Tag Archives: movies

Do This Today: Animal House @ The Vista

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Animal_House

It’s Thursday yo! Almost through the week… almost. Tonight check out the free screening of Animal House at the Vista. It’s all part of the United Film Festival. John Landis will be receiving the lifetime achievement award and also lead a pre-movie discussion about the film and his life. It says tickets are $5.75, but just show the Animal House poster on your phone for free admission. Or, to guarantee admission, buy the $5 ticket.

Event: Animal House at the Vista (event link)
Location: The Vista, 4473 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Time: Thursday May 2, 7:30p
Cost: FREE (or $5 pre-order get tickets HERE)

Do This Today: Double Feature @ New Beverly Cinema

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Get ready for a double feature! Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life and A Fish Called Wanda are playing back to back tonight for the cheap price of $8. That’s an awesome night of movies at a crazy low price. Get your tickets!

Event: Double Feature: Monty Python’s Meaning of Life & A Fish Called Wanda 
Location: The New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Time: 7:30p – 11pm
Cost: $8 (get tickets HERE)

Do This Today: Doug Benson Movie Interruption (comedy!)

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I got to see Doug Benson last night at UCB (more on that later) and he was hilarious per usual. He brings his movie loving hilarious self to the Silent Movie Theater tonight to screen Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter with a few of his comedy friends. You watch the movie and listen to the comedians comment on the film. It’s pretty great and Doug’s friends are usually very funny (like Sarah Silverman and Zach Galifinakis). Also, I read the other day that this theater is haunted (it has a famous history).. so keep an eye out for ghosts!

Event: Doug Benson Movie Interruption- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Location: Cinefamily Silent Movie Theater, 611, N Fairfax Ave, LA, CA 90036
Time: 8pm
Cost: $14
FIY: Parking is tough in this neighborhood, bring quarters for the meter or allow extra time to circle the blocks.

Weekend Guide August 3 + 4 + 5

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There’s nothing like really taking a close look at your student loans to ruin a Friday. In 35 years, I’ll be all payed off! And I’ll be just at retirement age.. excellent. Enough of my bummer Friday. Did you enjoy my Font Friday post? I’m VERY excited to bring that to you each Friday.. and I like that it gives you something to think about before I jump into the WEEKEND GUIDE! Yup, it’s that time folks!

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FRIDAY August 3rd:

Are you ready for Animation August at the LACMA? Tonight they will be doing an outdoor screening of Bolt. This is a free event starting at 8p. Come early to claim a spot, pack a picnic dinner and hang out by the giant rock. This is a great family night event.

Echo Park Film Center is hosting An Evening With Action Item where the band Action Item will present a 45 minute documentary and play songs from their upcoming album. It sound like a relazing chill Echo Park night.

I’m having trouble confirming this next item (click here for the details), but Maria Bamford should be performing at the Fake Gallery tonight from 8-10p. Tickets are $5 and Maria is worth far more. This isn’t to be missed.

Hey I have an idea- why not check out Maria Bamford and then head over to the Lyric Cafe (not far down the road) for Matty’s Pizza Party at 10pm. Tickets are $5 and you can get them HERE! John Ennis will be there tonight. He’s a comedy legend as he started out on the Mr. Show with Bob (Odenkirk) and David (Cross). And there will be pizza!

I almost don’t want to mention this because it’s pretty pricy, but for you music loving richies, this weekend is Hard Summer (Fri+Sat) at LA’s State Historic Park. The lovely location of the Renegade Craft Fair has now become a musical jamboree! A two-day pass is $129, and a single-day pass is $75 ($82 with fees). It’s too rich for my blood (given my depressing student loans evaluation this morning) but you should check it out if you have the time and the funds.

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SATURDAY August 4th:

Here’s the weekend movie forecast:
Eat See Hear: Purple Rain at the Marina Green Park in Long Beach @ 8:30 ($10)
Devils Night Drive In: Pulp Fiction downtown @ 8:30 (presale $10)
Street Food Cinema: Bridesmaids in Exposition Park @ 8:30 (presale $10)
Forever Cemetery/Cinespia: Sunset Boulevard in the Forever Cemetery @ 9 ($10)

If you’re sick of movies, and want to check out some comedy… Comedy Bang Bang (on IFC) is having their big Los Angeles event on Saturday at the Unitarian Church in Hollywood. That’s just the venue and I swear it’s not religious comedy. Get tickets and full details HERE. The event goes from 7p-12am, so you’ll get your monies worth! I mean, Nick Kroll, Andy Daly and comedy dreamboat Harris Wittels?! Does it get better than that?

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SUNDAY August 5th: (aka national cheese pizza day)

Last weekend a few friends and I rented bikes and biked the path along the beach. It was awesome and we all found ourselves thinking, how have we lived in LA this long and not done this before? Well, now’s your chance to jump in the fun. The LA Bike Coalition is hosting Sunday Funday, where bikers meet at 9:30am at Del Valle Park in Lakewood and then they bike in Long Beach. You can even become a member and do this all the time. Fun for the family!

The Upright Citizen’s Brigade has their monthly Gravid Water show on Sunday at 9:30p. This is an incredible show, where there are several 2 person scenes. One person has memorized a section of writing (play, poem, literary piece) and the other person has no clue what they’re reciting from and has to completely improvise. This improv show is fantistic. It’s great for literary buffs as well as people who enjoy comedy. It’s smart and funny. IT’s a hot ticket and usually sells out fast, but you can always put your name on the waiting list, and they are good about fitting everyone in.

If you’re looking to catch a new movie this weekend (indoors and not on a lawn) and feeling a bit melancholy, check out Celeste and Jesse Forever which opens at the Arclight and Landmark theaters this weekend. Check out the trailer for this funny bittersweet love story:

LA Story

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Are you new to LA? Have you lived in LA your whole life? Either way, you need to see the Steve Martin film LA Story if you haven’t already. I own this film, partly because I’m a giant comedy nerd who loves Steve Martin, but also because it’s really ALL about Los Angeles. The film creates a caricature of Los Angeles, and anyone living here will appreciate it and anyone new to the city needs to see it to get LA. Many of the scenes were shot on location all around LA, and I even recognize some secret stairs. Here are a few of my favorite scenes from this classic.

Did you watch the clip above? If you did, you got to see him driving down several sets of Secret Stairs. This next clip is one of my favorite scenes from the movie and takes place at the LACMA.

I swear there’s much more LA packed into this movie, and the above was just a taste. Rent it, Netflix-it, buy it. One last taste of this film:

Weekend Guide July 20 + 21 + 22

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Since the Weekend Guide is a “Do This Today” that covers the weekend, I’ll be back with that segment on Monday. Are you excited its the weekend? I’ve got so much to do this weekend and I’m grateful it’s here. I actually have a little art assignment I’ve given myself, which will help make the blog better, so check back for that in the next week or two. Alright, let’s get to it.

FRIDAY July 20:

Tonight at 6:30, Paul F Tompkins and Andy Daly will be performing in Dead Authors at UCB. Tickets are $5 and still available. Click HERE to make a reservation. Proceeds go to benefit 826LA, which is a great charity focused on helping students 6-18 with their creative writing skills. Come get your laugh-on!

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This next event is more of a special occasion event, but Mt. Baldy is offering Sunset Dinners. This is a great birthday present for a loved one and a great gift for someone who “has everything”. The reservation is $10 (you’ll have to pay additional fees for the food) and includes the cost of a lift ticket. How fun to have a romantic dinner at the top of the mountain followed by stargazing? Men, take note. Click HERE for all the details and conditions.

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Tonight from 7-7:30p, the MOCA Grand downtown is hosting L.A. Dance Project with  Benjamin Millepied. He and Amanda Wells will dance through the galleries where The Painting Factory: Abstraction After Warhol is on view.  Check out THIS Curve article about the event. Doesn’t that sound awesome? It reminds me of the rollerskating scene in LA Story, where they skate around the museum when the guards turn.

