience.

Guests: Spencer Christiano, a senior projectionist at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and Boris Ibañez, technical director of Vidiots, a repertory theater and DVD/video rental store in Eagle Rock.

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

FilmWeek: ‘Is God Is,’ ‘The Propagandist,’ ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin,’ and more May 15, 2026

Show notes

Austin Cross and LAist film critics Claudia Puig, Tim Cogshell, and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Films:

Is God Is, Wide Release

Life Hack, In Select Theaters

The Propagandist, Available on select digital platforms

Decorado, In Select Theaters

Silent Friend, AMC Burbank & Laemmle Royal [West LA]

American Agitators, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]

The Wizard of the Kremlin, In Select Theaters

Marty, Life is Short, Streaming on Netflix

Obsession, Wide Release

The A List: 15 Stories from the Asian and Pacific Diasporas, Streaming on HBO Max

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

Feature: New rules, new venue, new broadcast. Oh My! The Oscars are a-changing May 08, 2026

Show notes

The topic:

Last week, the Academy Awards released new rules for the Oscars. Some of the changes include awarding the director rather than the country for Best International Feature and allowing actors to be nominated for multiple films in the same category, such as Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress.

Other changes: Two of the new rule changes included explicit language about acting performances and screenplays being “demonstratively human” and “human-authored” respectively. These new rules come as the Oscars are planning for a change in venue and a new broadcast partner in YouTube starting in 2029.

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

FilmWeek: ‘The Sheep Detectives,’ ‘Mad Bills to Pay,’ ‘Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour,’ and more! May 08, 2026

Show notes

Guest host Austin Cross and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Films:

The Sheep Detectives, Wide Release

Mad Bills to Pay: (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo), Laemmle NoHo, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica], and Vidiots [Eagle Rock]

Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, Wide Release

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]|Airs on PBS May 19 at 9 p.m. ET

Couples Weekend, Available on Digital & VOD

Group: The Schopenhauer Effect Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] & Laemmle Royal [West LA]

Mistura, Laemmle Town Center [Encino], Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] & Regal Edwards in South Gate

Broad Trip, Streaming on Roku

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

Feature: The National Film Board of Canada’s history of experimental animation May 01, 2026

Show notes

In order to keep up with the changing film landscape, Canada’s Motion Picture Bureau was re-established as the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). It was helmed by filmmaker John Grierson, known for coining the term ‘documentary.’ Grierson recruited filmmaker and animator Norman McLaren to lead the NFB’s animation division, and under the two of them, the NFB supported pioneering artists pushing Canadian animation and filmmaking forward. This time on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with FilmWeek’s own Charles Solomon, animation historian and critic, about his new book “Animation for the People: An Illustrated History of the National Film Board of Canada.”

FilmWeek: ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ ‘Hokum,’ ‘Swapped,’ and more! May 01, 2026

Show notes

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell, Christy Lemire, and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Films:

The Devil Wears Prada 2, Wide Release

Hokum, Wide Release

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea, Wide Release

Two Pianos, Laemmle Royal [West LA]|Expands Wide May 8

Omaha, Landmark Nuart Theater [West LA]|Expands throughout May

Swapped, Laemmle Glendale & Streaming on Netflix

Power to the People, In Select Theaters May 3

The School Duel, Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA] & Lumiere Music Hall [Beverly Hills]

Modern Whore, Available on Digital & VOD

Paying for It, Available on Digital & VOD

Deep Water, Wide Release

One Spoon of Chocolate, In Select Theaters

Casa Grande, In Select Theaters

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

Feature: The TCM Classic Film Festival returns to Hollywood Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

The TCM Classic Film Festival is back! With films including Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Confessions Of A Nazi Spy (1939), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Misfits (1961), and a special Opening Night Gala presentation of Barefoot in the Park (1967) introduced by Jane Fonda. This year’s honorees include actresses Glenn Close and Barbara Hershey, and songwriter and composer Paul Williams. This week on FilmWeek, Larry Mantle is joined by TCM’s SVP of Programming, Charles Tabesh and TCM host, Ben Mankiewicz, to talk about the festival and its film line-up.

The TCM Classic Film Festival is from April 30 to May 3. Festival passes are available at filmfestival.tcm.com. Tickets for individual screenings are also available.

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

FilmWeek: ‘Michael,’ ‘Over Your Dead Body,’ ‘Blue Heron,’ and more! Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Beandrea July and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s latest movie releases in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Films:

Michael, Wide Release

Over Your Dead Body, Wide Release

Ricky, In Select Theaters

Blue Heron, AMC Burbank & the Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA]

Just Sing, Laemmle NoHo

I Swear, In Select Theaters

Something Casual, Laemmle Royal [West LA] April 25|Laemmle NoHo April 24 & 26

Apex, Landmark Westwood|Streaming on Netflix

Fuze, Wide Release

Kangaroo Island, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

Feature: What is a film producer? Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

It's a hard job to explain but seems to be a very easy title to get. The mysterious film producer credit used to go to just a couple people who were integral in a movie's pre- and post-production, but after the consequential Best Picture win for 1998'sShakespeare in Love, the credit of film producer became a title given to people in lieu of other forms of compensation, regardless of how much actual work they contributed to the film. This year marks the PGA's Code of Credits 25th anniversary, created in part due to Shakespeare in Love's unprecedented number of producers. While some "underserving" people may still be credited, the PGA Mark only goes to those who fit their arbitration criteria. On FilmWeek, we delve into the allusive title of "film producer" and how the credit has changed over the years with Deadline senior TV and labor reporter Katie Campione. She's the author of the piece "How ‘Shakespeare In Love’s Best Picture Win Inspired The PGA’s 25-Year Effort To Answer One Question: Who Is A Producer?"

Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected