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Virtual Cinema 2: Electric Boogaloo

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[JUMP TO FILMS]

Dear Laemmle Fans,

I know I just contacted you a couple days ago about the launch of the Laemmle Virtual Cinema program, but we’ve got a number of excited distributors who wanted to share some additional films. And since many of you are looking for stuff to do while sheltering in place, I figured another message wouldn’t hurt.

We’ve also created a page to answer any questions you may have about Laemmle Virtual Cinema. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out via our company email, or to submit a comment via our website. I can’t promise we will be able to answer all your questions directly, but your feedback helps make sure our FAQ is useful.

Click here to learn more about Laemmle Virtual Cinema.

Lastly, thank you again for your support, and know that every purchase you make on Laemmle Virtual Cinema helps us get through this mandatory closure, so that we can continue to serve you again when we reopen. And please, continue to stay safe and follow best practices.

All the best,
Greg Laemmle

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Laemmle’s Virtual Cinema
New Releases for MARCH 27 • Click posters for “Watch Now” instructions.

            

Introducing “Laemmle’s Virtual Cinema”

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

As an exhibitor, I’m supposed to hate VOD (video on demand), seeing it as an enemy out to destroy my family’s 80+ year old business. However, I believe that people will always love going to the movie theatre, and that they recognize movie-going as the best way to appreciate what the filmmaker has created.

But right now, going to the movie theatre isn’t an option. We all know why this is the case, and we’re just going to have to accept it until we can get through this crisis.

These unprecedented times call for new alliances. So in partnership with a number of our indie distributors, we are launching the “Laemmle Virtual Cinema” program.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS LAEMMLE VIRTUAL CINEMA

While the theatres are closed, we’ll be emailing to let you know about new films which you can watch on VOD. The distributors will be sharing revenue directly with us, so that we have the resources to get through this mandatory closure, and can reopen our actual doors as soon as the coast is clear.

So please go ahead and pay to watch a movie online. You’re not cheating on us. You’ll actually be helping us. And together, we can keep the fires of arthouse cinema burning until this storm has passed.

All the best,

Greg Laemmle

Dear Laemmle Fans

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A letter from Greg Laemmle about the closing of the theaters sent on March 20.

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Dear Laemmle Fans,

My family has been in this business in Los Angeles since 1938. I’ve been doing my job for over 30 years. During that time, we’ve had fires, earthquakes, a couple very serious instances of civic unrest, a major terrorist attack on our country, and countless other threats and instances of adversity. But even when curfews curtailed our hours of operation, we managed to be open and showing movies. Even if most people didn’t want to get out, there were always those who found solace and escape in getting out to the movies. And we wanted to be there for them.

The word “unprecedented” gets thrown around a lot. But what we are all living through today definitely fits the bill. And adjusting to this new reality, and accepting that it is going to be with us for at least a month if not more, is a challenge.

As much as movies and the business of showing movies is important to me and all the employees at Laemmle Theatres, we recognize that there is a more important societal issue at stake here. We understand that we need to shut down so that we can do our part to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus. We hope that you will do your part as well by staying safe at home, washing your hands, maintaining recommended social isolation distancing, and generally following best practices. Together, we can flatten the curve so that the contagion spreads as slowly as possible, and we don’t overburden our medical infrastructure. That’s #1.

Second, even though we won’t be opening new movies for a while, we hope that you’ll still stay engaged with us via email, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. We don’t have much to tell you today, but we should have some announcements in coming weeks that we think you’ll find interesting, including how to bring some of the best of Laemmle into your home.

And finally, if you have the means, it does help if you buy a Gift Card or a Premiere Card. These funds will help us get by in the immediate period. There’s a lot of discussion about doing something for impacted businesses, but nothing (as yet) actually happening. So until then, every bit helps. And is MUCH appreciated!

It’s hard to stay positive right now. But if we all look ahead to the day when we can return to our favorite theatre and enjoy a great arthouse film coupled with popcorn (would you like butter on that?) and a beverage, it will make this period a little easier to endure.

Stay safe, and hope to see you all soon.

Sincerely,
Greg Laemmle

All Laemmle Venues Temporarily Closed.

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Dear Laemmle Family,

In accord with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s executive order and in efforts to “flatten the curve,” we have temporarily closed all of our venues including those in municipalities not covered by the Mayor’s order.

We will contact ticket holders via email with refund instructions for tickets purchased in advance.

We appreciate your patience as we navigate this unprecedented situation.

Visit laemmle.com for updates.

Please take care of yourselves and those most at risk. Hope to see you soon.

– Team Laemmle

LAEMMLE LIVE Cancelled: Samohi Chamber Orchestra March 15 in Santa Monica

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CANCELLED: We regret to inform you that this Sunday’s Laemmle Live concert featuring Samohi Chamber Orchestra has been cancelled. This is in line with the school’s decision to cancel other large public gatherings. We appreciate your understanding of the situation.

LAEMMLE LIVE proudly welcomes back our hometown band – Samohi Chamber Orchestra. Orchestra Directors are Joni Swenson and Jason Aiello. Santa Monica High School, fondly referred to as Samohi, is a large urban public high school.  Founded in 1891, Samohi has an enrollment of 3,000 diverse students and is situated on a twenty-six acre campus just a short walk from the Pacific Ocean. 

