*indicates that the film is also available to rent, buy, or stream on various platforms. Please note that these presentations may differ from those included in these home video releases.
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One” * (2023, Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment) Seventh (!) title in the action-espionage series pits secret agent/professional risk taker Tom Cruise against a small and colorful army of killers and terrorists as they all pursue a key that controls a sentient and powerful artificial intelligence. If you’ve been paying attention to this long-running franchise (I have not), you will undoubtedly be pleased to know that what appears to be its hallmarks – astonishingly elaborate stunts and complicated plots involving countless moving parts and players – are all in play here, and two of the former – a pursuit in an Abu Dhabi airport that coincides with the disarmament of a nuclear device and a vehicle chase through Rome anchored by a series of increasingly smaller cars – are handled with extraordinary care by director Christopher McQuarrie, the core cast (Cruise, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg as the IMF) and newcomer Hayley Atwell as a savvy thief pulled into the fray. You should also know that the dialogue (by McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen) is risible to the point of hobbling a small army of talented actors, including Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Carey Elwes and Henry Czerny; only Pom Klementieff, as an almost entirely silent killer, escapes unscathed, Additionally, the other action sequences, which include an assault on the Orient Express, hurdle by without generating much excitement or suspense, which are the twin engines on which the “M:I” series is supposed to run. Both make “Dead Reckoning’s” 164-minute running time an occasional challenge leavened only by the aforementioned high points; one hopes that these issues will be ironed out for the second part, due in 2025 (but perhaps they’ve always been part of the series?). Paramount’s two-disc Blu-ray includes commentary by McQuarrie and Eddie Hamilton and behind-the-scenes featurettes on the film’s six marquee stunt sequences, the most notable of which is the preparation required for Cruise to ride a motorcycle off a cliff in Norway and parachute to the valley below. Continue reading →
Thanksgiving at Morton’s The Steakhouse. Image courtesy of Morton’s.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. If your favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations, see below for our list of some of our favorite places for autumnal feasting in LA, with no cleanup required. Whether you’d like to dine at an elegant steakhouse, raise a glass on a Downtown rooftop, relax by a pool beneath swaying palms, or gaze upon a Frank Gehry architectural masterpiece while dining on a scrumptious Spanish-influenced meal from Michelin-starred chef Jose Andres, we’ve got you covered.
Renowned for its high-end, top-quality dining experience, Morton’s The Steakhouse is offering a three-course Thanksgiving meal for just $59 per person. The seasonal meal features a winter green salad with spiced walnuts and blue cheese; oven-roasted turkey roulade with stuffing, cranberries, and gravy; three of Morton’s famous side dishes — sour cream mashed potatoes, corn soufflé, and green beans almandine; plus pumpkin cheesecake with sea salt caramel for dessert. Morton’s LA locations include DTLA, Woodland Hills, and Burbank. Morton’s The Steakhouse
ALK (acronym for “About Last Knife”) is the chic, lobby-level restaurant at The Godfrey HotelHollywood with a kitchen manned by talented French Chef Olivier Rousselle. On Thanksgiving, visit ALK for a three-course prix fixe dinner with your choice of an Amuse Bouche, a main dish, and a dessert. Entree options include Port Braised Short Ribs with creamy polenta and sautéed seasonal mushrooms; Slow Cooked Free-Range Turkey with sage-brioche stuffing, creamy red mashed potatoes, candied yam, baby vegetables, homemade cranberry sauce, and turkey gravy, while dessert options include housemade apple pie, pumpkin spice cheesecake, chocolate bread pudding and pumpkin pie. Enjoy a wine pairing with each course for an additional $24+. ALK
Michelin-starred chef Jose Andres‘ restaurant San Laurel offers stunning views of one of Los Angeles’ most important architectural gems: Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall. Located atop Conrad Los Angeles, San Laurel bills its cuisine as “Californian with a Spanish accent.” This Thanksgiving, San Laurel offers a three-course prix fixe menu. Start with Jamon Iberico de Bellota, Coca Escavilada, or Black Mission Figs Stracciatella. Savor Mary’s Farm Turkey, Wagyu Flatiron Steak from Blackhawk Farms, or the Wild Mushrooms vegetarian option, then finish your meal with Fall Caramel Custard. More information
The re-opened Vista’s Marquee. Photo by Tony Pierce.
