FILM
An Evening with Edgar Wright: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls – 9:45 PM, August 15: Our evening of epic epicness continues with a special screening of Russ Meyer’s sexy psychedelic cinematic freakout Beyond the Valley of the Dolls introduced by Edgar Wright! Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.
Mazer Queer Shorts: Reel Lesbians on Film – 7:30 PM, August 14: Experience a curated evening of narrative and documentary short films from the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s. This archival collection highlights the boldness of sapphic storytelling – exploring themes of love, coming-of-age, butch-femme identity, response to the AIDS crisis, and the resilience of lesbian and queer communities across generations. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza (Renberg Theatre), 1125 N. McCadden Pl. Los Angeles.
Twilight – 7:30 PM, August 11: Vidiots is dying to welcome back director Catherine Hardwicke for the emo screening of your teen dreams – Twilight – followed by a conversation with Hardwicke on her undead phenomenon! Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.
Magic Mike – 7 PM, August 14: Is it hot in here, or is it just Matt Bomer? Get ready to go wild with Mike and the boys in the original thirst trap throwdown! Would anyone have guessed that Steven Soderbergh would have taken on the male-exotic dance scene with such zeal? With Channing Tatum and a cavalcade of the sexiest men in America stripping down to their skivvies, it’s no wonder this beefcake bonanza launched the thirst of millions worldwide and led to a jock-thrusting empire that anyone can get behind! You can leave your dollar bills at home, we’ve got the money gun prepped and primed for this sexy fun night for anyone who’s feeling a little thirsty with all this heat! Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.
A Goofy Movie – 12:30 PM, August 15: A movie for the goofball in all of us featuring one of the most epically 90s animated musical sequences ever! Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.
Black August Film Festival – 11 AM to 7 PM, August 12: The Black August Film Festival is more than a film exhibition—it is a platform for education, dialogue, and cultural preservation. Rooted in the legacy of Black August, the festival honors history while uplifting contemporary narratives that explore social justice, identity, resilience, and creativity. Each year, the festival brings together filmmakers, artists, community leaders, youth, and audiences from across the region and beyond. Flintridge Center, 236 W Mountain St, Pasadena.
Car Wash – 7:30 PM, August 13: A comedic take on the daily life of car-wash employees, chronicling their hopes, fears, joys, dreams, and tribulations, and meeting some eccentric customers along the way. Gardena Cinema, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena.
Donnie Darko – August 14-16: A troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, after he narrowly escapes a bizarre accident. Gardena Cinema, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena.
All the President’s Men – 5:30 PM, August 16: The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon’s resignation. Gardena Cinema, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena.
COMEDY
Bisexual Intervention – 7 PM, August 12: A REAL dating show for bisexuals sick of only dating men, where YOU, the audience, might just leave with a date. Hosted by Griffin Kelly and featuring: Brittany Miller, Joan Ford, and Lyndsey Frank. With special guests Jack McLaughlin, Rebecca Shrom & Emmett Kueppers. Upright Citizens Brigade Annex 1925 N Bronson Ave., Los Angeles.
Joel Kim Booster and Friends! – 7 PM, August 15: Against all odds, Joel Kim Booster has assembled his funniest friends to bring you a night of comedy the government tried to keep you from seeing. Don’t let them win, but a ticket and laugh! Featuring Zach Noe Towers, Aparna Nancherla, Megan Gailey, Naomi Ekperigin, and more! Dynasty Typewriter, 2511 W. Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.
Bad Drag Race – 10 PM, August 15: This is a comedy-first drag competition like nothing you’ve seen before! Poise? Polish? Glamour? NO, BITCH- this is Bad Drag Race! Snatch Game Edition! Dynasty Typewriter, 2511 W. Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.
Superstore Supershow – 5:30 PM, August 15: Welcome to Supershow! A night of comedy with your favorites from the cast of NBC’s Superstore including Lauren Ash, Jon Barinholtz, Colton Dunn, and Nico Santos. Upright Citizens Brigade Annex 1925 N Bronson Ave., Los Angeles.
Free Donut Tuesdays w/ Maria Bamford – 9 AM, Tuesdays: Wake up early and have a laugh and a donut with Maria Bamford. All new material! No one will be turned away for lack of funds. All proceeds go to support Outside In Theatre.
Outside In ArtBox, 5317 York Blvd., Los Angeles.
BOOKS
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Gay: Essays: Eliot Glazer in conversation with Trixie Mattel – 7 PM, August 11: From Broad City star, stand-up comedian and TV writer Eliot Glazer comes a hilarious and heartfelt essay collection for 30 Rock fanatics, The Bald and the Beautiful listeners, and any reader who wishes David Sedaris were just a tad filthier. Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.
Have You Read the Book? Romance Edition: 40 Love Stories That Inspired Our Favorite Films with Kristen Lopez – 4 PM, August 15: From Pride and Prejudice to Twilight, Lopez presents how these classics depict both budding fiery love and unrequited desire on the page and screen, and why each makes for a swoon-worthy adaptation. The essays also unpack how these works serve as time capsules of their respective eras, charting the evolution of gender roles and femininity in adaptations such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Waiting to Exhale. Hearts may break and lovers may part, but these works show how romance carries on forever. Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.
MUSIC
Judith Hill – 7 PM, 9:30 PM, August 13: You might recognize Judith Hill from The Voice and Morgan Neville’s incredible documentary 20 Feet From Stardom. She has worked with icons Elton John, Spike Lee, Prince, and Michael Jackson and now her as a thriving solo career which will take the stage at Blue Note in L.A. Blue Note Los Angeles, 6372 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.
THEATRE
The Punchline – 7:30 PM, August 14: “If we only had a year to live, what would change in us?” Most people build altars after someone dies. The Punchline, a new solo piece from playwright and performer Christopher Rivas, urges us to build those altars now, to our own lives and the moments that touch and change us, while we’re still alive. Through humor, story, and ceremony, The Punchline reminds us to live in the present and celebrate it as sacred, because it won’t last. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza (Davidson/Valentini Theatre), 1125 N. McCadden Pl. Los Angeles.
None Act Play – 7:30 PM, August 15: Three seasoned thespians take the stage, each pitching the work of their favorite unknown playwright – the audience chooses which they’d like to see, they name the title, and the actors improvise a “staged reading” of this work that’s rarely produced (and for good reason)! Outside In ArtBox, 5317 York Blvd., Los Angeles.
The Hunchback Variations – 8 PM, August 14-15: In Mickle Maher’s wildly inventive comedy The Hunchback Variations, composer and bell-ringer join forces to discuss an impossible sound. What begins as an absurd panel discussion unfolds into a hilarious and unexpectedly moving exploration of creativity, friendship, and the beautiful frustration of making art. Outside In ArtBox, 5317 York Blvd., Los Angeles.
2026 LA Writers’ Workshop Reading Series – through September 27: Since 2005, CTG has invited a cohort of local playwrights to spend a year researching and writing new works with feedback from the artistic staff and their fellow writers. The program is designed to foster important voices, inspire playwrights to create their best work, encourage bold writing, and build relationships among local playwrights, CTG, and the Los Angeles theatre community. CTG’s growing list of LA Writers’ Workshop alumni is currently comprised of more than 100 playwrights. Various locations.
COMMUNITY
Skate Hunnies Party on Wheels at the Academy Museum – through September 3: The Academy Museum is rolling with Skate Hunnies to host a party on wheels, taking you around the Wilshire-Fairfax neighborhood. We’ll finish with a music-filled night of dance-skating on the Academy Museum Walt Disney Family Piazza. Bring your own skates for this free, guaranteed fun event. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles.
Gay Ass Trivia at Precinct – 7 PM, Thursdays: Queen Sheeba hosts this weekly trivia night with prizes including bar tabs, shots, and bar apparel. Maximum team sizes of six people. No cover! Precinct, 357 S Broadway, Los Angeles.
May the Balls be with You: Drag Queen Bingo 7 PM, Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Legendary Bingo is LA’s most popular Drag Queen Bingo & charity event! Come play at Hamburger Mary’s every Tuesday and Wednesday! Hamburger Mary’s, 8288 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood.
