Extra

ROOFTOP MOVIES

• By NINA SVENTITSKY

Rooftop Movies Los Angeles returns with Its Summer Season Screenings, offering guests cinematic experiences under the stars at the Montalbán Theatre, a historic Hollywood venue. This oasis is outfitted with a bar, concession stand, a kitchen, and outdoor games, providing an open-air movie theatre experience. Films are selected from all eras and genres, from classics to cult favorites. Featured in April are Casablanca, Pulp Fiction, The Breakfast Club, and The Big Lebowski. The Rooftop Movie Series runs through the beginning of November.

The Rooftop covers this historic theatre building on Vine Street between Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards. Originally designed in the Beaux arts style when it opened in 1927, it was the only legitimate Broadway-type theatre in Los Angeles. It had many different lives and names in the near century of its existence — live theatre, movie house, CBS Radio Playhouse, Huntington Hartford, UCLA/James A. Doolittle Theatre. Guests can enjoy a sense of old Hollywood while sipping margaritas and watching current Hollywood films.

The Ricardo Montalbán Foundation has donated use of the theatre to many community outreach programs. Montalbán, a leading Latino actor in Hollywood, believed live stage events provided the optimal platform for educational and employment opportunities for aspiring artists. The foundation was created to advance his vision and provide a home to stage productions with Latino themes, performers, writers, and directors. 

For more details, click here.

PIZZA CITY FEST 2024

• By NINA SVENTITSKY

Making pizza at home is fun, but some things are best left to the professionals with big pizza ovens. And thousands of hours of experience kneading dough, simmering sauce, and developing the right ratio of shredded cheese and toppings. Rest easy Los Angeles carb-lovers, on April 27th and 28th you have two full days to eat all the pizza you want, served up by 40 of SoCal’s best and most unique pizza places. Stroll around LA Live as you graze to your heart’s content on pizza, desserts, and a range of beverages. Check out the seminars that focus on your home pizza game, from dough-making to creating social-worthy pies. The organizers have gone a step further showcasing unique, one-off collaborations between local chefs and their favorite food artisans and farmers and vendors. 

Vendors include Brooklyn Ave. Pizza Co. (Boyle Heights), Dtown Pizzeria (West Hollywood), Fat Lip (Corona), Fire & Wood Catering Pizza Truck, Hail Mary (Atwater Village), Hot Tongue (Silverlake), Joe’s Pizza (West Hollywood), L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele (Hollywood), Eataly (Century City), South End (West Hollywood), and Ronan (Melrose). A portion of the proceeds will benefit the charitable partner C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program), providing culinary, job, and life skills to more than 25,000 middle and high school students. Whether you’re a deep-dish OG or insist on charred thin crust, you’ll find your obsession here!

For tickets and more information, click here.

CHALLENGERS

• By SAMANTHA COLWELL

I hadn’t heard of Challengers, the new Luca Guadagnino film starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist until I saw the viral clip sweeping the internet. You know which one I’m talking about. As someone who loves both romance novels and drama, I immediately knew it was going to be the movie for me.

Zendaya stars as ex-professional tennis player Tashi Donaldson, whose early retirement was brought about by an injury. Donaldson now coaches her husband Art, played by Mike Faist, who originated the role of Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen. In an attempt to shake his losing streak, Tashi signs Art up for a match against Josh O’Connor’s character Patrick, who just so happens to be Art’s ex-BFF and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend. As with any situation this messy, drama ensues, and tensions are high. (Sexually and otherwise. Without giving too much away, let’s say Zendaya’s character plays… doubles.)

Due to the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, the film was delayed to hit theaters until this month. MGM withdrew their film from its intended premiere, which would have been the Venice International Film Festival on August 30, citing the inability of the stars and the creative team to attend the premiere under strike restrictions.

Challengers releases April 26, 2024. Make sure to bring enough popcorn for three.

For more, click here.

PaleyFest 2024

• By Arlene Winnick

March Madness may have a tight grip on basketball but April is the month for PaleyFest, the nation’s premier TV festival, an event dedicated to bringing audiences together with television’s brightest stars, biggest names and the creative talents behind their favorite shows.  In addition to panel discussions with celebrity moderators; hilarious Q&A’s and exciting screenings, there’s lots to celebrate:  Seth MacFarlane and his team salute the 25^th anniversary of Family Guy with musical performances;  Andy Samberg leads the tenth anniversary of Late Night with Seth Meyers; and some very special guests and surprise farewells to be announced!

Opening night April 12 will kick off with a screening and conversation with stars and executive producers Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon from The Morning Show.  Other featured shows and stars include:  Owen Wilson on the Loki panel; the cast from Young Sheldon; the creative team and stars of Avatar: The Last Airbender; and Stephen Colbert & Patton Oswalt from The Late Show.

No TV festival would be complete without Curb Your Enthusiasm and a warning from the show’s star Larry David … “The Curb cast and I are looking forward to seeing you all at PaleyFest! Just a heads up, I may not sound like myself. Since shooting ended I’ve damaged my teeth… I have ordered special dentures from Estonia, but they may not arrive in time. Fingers crossed. In any event, see you there.”

For all the details, click here.