The beloved Los Feliz landmark, The Vista Theater, was sadly shuttered in 2020 during the Pandemic. Like he did with The New Beverley Cinema, Quentin Tarantino rode in like the Cavalry to rescue and revive the ornate but cozy movie house. The official reopening will take place on Nov. 17, 2023 with Eli Roth’s splatter movie, Thanksgiving (“There will be no leftovers”). The film Thanksgiving was expanded from a fake trailer in Tarantino’s Grindhouse.
Yesterday, Tony Pierce of Hear in LA attended Tarantino’s sneak preview at a 30th anniversary screening of 1993’s “True Romance” on 35mm. Here is the ultimate Angeleno’s take on the place:
Was lucky enough to be invited to the early screening of True Romance at The Vista tonight. Quentin said a few words after being handed the torch from the owner of the 100-year-old theater who sold it to QT, Lance Alspaugh. Quentin says there will also be a tiny 28-seat theater created there that can show 16mm and VHS.
The Vista will show film exclusively and if studios want to show their new movies on film in a jewelry box more beautifully than anywhere else, the Vista is there for them.If they don’t put the movies on film, he added, “Fuck ’em.”
Bathrooms have been remodeled. The concession stand now serves beer and wine. PBRs tonight were $5. RC Cola is prominently displayed on tap. Wide variety of classic candies from Chuckles to Snowcaps. Fresh new paint in the lobbies, seemed to be a new curtain and carpets. Was Victor there? He sure was. Dressed head to toe in sparkly maroon. Stay tuned for a follow up special edition chat with Victor in the near future.
Yoshiki, the prolific composer and multi-instrumentalist whose solo Requiem Tour hit the Dolby Theater last month, threw a party at the Ross House in the Hollywood Hills last weekend. The event celebrated the release of a new concert film, his directorial debut, as well as Y by Yoshiki, his custom brand of bubbly from Pommery. The event hit its finest note of elegance and rarity when the star of the evening appeared at the piano in the music room to serenade the audience with a gorgeous rendition of “Swan Lake”, before breaking into the X Japan hits “Endless Rain” and “Forever Love.”
We had just watched the concert film Under The Sky, a collaboration with numerous guest starts including Sarah Brightman, St. Vincent, the Scorpions and the Chainsmokers. The footage centers around a concert on a downtown LA rooftop. His guests sometimes join him physically up there, but more often, perform on their own rooftops, leading to a video mashup of multiple skylines. The most visually effective of these is the collab with boy band Sixtones, who do a choreographed routine to Yoshiki’s “Imitation Rain” in actual rain, with Tokyo illuminated behind them. His collab with X Japan guitarist Sugizo is touching, a partial reunion of a band that has suffered the death by suicide of two members.
* indicates that the film is also available to view, rent, or buy from various streaming platforms. Please note: streaming presentations may vary from these home video releases.
“It Lives Inside” * (2023, Decal Neon) Indian teenager Megan Suri is busy enough navigating between her conservative parents and the largely Anglo-American world of her high school when she finds that her best friend has a jar that contains a malevolent South Asian spirit from her culture’s distant past. This polished and effective debut feature from Bishal Dutta delivers on both supernatural horror (with a distinct J-horror flavor) and understated commentary about the cultural ping-ponging faced by children of immigrants; both come together in mostly satisfying ways in Suri’s face-off with the demon that overcome any limitations in the script (which mostly concern flat characterizations among the supporting players).
The distant, dusty fragments of the past and the spirits of the permanent residents of Sunnyside Cemetery may be long gone but for one bright and beautiful Autumn day those celebrated souls returned to their earthly state once again as the 27th Annual Historical Cemetery Tour took place at the green pastures on Willow Street in Long Beach.
The Long Beach Historical Society has presented this marvelous event in association with the Long Beach Playhouse to allow history to live again for all to learn and love those who have gone before.
