Feature: The ‘Frat Pack’ comedies of the early 2000s

The topic: FilmWeek critics Katie Walsh and Claudia Puig join host Larry Mantle to discuss the biggest releases of the week, including screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to The Social Network, The Social Reckoning of which Sorkin also directs. And they’ll review this year’s Palm d’Or winner at Cannes, Fjord, about a Romanian family in Norway fighting allegations of child abuse. The films: The Social Reckoning, Wide Release Musk, AMC Burbank & AMC Century City | Expanding on October 16 Fjord, AMC Century City & AMC Burbank Tenzing, Laemmle NoHo & The Cinemas LA [Westwood]|Streaming on Apple TV+ October 16 Misty Green, AMC Century City, AMC The Grove, & AMC Burbank Kikuyu Land, Laemmle Monica Film Center [Santa Monica] NAZA, In Select Theaters Animals, Landmark Westwood |Streaming on Netflix The North, Laemmle Glendale, Laemmle Monica Center [Santa Monica], & AMC Burbank The Beast, In Select Theaters The critics: Claudia Puig, film critic for LAist and program director for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Katie Walsh, film critic for LAist, the Tribune News Service and LA Times 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.

The topic: Richard Linklater’s 2025 film Nouvelle Vague tries to accurately capture the filming process of one of French New Wave’s most influential films — Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960). Shot in black and white and almost entirely in French, Linklater transports viewers back to 1959 Paris on the chaotic and sometimes claustrophobic set. Criterion release: Originally released on Netflix with a limited theatrical run, Nouvelle Vague now sits alongside Breathless in the Criterion Collection with a 4k Blu-ray and DVD release that features audio commentary by Linklater and interviews with the lead actors Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch, and Aubry Dullin. Guest: Richard Linklater, director of Nouvelle Vague. He is also known for the films Slacker, Dazed and Confused, the Before trilogy, and Boyhood. 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.

The topic: FilmWeek critics Tim Cogshell and Christy Lemire disagree on the effectiveness of Alejandro Iñárritu’s new film Digger starring Tom Cruise, but they do agree that everyone should see it, if only to partake in the discussion. Also out this week is the drama Atonement that shows the ramifications of the Iraqi war. The films: Digger, Wide Release Heart of the Beast, Wide Release Verity, Wide Release The Scout, Alamo Drafthouse [DTLA] | Expands Oct. 9 Atonement, Landmark Nuart Theatre [West LA] | Expands Oct. 9 Appofeniacs, AMC Burbank & AMC Orange The Last First: Winter K2, Laemmle Noho [North Hollywood] | Streaming on Apple TV Beware Boiúna, In Select Theaters Rolling Loud: The Movie, In Select Theaters The critics: Christy Lemire, film critic for LAist, and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ YouTube and podcast series Tim Cogshell, film critic for LAist, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com 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.

The topic: Finding humor and fascination in the mundane is John Wilson’s signature. After closing out his acclaimed HBO series How To with John Wilson, the documentarian picks up right where he left off, but this time with a feature film examining one of New York’s most foundational materials: concrete. Wilson joins FilmWeek’s Larry Mantle to talk about his first feature documentary The History of Concrete, his directorial influences, and how he sees the world. Guest: John Wilson, documentarian best known for his acclaimed HBO series How To with John Wilson and director of the new documentary The History of Concrete. 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.

The topic: Larry Mantle and FilmWeek critics review Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson as NBC Dateline host Chris Hansen, best known for his 2006 series To Catch a Predator. And they talk about the documentary You Had to Be There that attempts to capture the magical 1972 Toronto production of Godspell that launched many famous comedians careers. The events are told through animation and interviews with the original cast. The films: Primetime, Wide Release Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother, In Select Theaters Forgotten Island, Wide Release The History of Concrete, In Select Theaters Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, In Select Theaters The Stunt Driver, In Select Theaters Never After Dark, In Select Theaters You Had to Be There, In Select Theaters Unabomber, Streaming on Netflix The critics: Christy Lemire, film critic for LAist, and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ YouTube and podcast series Maureen Lee Lenker <like ‘link’>, LAist film critic and freelance journalist (formerly at Entertainment Weekly) who's written for Gold Derby, The Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and Turner Classic Movies. She is also the author of three novels set in the Golden Age of Hollywood. 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.