"By 2013, film will slip to niche status, shown in only a third of theaters. By 2015, used in a paltry 17 percent of global cinemas, venerable old 35 mm film will be mostly gone." The epic life and death struggle between film and digital rolls on, and in LA Weekly's cover story must-read Gendy Alimurung details the sobering -- and imminent -- sea change in film production and exhibition with insights from figures at every stop on the cinematic food chain: Filmmakers, arthouse/rep theaters, film curators, projectionists, preservationists, and even the cold, lonely (and increasingly studio-blocked) vaults that house the dwindling ranks of cinema's remaining 35mm prints.
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Over at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, tonight's double feature is a particularly inspired pairing of simian cinema from 2011: the cautionary thriller Rise of the Planet of the Apes and the equally harrowing doc Project Nim. What lessons can be taken from this matching of monkey movies?
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After programming his favorite cult and classic films in two "Wright Stuff" slates at the New Beverly Cinema, Edgar Wright is returning this month with an unusual twist: For eight nights starting December 9, the Scott Pilgrim director will present double features of films he hasn't seen. Last time he told you to "envy these virgins;" this time, he's the virgin! It's the ultimate game of cinematic catch-up that embraces the bashful truth about cinephilia; no matter how many of the greats you've seen, there's always one (or two or a hundred) classics you have yet to check off the list.
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Few Tweeting, iPod-owning, Netflix-streaming, eternally online citizens of the 21st century would lament the advances and conveniences that digital gadgets and technologies afford, but what if you still love that which is made increasingly obsolete? In the film world, that widening gap stands between classic celluloid and digital projection; as studios like 20th Century Fox begin experimenting with digital-only distribution, where does that leave the folks who cherish the magic of watching films on, you know, film?
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Edgar Wright's geek fantasy epic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World may have biffed with mainstream audiences last year, but it's earned a dedicated fan following since, granting it bona fide cult status. That cult will have the opportunity to worship at the altar of Scott Pilgrim starting next month, when L.A.'s New Beverly Cinema begins screening it in a monthly midnight residency.
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When word hit that Kevin Smith was aiming for the Oscars with a qualifying theatrical run for his divisive film, Red State, critics split over his perceived goals and, more specifically, the financial terms of his week-long engagement at L.A.'s beloved, family-run New Beverly Cinema. Reached for comment, Smith explained his award season intent and why he's charging $20 for a screening and Q&A at a theater where you can get a double feature for $7 every night, often with an amazing Q&A for free.
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