the BEAT of the week: Summer Camp Allnighter at Cinespia.

I've already extolled all the wonderful virtues of a Cinespia screening in the summer, but this one is definitely on a level of its own. It's what happens when you combine the super-cinema-powers of Cinespia and Cinefamily, offering something so truly fun and unique and reminds you why you live in a great city like Los Angeles.

Kicking off Cinefamily's annual Everything is Festival, this all-nighter in the cemetery features one of my all-time favorite films, Wet Hot American Summer. But did you catch that? It's an all-nighter. In a cemetery. So the fun only begins with that summer classic. You'll also get screenings of the ‘80s horror film Sleepaway Camp, and Little Darlings, which stars Tatum O'Neal. Expect other fun movie mashups and highlights, plus DJs and even a photobooth. Bring a picnic and friends, and you won't even notice the night fly by you. And let me tell you, there's nothing quite like sunrise in Hollywood Forever.

Get in on the fun by reserving tickets here (only $10!).

The Everything is Festival at Cinespia: Summer Camp Allnighter takes place next Saturday, Aug. 18 from 7pm-6am at Hollywood Forever, located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

the BEAT of the week: "Battle Royale" at the Cinefamily

Cinefamily -- the nonprofit organization running the Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax -- has been killing it as of late. Not only did they just finish the crazy feat of a 24-hour telethon complete with entertainment from none other than Spike Jonze, Stephen Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, Jonathan Gold, No Age, Michael Cera and more, but they've also managed to book some great films lately. Just finished was the first official L.A. run of a great -- and completely intense -- movie called We Need to Talk About Kevin, starring the always mesmerizing Tilda Swinton.

And now coming up beginning this weekend, Cinefamily is set to screen the controversial Japanese cult film Battle Royale in its first North American run ever. Ever! And Cinefamily got it for one whole week. If you don't know, the premise of the film revolves around a society where the government sends whole classes of 9th grade students to a remote island where they're forced to fight each other off to the death, one by one. And from the looks of it, the film doesn't shy away from being bloody and gory but altogether thrilling. Surely an inventive -- if not gruesomely fun -- way to spend the holidays in the winter wasteland known as L.A. in December.

And, since we're all in the giving spirit these days, why not extend that further to the Cinefamily? Members get to go to nearly every screening and event for free, and judging by what they've been able to book for the last month alone, 2012 is only yet to get better. A good gift for a friend, family member or yourself! Plus, you can get it written off in your taxes! Sad as it is, indie films are finding it more and more difficult to find places to screen out here in L.A. (of all cities!), so let's support one of the best places that still does. Become a member or donate here.

Cinefamily programs the Silent Movie Theater, located at 611 N. Fairfax Ave. in Mid-City. Check out the schedule of screenings here.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Gainsbourg And His Girls at the Silent Movie Theatre.

A couple years ago, I read what a fan Beck is of Serge Gainsbourg's Historie de Melody Nelson, and high-tailed it to Amoeba to get a copy.

This past weekend, there was a Serge Gainsbourg Tribute concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Performers included Beck, Zola Jesus, Victoria Legrand of Beach House, Sean Lennon, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, among others.

These days, it seems more Americans may know who Charlotte Gainsbourg (21 Grams, I'm Not There., Antichrist) is than her late famous French father, but a new documentary is in town to change that. Many of his numerous muses are featured in the film--Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Hardy, and Vanessa Paradis.

The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre is screening Gainsbourg And His Girls tonight through Friday.

611 North Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. Tickets $10. Info: cinefamily.org, (323) 655-2510

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: France 3 + Morgane Productions

Advance Notice. Cinefamily's 2nd Annual Everything Is Festival.

If you're planning on staying in town for the 4th of July weekend, forget the summer blockbusters at your local crowded movie theater. Celebrate America with Andrew W.K., "Conan" writers, YouTube videos, Food Party's Thu Tran, weird martial arts movies, a live re-scoring of The Pelican Brief, sneak peeks at new animated features, Neil Hamburger and more. Sound random enough? It could only be the Everything Is Festival, going on at The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater.

The 2nd annual event is being put on by the Everything is Terrible! crew -- the masters of weird, crazy found footage -- and appropriately this festival is just as schizophrenic. You're sure to find something you'll dig, and either way, it's a great way to kick back and enjoy some madness surrounding you. Each screening/event is $10 each (except for Andrew W.K.'s Party Lecture for $15), or you can go for a $90 festival pass that'll get you into everything plus some fun extras. Check out the schedule here.

The 2nd Annual Everything Is Festival takes place from June 30-July 4 at the Silent Movie Theater, located at 611 N. Fairfax Ave. in Mid-City.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. The Cinefamily's "Made in Austin" film fest.

Everyone's just come back from Austin and SXSW, so now it's time for Austin to come to us. The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater is set to host a whole weekend celebrating Austin's cinematic bests, and it's definitely worth a look.

Although it is known as a cultural jewel in the South, Austin, Texas, doesn't usually come to mind in terms of film. But The Cinefamily's first night of "Made in Austin" reminds us -- with some super-rare short films -- that Austin is the original home to filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Robert Rodriguez and Richard Linklater, among others. The "Texas Legends, Before They Were Legends" program will screen first films from those mentioned, including Bottle Rocket -- the short that the later Anderson film was based on -- and a student film from Rodriguez. Stick around later that night and you'll actually get to meet an Austin filmmaker -- Richard Linklater himself. The filmmaker will be on hand for the screenings of his Slackers and SubUrbia.

Day Two of "Made in Austin" will feature some BBQ (of course) alongside screenings of Last Day at the Alamo and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Time to get your Texas on!

