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From LAist 89.3

FilmWeek on AirTalk, hosted by Larry Mantle, is a one-hour weekly segment offering reviews of the week's new movies, interviews with filmmakers, and discussion.

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Most Recent Episodes

May 24, 2024, feature: the significance of 'double indemnity' for true crime and hollywood... live at vidiots.

May 24, 2024 • A new book by film historians James Ursini and Alain Silver titled "From the Moment They Met It Was Murder: Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir" gets into one of Hollywood's most influential works, the true crime drama "Double Indemnity." Ursini and Silver helped chronicle the film's origins, from the 1927 "crime of the century" it's based on and the motifs that would eventually inspire generations. What better way to reboot our FilmWeek screening series than to talk about this iconic Hollywood throwback with authors who understand and one of our beloved critics? For this week's feature, Larry returns with our live screening series, joined by LAist film critic Claudia Puig and book authors Ursini and Silver.

FilmWeek: 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' 'Hit Man,' 'Queen of the Deuce,' And More

May 24, 2024 • Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Wade Major, Tim Cogshell, and Charles Solomon review this weekend's new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" Wide Release "The Garfield Movie" Wide Release "Hit Man" Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] | Laemmle Glendale [Glendale] | Streaming on Netflix June 7 "Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle" Wide Release "The Beach Boys" Streaming on Disney+ "Queen of the Deuce" Streaming on Amazon and Apple TV+ "Atlas" Streaming on Netflix "Taking Venice" Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] | Laemmle Town Center [Encino] "Sight" Wide Release

May 17, 2024

Feature: remembering roger corman, storied filmmaker, who passed away at 98.

May 17, 2024 • Roger Corman, the "King of the Bs" who helped turn out such low-budget classics as "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Attack of the Crab Monsters" and gave many of Hollywood's most famous actors and directors early breaks, has died. He was 98. Corman died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, according to a statement released Saturday by his wife and daughters. This follows a life that started with many B-horror movies, such as the 1960 film "Little Shop of Horrors," and helping kickstart the careers of Martin Scorsese and Jack Nicholson. Some of Corman's work, including interviews with these film legends associated with Corman, was displayed in the 2011 documentary "Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel." For this week's FilmWeek feature, we talk to filmmaker Alex Stapleton, director of "Corman's World" and LAist film critic Wade Major, about Corman's legacy and why his loss meant so much to the film community.

FilmWeek: 'Back To Black ' 'Gasoline Rainbow,' 'Thelma The Unicorn,' And More

May 17, 2024 • Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt and Christy Lemire review this weekend's new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. "If" Wide Release "Babes" Wide Release "Back To Black" Wide Release "Gasoline Rainbow" Laemmle Glendale [Glendale] | Streaming on MUBI May 31 "Thelma the Unicorn" Streaming on Netflix "The Tuba Thieves" Premieres on PBS May 20th "The Blue Angels" In IMAX | Streaming on Amazon Prime May 23

May 13, 2024

Htla presents: revival house: part 8 - movies under — and among — the stars at hollywood forever.

May 13, 2024 • Go back to the movies with us! It's heating up in the city, so Revival House continues with a classic of spring and summertime in L.A. — a film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Run by Cinespia, you can picnic and catch a revival film on the iconic grassy knoll. What keeps people coming back year after year? What's the history of it all? Listen along to find out. Learn more about the cemetery tour here: https://www.cemeterytour.com/ Find more about Cinespia here: https://cinespia.org/ Guests: Cemetery tour guide Karie Bible, Cinespia founder John Wyatt.

May 10, 2024

Filmweek: 'kingdom of the planet of the apes' 'the last stop in yuma country,' 'the roundu....

