“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1931, Warner Archives Collection) Frustrated by a request by the father (Halliwell Hobbes) of his fiancée (Rose Hobart) to hold off on their wedding, kindly Victorian scientist Henry Jekyll (Fredric March) finds an outlet for his pent-up passions in an experiment which transforms him into Henry Hyde, a brutish monster with unchecked physical appetites. Stellar take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella is notable for March’s Oscar-winning performance as the titular hero/villain (ably assisted by Wally Westmore’s arresting makeup and clever use of photographic filters by director Rouben Mamoulian and DP Karl Struss; the skillful direction by Mamoulian is often overlooked, though a knockout opening sequence, shot entirely in POV, trimmed from reissue prints and restored here, should correct that perspective; what may also surprise first-time viewers is the raciness of the Pre-Code material, which fairly drips with unbridled sexual desire anchored around a prostitute played by Miriam Hopkins (who is briefly seen undraped); much of this was trimmed prior to release but has been restored to this Blu-ray release. Warner Archives – which also released the tamer 1941 remake – offers an exceptional 4K scan drawn from the original negative (and a duplicate of the trimmed scenes) and two commentaries – historians Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr on one and Gregory Mank on the other – as well as the very funny Looney Tunes short “Hyde and Hair” and a radio adaptation of “Jekyll” with March reprising his role. Continue reading →
Garden outside Tocca Ferro. Photo courtesy of JW Marriott.
Tocca Ferro, an elegant new Italian chophouse, is just a short walk from Disneyland and California Adventure. Located at the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort, which opened in 2020, Tocca Ferro made its debut in July.
Though the resort is family-friendly, it’s also luxurious, with adult-oriented escapes like Tocca Ferro and Parkestry, the 11th floor rooftop bar renowned for stunning views of sunsets and Disneyland fireworks.
Everything at Tocca Ferro is made from scratch. It’s a sophisticated, fine dining restaurant focused on excellent service, with a staff that’s welcoming, professional, and hospitable. Executive chef Adam Haverland, trained in classical French cooking, also has a great understanding of Italian cuisine.
A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows allows for gorgeous garden views. A bounty of vegetables, herbs, and fruits are grown in the garden and used at Tocca Ferro, making dining here a seed-to-table experience. Continue reading →
“I have always been a storm.”– The High Priestess Stevie Nicks at the Hollywood Bowl, October 3, 2022
I spent countless hours singing along to Stevie Nicks’ music in my childhood bedroom in Las Cruces, NM. I had a perfect dress, my mom’s shawl, a moon necklace, and any other accessory I could find. I learned to read tarot cards, won a History Day competition on my report of The Romani, and was constantly trying to grow my hair longer. Of course, I have always wanted to see Stevie Nicks in concert. My first attempt to see her would have been in Las Cruces when Fleetwood Mac was doing a reunion and playing the Pan Am Center. I had connections, really good connections because I was a hostess at the Village Inn restaurant. This meant I had power, real power because I controlled where and when you got a table. So I was getting 2nd row tickets and backstage passes. Continue reading →
Heritage Farm Long Beach. Photos by Karin E. Baker for The LA Beat.
Long Beach’s Heritage Farm celebrates its recent opening with an ongoing dinner series in collaboration with acclaimed local chefs.
A charming urban farm and event space, Heritage Farm is owned by Chef Philip Pretty and his sister Lauren. The duo also owns Heritage, the acclaimed zero-waste, fine-dining restaurant. Heritage is one of only five Long Beach eateries to be awarded Michelin Plate status in 2022.
Complete with chicken coop and garden boxes growing fresh produce, Heritage Farm supplies more than half of the produce used at nearby Heritage. “We plan to grow 42 varieties of produce by spring,” Chef Pretty told me when I attended one of Heritage Farm’s Saturday night dinners.
That dinner, a collab between Chef Pretty and Chef Yoya Takahashi of Kodo in Downtown LA’s Arts District, was an exquisitely prepared four-course meal focused on using produce grown on the premises.
“Night Gallery: Season 2” (1971-72, Kino Lorber) Sophomore season of the Rod Serling-hosted horror anthology series essentially follows the same template as its predecessor, with a respectable number of effective episodes and a sizable number of out-and-out duds. That ratio reflects the breakdown of most TV anthology series, save perhaps Serling’s “Twilight Zone,” to which this series couldn’t help but be compared. But “Night Gallery” wasn’t “Twilight Zone,” largely because Serling’s hand was off the reins: he wrote and hosted while Jack Laird, a capable but eccentric TV vet, oversaw the production and was responsible for the majority of its “humorous” vignettes, which are represented in this set by such dire efforts as “Professor Peabody’s Last Lecture” (Lovecraftian riffing with Carl Reiner) and blackout bits like “Phantom of What Opera?” with Leslie Nielsen.
Five top LA restaurants and bars will offer Mini Martinis made from Kástra Eliónvodka from October 11-16 for as little as $5 each!
If you’re unfamiliar with Kástra Elión, it’s a family-owned premium sipping vodka. Artisanally crafted in Greece, Kástra Elión is distilled from hand-picked Greek olives, then blended with curated grains.
Each Mini Martini is $8, but you can get one for an even better price – just $5 – if you print the Kástra Elión passport here and present it a participating bar or restaurant (listed below) during Mini Martini Week.
Each participating restaurant and bar will offer its own unique take on the Mini Martini, so you can enjoy a variety of sippable experiences.
One night my husband was at band practice, and I was just scrolling thru The Facebook when I saw a friend post a news headline about how Rammstein’s show in England could be heard over ten miles away. I went immediately to Twitter for more news and there were reports of people thinking the stadium had blown-up, scientists at the PETRA III particle accelerator in Belgium sharing seismometer readings.
Within five minutes I had purchased tickets to their show in Los Angeles.
Can I get a – HELL YEAH!!!
If you asked me to name a single Rammstein song, I can’t. But I have seen the Rammstein documentary and now I have seen them live and all I can say is – HOLY SHIT! Continue reading →
When you think of the Cat and Fiddle you might think of late nights throwing back pints of Guinness, or maybe their Sunday roasts. Now you can also enjoy a civilized afternoon tea with three tiers of traditional treats. We were recently invited to try out the experience in their relatively new location. The Fiddle’s baked goods are as good as any bakery. The orange-glazed scones are proper British scones, not the cake-like pastries Americans call scones. Naturally, it was accompanied by clotted cream and their own homemade cinnamon orange marmalade, making it technically a “cream tea.”
Also stellar is the traditional Tottenham Cake, a classic sponge cake topped with pink icing. But what really blew me away was the shortbread, which was tender and buttery, but strong enough to be cut out with a whimsical cookie cutter without crumbling. As you might expect, the sausage roll, wrapped in flaky pastry, was also absolute perfection. The tea was rounded out by a trio of little crustless tea sandwiches — curried egg salad, minted cucumber with marscapone, and their tender roast beefwith a jalapeno jelly and grilled onions.
And what is tea without a hot cuppa? Served piping hot, PG Tips black English tea is the perfect accompaniment, but if you prefer you can order Earl Grey, Chamomile, or Peppermint. Hell, order a Guinness if you feel like it. Afternoon tea is offered Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4 pm. and costs $38 per person.