MUSEUMS AND ART
Yoko Only – 7:30 PM, August 8: The music of Yoko Ono and Plastic Ono Band performed by indie rock icons Yo La Tengo with Nels Cline and Yuka Honda and featured artists Theo Bleckmann, Finom, Dave Harrington, Emi Helfrich, Satomi Matsuzaki (Deerhoof), Maggie Parkins, Patrick Shiroishi, Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney), Sylvan Esso, Tune-Yards, and Rufus Wainwright.
The Broad’s summer concert series returns for one spectacular night with Yoko Only, an evening dedicated to the musical creativity of Yoko Ono and Plastic Ono Band.
Guest curator Yuka Honda (eucademix, Cibo Matto) has assembled and joined a supergroup with Yo La Tengo and Nels Cline (Wilco, Nels Cline Singers), thoughtfully arranging Ono’s compositions and intentionally matching songs to renowned guest musicians and vocalists whose work reflects Ono’s themes. Together, they’ll interpret selections from the catalog of an artist who has inspired generations, ranging from the avant-garde and experimental to Billboard hits. Presented in conjunction with the special exhibition, Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind. East West Bank Plaza at The Broad, 221 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
Community: Selections from the Texas African American Photography Archive – through September 5: Throughout the twentieth century, nearly every small town in the United States boasted a local studio photographer. These skilled image makers were dedicated to recording the people and events of their communities. Much of this vernacular visual culture has been dispersed or destroyed. Kinship & Community takes a look at a rare slice of that history, focusing on the work of Black photographers working in urban neighborhoods and rural villages across eastern Texas from 1944 to 1984. Presented at Art + Practice, 3401 W. 43rd Place, Los Angeles.
A New Song: Langston Hughes in the West – through September 13: One of the world’s most famous Black poets, Langston Hughes (1902–1967) is often associated with the writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance in New York. But starting in the 1930s, though the upheavals of the Great Depression, World War II, and McCarthyism in America, Hughes spent significant time in the West where he maintained deep connections and produced important work, including lectures, film scripts, plays, and his first book of short stories. Through recorded interviews, lyrical texts, archival photographs, and historic posters and prints, A New Song: Langston Hughes in the West reveals little-known aspects of Hughes’s work as a champion for justice and the special relationships he cultivated during his many sojourns in California, Nevada, and Mexico. California African American Museum, 600 State Dr, Los Angeles.
Willie Birch: Stories to Tell – through October 26: The first-ever career retrospective of renowned artist Willie Birch, this exhibition brings together groundbreaking works from 1968 to the present that chronicle his unique vision of Black American life and the interconnected nature of global art forms. Born and raised in New Orleans and trained in Europe, Baltimore, and New York, Birch often speaks about “retentions,” a term he uses to describe evidence of one culture’s narratives and traditions within another. Throughout his career, Birch has explored particularly how African traditions have been retained in music, art, and culture in America as part of the Black experience and beyond. California African American Museum, 600 State Dr, Los Angeles.
Free and Queer: Black Californian Roots of Gay Liberation – through February 28, 2027: Free and Queer: Black Californian Roots of Gay Liberation presents California as a pioneering site of sustained, Black-led struggles for LGBTQ equality, civil rights, and recognition. The exhibition recovers histories largely excluded from existing narratives and exposes powerful ways that print culture, artistic practice, and performance styles shaped, advanced, and interpreted Black queer social movements alongside political and legal activism. California African American Museum, 600 State Dr, Los Angeles.
Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon – through February 28, 2027: Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon celebrates Marilyn Monroe—born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926—as a visionary actor and image-maker, examining how she created and shaped her public image in the context of the classical Hollywood studio system. Presenting hundreds of original objects, including posters, portraits, photographs, production documents, letters,… and rarely seen personal materials—many on display for the first time—the exhibition offers unique insight into her agency in becoming a Hollywood icon. The exhibition also features an extensive array of Monroe’s screen-worn costumes, ranging from a dress featured in Love Happy (1949) to items from her final and unfinished film, Something’s Got to Give (1962). Major highlights include two costumes by Orry-Kelly from Some Like it Hot (1959), as well as the rarely exhibited famous pink dress by William Travilla from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles.