May 10, 2024 • Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Claudia Puig and Andy Klein review this weekend's new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" Wide Release "Poolman" In Select Theaters "Summer Qamp" Laemmle Glendale [Glendale] "Power" Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica]| Streaming On Netflix May 17 "The Last Stop in Yuma County" In Select Theaters "Living With Leopards" Streaming On Netflix "The Roundup Punishment" Wide Release "Force Of Nature: The Dry 2" In Select Theaters "The Image of You" VOD "Lazareth" VOD "Mother of the Bride" Streaming on Netflix

Feature: 'The Blues Brothers' Book Brings Together What Made The 1980 Film A Classic

May 10, 2024 • Saturday Night Live over the decades has served as a building block for comedians, using that platform as a way to get your name out there and eventually spin their popularity into other ventures. One of the earliest, and most iconic cases, being the American Classic that SNL alums Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi created with "The Blues Brothers." A new book, by writer and journalist Daniel de Visé, gets into how Aykroyd and Belushi's kinetic, comedic energy was spun into a just as entertaining production process. Along with the film's influence on pop culture humor, it also shares how the film's appreciate of blues music is best encapsulated by its soundtrack and appearances by Aretha Franklin and James Brown. For this week's FilmWeek feature, we talk to Daniel de Visé, author of "The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the making of an American Film Classic" about what he was able to uncover from revisiting this film the captured a special moment in American film and comedy.

May 3, 2024

Feature: larry talks to 'i saw the tv glow' director jane schoenbrun & actor justice smith.

May 3, 2024 • "I Saw The TV Glow," the new film by second-time director Jane Schoenbrun, is a story they consider their most personal. The story follows the character Owen, over multiple decades of their own life, re-visiting their identity through the help of an old friend named Maddy. The film brings together elements of childhood nostalgia and horror in this fictional story of one kid who feels different from everyone else in this small town. Today on FilmWeek, Larry sits down with the film's lead actor, Justice Smith, and its director Jane Schoenbrun, getting into the film's exploration of identity and dysphoria. 'I Saw The TV Glow' is now in theaters, check your local listings.

Feature: Larry Talks To 'I Saw The TV Glow' Director Jane Schoenbrun & Actor Justice Smith

Filmweek: 'i saw the tv glow' 'the idea of you,' 'evil does not exist,' and more.

May 3, 2024 • Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein and Peter Rainer review this weekend's new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms. "The Fall Guy" Wide Release "Unfrosted" Streaming on Netflix "I Saw The TV Glow" Wide Release "Wildcat" AMC Century City 15 [Century City] | Vidiots [Eagle Rock] May 4th "Blood in Blood Out (1993)" Streaming on Hulu "Nowhere Special" Landmark Pasadena Playhouse [Pasadena] | Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] | Laemmle Glendale [Glendale] | Regency Agoura Hills Stadium [Agoura Hills] | Laemmle Claremont [Claremont] "The Idea of You" Streaming on Amazon Prime Video "Evil Does Not Exist" Wide Release "Who is Stan Smith?" Landmark Nuart Theater [Sawtelle] | Expands to Laemmle Town Center [Encino] | Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] | Laemmle Glendale [Glendale] May 10

April 26, 2024

Filmweek: 'challengers,' 'bad faith,' 'humane,' and more.

April 26, 2024 • Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein review this weekend's new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms: "Challengers" Wide Release "Boy Kills World" Wide Release "Egoist" Wide Release "Bad Faith" VOD "Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story" Laemmle Glendale [Glendale] April 26th | Streaming on PBS May 13 "Uncropped" Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] on April "Little Empty Boxes" Laemmle Monica [Santa Monica] April 26 | Laemmle Royal [Sawtelle] April 28 "Humane" The Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA] April 26th "ALAM" VOD "Infested" Streaming on Shudder

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Podcast Overview

Reviews of this week's new releases, interviews with filmmakers, and animated discussions on various aspects of the industry with a rotating cast of film critics and host, KPCC’s Larry Mantle. FilmWeek critics include Justin Chang (Variety), Tim Cogshell (Alt Film Guide), Andy Klein (LA Times Community Newspaper Chain), Christy Lemire (YouTube’s “What the Flick”), Lael Loewenstein (Variety), Wade Major (IGN’s Digigods.com), Amy Nicholson (LA Weekly), Claudia Puig (Napa Valley Film Festival), Peter Rainer (Christian Science Monitor) & Charles Solomon (Animation Scoop).

Podcast Episodes

Filmweek: ‘war for the planet of the apes,’ ‘wish upon’ and more, plus why is it so hard to make a great rom-com.

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also want to hear about your favorite romantic comedies after the success of “The Big Sick,” and explore why it's so difficult to keep the genre alive.

This week's reviews, plus Hollywood's waning international audience? And how does Rotten Tomatoes fit in?

