Blake Edwards & Julie Andrews’ Untold Secrets! Best LA Movies this Week You Can’t Miss!

Greetings! My name is Mark Olsen, and I’m pleased to bring you yet another edition of your regular guide to the world of Only Good Movies.

Primarily, this newsletter focuses on cinema outings, but we also dedicate a significant portion to viewing content at home. An upcoming highlight on our radar is the premiere of “American Masters — Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames,” which will debut on PBS this Tuesday and will also be accessible on their app.

Danny Gold took on the roles of director, producer, and co-writer for this film, which offers a warm overview of the career of writer-director Blake Edwards, with particular attention given to his relationship with his wife of over 40 years, Julie Andrews. Edwards, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 88, was an extraordinarily adaptable filmmaker, known for works such as “Operation Petticoat,” “The Great Race,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” “The Wild Rovers,” and the “Pink Panther” series.

Andrews starred in several of Edwards’ films, including “Darling Lili,” “The Tamarind Seed,” “10,” “S.O.B.,” “The Man Who Loved Women” and “Victor/Victoria.” For the latter, Andrews received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Edwards’ 1986 film “That’s Life!,” which starred Andrews and Jack Lemmon, was filmed in their Los Angeles home and even included some of their children in its cast.

When they first paired up, Edwards was recognized for his risqué, elegant comedies, while Andrews was the leading lady in “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music.” Many were surprised by their coupling.

Andrews, now 88, commented on their relationship during a phone call this week, saying, “We were quite the mismatched pair, but it didn’t feel that way. He was initially my boyfriend, then my partner, and finally my husband.”

“I’m grateful that he saw a side of me that he could unveil,” Andrews said about their professional collaborations. “I’m thankful that he helped me break out of my mold, even though some people questioned our decisions. But it was pure luck that brought us together. He was immensely talented. Life with him was never dull, that’s for certain.”

Edwards was only nominated for an Oscar once – for the screenplay of 1982’s “Victor/Victoria.” However, he was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 2003.

“He was always open to experiencing new emotions and trying new things,” Andrews said. “It was quite interesting as a wife to see him grow and evolve. Sometimes, I was a bit apprehensive about what he was conceiving. But he was a master filmmaker, and I trusted him. That was the beauty of working together – I had complete trust in him, and I never had to worry.”

Podcasters’ Picks with ‘Friend of the Fest’

The American Cinematheque is set to kick off their second “Friend of the Fest” series this week. This series features films selected by podcasters. The series begins Friday with the 2014 thriller “Gone Girl” by David Fincher, presented by Amanda Dobbins and Sean Fennessey of “The Big Picture” podcast. Also screening on Friday are “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” presented by Mia Lee Vicino and Flynn Slicker with “The Letterboxd Show,” and “The Wailing,” introduced by Jack Wagner from “Otherworld.”

One of the series’ highlights is likely to be a 35mm screening of Michael Mann’s 2006 film “Miami Vice” at the Egyptian on Saturday. This film is presented by Katie Walsh and Blake Howard of the “Miami Nice” podcast, which is dedicated to the film. I’m not sure if mojitos are allowed in the theater, but I’ll be there to find out.

Critic emeritus Kenneth Turan’s original review for Times aptly summed it up, “From his debut feature, ‘Thief,’ through ‘Heat’ and 2004’s ‘Collateral,’ Mann has always been drawn to the harsh, icy world of crime, where the night is teeming with danger and the day is just as treacherous. He is a master filmmaker on a relentless quest for increased intensity, realism, and heightened style, and he is determined to take Miami cops Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs with him on this particular journey.”

Other highlights include Fanshen Cox and Lillian Benson of “Sistah Brunch” presenting Ayoka Chenzira’s “Alma’s Rainbow”; Josh Olson and Joe Dante from “The Movies That Made Me” introducing Theodore J. Flicker’s “The President’s Analyst”; Allan Traylor, Tyler Austin and Justin Remer from “The Skylight Books Podcast” with Rachel Talalay’s “Tank Girl” in 35mm; and Jeff Garlin from “The History of Curb Your Enthusiasm” with Woody Allen’s “Crimes and Misdemeanors” in 35mm.