The Santa Monica Orchestra was founded in 1903, making 2020 its 117th anniversary.  During this time, the program has grown to include seven orchestras at Samohi. The Santa Monica High School Chamber Orchestra is comprised of twenty-two talented and dedicated young musicians who are leaders in the Samohi Symphony Orchestra.  In past years, the Santa Monica High School Chamber Orchestra has performed in Carnegie Hall in 2009, at the American String Teachers Association National Orchestra Festival in Kansas City, Kansas in 2011; at the Northwest Orchestra Festival in Portland, Oregon in 2013 and in 2017, and in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2015.  Last year, the Samohi Chamber Orchestra performed in New York City at the National Orchestra Cup Festival held at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center where they received the best string ensemble in the festival.  The Chamber Orchestra is delighted for its fourth performance in the Laemmle Live Concert Series. 

1st Violin

Rubani Chugh
Kielor Tung
Gina Kim
Ryan Lee
Sarah Michlin

2nd Violin

Anouk Jouffret
Emily Taylor
Chloe Schwartz
Isabella Miele-Okada
Lily Rafat
Janet Yang

Viola

Layla Shapouri
Dyllan Zhou
Grace McFalls
Naomi Villafana

Cello

Kaya Ralls
Lily Stern
Giulia Trevellin
Shoshanah Israilevich

Bass

Weston Kerekes
Alec Raymond
Silas Garcia-George

Samohi Orchestra Parents Association
Ann Raziel, President

Santa Monica High School
Dr. Antonio Shelton, Principal

Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District

Sunday, March 15, 2020
11:00 AM
Monica Film Center
1332 Second Street
Santa Monica

 

LAEMMLE LIVE presents: Mixtape Quartet February 16 in Santa Monica

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RSVP ON EVENTBRITE
This is a Free Event

LAEMMLE LIVE puts a fresh spin on chamber music this month and proudly introduces Mixtape Quartet.

Mixtape Series draws inspiration from how friends share music. We curate our favorite musical moments to share a feeling. And to tell a story. We love the nostalgic and intimate quality of personalized cassettes. And we value the abundant diversity of music available on today’s streaming platforms. Mixtape combines the best of both. But Pandora and Spotify are no match for human instinct. Our handcrafted playlists connect pieces in ways no algorithm could hope to think up! We seamlessly thread together selections of the best moments in the classical repertoire (and beyond!) into themed concerts. The audience experience is akin to leaving all your music on shuffle, except somehow, no matter how diverse the pieces are, the music always fits together perfectly. Watch their video here.

Juan-Salvador Carrasco, Michael Siess, and Misha Vayman, Co-Artistic Directors Email: mixtapechamber@gmail.com

Artists:

Misha Vayman & Michael Siess – Violins

Nao Kubota & Hyemi Choi – Violas

Juan-Salvador Carrasco & Sarah Kim – Cellos

Program:

Sun selections

Ysaye Violin Sonata No. 5, “L’aurore”

Beethoven String Quartet in A major, Op. 132, mvt 3

Janacek String Quartet No. 2 “Intimate Letters,” mvt 1

Debussy Quartet, mvt 3

Moon selections

Bartok String Quartet No. 4, mvt 3

Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht

Borodin String Quartet, mvt 3

Clair de Lune

Sunday, February 16, 2020
11:00 AM
Monica Film Center
1332 Second Street
Santa Monica

 

Our Filmic Cup Runneth Over: Drink Deep of the Oscar-Nominated Foreign Features and Documentaries.

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Now is the time to enjoy fantastic films from around the world. All five of the Oscar-nominated documentary features — THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY, THE CAVE, FOR SAMA, AMERICAN FACTORY and HONEYLAND are in theaters now, before the awards show on February 9. Four of the five Oscar nominees for Best International Feature — LES MISÉRABLES, PAIN AND GLORY, PARASITE and HONEYLAND (deservedly, it’s nominated twice!) are now in theaters.

We hope to open the Polish drama CORPUS CHRISTI, the fifth foreign film nominee and the dark horse in the race, on March 6 at the Monica Film Center, Playhouse and Town Center.

The film is about 20-year-old Daniel, who is released and sent to a remote village to work as a manual laborer after spending years in a Warsaw prison for a violent crime. The job is designed to keep him busy, but Daniel has a higher calling. While imprisoned he became deeply religious and now aspires to join the priesthood, but his criminal record makes it impossible. When Daniel arrives in town, one quick lie allows him to be mistaken for the town’s new priest, and he sets about tending to his newfound flock. An international sensation with an electrifying lead performance by a previously unknown actor, CORPUS CHRISTI is the twelfth Polish film to earn an Oscar nomination. Only one of them has taken home the prize, IDA in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B27ORUHlp6E&t=4s

LAEMMLE LIVE presents: Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra and Rich Capparela January 26 in Santa Monica

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RSVP ON EVENTBRITE
This is a Free Event

LAEMMLE LIVE proudly launches its fourth season with the musicians of Kaleidoscope. Beloved radio host Rich Capparela returns to host our popular Sunday morning concert series. The critically acclaimed local conductorless chamber orchestra is dedicated to enriching lives through exhilarating concert experiences, artistic excellence, musician leadership, and connecting with the diverse communities of Los Angeles. They envision a world where commitment to collaborative artistic process results in profound orchestral performances that inspire people to pursue cooperation and artistry in their own creative, professional and personal lives. For more info, please visit: www.kco.la

The program will include:

W.A. Mozart – Divertimento No. 3

Paquito D’rivera – Habanera

Franz Schubert – Trio in Bb Major

Jean Françaix – Divertissement

Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion

Robert Walker – oboe

Benjamin Mitchell – clarinet

Nick Akdag – bassoon

“In the top handful of best concert experiences I’ve ever had”
-Rich Capparela, Classical KUSC Radio

“They are lending themselves to a level of collaboration that most orchestras don’t have”
-LA Times

“a tour de force”
-The Huffington Post

Sunday, January 26, 2020
11:00 AM
Monica Film Center
1332 Second Street
Santa Monica