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Lael Lowenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases including "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "A Ghost Story." We also talk about a possible wane in Hollywood's big budget films with international audiences, and is Rotten Tomatoes ruining the industry?

FilmWeek: ‘Baby Driver,’ ‘Despicable Me 3,’ ‘The House’ and more, plus a peek into this weekend's Anime Expo

Guest host Libby Denkmann and KPCC film critics Justin Chang, Christy Lemire and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also chat about what to expect from the Anime Expo before the Friday night pre-show kick off.

FilmWeek: ‘Transformers,’ ‘The Beguiled,’ ‘The Big Sick’ and more, plus how the most unforgettable film scores are made

Guest host Libby Denkmann and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also talk to director Matt Schrader of "SCORE: A Film Music Documentary" and one of its featured composers, Joe Kraemer, about the art of crafting the most memorable movie music.

FilmWeek: ‘Cars 3,’ ‘Rough Night,’ ‘Stefan Zweig’ and more, plus how a movie-buddy (good or bad) changes the watching experience

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases. We also want to hear from FilmWeek listeners about your favorite movie-buddies and how who you choose to watch films with can completely change the experience.

FilmWeek: ‘The Mummy,’ ‘It Comes at Night,’ ‘Megan Leavey’ and more, plus a chat with film historian Leonard Maltin

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Justin Chang and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases. We'll also talk with film historian Leonard Maltin on today's AirTalk 'One-on-One' interview special.

FilmWeek: ‘Wonder Woman,’ ‘Captain Underpants’ and more

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Christy Lemire, Wade Major and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases, including a deep dive on the summer's big hit, "Wonder Woman." Is she a feminist icon? What does she represent to you? And how has she transformed since the days of comics and television to now?

FilmWeek: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ ‘Baywatch’ and more, plus Cannes Film Festival highlights and your favorite Bond movie

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Wade Major review this weekend’s new movie releases. We'll also get the latest highlights from the 70th Cannes Film Festival with LA Times and FilmWeek critic Justin Chang, and want to hear from listeners about your favorite James Bond movie in honor of Sir Roger Moore's passing.

FilmWeek: ‘Alien: Covenant,’ ‘Everything, Everything’ and more, plus former Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing on running Hollywood

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s new movie releases. We'll also talk with Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures and the first woman to run a major Hollywood studio.

FilmWeek: ‘Snatched,’ ‘King Arthur,’ ‘The Wall’ and more, plus ‘La La Land’ composer Justin Hurwitz on conducting his music live-to-film at the Hollywood Bowl

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Lael Lowenstein review this weekend’s new movie releases. We'll also talk to Oscar-winning composer Justin Hurwitz about "La La Land in Concert: A Live-to-Film Celebration" premiering at the Hollywood Bowl, and challenges of timing the film's score to screen before an audience.

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Amy Nicholson

Amy Nicholson is the host of the podcast "Unspooled" and critic for KPCC's Film Week. Formerly, she was the chief film critic for MTV News and LA Weekly. Her other credits include the New York Times, Variety, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and the Guardian, as well as the podcast miniseries "Zoom," "The Canon," "Quentin Tarantino Presents," "Halloween Unmasked," and "Skillset." She has served on the jury for Sundance and SXSW, and screened submissions for Sundance, AFI, and the Los Angeles Film Festival. Amy holds a double B.A. in Film Studies and Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma as well as a Masters in Professional Writing from USC. Her first book, "Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor," was published by Cahiers du Cinema, and her second, "Extra Girls," will be published by Simon & Schuster in 2022. Reach her on Twitter at @theamynicholson.

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A three-minute rundown of the best (and worst) of this week’s film releases, including the go-to movie for the weekend.

FilmWeek Marquee LAist 89.3

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• MAY 24, 2024

FilmWeek Marquee: ‘The Garfield Movie’ ‘The Beach Boys’ ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ And More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Wade Major, Tim Cogshell, and Charles Solomon  review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms— in three minutes or less!

• MAY 17, 2024

FilmWeek Marquee: ‘If’ ‘Babes’ ‘Back To Black’ And More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Manuel Betancourt and Christy Lemire  review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms— in three minutes or less!  

