06 February 2010

Rainy Day at the Movies Part 3

The conclusion of the three-part exploration of the rich Los Angeles film and movie-going scene.


Favorite home-town filmmaker: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
You may know him from Angels in the Outfield or Third Rock from the Sun, or more recently from 10 Things I Hate about You and (500) Days of Summer. In any event, this guy is awesome, and a seemingly endless stream of creativity. Check out the great stuff he posts on Twitter and his film below, Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny, which screened at Sundance. Of the film, Gordon-Levitt writes, "I'm as proud of this short film as I am of any work I've ever done." On his collaborative film-making website, hitRECord.org, he describes it thus:
Morgan M. Morgansen's Date with Destiny started as a simple idea for a collaboration. "Let's try to write with made up words," proposed Albert. Metaphorest wrote the short story. I RECorded a voiceover reading. Jenyffer started drawing the characters, Tori started animating the drawings. Lula and I RECorded a live action rendition in front of white walls. Lawrie Brewster picked that up and created the stunning visual landscape. And along the way there's been, I don't know, a hundred (?) or two contributions from all over the hitRECord community.


Opportunities to See New Films
  • GENART members get to see world-premieres of films from talented new artists, and oftentimes these screenings are paired with after-parties and Q & A's with those involved. The Yellow Handkerchief, starring Kristen Stewart, will debut February 18, 2010 at the Pacific Design Center. Read more here.
  • NewFilmMakersLA often hosts screenings of short and long films from new directors. These events are also followed by Q & A periods and cocktails. The next event is scheduled for February 24, 2010. Not to be missed!
  • LACMA's Muse membership hosts the annual Young Directors Night, and functions as a sort of mini film festival of its own as each film is screened and then an overall winner is voted by the audience and judges. Crazy-good stuff. This year YDN will be March 6, 2010.
  • Los Angeles Film Festival is happening this year from June 17-27, 2010
  • LA Shorts Fest will taken place sometine in late July 2010.

05 February 2010

Rainy Day at the Movies Part 2

An exploration of Los Angeles' film gems continues.

Gorgeous Historic Theaters
  • The best way to experience these masterpieces is to subscribe to the Los Angeles Conservancy's Last Remaining Seats series, now in its 24th year, which screens classic films in the various historic theaters of Los Angeles. The preliminary schedule for this season is below. Tickets will go on sale March 31 for Conservancy members. As if the movies themselves weren't excellent enough to draw out the masses, the sheer beauty of these architectural landmarks will knock you out.
May 26           How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)         Los Angeles Theatre
June 2             Strangers on a Train (1951)                                                        Million Dollar Theatre 
June 9             American Graffiti (1973)                                                             Orpheum Theatre
June 16           The Graduate (1967)                                                                   Los Angeles Theatre
June 23           Flor silvestre (Wild Flower) (1967)                                             Million Dollar Theatre
June 30           Peter Pan (1924)                                                                         Orpheum Theatre








    Film Club of Note
    • LACMA's Film Club, newly minted after some controversy over the suspension of the museum's film programming, has roused the support of director Martin Scorsese, among hundreds of other Los Angeles film enthusiasts and cinephiles. LACMA is promoting the Film Club this February by giving away tickets to two Clint Eastwood screenings of your choice. Screenings of The Essential Clint Eastwood series begin February 12, 2010.


    Rainy Day at the Movies Part 1

    A rainy day in Los Angeles is the perfect time to explore its many film-related gems. This three-part series will do just that, covering outstanding independent theaters, historic landmarks dating back to the Hollywood Golden Age, local film festivals and screening events, and a profile of a seasoned actor who's created a community of filmmakers online.

    First, some local plugs:
    • ZUMA VIDEO & MUSIC While I do enjoy the instant watch feature of Netflix, nothing quite compares to roaming the aisles of a physical video store, scanning the covers for interesting titles and graphics, and engaging in a little people-watching while stumbling across long-forgotten favorites. Not a bad place to pop into for some cinematic fare while waiting for your order from Point Pizza.
    • MALIBU CINEMAS This two-screen theater is right in the hub of the Cross Creek shopping center, often a site for local film star run-ins, and one of the few purveyors of out-of-this-world Malibu Toffee
    • MALIBU FILM FESTIVAL Founded by David Katz, this showcase of international film from cutting-edge independent filmmakers is world-famous. The 11th edition of the festival is currently accepting film entries online.