"Made In Austin" will be taking place April 9-10 at the Silent Movie Theater, located at 611 Fairfax Ave. in Mid-City. Tickets are $10 for each program, see more details here.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Owen Wilson in Bottle Rocket; courtesy of The Cinefamily

Check It. Dogtooth at the Sunset Laemmle 5.

Last month, the Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre did an unprecedented thing: book one new film to play for one full week. Cinefamily usually sticks to one-off screenings of older and less readily available movies, but they said this one film was just special enough to break the routine. That movie was Dogtooth.

And a special movie it is. As evidenced by the trailer above, this Greek film doesn't easily fit within any regular genre, and it isn't necessarily for the more conservative of minds. Without spoiling anything, a lot of strange and pretty mentally disturbing things happen in the world of Dogtooth. There's a lot of shock value, and viewers aren't expected to necessarily feel comfortable watching. But you also can't take your eyes off the screen, and with the right sense of humor and an open mind, you'll be able to chuckle along for some parts. It's an engaging film, and one to get you thinking. And hey, it's also up for an Academy Award (Best Foreign Language Film).

See what the buzz is all about -- it's sure to become a sort of cult film in the future. Dogtooth will be screening this weekend at the Sunset Laemmle 5, and don't wait, it won't stay there for long.

The Sunset Laemmle 5 is located at 8000 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Check here for showtimes.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Polanski at Cinefamily.

Before he did Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown, Roman Polanski created tons of short films that will be shown tonight at Cinefamily, presented by the Polish Cultural Institute and accompanied by a live score.

Originally shot with a Polish jazz accompaniment, tonight the films will be played along with the "electroacoustic" duo of Sza/Za. Below is one of Sza/Za's videos, very jazzy and surreal.

Cinefamily is located at 611 N. Fairfax Ave. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $12.

-- Lauren Williams

Sza/Za Penne God from Maciej Puczyński on Vimeo.

Check It. Cinefamily's 2nd Annual Comedy Festival.

Happy June, BEATs! It's always tough coming back from a long weekend, especially with summer right at our fingertips, but thankfully, the never-disappointing Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre has just what we need: comedy. Enter the Cinefamily's 2nd Annual Comedy Festival.

The month-long fest is the perfect way to usher in the summer season, complete with awesome special events and even some big-name guest star appearances. This week kicks off with a three-day 'The Mighty Boosh' extravaganza, with appearances by one of the hilarious British TV show's regulars, Rich Fulcher (see his reel above), in his new role as Eleanor the Tour Whore (that says it all, doesn't it?), and a screening of the Boosh tour documentary Journey of the Childmen.

Later in the month, you can catch tributes to the great Fred Willard (with an appearance by Willard himself), National Lampoon's 40th anniversary and Cheech and Chong. There'll also be screenings of classic comedic moments, like shorts from Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and The Heartbreak Kid (not the Ben Stiller version, of course). "The Other Network" night promises legendary and rare unaired pilots by Conan O'Brien and Judd Apatow.

As always, you can (and should) buy tickets for these screenings and events beforehand. Summer is upon us--get laughing!

The Silent Movie Theatre is located at 611 N. Fairfax Ave. near Mid-City.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. A guide to Oscar-watching.

It's finally here. Thanks to the Winter Olympics, this year's Academy Awards were delayed until this Sunday, and frankly, I'm a little beat from enduring those extra two weeks of Oscar campaigning. But the wait's over, and here's how you can celebrate:

- Cinefamily's Awards-Watching Party + Fundraiser!: Don't laugh at the Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin jokes at home by yourself! Get out there and join your Cinefamily friends for a live telecast, preceded by a screening of TVTV Looks at the Oscars, a bizarre docudrama starring Lily Tomlin. They're also boasting cocktails for every Best Picture nominee, but they may need a little help. The proceeds from the $15 go towards future Cinefamily events.
Sunday at 4 p.m., Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax District.

- Pourtal's Red Carpet Worthy Food & Wine Tasting: A Precious cocktail at Cinefamily may be too much to handle. If so, how about some wine? Santa Monica's hip wine bar Pourtal has an Oscar-themed food and wine pairing with appropriate courses: truffle mac n cheese (Best Actress), roasted duck (Best Actor) and a chocolate bar brownie bite (Best Picture), all just for $25 per person. There will also be a live screening. Dine like a star!
Sunday night at Pourtal, 104 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

- Or if you're so obliged to stay in, you can still drink like the stars. Per LAist, here's the official Oscar cocktail:

The Moet Golden Glamour

.25 oz. Vanilla Liqueur
1.5 oz. Passion fruit juice
4 oz. Moet and Chandon Imperial Champagne
Mint sprig for garnish.

Mix together vanilla liqueur and passion fruit. Top with champagne. Garnish with mint.

Happy Oscar-ing!

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Cinefamily Andy Kaufman event.

I became a fan of the late, great Andy Kaufman after being shown his "I Trusted You" video on YouTube. It's unreal. I find his style of comedy--which many acts mimic today--refreshingly immature in the best possible way. You end up laughing out loud even if you don't want to.

The 1992 R.E.M. song "Man on the Moon" makes reference to Kaufman's work, and the 1999 film of the same name, starring Jim Carrey, is based on his life.

Tonight, to honor the 25th anniversary of the song and dance man's death in 1984, Cinefamily is holding an event celebrating the just-released book Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts! and show some never-before-seen "solid Kaufman gold". Bob Zmuda, Kaufman's best friend, writer and sidekick will be there for a Q & A.

The 8:00 p.m. show is sold out, a 10:30 p.m. show has been added. Tickets are $15.

The Cinefamily at The Silent Movie Theatre is located at 611 N Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.skirtfulloffire.com