Other selections, all in 35mm, include Amy Nicholson and Paul Scheer from “Unspooled” with Savage Steve Holland’s “One Crazy Summer;” Jen Johans and Kate Hagen from “Watch with Jen” with Luis Mandocki’s “White Palace;” “Cinematic Void” presenting a new 35 mm print of Monte Hellman’s “Cockfighter;” and Rico Gagliano from “The MUBI Podcast” with Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette.”

Further Screenings from 1994 at the Egyptian

The Egyptian Theatre continues its series of films from 1994, a standout year for cinema. The program includes Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers” in 35mm, which will be introduced by journalist Kristen Lopez.

“Vanya on 42nd Street” by Louis Malle stars Julianne Moore, Wallace Shawn, and Andre Gregory in David Mamet’s stage adaptation of Chekov’s “Uncle Vanya.” In his original review, Turan noted the film’s unique ability to honor both film and theatre.

Tom Noonan’s “What Happened Was,” which scooped the grand jury and screenwriting awards at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, is a finely detailed character study that allowed Noonan to showcase his range beyond villainous roles in films like “Manhunter” and “Last Action Hero.” The film will be screened in a new 4k restoration.

The series’ hidden gem might be the 35mm screening of Adam Resnick’s “Cabin Boy.” The film showcases Chris Elliott’s comedic talent as he plays a “fancy lad” who boards the wrong ship and embarks on a scruffy maritime adventure. Elliott made his start on “Late Night With David Letterman,” and Letterman makes a rare feature film appearance here in a small, uncredited but memorable role.

The Coen brothers’ “The Hudsucker Proxy” will also be projected in 35mm, featuring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Robbins, and Paul Newman in a tribute to Preston Sturges, Howard Hawks, and the dreamers often portrayed in Hollywood films from the 1930s and ’40s. This is where some of the criticism that has followed the Coens may have originated. Turan wrote at the time, “You have to admire what the Coen brothers have accomplished in ‘The Hudsucker Proxy,’ but actually enjoying their achievement is a bit more challenging.”

Also screening in 35mm, “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” is a meta horror thriller in which members of the cast of earlier “Nightmare” films, including stars Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund, play themselves. The film prefigures the self-aware “Scream” franchise that was still a few years away. As Peter Rainer put it in his review at the time, “It’s a complex, clever attempt to expose the elements of horror filmmaking in a deliberately self-conscious way. It’s postmodernism aimed at the mall crowd — a film-within-a-film-about-a-film.”

Points of Interest

‘Love Streams’

On Aug. 29 and 30, the New Beverly will screen “Love Streams,” the final film directed by John Cassavetes featuring his wife, Gena Rowlands, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 94. The film was awarded the Golden Bear at the 1984 Berlin Film Festival.

Cassavetes and Rowlands portray a troubled brother and sister who find solace in each other. The cast also includes Seymour Cassel, a frequent collaborator of Cassavetes.

Sheila Benson, writing the original Times review of the film, observed, “This is the essence of Cassavetes. It’s emotional, aggravating, melancholic, hilarious, powerful, and shocking. And it’s performed exquisitely by these two actors who seem incapable of emotional dishonesty.”

In a conversation with The Times’ Charles Champlin at the time, Cassavetes described the film by saying, “Love is a stream, continuous throughout time, and it’s all that matters. The need for family is a constant throughout the ages, and when we lack it, we feel empty.”

Cassavetes went on to say, “You want to depict people on screen the way they can connect with each other, the way people hunger for love, not money or anything else, and the risks women will take to have it.”

When talking about his own filmmaking, Cassavetes noted, “I’ve never been able to create anything except these crazy, tough pictures. It’s not intentional. You just are what you are.”