• MAY 10, 2024

FilmWeek Marquee ‘Poolman’ ‘Summer Qamp’ ‘Power,’ And More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics  Lael Loewenstein and Tim Cogshell review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms — in three minutes or less!

• MAY 3, 2024

FilmWeek Marquee ‘The Fall Guy’ ‘Unfrosted’ ‘Nowhere Special,’ And More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Lael Loewenstein and Peter Rainer review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms— in three minutes or less!

• APR 26, 2024

FilmWeek Marquee: ‘Boy Kills World,’ ‘Egoist,’ ‘Uncropped,’ And More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein  review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms — in three minutes or less!

• APR 19, 2024

FilmWeek Marquee: ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ ‘Abigail,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda’ And More

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Christy Lemire, Wade Major, and Charles Solomon  review this weekend’s new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms — in three minutes or less!

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Holiday box office thoughts and movie picks from NPR's Aisha Harris and KPCC's John Horn

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Here & Now 's Scott Tong speaks with Aisha Harris , co-host of NPR's "Pop Culture Happy Hour," and John Horn , KPCC entertainment reporter and host of the podcast "Retake," about some of the films they're excited about this holiday season as well as the prospects for the industry following a poor Thanksgiving at the box office.

Film recommendations from Aisha Harris and John Horn

" Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story "

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Clash at KSU leadership camp in TVM; KPCC forms committee for inquiry

Thiruvananthapuram: A state-level leadership camp organised here by the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student outfit of Congress in Kerala, was allegedly marred by a clash among participants on Saturday night, prompting the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to conduct an inquiry. The camp was organised at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Social Sciences in Neyyardam. Congress sources said the KPCC has constituted a three-member committee comprising its general secretaries to investigate the incident after visuals of the clash were telecast by the media on Sunday. The committee has been asked to submit the report by Sunday evening, they said.

Cops said they have not received any complaints regarding the alleged clash. A police officer, however, said that upon hearing about the incident, they inquired about it and were informed that there was a minor clash during a cultural event organised as part of the camp late in the evening. About 200 persons from seven districts - 175 males and 25 females - were attending the camp. Congress sources said one KSU activist suffered an injury, and the windows of the institute were damaged during the clash. (With PTI inputs)

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‘ghost’ remake by channing tatum intrigues demi moore, but she hasn’t been contacted about it, ‘the apprentice’ review: sebastian stan and jeremy strong soar as young donald trump and his ruthless mentor roy cohn in devilish origin story – cannes film festival.

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Don’t be confused about the title The Apprentice . This is not a movie version of the NBC reality TV series in any way, but instead a smart, sharp and surprising origin story of the man who hosted it. In this case the actual “apprentice” is Donald Trump , infamous real estate developer, former President of the United States and current presumed GOP nominee for 2024.

Trump and Cohn would become an odd couple, helping each other achieve their end goals at the time. That is the story of The Apprentice , which had its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday and still has its U.S. distribution rights for sale.

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Will it sell, and will it be released before November’s election? We shall see, but this is not a hit job on Trump, and actually considering the 77-year-old we see today at MAGA rallies and dozing off in courtrooms defending his indictments on various charges including starting an insurrection to overturn the 2020 election. Instead, it presents a person somewhat driven but awkward, a man striving for the approval of a tough-love father, unsure but determined to succeed and even oddly charming at times. Yes, I said that. Cohn, responsible for helping Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s reprehensible anti-communist crusade in the ’50s as well as putting away convicted spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, was the man pulling the strings — until he wasn’t. Think of it as a twisted Pygmalion with Cohn tutoring and training Trump the way Henry Higgins did with Eliza Dolittle.

The latter was the one Cohn emphasized above all as the most important thing to remember. He also told Trump no one likes a loser. “Everyone wants to suck a winner’s cock,” he tells Trump, who convinced his cold-hearted father Fred Trump (Martin Donovan) that they needed a lawyer like Cohn to take on a case the DOJ had launched over their housing developments (after being indicted for discriminating against Black tenants). In his own inimitable way he got the government to settle with no fines, thus endearing him to Donald. “You have to be willing to do anything to anyone in order to win,” Cohn says.

