A Santa spotted in the wilds of Downtown LA, November 23, 2023. Photo by Monique A. LeBleu.
This weekend and beyond, the winter holiday season truly begins within Greater Los Angeles when the city’s streets fill with both the most wicked and the most festive of revelers, celebrating in a style that can only be found in the imagination of that tenacious night creature–the colorfully costumed Pub Crawler.
Here’s a merely tentative listing of festive crawls and stumbles available over the next several weeks before ringing in the New Year (or before the ringing in your ears.) Note that a popular Krampus event that is currently sold out has an additional/alternate event scheduled, and there are several new pop-ups this year complete with entertainment and costume contests, as well as food and drink specials, with promises of a jolly good time.
‘Tis the season to be merry and bleary-eyed, come magical gift-giver, naughty-child punisher, or impending apocalypse. Continue reading →
I’ve had many opportunities to meet Saturday Night Live cast members. Chatted with Dan Ackroyd about roller derby at the Velvet Margarita. Listened to Chevy Chase try to impress his kids by pointing out filming locations for “Fletch” while I was escorting him and his family through the Universal backlot for Earth Walk. Met Laraine Newman a couple times because of her involvement with charity events I have produced. Had a brief relationship with Buck Henry’s phone number with no answering machine when I worked at the ACLU. I can even say that Kristen Wiig played a character who was loosely based on me in “Whip It” which was written by my roller derby carpool buddy Shauna Cross. And that while I was on set for the filming, Jimmy Fallon ran some derby announcing lines past me. Although not a cast member, I’ve even been given the death glare by Steve Martin when I had to interrupt his lunch with Martin Landau to talk to Marty. But of all the cast members thought-out all the years – there’s only one I was dying to meet and that was Sarah Sherman. Continue reading →
*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.”
