August 2018 events calendar for Los Angeles

The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for their fourth season of screenings in Hollywood—and its second in Downtown L.A. Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. Taking full advantage of beautiful city views, RCC promises to offer some of the most unique and incredible movie-going opportunities for film lovers throughout 2018. You don’t even need to bring your own blanket or camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair, as well as blankets on request for the ultimate cozy experience. And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word. Crossed out screenings are sold out. [Full disclosure: Time Out is the exclusive ticketing partner for Rooftop Cinema Club.]   Aug 17 at NeueHouse: Dirty Dancing Aug 17 at LEVEL: La La Land Aug 18 at LEVEL: True Romance Aug 19 at NeueHouse: Point Break Aug 21 at LEVEL: Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Aug 22 at NeueHouse: The Big Lebowski Aug 22 at LEVEL: Mean Girls Aug 23 at LEVEL: 10 Things I Hate About You Aug 24 at NeueHouse: Risky Business Aug 24 at LEVEL: The Greatest Showman Aug 25 at LEVEL: Coco Aug 26 at NeueHouse: Top Gun Aug 28 at NeueHouse: Coming To America Aug 28 at LEVEL: Pretty Woman Aug 29 at NeueHouse: School Daze Aug 29 at

Eat|See|Hear travels to different locales throughout the city each Saturday during the summer, showing cult flicks on an inflatable HD screen taller than your average Malibu mansion. Bring your own bites or sample snacks from the impressive roster of resident food trucks and show up early for a set from local LA bands. Parking is free at most of the venues, and tickets for screenings at the Autry even include admission to the museum. What's more? If you want to skip the crowds and stroll in casually during the opening credits, spring for an exclusive "Fashionably Late" pass. All of the events dog-friendly, and a portion of ticket sales benefit Best Friends Animal Society in support of NKLA.

Now one of L.A.’s most treasured summer traditions, Barnsdall Park’s wine tastings regularly attract sell-out crowds. Perched atop Olive Hill in the west lawn of historic Hollyhock House (which you can tour during the evening for an additional $15), the Barnsdall Friday fundraisers include fine selections of boutique wines provided by Silverlake Wine with a spectacular sunset and 360-degree views of the city. Bring along a blanket and a picnic basket, or just nosh on the variety of food trucks parked up there. Though there used to be lots of kids running around, the event lawn is now 21-and-up—perfect for a date night. Proceeds support the park’s art programs and historic renovations.

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. This year’s first batch of screenings includes The Neverending Story, Drive, Almost Famous and Casablanca. Angelenos line up for hours to partake in the concept—and to enjoy DJ sets, dance parties, sleepovers and more magical mischief otherwise strictly forbidden behind the cemetery gates. It’s an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. Just be sure to get your ticket early, arrive early (doors open at 6:45pm), pee early... it’s getting a bit overcrowded, to say the least.

For dinner and a movie, all in one, just follow the food trucks. During the summer and fall, Street Food Cinema throws together a series of mostly outdoor parties that include screenings of some of our favorite movies, paired with an assortment of gourmet food trucks and even a live music performance from a cool local band. The screenings are held in venues across L.A., and  alternate from week to week, so make sure to check the schedule. Some of the outdoor venues are dog-friendly, allowing you to bring your four-legged cinema lover along. New this year are two overnight camping events that extend the movie screening into a fun summer camp experience for grown-ups. 

This epic (and free) outdoor concert series features live performances by artists from around the world at the gorgeous water-encompassed California Plaza stage in DTLA. With Japanese hip-hop and a pan-African funk band, this series spans multiple genres and continents. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Gaby Morena and Buyepongo are among this year's performers on the Downtown stage. Don’t miss a diverse and highly intriguing mix of musical performances, live scores, films, poetry and theater.

Everyone’s favorite NPR affiliate has a hand in over a half-dozen summer concert slates at locations like Union Station and the Hammer Museum. But the party-till-midnight bashes at Chinatown Central Plaza have become a particular favorite. Familiar KCRW personalities like Garth Trinidad, Travis Holcombe, Anne Litt and Jason Bentley spin the tunes at these food truck-fueled block parties. Participate in cultural workshops before busting a move on the dance floor to DJ sets and live bands. A craft beer garden, cooking demonstrations and a vintage market round out the fun to be had at this music-centric event.

Ride the monorail to the Getty select Fridays during the summer for this art-centric take on a tasting flight. Each month, a different L.A.-based artist or musician collaborates with the Getty to put together a night of musical performances, curated playlists and gallery talks, all inspired by a current exhibition at the museum. Translation? Some damn good music and a cash bar at one of the most scenic spots in the city.

Indulge your inner foodie and shopaholic at this weekly food-focused market. The Brooklyn export has landed in the Arts District and become a hotbed of fantastic food and retail vendors, with some that are testing out their dishes before launching a full-blown brick-and-mortar in the city. Bonus: there is plentiful (and free, for two hours!) parking in the nearby parking garage. 

Celebrate L.A.’s burgeoning Eastside with a free music festival—what’s not to like? Echo Park Rising is back for its eighth year with over 100 handpicked local up-and-coming bands, comedians, film screenings and more. With venues ranging from the Echo and Stories Books & Cafe to Button Mash and the parking lot of TAIX French Restaurant, as well as various special discounts and sales at local businesses, this is always a neighborhood affair not to be missed.

Childhood friends Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero used to be in a thrash metal band before they moved to the seaside to hone their slinky take on flamenco. That heavy background shines through in their visceral live shows, full of frenzied fretwork.

