gene gave us members of the san pedro bay historical society got a most happening tour of chinatown today!
photo by mike watt
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mike watt’s hoot page
gene gave us members of the san pedro bay historical society got a most happening tour of chinatown today!
photo by mike watt
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mike watt’s hoot page
* indicates that this title is also available to rent, stream, or purchase on various platforms. Please note that streaming options may differ from these home video presentations in terms of visuals, supplemental features, etc.
“Hundreds of Beavers” (2022) The only things standing between the hapless yet durable Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, and the hand of a grumpy furrier’s bewitching daughter (Olivia Graves) are the (literal) hundreds of malicious beavers that ruined his apple farm and now view him as their personal punching bag. Said beavers are played by a host of actors in sports mascot-styled costumes (same goes for the raccoons, bunnies, and sled dogs in the film) which may suggest a 21st century take on Sid and Marty Krofft’s mind-bending kid TV, but “Beavers” hews a lot closer to the silent comedy of Buster Keaton and early Merrie Melodies cartoon shorts, with which it shares a wholehearted disregard for the constraints of gravity and reality. As with Tews’ previous feature, the equally delirious “Lake Michigan Monster” (the editor of which, Mike Cheslik, takes over here as director and co-writer with Tews), “Beavers” unfolds entirely in black-and-white and with no dialogue save for a symphony of grunts, thumps, and clangs, and employs a host of film techniques, including animation of puppetry, to allow Tews and his beaver foes to sail through the air, plunge through frozen rivers, and bash each other with Jackie Chan-like abandon. Mayhem for mayhem’s sake wears out its welcome quickly, but Cheslik and Tews have mined the gag potential in a man vs. nature scenario with a thoroughness and inventiveness that would undoubtedly please Chuck Jones, and the results are laugh-out-loud funny, even if you aren’t aware of its inspirations (and save for a few suggestive gags, it’s perfectly fine for kids). Available now on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandor, with other platforms to follow.
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Tucked away inside the Hotel Dena, an art-driven Pasadena hotel, you’ll find Agents Only, a restaurant and bar with a unique look thanks to its wall of speakers and vintage TVs. The space’s allure goes deeper than visuals, however, thanks to the addition of Chef Pablo Salas, who just started a partnership with this hidden gem.
A native of Mexico who’s competed on “Iron Chef: Mexico,” Salas has two restaurants in the Mexico City area, as well as in Chicago and Florida. Located in Toluca, Mexico, Salas’ first restaurant, Amaranta, repeatedly appears on San Pellegrino’s list of “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.”
Though classically trained in French techniques, Chef Salas decided he was more interested in perfecting “cocina Mexiquense,” the cuisine of where he grew up – the state of Mexico – that stresses simplicity, vibrance, and layers of flavor.
At Agents Only, Salas’ first project on the West Coast, you’ll encounter delicious, sharable dishes like mushroom-laden Queso Fundido, Guacamole Tuna with chipotle aioli, creamy Enchiladas El Huerto, a decadent quesadilla stuffed with butter-poached lobster, and Fajita Enchiladas packed with peppers, onions, and your choice of protein.
Last month, the LA Beat’s own Tequila Mockingbird joined forces with graphic artist, Rolo Castillo, and AI artist and inventor, Phil Bosua, to bring “the past, present, and future of Punk” through the art of AI and the Punk Museum to the Taylor Junction Gallery in Joshua Tree.
According to Mockingbird, she, Castillo and Bosua–the latter two as The AKA–, together provided the art for the exhibit that represents the past, present and future of Punk through the art of AI. Beginning the evening’s vibe was Punk Yoga by Sunshine in the outdoor space, and then later on stage People of Earth, Tequila Mockingbird and the Blond Moondust, and Atomik Kangaroo performed at the free event.
“There’s a lot of pop-up underground art energy going on, truly,” she said of Joshua Tree and its artists and venues. Continue reading
my prac pad here in my pedro town now has its own mural! thank you angels gate cultural center and the artists who brought this! thinking about it… I’ve been here thirtyseven years now – I’ve got the oldest lease! crimony.
photo by mike watt
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mike watt’s hoot page
Rachel Willis-Sorenson in the LA Opera production of La Traviata. Photo by Cory Weaver for the LA Opera, used with permission.
This weekend sees the LA premiere of a new production of Verdi’s classic opera La Traviata. The miraculous Rachel Willis-Sorenson, who knocked us out at last fall’s Otello, returns to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion take on the role of Violetta de Valery, with Liparit Avetisvan as Alfredo Germont.
While this piece is never far from an LA audience, Shawna Lucey’s direction promises a spectacular new look. The orchestra will be under the direction of James Conlon, who proved again at Otello, he does Verdi real purdy. (Louis Lohraseb will conduct the April 18 performance.)
Into the den of twisted fate we go, LA, and in these inflationary times, we can all use a poetically rendered warning to avoid too much consumption.
La Traviata at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, April 6 through 26. Tickets, $63-399, available at the LA Opera Website.
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“Special Silencers” (1982 (?), Mondo Macabro) Career Indonesian heel W.D. Mochtar is again up to no good in this delirious Indonesia action/horror hybrid. Here, Mochtar’s ends are relatively modest (take over a small village), but the means by which he chooses to accomplish it are, to put it mildly, outlandish: he dispatches the current village headman (Darussalam) with tiny red pills – the “special silencers” of the title – which, when consumed, cause a full-grown tree to erupt from the victim’s body, with the expected showers of gore. Indonesian action star Barry Prima and one-time off-screen spouse Eva Arnaz are the high-kicking heroes who oppose him. Cult movie-minded viewers looking for a deeper, weirder flex are advised to explore Indonesian exploitation titles like “Special Silencers” and others carried by Mondo Macabro; their unique cinematic space – a world where black magic co-exists with dudes in feather cuts and flare jeans, where stinky shoes are a lethal weapon, and where the threadbare and the exotic combine to create something wholly alien and familiar at the same time – provides the sort of intoxicating disorientation available from only the most outre movie experiences. Mondo’s Blu-ray for “Special Silencers” – the first ever legal Western video release – features both the Indonesian theatrical cut and a longer version with deleted scenes culled from a Dutch VHS source; commentary by Filipino exploitation expert Andrew Leavold and a 25-minute featurette on Indonesian fantasy/horror films rounds out this mind-expanding disc. Continue reading
All’Antico Vinaio has been praised as “the home of the world’s best sandwiches” by no less an authority than Saveur. Started in Florence, Italy in 1991, All’Antico Vinaio has earned accolades by locals and tourists alike for its superior merging of high-quality ingredients with freshly baked Tuscan bread.
After a huge success with its three New York City locations, All’Antico Vinaio is now focusing on bringing its panini to Los Angeles. All’Antico Vinaio will preview its second location in LA, this one in Koreatown, on Friday, March 29, and is celebrating by giving out 1,000 sandwiches to the first thousand people in line!
Starting at noon, you can get a sandwich of your choosing at the new location at 6th Street and Western Avenue. You’re also welcome to purchase a second sandwich while you’re there.
You’ll find celebrated sandwiches constructed from authentic Tuscan ingredients, from Pecorino to truffles, with options such as the La Schiacciata del Boss, made with Prosciutto Toscano, Pecorino Toscano and truffle cream; and La Summer, made with Prosciutto Toscano, mozzarella, tomato and basil.
back on sunday raul morales, tom watson and myself started recording the next missingmen album at casa hanzo in my pedro town w/peetzo on the knobs. “static” is its name and also the title of the first tune, written special for me by john devries – we played it live for the first time ever tonight at the ‘dine.
photo by mike watt
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mike watt’s hoot page