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The lawyer even dresses his mentee, who was born in Queens; not exactly the right breeding ground. “Is this gonna be a guy from Flushing or 5th Avenue?” he asks, getting an affirmative on the latter. He then puts him on the phone with a New York Times society columnist, and the result is a puff piece comparing his looks to Robert Redford and marking him as an up-and-comer. One of the key Cohn lessons is always chase the press, be in the newspapers every day.

Trump started moving up the ladder, with Cohn bringing him to a party with Rupert Murdoch, George Steinbrenner and others, cheekily (and now ironically in hindsight) telling him, “If you’re indicted, you’re invited.” Cohn himself had been in major legal hot water for tax evasion and also handled shady underworld characters, but he knew how to help Trump’s dreams of finishing Trump Tower come to fruition, essentially rigging a planning commission meeting to get $160 million tax abatement for which Trump was begging.

RELATED: Deadline Studio at Cannes Film Festival 2024 – Cate Blanchett, Jena Malone, Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller & More

Separately, he introduced him to a friend, Roger Stone (Mark Rendall), whose “specialty” is dirty tricks and who touts candidate Ronald Reagan’s campaign slogan “let’s make America great again” (a slogan Trump would later steal as his own when he ran for president). And when the top of the still unfinished first-ever all-concrete hotel in NYC is set on fire, Cohn brings Trump to a meeting with some of his mob clients who deliver Trump a come-to-Jesus moment demanding the “f*cking concrete guy” gets paid. Trump is shown already as being notorious for not paying his construction workers.

The film shows his darker side, that scene included, as he is changing, becoming more ruthless himself — even to Cohn, by double crossing his lawyer whose partner has contracted AIDS and needed help in getting a room at the Hyatt; Trump reluctantly agreed but later sent him a bill. Soon Cohn himself contracts AIDS, but they make up when Trump comes to his birthday celebration with a gift of “diamond” cufflinks that say “Trump” on each one. Ivana later tells Roy they were fake.

This exceptionally well-researched first screenplay by Gabriel Sherman, who had profiled Trump for various publications and thought the Trump-Cohn story would make a good movie, has turned out a tale that is essentially a Faustian deal between the two. Although they have both been described as monsters in different circles, they are really given an empathetic treatment here, at least in part, and at least in an attempt to show us what led to historical change in America, and what may well continue in a story whose end has yet to be written.

Trump has never seemed so, well, human, as his own early years show a man trying desperately for his father’s approval while at the same time trying to come out from under his shadow. Progressively the two-hour film shows him doing just that, but also losing some of that humanity in the process. I wouldn’t describe the portrait as flattering, but it is not a hatchet job — perhaps part of the reason is a foreign director who didn’t even know Trump before he came down those stairs to announce his presidential bid in 2015. The goal is to show the makings of that man, not who he would later become – no matter what your opinion of that man is. I have a feeling his base of voters, the ones he dug up from under a rock, might look at these early years and give their approval, warts and all. Ironically though the first image in the film is that of Richard Nixon swearing “I am not a crook.” What the filmmakers’ intention with that choice is certainly intriguing.

Stan eases into the role, suggesting the young Trump without venturing into an SNL -like impersonation. He captures him precisely and believably throughout. Cohn has been portrayed in other projects like Al Pacino did in Angels In America, but Strong is ideal casting, going all in and delivering a three-dimensional portrait of this complicated man. Bakalova is excellent in her few scenes, as is Donovan as father Fred who early on tries to explain he is not racist. “How can I be racist when I have a Black chauffeur?” he asks at the dinner table while berating his sons. Charlie Carrick as Trump’s older brother Fred Jr. is also very fine, showing a man who just couldn’t live up to his father’s expectations. Scenes between the two siblings show Donald has at least some empathy.

Special notice to Sean Sansom’s seamless hair, makeup and prosthetics work here which never brings attention to itself.

Producers are Daniel Bekerman, Jacob Jarek, Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde, Louis Tisne and Abbasi.

Title: The Apprentice Festival: Cannes (Competition) Director: Ali Abbasi Screenwriter: Gabriel Sherman Cast: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Martin Donovan, Charlie Carrick, Mark Rendall Sales agent: Rocket Science Running time: 2 hr

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From 'Atlas' to 'Dune 2,' here are 10 movies you need to stream right now

If you plan on reusing your "Dune: Part Two" popcorn bucket for your Memorial Day food festivities this long holiday weekend, then we know what you'll probably be streaming.

