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.

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.

Rainy Day Blonde, Hollywood-Style; Or, Pick Yourself Up, Malibu-style (no, dunce, not "Promises")

Don't let all this rain get you down. (The Man, the economy and the fact that Greed is only a fake perfume are doing a good enough job of that.)

So, ditch your blues, and dye your hair blonde. Apparently a simple change in the color of your tresses can immediately (and cheaply) boost your fun-factor. (It's science. Check out Sassy Bella, if you don't believe me.)

Once you've successfully performed a DIY home job on your bob, get out and catch some flicks. Check out all the great film festivals coming up this month in Los Angeles and support new talent in the process!

Young Directors Night

Friday, March 6

6-7:30 Cocktail hour at A+D Museum (love them!)

7:30-10:30 Program & Q/A at LACMA's Bing Theater

10:30-12 Reception & Award Presenation at A+D

New Filmmakers > LA

Thursday, March 19

Stanley Kramer Theater

1438 N. Gower St. | Hollywood | 90028

5:45 Documentary Program

7:30 Short Program

8:45 Feature Presentation

Reception following screening

Still got the blues?
Okay, drama queen. Here's what you need to do:
Get yourself over to apowerfulnoise.org and purchase tickets for you and all your girlfriends to see "A Powerful Noise." This documentary film will be screened in over 450 theaters across the country and is happening in conjunction with International Women's Day. Following the documentary, a live panel of awesome women will discuss the problems (and solutions) facing women and girls in struggling countries. Not only will you get to hear Natalie Portman, Madeleine Albright and Christy Turlington talk about important issues (and see what they're wearing), but hopefully focusing on broader topics beyond yourself will help put a few rainy days in perspective for you.

In fact, I think this is such a great idea, everyone should go!
Step Up Women's Network is hosting a screening with Sarah Michelle Gellar at the Century City 15. For more information and to see listings in a city near you, click here.

For all you LA people, here are the deets:
A Powerful Noise
Thursday, March 5 | 8PM | Century City 15 | $18/ticket
It is strongly recommended to purchase your tickets online in advance.

:::Souring Economy Tip of the Day:::

Sign up for Netflix through B of A's "Add It Up" program, and get $28 back! That's almost 2 months of free DVDs, right to your door!

There, I've given you 4 rad ideas on how to get through this rough time. You love me, I know.