FILM
The Witches of Eastwick – 7:30 PM, October 15: With an iconic cast, fiercely funny dialogue, and tons of witchy fun, you’ll want to gather up your coven and get ready for all the sexy and savage sorcery! Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.
Candyman – 7:30 PM, October 14: Vidiots is dying to welcome screen icon Virginia Madsen for a buzzworthy screening of Bernard Rose’s horror masterpiece Candyman! Let the hypnotic Philip Glass score draw you into a haunting and menacing nightmare about gentrification and systemic racism, perfectly helmed by Tony Todd’s iconic performance. Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.
Weapons – 7:30 PM, October 16 and 17; 3:30 PM, October 18: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. Gardena Cinema, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena.
Creature from the Black Lagoon 3-D – 1:30 PM, 4 PM, October 17: A strange prehistoric beast lurks in the depths of the Amazonian jungle. A group of scientists try to capture the animal and bring it back to civilization for study. Gardena Cinema, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena.
MUSEUMS AND ART
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art – NOW OPEN! The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens on September 22! It’ll be crowded for a while, but I’m sure it’s amazing! The new museum in L.A. celebrates the power of visual storytelling. Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum explores how images move us and shape our collective memory. From Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait to Norman Rockwell’s scenes of everyday life to Charles White’s portraits of dignity. Each invites reflection. Each tells a story. One Lucas Plaza, 3800 S Vermont Ave., Los Angeles.
Willie Birch: Stories to Tell – through October 21: 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.
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures ASL Interpreted Tours: American Sign Language (ASL) tours of select galleries are always offered at noon on the same day as the museum’s monthly Calm Morning program and accommodative Family Matinee film screening. Join a museum educator and ASL interpreter to experience cinema’s wide-ranging contributions to the world. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles.
THEATRE
Into The Woods – through October 18: When the Baker and his wife venture into the forest to break a witch’s curse, they encounter Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack (of beanstalk fame)—and familiar tales take on clever new lives. But be careful what you wish for, because “happily ever after” is never the whole story. With a Tony Award-winning book and score, this poignant musical comedy masterpiece celebrates its 40th anniversary with a fabulous new SCR production. South Coast Repertory, Emmes/Benson Theatre Center, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.
Yamel Cucuy – through November 1: Yamel Cucuy is the story of a girl on the precipice of adulthood, contending with the physical and metaphysical violence of borders. Yamel is hunted by immigration agents while haunted by specters from Mexican folklore. On the shadowy frontier between life and death, she forges her own spirit of courage and wisdom. Set to an original score of indigenous percussion, Yamel Cucuy blends sophisticated puppetry with live actors and draws upon frightening folk tales and modern horror movies to create a terrifying psychological landscape of pitfalls both legal and spiritual. The Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles.
The Dance and the Railroad – through November 1: On the railroad that helped build America, two immigrant Chinese laborers navigate survival, identity, and what it means to chase the American Dream.
Set on a California mountain during the 1867 Chinese Railroad Workers Strike, The Dance and the Railroad explores the lives of two laborers: Ma, an optimistic and idealistic recent immigrant to California hoping to make his fortune; and Lone, the pragmatic and independent former Chinese opera actor who was forced to leave the opera school by his parents to work in America. While taking refuge away from the labor camp, Lone reluctantly teaches Ma how to perform Chinese opera. As their friendship grows, Lone and Ma reminisce about the homes they left behind, the lives they hope to build and what it means to chase the American Dream. Through the beauty and athleticism of Chinese opera, The Dance and the Railroad tells an intimate story of friendship and the ways art and personal history intersect with the larger story of America. The Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles.
COMEDY
Filipino AF: FilAm History Month Edition! – 7 PM, October 15: Celebrate Filipino American History Month with LA’s best Fil-Am comedians! Filipino AF is a comedy variety show featuring the best Filipino American talent in Los Angeles. Improv, sketch, standup, and maybe even some music and dance. (It’s Filipinos after all!) Featuring: DarylJim, Allyn Pintal, Joy Regullano, Amalia Aquino, Jenae Galang, Don Macatangay, Jean Ortiz Luis & more TBA! Special guest Monique Burias Shi (voice artist: Forgotten Island, Fire Emblem, People of Note)! Character performances by Alfred Aquino II and Krissy Concepcion Stand-up from Gabriella David. Sini-Gang improv: Jed Alcantara, Alfred Aquino II, Amalia Aquino, DarylJim, Jenae Galang, Don Macatangay, PJ McCormick, Jean Ortiz-Luis. Upright Citizens Brigade, 5919 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles.
