Truck + Fire Hydrant = Free Car Wash!

Last night, I was invited by a fellow Metblogger to an ArcLight screening of Moon, the sci-fi indie starring Sam Rockwell and directed by Duncan Jones, son of David Bowie.

Jones was on hand afterward for a Q & A. I’ve been to my share of those over the years and enough have turned out to be snoozers that I found myself antsy at the prospect as the end credits started to roll.  But Jones’ big enthusiasm for his little (budget-wise; it cost $5 million) movie was contageous and the audience responded with a lot of pointed questions– everything from bizzy budget and shooting process questions to “what does your father think of it?” (He approves.)

Jones thanked the ArcLight for its support, having screened it since its release in mid-June– not bad for a low-budget, confidently distinctive sci-fi movie (also chilling and engrossing) that looks back to another era, paying homage to earlier genre classics as it finds an original way to tell a story. As influences he mentioned the films 2001 and Silent Running of course, but for me it also had a whiff of the brilliantly manic novels of the late sci-fi author Philip K. Dick in its intensely mundane presentation of the not-too-distant (and therefore not-too-unimaginable) future.

It looks like ArcLight Hollywood will be showing Moon for another week, according to Jones. This isn’t one to wait to watch on DVD. Go.

(And if you need nudging, consider that on Rotten Tomatoes, Moon has a rating of 91.)

Korean bbq pork (galbi) - just one of many wondrous foods that await

It’s supposed to be a beautiful 81 degrees tomorrow right around Koreatown.  What a perfect day to eat Korean BBQ all day!  Lucky for me, the First Ever Korean BBQ Cookoff is tomorrow – Korean restaurants will set up shop streetside and offer all sorts of Korean BBQ goodness, from bulgogi to grilled intestines.  Delicious.  Of particular interest is the Iron Chef for Eaters eating contest in which contestants will compete to eat a “mystery food.”  I’m thinking this could be as ho hum as rice (quick, how many bowls of plain jook can you wolf down in 3 minutes?) or as exciting as gopchang.  The main attraction, though, besides the intestines, is the 5pm cookoff that will be judged by  … (insert angelic halos and harps here) … His Royalty Jonathan Gold.  Other, less touted judges include Evan Kleinman and LA Times’ food writer Russ Parsons.  All the delicious kimchi-spiced details – including parking – take Metro if you can! – can be found here.

Yesterday I posted asking for calls to object to Dianne Feinstein’s latest hamfisted, wrongthink “Won’t Somebody think of the CHILDREN” legislation that set manditory 10-year minimum sentences for people making edibles for medical marijuana patients..

Thanks to all of you that called! We were very successful in getting ourselves heard.

Through our calls we were able to get a postponement on the resolution vote. This is a very good sign that it may either be thrown out entirely or rewritten to exclude patients and their providers from legal ramifications resulting from the production or use of medicinal cannabis edibles.

Fashion Train Wreck

Spotted this morning while waiting for the train, an Ed Hardy explosion. Here is a guy who is taking brand loyalty to the max. Wearing a baseball cap, t-shirt, flip flops and carrying a messenger bag – all Ed Hardy branded, he is clearly making a statement. And that statement must be, “Sure, I may not appear to be very cool , but look, every piece of clothing I own is Ed Hardy so how you like me now, bitch?”

Here’s a fashion tip for you brand whores:  If you just must wear an article of clothing that prominently displays the name of the designer, just wear one piece at a time, mmk?

No apologies to the Red Hat Society, to paraphrase for this old house.

“When I am old I shall wear pink

With Purple trim that doesn’t go or doesn’t suit me…”

I love this little house.  In a 50′s tract neighborhood of beige and gray the world is a bit brighter with their color choices.  I love the statuary. And dead tree in the yard.   This entire house and yard would never fly with an HOA and that is just fine with me.  Viva la individual fighting the beige and grey of this world.

Pic by me and does get a little bigger with a click.  ”Anti-HOA” is part of a random series celebrating the individualism of our homes that bring life to LA’s neighborhoods.

Photo by Drew Tewksbury

Get well soon, little buddy.

Coffee shops have long been a kind of alternative exhibition space for various forms of creativity. From the design of the space itself, to the words scribbled down by people amped on the caffeine, to what is hanging on the walls or playing through the speakers. And in almost a reflective relationship, it’s a pretty safe bet that the worse those orbiting extras are, the worse the coffee itself will be. And justly the better one is, the better the others are. That’s why when the folks at Intellivenice (that would be the Intelligentsia in Venice) say they are bringing in some DJs to provide the soundtrack of an evening it’s a pretty safe bet this will only turn an outstanding environment into something even better.

This Friday (coupled with the monthly first Friday Venice events) they are hosting DJ Nitedog, and then following that up Saturday morning with DJ Mayer Hawthorne. The crowds on Friday might make parking a bit rough so I’d recommend walking or riding a bike if you have the option, and Hawthorne Saturday will be just the thing to help you relax for the weekend. And if you like a little education with your entertainment, apparently there are still spots in this weekends home coffee making classes.

Venice Coffeebar, 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Sun-Thurs: 6am-10pm / Fri: 6am-11pm / Sat: 7am-11pm

The streets of Hollywood just turned up the wacky.

L. Ron Hubbard has reached from beyond the cosmos to release his new Fall line for local Scientologists and their brethren around the world. They are uniforms for the new Ideal Org churches, and Gawker takes a look:

These uniforms are manufactured by some sort of magical logistics pipeline called a “conveyor belt” for the “Ideal Org,” a purportedly superior new type of church, according to International Scientology News. The uniform is intended to unite staff on “six continents” and help them look the part of “emissaries of a new civilization.”