The super-cool sci-fi sequel is one of several new movies available on your favorite services: Netflix, Amazon's Prime Video, Max, Hulu and Disney+ have a bunch of good stuff to watch from your couch. There's original fare like a Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action extravaganza and documentaries on the Beach Boys and the Blue Angels, plus theatrical releases arriving on streaming, such as Michael Mann's Enzo Ferrari biopic and a Dakota Johnson superhero flick.

Here are 10 notable new movies you can stream right now that nicely pair with burgers and hot dogs:

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'American Fiction'

Amazon is finally streaming one of last year's best movies ! Better late than never to see Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright at the absolute top of his game as a curmudgeonly academic who writes a book with stereotypically Black tropes as a joke and is shocked when it becomes a hit in this tremendously funny and thoughtful film.

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Where to watch: Prime Video

The futuristic sci-fi thriller casts Jennifer Lopez as a counterterrorism expert out to take down a robot (Simu Liu) bent on wiping out most of mankind. What's better than rom-com J.Lo ? Action-hero J.Lo making friends with an AI and taking on villainous machines in mechanized armor.

Where to watch: Netflix

'The Beach Boys'

You guessed it, this documentary chronicles the musical legacy of the Beach Boys . With interviews and archival footage, the film digs into the origins behind their signature harmonies, the genius of Brian Wilson , a rivalry with The Beatles in the 1960s and the game-changing influence of their "Pet Sounds" album.

Where to watch: Disney+

'Biosphere'

Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass play best buds living in a biosphere, the last two dudes on Earth after an apocalyptic situation, when evolution throws them a curve ball. That's all you should know going into this clever character study about sexuality, masculinity and friendship, because it's got quite the twist.

Where to watch: Hulu

'The Blue Angels'

"Top Gun: Maverick" star Glen Powell and J.J. Abrams produce this documentary taking viewers behind the scenes of the Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron. The movie chronicles a year in the lives of these elite pilots, with veterans helping rookies get up to speed for a thrilling and dangerous show season.

'Dune: Part Two'

Timothée Chalamet 's Paul Atreides gets to know love interest Chani (Zendaya) better and might even be a messiah in Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi sequel, which boasts plenty of staggering visuals, all the gigantic sandworms you’d ever want, and deep thematic exploration of power, colonialism and religion.

Where to watch: Max

Adam Driver stars in Michael Mann's drama as Italian automaker Enzo Ferrari, who enters his racing team in a dangerous event to save his empire. Come for the domestic drama – with Penelope Cruz as Ferrari's wife and Shailene Woodley as his mistress – but stay for four-wheeled scenes that show the sport's beauty and brutality.

'Madame Web'

In this clunker of a "Spider-Man" spinoff , Dakota Johnson at least exudes sassy scrappiness as a suddenly psychic paramedic who has to protect a trio of potential future crimefighters. Unfortunately, everybody in this thing gets stuck in its web of nonsense, which boasts bad dialogue and rampant B-movie silliness.

'The Sweet East'

For those needing a road trip – and not wanting to actually go on one – this whimsical satire centers on a high school senior (Talia Ryder) who ditches her classmates on a D.C. field trip. She sets off on a surrealist odyssey where she meets a white-supremacist professor (Simon Rex), an excitable director (Ayo Edebiri) and an A-list actor (Jacob Elordi).

'Thelma the Unicorn'

The "Napoleon Dynamite" filmmakers are behind this engaging animated comedy featuring musical animals and nifty songs. Farm pony Thelma (voiced by Grammy winner Brittany Howard) becomes a viral singing sensation after she's accidentally covered in pink paint and glitter, but finds out being famous has its drawbacks.

Trump team hits ‘Apprentice’ film with cease and desist letter

A cease-and-desist letter from Donald Trump’s lawyers accuses Cannes movie “The Apprentice” of defamation and foreign election interference.

CANNES, France — A lawyer for former president Donald Trump has accused the filmmakers of “The Apprentice” of defamation and illegal election interference in a cease and desist letter obtained by The Washington Post.

