Movies Till Dawn: More Little Stabs at Happiness

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Paul Gaita

“Language Lessons” (2021, Shout! Studios) Effective and affecting two-hander from director/co-writer Natalie Morales and co-writer/producer Mark Duplass, who play a Spanish teacher and her somewhat reluctant student, respectively. The entire arc of their relationship transpires over Zoom calls (Morales’ Carino is in Costa Rica and Duplass’s Adam in LA), which may impact your appreciation of the film’s chief asset: the interplay between the two leads, who defy the separation inherent to their method of communication to forge much-needed connections in times of need. So appealing are the two leads that at times, one wishes the dramatic elements receded to simply give them more time to talk; as it stands, “Language Lessons” is an impressive addition to Morales’ growing directorial career (see also “Plan B“) and confirmation of Duplass’s status as a consistently and effortlessly creative indie force. Now available on digital and On Demand.

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watt’s picture of the week – friday, november 12, 2021

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Mike Watt

tonight’s the first gig via airplane in two years for watt… kind of shook up but we keep on keepin on…

photo by mike watt

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mike watt’s hoot page

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Follow the Breadcrumbs to Forest Lawn for POP’s Hansel and Gretel

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Ted Kane

Hansel, Gretel and the Witch

Production shot from Pacific Opera Project’s Hansel and Gretel


Pacific Opera Project is back this weekend and next with a production of Hansel and Gretel at Forest Lawn in Glendale. The opera tells the famous story of two siblings getting lost in the woods and encountering a witch with a grand, luminous score by the German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921), combining traditional folk melodies with Wagnerian flourishes. Like the Grimm’s fairy tale on which it is based, the work appeals to and can be appreciated on different levels by listeners of all ages, making it a near-perfect introductory opera.

Soprano Emily Rosenberg and mezzo-soprano Kara Morgan perform as the titular siblings, Melanie Ashkar is the Witch. Erin Theodorakis and Daniel Scofield are the Mother and Father, Anastasia Malliaras is the Sandman, and Brooke Iva Lohmann is the Dew Fairy. Brian Holman conducts the orchestra, while POP Founder and Artistic Director Josh Shaw directs the English language production. Performances will be held at Forest Lawn Glendale on Saturday, November 13, Sunday, November 14, Saturday, November 20, and Sunday, November 21, 2021, all at 5:00pm. Gates open at 4:00pm and patrons are encouraged to bri.ng a picnic. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased at Pacific Opera Project online.

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Tito Jackson Headlines Upcoming Long Beach New Blues Festival

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Ed Simon

Tito Jackson and his band are coming to Long Beach, to headline the Long Beach New Blues Festival on Saturday, November 13. The event will be held at a new location, the beautiful Shoreline Aquatic Park, on the water in Long Beach. This year, there is an awesome lineup of top blues artists playing, including Sugaray Rayford; Redd House; Laurie Morvan; Lester Lands; perennial Festival favorite the New Blues Revolution; Corday; East LA blues band The Disciplez; She Wears Black; Dano Forte and international blues star TJ & The Suitcase. Also featured will be a very special performance by Bill Grisolia and the New Blues Festival All-Stars.

Tito Jackson really needs no introduction. He’s been playing blues guitar since he was a child. Growing up in a musical family, he sang and played guitar with his family’s group which we all know as the Jackson 5. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, the Jackson 5’s unique sound took the world by storm. Although Tito Jackson loved performing their “bubblegum soul” sound that captivated millions, Tito’s desire to play the blues never went away. As they grew older, brothers Michael, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie continued performing pop and soul music, while Tito went on to become a blues guitarist and singer.

Tito Jackson talked to the Los Angeles Beat recently about his musical history, how he began loving the blues, his latest album Under Your Spell; and headlining the upcoming Long Beach News Festival.

Q: Hello, Tito. You came from a pop and R&B background with one of the most famous groups ever. At what point did you get into the blues?

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Silence of the Lambs 30 Year Anniversary Celebrated in Hollywood Museum’s Dungeon of Doom!

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Jennifer K. Hugus

President & Founder of The Hollywood Museum welcomes guests and media; Photo by Milestone Photo, Courtesy of The Hollywood Museum

The Hollywood Museum was guarded soundly, but trepidatiously on the night of October 21st as Hollywood Museum Founder and President Donelle Dadigan and her staff prepped for a night of fun, frightful festivity, and fava bean eating!  As demigod and gatekeeper of Gozul (aka Zuul) sat balled up on his beefy haunches adorning the rear trunk of the Ectomobile, parked on the sidewalk in front of the elegant double doors of the Old Max Factor Building, the likes of Anson Williams, Judy Tenuta, and Ruta Lee all sauntered by sans exhibiting a scream, howl, or shudder…

NON-invited-Celebs, passersby (and the occasional invited reporter) on the other hand, bristled at the menacing beast as a canned version of Ray Parker Jr. sang the praises of its arch nemeses in the forms of Venkman, Spengler, Zeddemore and Stantz! “Ghostbusters”!!!

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Movies Till Dawn: Fun Size Sour Shriekers (Halloween 2021)

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Paul Gaita

“Roh” (2019, Film Movement) The arrival of a strange little girl with a dire pronouncement sets in motion a chain of terrible events for a rural mother (Farah Ahmad) and her two children. Deceptively simple but deeply disturbing Malaysian supernatural chiller from first-time feature director Emir Ezwan refuses to play by traditional horror rules: strange and grisly phenomena occurs without explanation, forcing you to sweat out the film’s icy pace until the final, awful reveal. An impressive and promising debut; “Roh” is available now in theaters and virtual cinemas, as well as VOD and digital platforms.