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SATURDAY July 21:

Bloomfest is happening downtown on Saturday from 2-10p. There will be live music, street art, food trucks, and vendors. Bring the family and come celebrate this community event. Check out their fun website for details and maps.

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I almost don’t want to tell you about this because the cost of the ticket is in my opinion, too much, but Los Angeles seems to be abuzz about it so I’ll talk about it here. The LA Street Food Fest is happening on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. A $45 ticket gets you unlimited food and drinks from a ton of LA food trucks from 5-9p. There will be a DJ, so bring a blanket and layout on the lawn. If you’re a high roller and this is the night for you, get tickets HERE. At least partial benefits go to charity.

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Pack up the blankets and picnic baskets to see The Winter’s Tale performed at 7pm on Saturday. It happens near the Old Zoo in Griffith, it’s free, and it’s put on by the Independent Shakespeare Co. Bring a jacket because it gets chilly when the sun sets.

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The Rookie Road Trip is coming to LA on Saturday from 7-10p at Space 15 Twenty. It’s an art installation/DIY event. Why not stop in and check out out.

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SUNDAY July 22:

Galco’s Soda Pop Stop is doing a soda tasting from 5-8pm. They are located in Highland Park, so maybe you could explore the secret stairs and then stop by for a soda refresher and some live music. What else is on York Blvd in Highland Park? The York!  Remember when I went? Why not stop there after the soda tasting?

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The W Hotel in Westwood is doing movies in their backyard this summer. On Sunday at 7pm they are doing a FREE screening of Matchstick Men. Get there early to get a spot, because they aren’t taking reservations, unless you want to pay for a cabana.. but who wants to pay for a free movie? Check out SHOW: Me The Movies for all the details.

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Weekend Guide July 13 + 14 + 15

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I’m sorry I’m so lacking today. I even have the day off from work, but I’ve been scrambling to get ready for a big camping weekend (as well as still doing work from home). That’s right folks, I’ll be out in the wilderness for the next 2 nights, so there won’t be any updates.

As for the weekend guide, here’s all I’ve got because I have to leave shortly.

FRIDAY July 13th:
Check out Shakespeare in the Park! It’s in Griffith and it’s free. Tonight they’re doing The Winter’s Tale. Grand Performances is doing a show called Mexico: Unexpected (MMM) which could be fun. If you like comedy, Set List is on at UCB tonight and tickets are still available. Dana Gould, Jackie Kashian, Rory Scovel, and Moshe Kasher will be there. Get tickets here.

SATURDAY July 14th:
On Saturday Silver Lake Craft and Vintage is back, and this time with free coffee. It runs from 10am to 4p so you should stop by and then explore the Silver Lake hills. It’s very fun. Later that night Church and State Bistro as well as Cliff’s are offering Bastille Day deals. So if you want to celebrate, hit them both up. Also, Eat See Hear is showing Pee Wee’s Big Adventure down in San Pedro if you’re south and want a night under the stars. At 10pm, Cinefamily is showing Party Girl starring Parker Posey and the director will be there in person (Daisy von Scherler Mayer). Tickets are $12 and you can get them here.

SUNDAY July 15th:
I’m having a hard time finding new unique events happening this Sunday. I blame comicon. Just because there aren’t new events doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do in Los Angeles on Sunday. Why not try a museum: Moca, LACMA, The Hammer, or even The Museum of Death (if you’re feeling brave). Have you seen Gallery 1988‘s Arrested Development exhibit? Go because it’s awesome and it closes after July 21st. On Sunday night UCB does their free Asssscat show, so get in line early to secure a spot and enjoy a free night of comedy.

I sincerely apologize to you for this lack-luster imageless update, but it’s all I can do. Just know that you are most important to me. Now go off and have a fabulous weekend!