Straight outta Sydney, Alison Wonderland brings some much needed Kings Cross flavor to the American EDM scene. Her bass-rich pop utilizes all the tricks of modern dance and hip-hop, with an added sun-baked, psychedelic touch that is all Australian. The singer-DJ scored a hit with “I Want U,” and “U Don't Know” with the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne, a sort of Lorde-gone-house banger, could be even bigger. Also: How has nobody else thought of that name?

ROW DTLA isn’t just for Smorgasburg and trendy boutiques. Come this August, it’ll also host a new music festival from HARD founder Gary Richards. The inaugural All My Friends music festival will arrive at ROW DTLA on August 18 and 19. RL Grime, Gucci Mane and Jhene Aiko will headline Saturday of the fest, while M.I.A., Jamie xx and Armand Van Helden top Sunday’s lineup. Tickets for the 18-and-over fest are on sale now. A two-day pass costs $119, while a VIP ticket runs for $249.

Ginger-mopped English popster Ed Sheeran is only in his early 20s but already a huge hit at home—his debut album, +, entered the charts at number one, and he performed at the Olympics closing ceremony. He's making waves here, too, having recorded a duet with Taylor Swift for her best-selling album, Red and performing live with Elton John at The Grammys.     

Lekman combines shimmery Afropop guitar hooks, reggae beats and droll, Morrissey-like delivery in a way that comes off as comic and charming rather than annoying and twee. Twas ever thus: The Swedish singer has been making records since the early aughts, gently tapping into the vein of observational, wry humor championed by the likes of Belle and Sebastian and the Magnetic Fields.

Arthur Miller set his now-classic play during the Salem witch-hunt era of the late 17th century—though he wrote it amidst the needlessly damaging politics of the McCarthy era.

Antaeus Theatre Company presents the West Coast premiere of Patrick Marber’s update of Turgenev’s mid-19th-century A Month in the Country. The tutor and misguided love remain, but Marber ratchets the humor.

3-D Theatricals takes on this musical about a young bride, her freewheeling mother and the three men who might be her daddy, all set to chart-busting tunes by ABBA.

It was a dark and stormy night for three siblings—and for the audience members gathered around them. Written by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater’s Daniel Talbott, this piece is described as part ghost story, part memory play.

This revue revists songs from the masterful musicals of Stephen Sondheim—including Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone Can Whistle and Pacific Overtures.

Eat|See|Hear travels to different locales throughout the city each Saturday during the summer, showing cult flicks on an inflatable HD screen taller than your average Malibu mansion. Bring your own bites or sample snacks from the impressive roster of resident food trucks and show up early for a set from local LA bands. Parking is free at most of the venues, and tickets for screenings at the Autry even include admission to the museum. What's more? If you want to skip the crowds and stroll in casually during the opening credits, spring for an exclusive "Fashionably Late" pass. All of the events dog-friendly, and a portion of ticket sales benefit Best Friends Animal Society in support of NKLA.

It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. This year’s first batch of screenings includes The Neverending Story, Drive, Almost Famous and Casablanca. Angelenos line up for hours to partake in the concept—and to enjoy DJ sets, dance parties, sleepovers and more magical mischief otherwise strictly forbidden behind the cemetery gates. It’s an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. Just be sure to get your ticket early, arrive early (doors open at 6:45pm), pee early... it’s getting a bit overcrowded, to say the least.

The best things in life really are free—love, happiness and an evening spent watching movies on a giant inflatable screen at the beach. On select dates from June until August, pack up your folding chairs, grab your kids and head to Long Beach for this unique outdoor screening. Thanks to Alfredo’s Beach Clubs, you can give your babysitter the night off while you and the fam enjoy a host of kid-friendly flicks, like Mary Poppins and The Incredibles. Bring your own picnic, or munch on eats from the nearby snack stand. 

Film enthusiasts and foodies alike can come together inside L.A.'s historic Union Station for Metro Art's three-part, film series, Filmmm, featuring a curated roundup of food-themed movies. The summer series kicks off with a screening of The Harvey Girls: Opportunity Bound, followed by City of Gold and I am Love. Don't worry about these films making you hungry—each showcase will be accompanied by a line-up of L.A. food trucks including Comet BBQ, Boba Ni Taco and Nitropod. Plus, you can expect special guests or Q&A's for each screening. Insider tip: Make it a picnic and bring your chairs and blankets to spread out on the North Patio, where the screening will take place.

Hazarding a wildly speculative guess, I think Stanley Kubrick would have loved Gravity. He would have been knocked out by Alfonso Cuarón’s zero-G realism and long-take panache. Secretly, he would have envied the movie’s grosses (Kubrick knew about the power that money could buy). He would have called someone in the middle of the night to talk about it. And finally, Kubrick would have leaned back with a sly smile (his only smile), knowing his classic’s reputation was safe. It’s not that 2001: A Space Odyssey doesn’t look dated—it does, a touch—but rather, it feels as intelligent and provocative as ever, bearing years of conceptual dreaming. Until today’s equivalent of novelist Arthur C. Clarke commits a hefty chunk of time to envisioning the beginning of human civilization, as well as the far ends of the future, there will be no new film that supplants it. Though it was showered with technical praise, 2001 lingers on the mind like a tall, black riddle: Where are the new bones, the new tools, that will take us higher? Do we even deserve them? And if The Shining can grow as a black comedy, so can this one. Douglas Rain’s clammy voice work as HAL 9000, the murderous machine, remains one of Kubrick’s snazziest pieces of direction. Of course, he’d tell us, Gravity is great. But I prefer Her. Follow Joshua Rothkopf on Twitter: @joshrothkopf