Red, white and black uniforms for a new civilization. I think I remember something similar from a history book.

Still, I have three very important questions about these new unis that I would like answered:

1. Is the men’s tie reversible, or is it a clip-on?
2. Does the cape have the Scientology “S” logo on the back?
3. Are other accessories available, like an engraved cigar case or alternate red pumps?

Way to go, Xenu. Only you can make us both tremble and giggle just by putting on a suit.

Another Feinstein Folly: the “Save Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act of 2009.”

Would you take a moment and call your LA City Council member today, Thursday August 6th? You can use this quick helpful script for this fifteen-second phone call, beyond the jump.

Read the rest of this entry →

(click pic to go big)

It’s been a spell. A long one. Just shy of two years since I saw a previous message left by this person on this corner of Hauser and Jefferson. Go ahead and hate all over it as a tag or grafitti if you wish, but in this part of town too often accentuated by the negatives, I’ll accept this sentimental affirmation and hope it doesn’t get painted out right away. But it will.

Where was this taken? It was taken here.

Previous snapshots:
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook • Inter Here • Stunflower •
Dueling Coyotes • Restoration Era • The Domain Of The Green Lynx •
Why Is This Alligator Lizard Smiling? • Bearing Witness •

Well, if you count the Cirque Berzerk-related posts on this blog, you’d think we were on their payroll. I can tell you we’re not. We just love them! And we’re not alone. The LA Weekly & the LA Times do as well.

This is their last week of shows–there are only four left, Thursday through Sunday. I’m lucky enough to count photographer & chronicler-of-the-counterculture Curious Josh as a friend, and thanks to him (and the indulgence of his editor at the LA Weekly, Erin Broadley) we’ve got some pics to give you a sense of the vibe that you simply canNOT miss out on. I’d recommend buying tickets from Goldstar if you’re short on cash–the seats I bought through them were fantastic.

Descriptions calling it a cross between Cirque du Soleil & a Tim Burton flick are accurate. Throw in a dash of Cabaret and some fire, and an outdoor carnival atmosphere with a dance tent, cool vendors, and a giant flamethrower belching fire into the night air of Downtown, and it’s an inimitable experience. My recent trip down there two weeks ago left me thrilled. I know a few of the performers, and was prepared to notice any shortcomings in the performance the way you’re always a little self-conscious for your friends when they’re onstage; but I noticed no cracks, no gaps, no mistakes or flaws. I left as enthralled as I have been at any international-level cirque show.

Click through for more photos from Josh. Read the rest of this entry →

Hot Summer Nights and Classic Eats — what goes better together?

I’ve penciled in Saturday August 29 for #7 and would like your suggestions for some hot summer, open air, cool drinks classic places to go. (I still have a huge list of places for future Classic Eats, but the summer required more specific input…)

In the El Cholo wrap up, Jesse suggested Quality Seafood at Redondo Beach (been there for about 50 years) and then Burns! chimed in with Tony’s at the Redondo Pier — also been there for about 45 years. They have a great views and souvenir mai tai glasses. I also thought of The Reel Inn in Malibu–great seafood and tons of outdoor picnic tables to lounge around. It’s only about 30 years old, but pretty classic and nice on a hot summer afternoon/early evening. There also Lucy’s El Adobe for refreshing margaritas and yummy mexican food on their comfy outdoor patio. I also know Will Campbell has been to a place on Olvera Street for margaritas after a long day of work on a hot day. Nothing gets more Classic LA than Olvera street…

Think summer, think chill-out and make a few more suggestions please. I’ll open the voting in a few days.

Travis Got a Beauty!

Travis asked last week where we should get inked and you were very helpful! We ended up going to The Tattoo Lounge in Mar Vista as it was the better location (west side) for us on that day. Travis met me at my house and we called at 11am to see if they had time for us that afternoon. They did. (If they hadn’t had time, we would have just gone for pizza and lots of good conversation.)

As promised, we tweeted our plans and added a comment on the previous post then went to the Tattoo Lounge and worked with our artist, Owen, on our two very different designs. (No, we did not get matching Metblog logo tattoos….) We were met by Lynn a little later who also got inked.

More pictures and info after the jump. Read the rest of this entry →

It is an old documentary (from 1995), but one I only got around to watching last night.  The Celluloid Closet is worth watching, if you can put aside just how seriously it takes itself, and just enjoy the delightful old movie clips it incorporates.  Oh yeah, it had apparently been a book too, but who reads those (and in this case, film genuinely seems more relevant since it can include illustrative clips).  The basic point of the film is more-or-less what you expect, even if you have not seen it: The Hayes Code, along with general homophobia, of course, censored the comparatively explicit representations of homosexuality in early film.  Homosexuals became marked only by coded language and innuendo, but in such a way that those “in the know” knew what Hollywood films were really about.

I would have liked some more depth to it.  It wasn’t only homosexuality that was censored by Hollywood, and it’s not clear that that particular anxiety was the primary one governing the anti-communist, misogynous, racist, xenophobic, imperialist, and puritanical decades of the 1940s and 50s.  A lot of other matters of interest to writers and viewers were equally only mentioned indirectly and in whispers.  OK, so it is just a documentary for HBO, and it hardly needs address the entire political landscape of America through several decades.  But maybe just a little less of the “woe be upon us queers in Hollywood” in the tone would be desirable.  Yes, they are right on the facts, but a bit greater nuance would be nice. Read the rest of this entry →