‘Between the Temples’

“Between the Temples” was one of my favorites at Sundance this year. This heartfelt comedy is the latest film from dedicated independent filmmaker Nathan Silver, who for the first time worked with more well-known actors. The film stars Jason Schwartzman as the cantor of a small synagogue grappling with the loss of his wife. He encounters an eccentric woman (Carol Kane) who wants to become an adult bat mitzvah student. Their relationship develops into something neither of them can quite comprehend.

Katie Walsh, reviewing for The Times, states, “Crafted with care and a unique perspective, ‘Between the Temples’ is the kind of film that merits rewatching simply because you want to immerse yourself more in its distinctive rhythm and energy. Singing in its own tune, there might not be a more genuine and purely entertaining film this year.”

We recently showcased the comedy as part of our Indie Focus screening series, and it was a delight having Silver, Schwartzman, and Kane all there. (Schwartzman arrived with his mother, actor Talia Shire, who was seeing the film for the first time.) At one point, as Kane recalled how Silver arranged a showing of “Temples” for her friend Elaine May and May’s daughter Jeannie Berlin, Schwartzman began to sing “Dangerous Business,” one of the songs from May’s “Ishtar,” in which Kane appeared.

‘Strange Darling’

Writer-director JT Mollner’s horror-thriller “Strange Darling” premieres in theaters today, following its debut at last year’s Fantastic Fest in Austin. The film, with hauntingly beautiful cinematography by Giovanni Ribisi (a veteran character actor who has a promising career ahead of him as a cinematographer), will be shown in 35mm at the Vista. Mollner and Ribisi are scheduled for a Q&A session after the 7:30 p.m. show on Saturday night.

With compelling lead performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner (and supporting roles by Barbara Hershey and Ed Begley Jr.), the dynamic and inventive film follows a serial killer as the story takes several unexpected twists and turns.

Also in the News

A Touching Evening with ‘La Bamba’

Last week, I mentioned a screening of a 4K restoration of Luis Valdez’s 1987 film “La Bamba” at the Academy Museum, which turned out to be a deeply moving event. The film tells the story of Ritchie Valens, a young Chicano rock star who scored three hit records in just eight months before tragically dying in a plane crash in 1959 at the tender age of 17.

The Q&A session before the movie featured actor Lou Diamond Philips, actor and producer Esai Morales, and actor and musical director Daniel Valdez. This added a perfect context for the screening that followed. Valens’ family members were recognized in the audience, which added to the special atmosphere of the evening for the sold-out crowd at the Academy’s David Geffen Theater.

Phillips surprised everyone by presenting to the museum a guitar he used in the film, a replica of Valens’ green Harmony H44 Stratotone.

“I checked the statute of limitations for petty theft,” Phillips said, “and so now I can admit that I’ve had that for 37 years.”

Morales, who plays Valens’ troubled half brother Bob Morales in a gripping performance, recalled how he was once told he missed out on an Academy Award nomination by “a handful of votes.” However, when people talk to him about the role, he said, “I feel like I get my own mini Oscar of love. And so we can’t win them all. And I’m just grateful to have been in this project with these incredible people.”

As he presented the guitar to the museum, Phillips, a member of the academy’s board of governors, connected the film, which has become a staple for Latine and Chicano audiences, to the broader mission of the institution.

“This speaks to the essence of what we do and what we strive to represent here in the academy,” Phillips said. “And that is artistry of the highest order. We set the global standard. And one thing I will say about ‘La Bamba,’ and one of the reasons why it’s still relevant today, is that we are in a time where representation matters. Being seen matters. Our place at the table matters. We have fought for it, we have bled for it, we deserve it, and we are here to claim it. And as Danny [Valdez] said, we are not going anywhere.

“This is about the American dream,” added Phillips. “It’s about our place in the American dream. It’s about the next generation taking that and being empowered to continue the American dream.”