The docudrama, which premiered to a huge standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, stars Sebastian Stan as the future president and tracks Trump’s rise to power and malevolence as a New York real estate mogul in the ‘70s and ‘80s. It depicts Trump as a rapist, and has been broadly attacked by the former president’s lawyers as a politically-motivated fabrication.

“The Movie presents itself as a factual biography of Mr. Trump, yet nothing could be further from the truth,” Trump attorney David A. Warrington wrote in the letter, sent Wednesday to the film’s director and writer. “It is a concoction of lies that repeatedly defames President Trump and constitutes direct foreign interference in America’s elections.”

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Much of the three-page letter is spent attacking people involved with the movie for previous statements about Trump. It notes that Jeremy Strong, who plays Trump’s old political fixer Roy Cohn, compared the former president’s rhetoric to that of Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong and Joseph Goebbels in a statement from the actor that director Ali Abbasi read aloud at a Cannes news conference. It accuses screenwriter Gabriel Sherman — a political journalist at Vanity Fair — of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome” for his own attacks on the president.

The letter also cites Abbasi’s Iranian-Danish heritage and the film’s funding from countries such as Denmark, Ireland and Canada.

“It is illegal for foreign nationals to contribute or donate money in connection with a federal election,” Warrington wrote, citing Bluman v. Federal Election Commission, an early 2010s election-finance case whose relevance to “The Apprentice” is unclear.

The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that movies are protected under the free speech clause of the First Amendment. In 1952’s Burstyn v. Wilson, the Justices ruled that the Constitution prohibited the censoring of the movie “Miracle” as sacrilegious. Further decisions in 1973, though, did determine that in certain cases distributors of films may be subject to laws regulating obscenity and pornography.

Trump’s threats of legal action against the film date back to the night of the premiere. “We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers,” Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement before seeing the film. “This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have long been debunked.” (Cheung also said the film “doesn’t even deserve a place in the straight-to-DVD section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store.”)

The filmmakers have taken such threats in stride. “Everybody talks about him [Trump] suing a lot of people. They don’t talk about his success rate, though.” Abbasi said at a Tuesday news conference.

On Friday, producers released a statement in response to the letter: “The film is a fair and balanced portrait of the former president. We want everyone to see it and then decide.”

The film, which Abbasi has said he hopes to release in mid-September during the presidential debates, still has no U.S. distribution. According to a source with the film who spoke on the condition of anonymity for legal reasons, there has been “intense” interest from buyers at Cannes, all of whom have had to bring lawyers with them to parse out the issues of releasing the film under the threat of being sued.

The letter gives the filmmakers a deadline of May 27 to respond to their “gross violation of President Trump and the American people’s rights.”

Ahead of its premiere, “The Apprentice” was the center of massive intrigue and questions about its tone. It portrays Trump’s origin story in a dark and chilling light, containing graphic scenes of him undergoing plastic surgery and sexually assaulting his first wife Ivana Trump — allegations that appear to be based on her 1990 divorce deposition . Maria Bakalova, the Oscar-nominated Bulgarian actress from “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” plays the late former model and business executive.

Ivana said in her deposition that Trump raped her a year earlier in a fit of rage caused by a painful scalp reduction surgery with Ivana’s plastic surgeon. She described the incident as a “violent assault,” in which Trump also ripped out chunks of her hair, sparking a nationwide debate around the then-little-discussed concept of marital rape.

In 1993, however, Ivana recanted her description of the alleged incident, saying she felt “violated,” but that nothing criminal had happened.

Trump also previously denied the allegation — along with Ivana’s claim that he had scalp reduction surgery.

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Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell, Andy Klein, and Charles Solomon review this week’s new movie releases including “Chi-Raq,” “Krampus,” “Macbeth” and more. TGI-FilmWeek!

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell, Andy Klein, and Charles Solomon review this week’s new movie releases including the topical new Spike Lee joint, “Chi-Raq,” the Christmas horror flick starring Toni Collette, “Krampus,” a new “Macbeth” starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.

Tim Cogshell , Film Critic for KPCC and Alt-Film Guide; Tim tweets from

Andy Klein , film critic for KPCC and L.A. Times Community Paper Chain

Charles Solomon , film critic for KPCC and Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine

LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network.

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