    Exceptional Independent Theaters
    • The Laemmle Theater in Santa Monica always screens great independent art films. Right now it's showing A Single Man  (directed by fashion designer Tom Ford) and An Education, both of which I want to see! There are other Laemmles around town, too.
    • The American Cinematique, a non-profit, has two venues - The Aero Theater in Santa Monica and The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. They produce a fantastic programming line-up, often with double-features and themed screening events. Two of the best places to see classic film on the big screen! Sign up for their newsletter to stay in the know. Volunteer opportunities, too.
    • Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater - My friend introduced me to this historic site, home of the only silent movie theater in America still in operation. The first Wednesday of every month (as well as random Sundays) feature silent films and shorts, complete with live musical accompaniment! The whole experience is a hoot: the guy who plays the organ has been playing for about 80 years running, though his deft and expressive fingers don't show any signs of slowing! In addition to silent films, Cinefamily screens all kinds of weird and wacky films. Double feature Fridays and animation Tuesdays are other calendar highlights. Their website features a great collection of silent film excerpts for your YouTubing pleasure, with a bit of insightful background about each upcoming film.

    • ArcLight Theater at the Cinerama Dome - No list of cinemas in Los Angeles would be complete without mentioning the ArcLight. The ArcLight is like the Rolls Royce of movie theaters. You walk in, you're impressed by the vastness of the "departure board" and its offerings, buy your ticket and select your seat (if you haven't already done so online), do a little pre-movie shopping in the bookshop, have a bit of wine in the bar, and then settle into a plush seat in an immaculate theater. Then your host greets you and stays in the theater to ensure a "perfect" movie-going experience. They take this experience very seriously, and even have a specifically designated website to point out all the unique features of an ArcLight visit. Pricey, but worth it. This particular location (there's another one in Sherman Oaks) utilizes the iconic 1963 geodesic Cinerama Dome, which, with its ultra-wide screen and domed ceiling, makes movie-going here an event.

    04 February 2010

    L.A. Bus Tours: Not Just for Star Homes

    In a well-advised move, the Los Angeles City Council announced today that it has rejected a proposal that would have eliminated funding for its $4 million-dollar-a-year art grants program. The proposal sought to discontinue the 1% earmarking of hotel room charges, in place since 1989. The Angeleno art community rallied to ensure such a rejection, urging art enthusiasts and citizens to participate in a letter campaign to the council, organized by Arts for L.A., an art advocacy group. ForYourArt, which produces maps and a weekly newsletter promoting patronage of the arts in Los Angeles, had posted the following appeal on its website, excerpted here:
    As you know, arts and culture are important economic drivers for Los Angeles, and are an important part of our economic recovery... With no plan for reinstituting this dedicated source of revenue, this motion could mean the end of public investment for arts and culture for generations to come.
    Now that the threat to the art grants program has been removed, the council can continue its important support of such landmarks as the Watts Towers and programs such as the MAK Center's upcoming "How Many Billboards? Art in Stead" project, a large-scale urban exhibition which debuts new work of 21 contemporary artists across billboards this Friday. This 5-week project will feature a special exhibition at the MAK Center, as well as bus tours for viewing the billboards across town.

    Check out the map of the billboard locations, and plan to get out to see the art! Now you'll know what you're staring at while stuck in traffic.


    835 North Kings Road
    West Hollywood, CA 90069
    (323) 651-1510

    03 February 2010

    First Vintage Fashion Expo of the Year

    This weekend marks the first of three vintage fashion expositions at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. (Two other dates are scheduled for San Francisco). Vintage lovers from all over alight on Santa Monica for this spectacular event, paying extra for the early morning exclusivity of first pick. Burlesque star and fashionista Dita von Teese has been known to peruse the sale, joining the serious early bird crowd for prime shopping.

    Here are this year's details:
    Saturday, February 6, 2010 | Santa Monica Civic Auditorium at Pico & Main
    • Early Buying: 9-10:30 am | tickets $20 at the door | Saturday only
    • Regular hours: 10:30am-6pm | tickets $10 at the door
    Sunday, February 7, 2010 | Santa Monica Civic Auditorium at Pico & Main
    • Regular hours: 11am-5pm | tickets $10 at the door
    • Students admitted free with student I.D. | Sunday only

      Silver Lake's BYO Produce Phenom

      Forage operates under a similar mindset as the Fallen Fruit collective: engage the community in the hunt for locally grown food. If you're a "home grower" of oranges, herbs, avocados, or exotic citrus, the Silver Lake restaurant is "actively foraging" for your "home crop". The chef announces via website "Forage me this!" with plans to create any number of delicious creations out of locals' "miniharvests". Once they've reported their goods by emailing Amanda, local foragers can redeem their crops for restaurant credit. Genius!

