SoCal movies, Nov. 9-15: 'The Marvels,' 'Scarface,' 'Ultra Cinematheque 70' at the Egyptian and more
Brie Larson pulls double duty, Nicholas Cage is positively dreamy, and Al Pacino would like to introduce you to his diminutive companion
Welcome to the latest edition of TV or Not TV’s guide to new and classic movies, events and revivals, film festivals and more screening in LA and OC this week. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for the Los Angeles Times’ Calendar.
Lights … camera … aaaaand … action!
NEW RELEASES
Opening Friday, Nov. 10…
‘Apache Blues: Welcome Home’ Vietnam veterans share their stories in this 2023 documentary by Dave Merlino and Dustin Sweet. 101 mins. Not Rated. laemmle.com
‘Bella’ Bella Lewitzky, the influential L.A.-based dancer, choreographer and activist activist who died in 2004, is remembered in this 2022 documentary. 98 mins. Not Rated. laemmle.com
‘Dream Scenario’ Nicolas Cage stars as a college professor who inexplicably starts showing up in the dreams of students, friends, colleagues and others in this 2023 fantasy comedy directed by Kristoffer Borgli. With Julianne Nicholson, Michael Cera, Tim Meadows and Dylan Baker. 100 mins. Rated R. Various theaters
‘Fitting In’ “Dance Moms’” Maddie Ziegler in Molly McGlynn’s 2023 dramedy about a teen diagnosed with a rare reproductive condition. 104 minutes. Rated R. Various theaters
‘It’s a Wonderful Knife’ A beloved holiday classic gets a teen slasher-flick twist in Tyler MacIntyre’s 2023 horror comedy. With Jane Widdop, Justin Long and “Community’s” Joel McHale. 90 mins. Rated R. Various theaters
‘Journey to Bethlehem’ Jesus, Mary and Joseph! The story of the Nativity gets a musical makeover in this family-friendly 2023 tale. 98 mins. With Fiona Palomo and Antonio Banderas. 98 mins. Rated PG. Various theaters
‘The Marvels’ Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is back in action — with a little help from her friends — in Nia DaCosta’s 2023 sci-fi sequel set in the MCU. With Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani and Samuel L. Jackson. 105 mins. Rated PG-13. Various theaters
Opening Wednesday, Nov. 15…
‘The Symphony of the Holocaust’ Violinist, composer and Holocaust survivor Shony Braun is remembered in his documentary by Greg DeHart. 71 mins. Not rated. laemmle.com
Continuing…
‘After Death’ Survivors of near-death experiences share their stories in this faith-based 2023 documentary. Rated PG-13. Various theaters
‘All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt’ Raven Jackson’s 2023 drama follows the struggles and triumphs of a Black woman in Mississippi from childhood into adulthood. With Kaylee Nicole Johnson and Zainab Jah. Rated PG. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Landmark Sunset
‘Beyond Utopia’ This 2023 documentary from Madeleine Gavin details the desperate measures some are willing to take to escape North Korea’s repressive regime. In Korean with English subtitles. Rated PG-13. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Laemmle Theaters, Lumiere Cinema
‘The Creator’ A former special-forces soldier (John David Washington) is tasked with hunting down the mysterious developer of an advanced artificial intelligence in “Rogue One” filmmaker Gareth Edwards’ atmospheric 2023 sci-fi fable. With Ken Watanabe, Allison Janney and Gemma Chan. Rated R. Various theaters
‘The Delinquents’ A bank employee in Buenos Aires hatches a scheme to feather his retirement nest in Rodrigo Moreno’s acclaimed 2023 comedy-drama. In Spanish with English subtitles. Not rated. Laemmle
‘Deep Rising’ The environmental devastation wrought by powerful companies attempting to mine the ocean floor for rare metals is illuminated in Matthieu Rytz’s 2023 documentary. “Aquaman’s” Jason Momoa narrates. Not rated. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Laemmle NoHo 7
‘The Exorcist: Believer’ The devil’s in the details in David Gordon Green’s 2023 sequel to William Friedkin’s blockbuster 1973 supernatural thriller based on the William Peter Blatty novel. With Leslie Odom Jr. and original “Exorcist” co-star Ellen Burstyn. Rated R. Various theaters
‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ A pizza parlor’s ursine mascot and his animatronic pals go haywire in this 2023 horror comedy based on the video game series. Various theaters. Rated PG-13. Various theaters
‘Four Daughters’ This acclaimed 2023 documentary from Kaouther Ben Hania mixes interviews and dramatic reenactments to tell the story of a Tunisian woman and her children, two of whom became radicalized by the Islamic State terrorist group. In Arabic with English subtitles. Not rated. Opens Thursday, Nov. 2. Laemmle Royal
‘A Haunting in Venice’ Director and star Kenneth Branagh returns as Agatha Christie’s mustachioed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this 2023 mystery tale. With Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh. Rated PG-13. Various theaters
‘Helen’s Dead’ And everyone’s a suspect in K. Asher Levin’s 2023 mystery comedy. With Dylan Gelulah and Emile Hirsch. Not rated. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Laemmle Town Center 5
‘The Holdovers’ “Sideways” filmmaker Alexander Payne and co-star Paul Giamatti reunite for this 2023 comedy about an instructor at a New England prep school tasked with supervising a motley crew of campus-bound students over the holidays. Rated R. Various theaters
‘In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50’ The most progressive of all British prog-rock bands and its illustrious leader, guitarist Robert Fripp, are back in the spotlight in Toby Amies’ decades-spanning 2023 documentary. Not Rated. Various theaters
‘The Killer’ Michael Fassbender plays a meticulous and methodical assassin who goes on the lam after a rare screw-up makes him a wanted man in director David Fincher’s globetrotting 2023 action thriller. With Tilda Swinton. Rated R. Various theaters
