The combination of fine dining and funky music may not yet be commonplace in LA, but at the recently-opened ADKT (Art Drinks Kitchen Tunes) in the Fairfax District, it is now possible to get your jam on while pondering the heady aroma of truffle mashed potatoes melting into a tender, beautifully grilled Chateaubriand, with a single sprig of thyme cutting through the richness. Can you get to that? We can, and did.
The house band, the Funkateers, pare down to vocals, guitar and percussion for the restaurant set, and their set of familiar classics went down easy with cocktails. It was a well-played and well-chosen group of songs, about the right level of intensity for a setting where you sometimes want to chat with your companion about the flavors that are hitting you, and sometimes are happy to get transported by sound to a happy place. Continue reading →
* indicates that this title is also available for viewing, rental, or purchase via various streaming platforms. Please note that streaming presentations may differ from these home video presentations.
“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story“* (2022, Shout! Factory) Delirious faux biopic about “Weird” Al (played with sheer bravado by Daniel Radcliffe) that refashions his rise to fame as a song parodist as a sort of Dickensian fable about finding one’s artistic voice: the young Al breaks free of his oppressive father (Toby Huss) with the help of an accordion purchased by his mother (Julianne Nicholson). Director Eric Appel, who co-wrote the film with Yankovic, has a great deal of fun skewering crucible moments in celebrity hagiographies – the spark for “My Bologna” is created by a sandwich – as well as the catalog of excesses and there-but-for-the-grace-of-God moments that are part and parcel of cautionary showbiz stories. Key to these scenes are Evan Rachel Wood as a predatory Madonna, who paves the road to fame hell for Al, and Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento, who serves as spiritual advisor and shaman (by spiking guacamole with acid to inspire “Eat It”). A host of very funny people turn up as various historical figures (Quinta Brunson as Oprah, Jack Black as Wolfman Jack, Arturo Castro as Pablo Escobar, Yankovic himself and Will Forte as record execs the Scotti Brothers and even Emo Philips, whose Salvador Dali cements Al’s place in art and history). “Weird” is proudly, even defiantly silly, but never turns lowbrow – something of an accomplishment which folds a drug den massacre and a “Carrie” spoof into a movie about “Weird” Al. Shout! Factory’s 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo includes commentary by Yankovic and Appel, who also oversee several deleted and extended scenes; a making-of featurette and numerous promotional appearances by Yankovic, Radcliffe, and Wood round out the set.
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.