Werewolf Mafia 2 – 9:30 PM, October 16: Bring your poker face, lies, and Machiavellian trickery to play the most bizarre and largest game of Mafia with some of LA’s most devious comedians. Hosted by Stephen Sanow. Featuring: Anna Salinas, Avery Girion, Artin Sarkisyan, Austin Williams, Greg Wallace, Jesse Esparza, Joe Fahey, Julian Stern, Miki Ann Maddox, Rob Scerbo, and more! Upright Citizens Brigade Annex, 1925 N Bronson Ave., Los Angeles.
Maximum Funny – 7 PM, October 16, November 20, December 18: Five comedians. One night. Maximum Fun. One night a month, the Maximum Fun Podcast Network brings together five knockout comedians, featuring some of the network’s most hilarious hosts and funniest friends for an unforgettable evening of laughs, gaffes, and wisecracks at Outside In Theatre. Outside In, 5317 York Blvd., Los Angeles.
Muppets From Space(Bar)! 6 PM, October 18: The Muppet Script returns to bring you Muppets From Space(Bar))! When most people think of the Muppets, they think of the colorful characters made out of fleece and foam. But as with every movie, it all starts on the written page. And before returning to the big screen, the Muppets team returned to the writers’ room. Jerry Juhl looked to the stars for inspiration for this funky, funny foray into sci-fi territory, sharing writing talents with Joey Mazzarino and Ken Kaufman to uncover what exactly is Gonzo, anyway? This performance will be out of this world! This show will be raising funds for The Los Angeles LGBT Center. Dynasty Typewriter, 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.
Improvised Monster Movie – 10:30 PM, Fridays, through November 20: Inspired by the golden age of late-night horror hosts, drive-in creature features, and classic B-movies, Improvised Monster Movie invites audiences to create the night’s film before the cameras (sort of) roll. From the name of the town and the body count to outrageous product placements, monster weaknesses, and unforgettable plot twists, audience suggestions become the ingredients for a completely original creature feature.
Packed with suspense, laughs, outrageous monsters, and a healthy dose of drive-in nostalgia, every performance is a love letter to the creature features that kept generations of horror Outside In, 5317 York Blvd., Los Angeles.
Free Donut New Material Wednesdays with Maria Bamford and Jenny Yang Wednesdays – through 28: Join Maria Bamford and Jenny Yang for Free Donut New Material Wednesdays—a live stand-up show where they try out brand-new jokes, ideas, and material in front of an audience. Come have a free donut, bring some coffee, and watch two acclaimed comedians work things out in real time. Maria takes the stage at 9:00 AM, followed by Jenny at 9:45 AM. $25 suggested donation — all proceeds go directly to supporting the space. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Outside In, 5317 York Blvd., Los Angeles.
BOOKS
Livonia Chow Mein – Abigail Savitch-Lew in conversation with Emdash – 7 PM, October 14: In the vein of Happiness Falls and Family Lore, a gripping story of family history and political upheaval centered around a Chinese family-owned restaurant in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and its impact on the neighborhood’s Jewish and Black residents over the course of a century. Book Soup, 8818 W Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.
Phantom Limb by Brian Evenson – in conversation with Nghiem Tran – 7 PM, October 13: After destroying the headquarters of an underground amputation cult, a burned and battered Kline finds himself in a holding cell. When he enlists the help of an ex-cop to commute his prison sentence, Kline inadvertently tangles with a schism of the very cult he sought to destroy. Can Kline investigate the sect’s ritualistic murder spree without getting lured into their ranks? Frigid and precise, Phantom Limb interrogates our notions of wholeness, fate, and the lengths we are willing to go to connect with a higher power. Skylight Books, 1818 N Vermont Ave., Los Angeles.