George Clooney

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So as for my long awaited George Clooney post, here it is! I was invited by my sister to a special screening of The Ides Of March at the Film Academy, the new film directed (and acted in) by George Clooney. The film itself was a really great morality/political film starring Ryan Gosling (yum).  Check out the trailer here:

After the film George came out for a scheduled Q+A. Thankfully the interviewer was a knowledgeable columnist and had interviewed George many times before, so he didn’t seem nervous and knew intelligent questions to ask. I’ve been to some really ROUGH q+a’s, and thankfully this was smooth sailing. This most interesting thing I learned from it is that throughout the movie people keep meeting at noon.. it was a reoccurring element, and when an audience member asked for it’s significance, Clooney was honest. He said that when writing the screen play, noon was meant to be used as a placeholder (“so lets say these characters meet, okay then… meeting at noon”) and it wasn’t until the film was completed and being tested on audiences that they picked up on the repeated mention of that specific time. Such a funny accident. I must say that George Clooney was as confident, insightful, funny, casual, gorgeous and awesome as he comes across on tv. There was nothing about this man that was wrong. He also stayed for a while after the q+a to take pictures and sign autographs (a rarity at screenings, let alone with such an A-list actor). That man is really something special. Here is a photo my sister took (my cell phone pic just doesn’t cut it), that she took while we sat just 7 rows away. Ahhh, heaven. 

A Rare Rainy LA Day

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Of course day 2 of starting an adventure blog it’s down-pouring. It’s a great opportunity to talk about two fun rainy day activities around Los Angeles: Movies and Museums.

The Movies: This is a given for a rainy day, but it’s worth bringing up. Now a days movies are $15+ dollars (which is insane.. and don’t get me started about the 3D nonsense). Thankfully I’ve found that the matinee is still a thing theaters are doing, they just don’t advertise it. If you can catch a movie that begins before 12p, you can get it half price but they make it tricky. Often they begin their movie times just before noon, which means you have one chance to get the discount. But on a rainy Saturday, sometimes an 11:30am screening of whatever chick-flick is in theaters can make for a pretty sweet day. For people specifically in LA or NYC, when award season comes around (fall into winter) movies have free screenings and sometimes Q+A’s with the actors/director. Check out the LA Times or The Wrap for their free screenings. If you are in a union, they usually have free screenings as well (check out Below the Line). If you aren’t in a big city, smaller theaters sometimes offer a deal like $5 Tuesdays (which I had growing up in a small town).

Museums: In LA there are the big museums (The Getty, The Getty Villa, LACMA, The Hammer Museum or several MOCA locations) but there are awesome smaller museums that are worth a visit. Don’t get me wrong, I love the biggies (I’m a 2011 LACMA member- thank you Groupon!) but sometimes the most memorable museums aren’t the ones with Monet’s hanging in them. The Museum of Death (adults only), The Museum of Jurassic Technology, and The Museum of Tolerance are three museums I’ve been wanting to check out for a while now and are on my list, so expect a full report in a future posting.

One museum I recently walked by is Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum. I didn’t stop to check it out, but this museum is sponsored by the CCHR which was co-founded by the Church of Scientology (aka that’s a giant red-flag). Even their website is frightening, with a touch of “let us control you, and you will be safe” thrown in for good measure. You’ve been warned. 

The Skirball Cultural Center should probably be categorized with the other “big museums” because the Center is so large, but I feel like not many LA residence have

The Noah's Ark Exhibit at the Skirball Center

been here. This museum is great for children and adults. Their life-sized Noah’s Ark Exhibit is extraordinary. The animals are made out of everyday objects and it’s interactive as well, it’s so creative and worth a visit. This center also has theater events, which I personally have never attended, but my sister has raved about it.

Most of these museums offer discounts to students, AAA members, KCRW members, senior citizens, “free after five” deals etc. Once in a while they offer a “Target Sponsored Weekend” where several major museums are free and there is even a free shuttle service. The Getty Museum is always free, but charges $15 for parking so be sure to carpool. A MOCA ticket will offer you admission to all three museum locations for the day, so allow yourself the day to visit them all. Be sure to check out their websites for any special deals and events happening that day.

Well Im off to go enjoy this rare LA rainstorm. I think I just inspired myself to go visit the Museum of Death (that sounds unintentionally funny).

Teaser: Tonight I’ll be at Bigfoot Lodge for my first Trivia Night at that bar. Expect updates about it tomorrow! Also this weekend is my big Catalina camping adventure.