      Foraging updates are also posted on the website, announcing any and all news relating to the forage process:



      FORAGE RESPONSETUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010 6:30 AM

      Lemons

      Status: In the Kitchen / On the Menu
      Many home growers have been either reporting their lemon crop, or bringing in their lemons. The community has a lot of lemon trees. Now we have a lot of lemons. We've got lemons in the kitchen and they will be making it on to this week's menu.
      Update: Lemon forager Sonja/Sonya, if you are reading this, or if anyone who knows you is reading this, we are looking for the spelling of your name. When we put your item on the menu, we want your name to be spelled correctly.
      Update: Spelling of Sonya's name has been confirmed. Her lemons are on the menu as Sonya's Silver Lake Lemonade.
      Update: Lemon Meringue Pie: Local lemons participate in this decadent conspiracy of tangy citrus curd and dreamy clouds of meringue, all embraced in a butter pastry crust.

      3823 W. Sunset Blvd.
      Los Angeles, CA 90026
      323-663-6885

      You can follow Forage on Twitter.

      UPDATE: Here's a look at this week's menu highlights.

      Spotlight on Fallen Fruit

      I first heard about the artist collective Fallen Fruit last summer when they had an installation at L.A.C.E. Gallery in Los Angeles. The idea behind the show - using film and still photography to explore the social, political and pop history of the banana - both intrigued and amused me. With the catchy and provocative title "Are You Happy to See Me?" the project managed to be playful and engaging while examining a dark history. I always appreciate unique and innovative ways to make relevant subjects palatable - even savory! - for the masses, and United Fruit, the collective's first solo show, epitomized this for me.

      In addition to its more traditional artistic endeavors, Fallen Fruit is an activist art project which promotes the utilization of "public fruit", fruit that grows on public property. The project began as a mapping of all the public fruit in the artists' neighborhood, and developed into a series of inspired projects all relating to fruit, and often with interactive features to engage the local community members. Check for a Fallen Fruit Public Fruit Map in your area. (For more about public fruit, look for upcoming post about Forage Restaurant).

      Current projects include:
      LACMA and Fallen Fruit have recently come together for EATLACMA, and I can't wait to see the results! The LACMA website describes the collaboration between the collective and the museum thus:

      EATLACMA is a year-long investigation into food, art, culture and politics. EATLACMA's projects consider food as a common ground that explores the social role of art and ritual in community and human relationships. EATLACMA unfolds seasonally, with artist's gardens planted and harvested on the museum campus, hands-on public events, and a concurrent exhibition, Fallen Fruit Presents The Fruit of LACMA (June 27-November 7, 2010). EATLACMA is curated by Fallen Fruit—David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young-and LACMA curator Michele Urton.

      The high profile of LACMA is certainly a tremendous boon for Fallen Fruit, whose collaboration has recently been featured on the local NBC website.

      This weekend, EATLACMA kicks off its first two events in the yearlong series:
      For updates on where you can find public fruit in and around Los Angeles, follow Fallen Fruit on Twitter. Last week they publicized a fallen grapefruit branch, heavily laden with luscious citrus!

      UPDATE: Great article about Fallen Fruit's project with LACMA here.



      Giving Is the New Buying

      Pepsi and Los Angeles-based GOOD have recently forged a relationship whereby the soft drink company will sponsor several funded projects facilitated by GOOD, the burgeoning change-agent platform for "people who give a damn".

      In a recent report, Pepsi has announced it will forgo a $20 million dollar ad during this year's Super Bowl in order to divert those funds toward its "Pepsi Refresh Project", a charitable sponsorship in partnership with GOOD. This, to me, seems like a brilliant way for the company to not only keep Pepsi's brand in the public eye, but to associate it with cutting-edge efforts that are working to make the world better.

      As a member non-profit world, its exciting to see a global power like Pepsi take the helm toward innovative ways to make a difference that is both profitable and sustainable. I hope other corporations take notice and follow suit. Often, these partnerships are charity-driven, such as in the UNICEF France doll project in which all the huge brands of France sponsored the creation of dolls to be auctioned for charity, and as in the Susan G. Komen Foundation's tie-ins with everything from yogurt to Major League baseball.

      I like the hands-on approach Pepsi has taken, especially since the expertise is in the hands of GOOD. Pepsi will be giving away $1,300,000 a month - and the public can vote where those funds go. All you need to do is submit your email and create a password, and you can vote for up to 10 different projects in a day. (See below for some Los Angeles-based projects.) Read more about how it works.


      Vote to support these local projects up for grants:
      As a sidenote to be explored in further depth in a future post, I'd like to also recognize Disney for it's "Give A Day, Get A Day" volunteer incentive program that has produced a tremendous response of volunteers at The Wellness Community-West Los Angeles, where I work. Like PepsiCo, Disney is utilizing not only it's substantial resources for good, but also spreading awareness for so many great causes. Bravo!
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