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Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with This Cazadores Cocktail (Recipe Included)

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Karin E. Baker

Photos by Karin E. Baker for The LA Beat,

Tequila Cazadores is celebrating Dia de Los Muertos this season by giving back to disenfranchised members of Los Angeles’ Mexican-American hospitality community.

Now through November 3, the tradition-steeped tequila company founded in Jalisco in 1921 is donating money to No Us Without You LA, a 501c3 charity that helps bring food security to the most disenfranchised back-of-house restaurant workers (like dishwashers, prep cooks, and line cooks) and their families.

As Cazadores’ Global Brand Ambassador Manny Hinojosa announced during a Dia de Los Muertos party at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel this week,  share how you’re celebrating Dia de Los Muertos on social media tagging @tequilacazadores and #ReposadoInPeace and Cazadores will donate $50, up to $30,000, to No Us Without You LA. This initiative continues through November 3.

Looking for drink-spiration? Try the recipe, created by Hinojosa, below.

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Movies Till Dawn: Coffin Crisp Wafer Bar (Halloween 2021)

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Paul Gaita

“The Stand” (2021, CBS Home Video/Paramount Home Video) Miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s sprawling apocalypse novel for CBS All Access is a vast improvement over the 1994 TV version, but still struggles to present a coherent encapsulation of the story’s epic scope. Chief among its problems is the decision to present the first half of the book in flashback form; the choice is a more expedient path to the primary conflict  – between survivors of a global plague that have massed behind the forces of good (Whoopi Goldberg’s Mother Abigail) and evil (Alexander Skarsgard’s Randall Flagg) – but actually belabors everything that precedes it by constantly looping back to explain motivation or reason. That’s a counterproductive approach, given that it’s important to know why a) the world has been decimated, and b) powerful, world-changing supernatural forces have appeared. Additions to the story – including a new epilogue by King himself – also drag things past the point of patience; however, the cast is strong, especially Skarsgard as Flagg, James Marsden as hero Stu Redman, and Amber Heard as duplicitous Nadine Cross, and modern special effects are far more equipped to present a realistic End of the World than they were in the ’94 edition. The CBS/Paramount Blu-ray – a three-disc set –includes a making-of featurette and gag reel.

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Iconic L.A. Hot Dog Stand Tail o’ the Pup Returning in 2022

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Karin E. Baker

Go-Go’s at Tail O’ the Pup, 1980. Photo credit: Janette Beckman.

Good news for fans of historic Los Angeles — iconic hot dog stand Tail o’ the Pup is reopening in early 2022!

Shaped like a giant hot dog, Tail o’ the Pup opened in 1946 and was one of LA’s most beloved examples of programmatic architecture: structures built to look like the products they sell.

A sign outside Tail o’ the Pup declared, “Tasty hot pups—you’ll like ‘em!” The beloved hot doggery went out of business in 2005, with the original food stand tucked away in storage ever since.

Known for historic restorations of local landmarks like The Formosa Cafe and North Hollywood’s barrel-shaped Idle Hour, 1933 Group bought the 18-foot by 9-foot structure in 2018.

1933 Group spent years in search of the right spot to reopen the hot dog stand and just announced they finally found it. The group of cultural preservationists wanted something on a major street not too far from the original location on La Cienega near Beverly Blvd.

Stray Cats outside Tail o’ the Pup, 1983. Used by permission of 1933 Group.

Tail o’ the Pup’s new location, at 8512 Santa Monica Blvd., is a 2700 square foot property that will house the walk-up food stand, along with al fresco dining areas, including a beer garden. In an earlier incarnation, 8512 Santa Monica was the recording studio where The Doors recorded L.A. Woman in 1971.

Anthony Bourdain visited Tail o’ the Pup in 2002, featuring it on his series A Cook’s Tour.  The food stand was also a favorite of bands like The Go-Go’s, Devo, and The Stray Cats, along with Betty White and Sigourney Weaver, and appeared on an episode of The Muppets in 1987.

For more information about Tail o’ the Pup, visit their website.

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This Weekend, Borrow a Bike When You Buy Kiva’s Sour Gummies!

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Karin E. Baker

Image of Camino Sours courtesy of Kiva Confections.

Known for high-quality cannabis edibles like Camino Gummies and chocolate-covered Tera Bites, Kiva Confections just launched a new product. Camino Sours are similar to Kiva’s acclaimed mood-enhancing Camino Gummies, but come in new, tart flavors.

To make trying Camino Sours even more enticing, Green Goddess in Venice is offering a special incentive this weekend. On Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24, buy Camino Sours at Green Goddess and you’ll be given access to one of Kiva’s 10 Solé bikes for riding around The Strand in Venice Beach. 

These new sour gummies come in watermelon, peach, and citrus flavors. Dusted in sour sugar and precisely dosed, they feature customized terpenes to help you feel uplifted, balanced, or chill. 

In addition, if you purchase Camino Sours at Green Goddess on either of those dates, you’ll be entered in a raffle to win a customized Camino Sours bike!

Green Goddess is located at 1716 Main Street in Venice. 

 

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