In the cemetery setting, there were authors of local lore and history along with booths that celebrate the cultural heritage in all of its different forms and vibrancy. Families come together with friends new and old to discover people from the past, their loves and sometimes the darker moments in time.
The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride. Photo courtesy of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment.
Get into the Halloween Spirit at the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride. The hayride and its accompanying attractions have creeped out Angelenos for 15 years and will continue nightly in Griffith Park through Halloween night.
Located in Griffith Park, the hayride is eerie fun — and there are brand-new hay wagons this year — but there’s more to this evening than the ride. The mazes really get the adrenaline rushing. One of the mazes, Hellbilly Halloween, just debuted this Halloween season. You’ll venture into a creepy home in the backwoods where a notorious family of cannibals plays diabolical tricks on those who dare to visit.
In another maze, Midnight Mortuary: Scorched Remains, it’s open house at the Midnight Mortuary, and the seemingly peaceful building is full of haunted spirits. Don’t stray from your group… the ghouls will make their presence known.
You can also learn to protect yourself from the undead at the Axe Throwing booth. For just $5, you’ll get training from an expert, then five attempts to slam the bullseye with the axe.
Don’t miss the Monte Revolta Show, starring the undead Monte and his Band of the Living Dead, covering songs like “Psycho Killer.”
*indicates that the film is also available to rent, buy, or stream on various platforms. Please note: streaming versions may differ from these home video presentations.
“Talk to Me” * (2023, Lionsgate Home Entertainment) For a group of bored Australian teens, the severed, embalmed hand of a dead medium is a new, social media-ready endurance test, allowing them brief access to the spirit world by possessing them; for Mia (Sophie Wild), it’s a conduit to her dead mother that proves irresistible but also dangerous. Feature debut by YouTube prank creators Danny and Michael Philippou is effective and assured on multiple fronts: as a genre film that delivers on both the terror (mental/emotional) and horror (physical) fronts, as a keen observation of the ever-present chance for disaster and death that hovers around teen social activity, and as a cautionary take on the morass that grief and loneliness can become. Wilde (from Netflix’s sudsy “Everything Now” is most effective in delivering on all of these fronts, and the Philippou’s restraint (not a strong suit for their online efforts) in onscreen bloodshed is impressive and appreciated; Lionsgate’s Blu-ray/DVD/digital combo includes energetic commentary by the Philippous along with deleted and extended scenes and a making-of EPK.
Lucha VaVOOM’s Halloween Spectacular at the Mayan Theater featuring Brooke Candy. Photo by Billy Bennight II.
There are so many events happening around LA this week. How do you know which ones are cool and which ones suck? Let your friends at The LA Beat guide you.
Wednesday, Oct 25TH – Tues Oct 31ST / Pomona / $94.99 -and up
Delusion Theater, running since 2011, is an interactive show, with a heaping spoonful of narrative-based haunted house. The show takes place across two floors of a nearly 150-year-old mansion in Pomona with an anthology of tales centered around “The Author,” a mysterious figure who created the previous Delusion installments and has now gone missing. “Devoted fans (our guests) will be swallowed into various stories and connect with characters both dire and beloved as they track down the mysterious author behind the Delusion series and learn of a disturbing agenda.” Running Daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
“Guests are free to explore the Spectral Soiree (open world environment) anytime during operating hours on the day of their show. We suggest allowing yourself up to 2 extra hours before or after your show to explore!” Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your designated show time. If you arrive later than 15 minutes before your show time, we may not be able to accommodate you and there are no refunds.
GA – NOCTURNES & NIGHTMARES ticket grants access to Delusion with your designated showtime selected. Prices from $94.99, VIP – NOCTURNES & NIGHTMARES grants access to Delusion with a selected showtime, plus access to Behind the Veil: VIP Experience with a backstage lounge, a private bar while you get a sneak peek into the show. Interact with actors and show runners and witness the performance live in real time from the control room. If you choose, you’ll have the special opportunity to don ragged costumes, lay in wait as eerie corpses, and then rise as the undead as you creep guests into their next scene. Prices from $129.99.