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone head the cast of Martin Scorsese’s epic 2023 historical drama about a series of murders of Native Americans in the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma after oil was discovered on tribal lands. 206 mins. Rated R. Various theaters
‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ Daisy Ridley (“The Force Awakens”) stars as a woman on a mission to confront a notorious criminal who just so happens to be her father in Neil Burger’s 2023 thriller. Ben Mendelssohn also stars. 108 mins. Rated R. Various theaters
‘Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ Your kids’ favorite canine heroes suit up for this animated 2023 adventure based on the popular TV series. 95 mins. Rated PG. Various theaters
‘Priscilla’ The life and times of Priscilla Presley, wife of music legend Elvis Presley, are dramatized in this 2023 biopic written and directed by Sofia Coppola and based on the memoir Elvis and Me. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi star. 110 mins. Rated R. Various theaters
‘Rustin’ Colman Domingo portrays the late, great civil-rights activist Bayard Rustin in this star-studded 2023 bio-drama directed by George C. Wolfe. Rated PG-13. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Various theaters
‘Subject’ What’s it like to be the subject of a documentary? That is the subject of this 2023 documentary featuring protagonists from such classic docs as “The Staircase,” “Hoop Dreams” and “Capturing the Friedmans.” Directed by Camilla Hall Jennifer Tiexiera. Not rated. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Laemmle Glendale
‘Twice Colonized’ Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter fights the powers that be on behalf of Indigenous peoples in Greenland, the Canadian Arctic and elsewhere in this 2023 documentary directed by Lin Alluna. In English, Greenlandic, Danish, Inuktitut with English subtitles. Not rated. Opens Friday, Nov. 3. Laemmle Town Center 5
‘What Happens Later’ David Duchovny and Meg Ryan play former lovers of a certain age who just never quite got over each other in this 2023 rom-com directed by Ryan. Rated R. Opens Thursday, Nov. 2. Various theaters
FESTIVALS, EVENTS & REVIVALS
The Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival Taking places at venues across L.A., this annual showcase for feature films, documentaries and shorts from Brazil returns for a 15th year. Various showtimes and venues, through Saturday, Nov. 11. $10-$13. Tickets, info and schedules at hbrff.org
Coast Film & Music Festival This annual celebration of outdoor sports and recreation — climbing, surfing, skiing, etc. — returns for a fifth year with documentaries, shorts, panel discussions and more. Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Various showtimes, Nov. 8 through 12. $35; passes: $148-$1500. coastfilmfestival.com
Civil Rights on Film The 1963 March on Washington, where civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic ”I Have a Dream” speech, is revisited in James Blue’s 1964 documentary “The March” and Haskell Wexler’s 1965 doc “The Bus.” Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9. $15. skirball.org
‘Ultra Cinematheque 70: Hollywood’ at the Egyptian Recently restored to its former glory, the venerable venue will celebrate by screening a raft of classic films as well as more recent fair — “Lawrence of Arabia,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Boogie Nights,” “Nope” and so on — and all in sumptuous 70mm. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Various times, Nov. 10 through 21. $17. americancinematheque.com
‘Aparajito’ A screening of Satyajit Ray’s acclaimed “Apu Trilogy” continues with the master filmmaker’s 1956 sequel that catches up with our young hero in his teenage years. In Bengali with English subtitles. Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11; no reservations needed; doors open 30 minutes prior to screening. Free with museum admission ($15, $18; ages 18 and younger and students with ID, free). nortonsimon.org
‘Scarface’ Say “hello” to Al Pacino as Cuban refugee-turned-Miami drug lord Tony Montana in Brian De Palma’s hyperviolent 1983 remake of the classic 1932 gangster flick. With Steven Bauer, Robert Loggia and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Various venues and prices. 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15. fathomevents.com
‘Short Term 12’ Writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton will be on hand for a 10th anniversary screening of his empathetic 2013 drama starring the aforementioned Brie Larson as a young supervisor at a group home for troubled teens. With LaKeith Stanfield, Rami Malek and Stephanie Beatriz. Presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. UCLA Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. Free; no advance reservations; first come, first served. cinema.ucla.edu
‘Soundtrack Live Presents: The Blues Brothers’ An live 11-piece band will perform live-to-picture for an interactive screening — costumes, singing and dancing encouraged — of John Landis’ tune-filled 1980 romp that starred Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi plus some of the biggest names in R&B. The Bourbon Room, 6356 Hollywood Blvd., 2nd floor, Hollywood. 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. $35, $50; for ages 21 and older only. bourbonroomhollywood.com
‘Disney Pixar’s Coco Live-to-Film Concert’ The 20-member ensemble Orquesta Folclórica will perform Michael Giacchino’s musical score to accompany a screening of the animated 2017 fantasy tale about a young Mexican boy who finds himself transported to the mystical Land of the Dead. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13. $29-$69; VIP package, $144. (562) 916-8500. cerritoscenter.com
‘The Good Girl’ Director Miguel Arteta Will be on hand for a screening of his 2002 comedy drama that starred Jennifer Aniston as an unhappily married wife/retail worker in a small Texas town. With Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly and Zooey Deschanel. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15. $16. (310) 478-3836. laemmle.com