Out and About in LA: Affair of the Arts

Kind of a low-key affiar this weekend. I’m sure a lot was happening the last weekend of May but didn’t really venture out. Walking so many miles will make you wanna take a break anyways. But Culver City did have a small time art meet up. So I decided to take a walk down and see what was there to offer.

Live Tweeting #6: Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2012)

I think we can all agree sushi is delicious. It seems like a simple piece of food: just a tiny piece of fish wrapped in a roll of rice and seaweed. But we never seem to notice how difficult it is to make a roll of sushi. Anywhere in the world right now is a chef trying to create the perfect dish for someone to eat in their restaurant. It has become an art form in creating the most beautiful dish of sushi. David Gelb has decided to focus on one of the most famous sushi chefs in particular with the critical darling…

Out and About in LA: Memorial Day

With the three day weekend I decided to walk around more of LA to get familiar with everything. Not all of it was impressive or even fun mind you. But it was still nice to go out and stretch those legs…Seriously though my legs are on fire.

25 Favorite Films: The Shining (1980)

While I am not ranking these twenty five films in any order I must admit we have (sort of) reached the end. The Shining is my all-time favorite film for a variety of reasons. A good reason for it is that this is one of the few horror films that perfectly encapsulates the tone of dread. Listen to what is the opening credits for the film:

Out and About in LA: Movies

So this is a movie blog primarily but lately it’s been all travelogue stuff. Moving across the country will do that. So this week I decided to get back into the swing of things and partake in some films. One from a comedy standpoint and the other experiencing a big budget blockbuster.

Wednesday

You may recall that earlier this year I reviewed the worst film (currently) of the year in Taken 3. Before I moved to LA I learned that comedian, and all around movie lover, Doug Benson was going to ‘Interrupt’ the show near me. If you don’t know, Doug Benson’s Movie Interruption is where he and several of his comedian friends watch a movie and riff on it. It’s like MST3K or RiffTrax but more blue. Unfortunately I couldn’t take pictures of the film in progress but I can report it was hilarious. There were character bits, good eye for crazy detail by Benson, and a runner on bagels that only makes sense if you were there.

I will certainly go back as it seems to be a monthly event. By the way this all took place at The Cinefamily. A movie theater that houses all sort of special events. Like silent movies, comedy shows, and very specific genres. Again, it seems like a cool place for a film buff like myself so don’t be surprised if you see me pop up there again.

     

Saturday

The movie I have been waiting for is FINALLY here! Mad Max: Fury Road has been labeled as completely bonkers but undeniably fun. In fact this might be the most critically acclaimed picture of 2015 (so far). So I decided to go all out and go to the new theater called Arclight in Culver City. It’s a pretty swanky place and I wish New Jersey had seats like this! I’ll eventually have a report on the film itself and, dare I say, a return to film reviews. But for now enjoy what could be if you were in Culver with me right now.

           

Great Movie Scenes #007: Day of the Dead (1985)

Warning! The clip shown below is super not safe for work. I mean there is no nudity but there is a ton of gore so….be warned. Although, nude zombies? I’m sure that’s been made into a porno already.

Out and About in LA: Cruising

So it’s been a while since I last did anything, other than work, in LA. On May 9th there was an annual car show and decided to give it a spin. It was a lot of fun with vintage cars, custom made vehicles, and oodles of people. Here are some of the highlights or at least what I found interesting…

How Not To: Alan Moore Adaptations

At this point the only way the public knows about Alan Moore is his ranting. When he isn’t doing yet another League of Extraordinary Gentlemen spin-off he is on his soap box about the comic industry. For the most part he is complaining about how filmmakers butcher his library for adaptations. Heck, he is now ranting whenever a friend of his gets an adaptation of his own (most recent includes the Dwayne Johnson stinker Hercules). Honestly, Moore getting on his soapbox any time is getting a bit tiring considering how frequently he complains about the same thing. But let’s face it, the man does have a point.

Out and About in LA: Day 4

Sorry for the delay guys! I didn’t really do much until later in the night and you’ll see why. I decided to go to a Los Angeles Dodgers game. Not only was it a lot of fun but it was a perfect night. Weather was great, the crowd was fun, and the Dodgers kicked some butt winning 8-0 over the Arizona Diamondbacks. All of those reasons, plus how cheap the seats were, means I’ll definitely come back later in the summer. Here are some pics of the stadium and the field to show what I mean.

                 

Views from my seat        

Me having fun 

And, of course, the greatest mascot ever: The Dodger Dog.  

 

Great Movie Scenes #006: Iron Man (2008)

What you are about to witness is genesis: