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Travelin’ Local’s Los Angeles & Orange County Valentine’s Weekend Calendar

Sandy Schroeder — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:42:00 +0000

What’s up this weekend? Well it’s Valentine’s Weekend, so here are some special events in and around LA and OC for you and yours, with more ways to celebrate on Valentine’s Day on February 14^th. Plus our usual round-up of Music, Arts, Sports, Children’s Programs, Community Events and more.

Judy Collins, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Saturday, Feb. 11

Known for her classic interpretations of “Both Sides Now,” “Amazing Grace” and
“Send in the Clowns,” the Grammy winning singer songwriter has thrilled audiences worldwide for more than 40 years with her unique blend of interpretive folk and pop. Accompanying herself on piano and guitar she performs music by her contemporaries and from her own classic songbook.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA

Roberta Flack and the Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom Hall Feb 9-11

Valentine’s Special, Grammy Award winner Roberta Flack visits the Pacific Symphony bringing her Intoxicating ballads: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly with His Tongue,” “Where is the Love” and more. Richard Kaufmann conducts. Segerstrom Hall, 715 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA.

Sex and the City Zoo Celebration, Sunday, Feb. 12

The Greater LA Zoo Association invites you to their annual lighthearted “celebration of animal dating, mating and cohabitating” for Valentine’s Day. Zoo veteran Jason Jacobs will share insights about the pros and cons of relationships in the animal kingdom. Champagne and chocolate will be provided for the humans. Witherbee Auditorium at the LA Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA

Watson Adventures’ Naked at the Getty Scavenger Hunt, Saturday, Feb. 11

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at 5 p.m. on Saturday evening with Watson Adventures on a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt for nudity in art. Teams of two to six people will discover secrets hidden in works of art involving nudity while tackling witty, tricky questions. No knowledge of art – or nudity – is needed to succeed. Advance reservations required. Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center, Los Angeles.

18^th Annual Valentine’s Celebration: Men in Blaque & UCI A Capella, UCI ArtCenter, Feb. 14

Bring your date or a friend and enjoy some wonderful music, at 8 p.m. on the 14^th., conducted by Joseph Huszti. Join them for a post-concert reception. UCI Arts Center Winifred Smith Hall, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

Venice Valentine’s Scavenger Hunt, Feb. 11 and 12

This biking scavenger hunt through Venice Beach is designed for teams of two to get to know each other’s intellectual side while enjoying a day out exploring. There are prizes for the top 3 teams. Bikes are available for rent, or you can bring your own. A portion of ticket proceeds goes to the Boys and Girls Club of Venice. Scavenger Hunt, 1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice.

Four Course Valentine’s Dinner, Laguna Canyon Winery, Feb. 11 & Feb. 14

Enjoy fine epicurean creations paired with artisan boutique wines while listening to live music. The Valentine’s WineMaker’s Dinner is $125 per person, plus 21% service charge plus tax. Members receive a 10% discount. Laguna Canyon Winery, 2133 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach.

Zeppelin Air Tour over Los Angeles Take an air tour over LA in the only airship in the US licensed for commercial passenger transport, Airship Ventures’ Zeppelin Eureka. It’s not private, but there are only 12 passengers per flight, with plenty of room to move around and enjoy the views out the large picture windows. Opt for the sunset flight. Airship Ventures, 250 Airflite Way, Long Beach, CA

Valentine Sunset Cruise with Dana Wharf Whale Watching Tours

Sail aboard the 95′ Dana Pride at sunset and search for whales, dolphin and other marine life set against the beautiful Orange County coastline. Chocolates and Valentine’s Day treats are included, as well as a glass of champagne. Dana Wharf Whale Watching Tours, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA

Valentine’s Day Dinner benefits ‘Save Our Beach, at McKenna’s in Long Beach

Fundraiser Valentine’s Day dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. at McKenna’s. For $100 per person, which goes to Save Our Beach, diners will get dinner, champagne and a guaranteed raffle prize. McKenna’s, 190 N. Marina Drive, Long Beach, CA

Queen Mary Red Hot Singles Mix and Mingle on Valentine’s Day

The party’s on from 8 p.m. to midnight complete with live music, dancing and a sweet treat candy station. Tickets are $19.95 per person and include parking.

The Queen Mary is at 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach.

Valentine’s Day Dinner with a View, Orange County Mining Company

Floor to ceiling picture windows offer your table a stunning view of Orange County, and the saloon takes you back to the mining era.

Orange County Mining Co., 10000 Crawford Canyon Rd., Orange, CA

Waterfront Beach Resort Anti- Valentine Day party in Huntington

On the flip side if you are really not into prescribed holidays, but still want to party, you can join with others and celebrate your censoring at the Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington. The Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Cst. Highway, Huntington Beach, CA

Clybourne Park, Mark Taper Forum, Center Theater, now thru Feb. 26

Winner 2011 Pulitzer Prize. Headed for Broadway in April, the LA Times called it, “Biting satiric comedy, damnably enjoyable.” By Bruce Norris. Directed by Pam MacKinnon. Jokes fly and hidden agendas unfold as two vastly different generations of characters tip-toe the delicate dance of social politics, pitting race against real estate at the crux of two seminal events — 50 years apart — in the same north Chicago house. Mark Taper Forum, Center Theater, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

Placido Domingo in Verdi Masterpiece Simon Boccanegra LA Opera, Music Center, Feb. 11, 15, 19,21, Mar. 1

Thrust into power, undone by a sordid past. Conducted by James Conlan with projected Engish Translations . The unrivaled Placido Domingo brings his celebrated interpretation of one of opera’s most complex characters to his home company. LA Opera is located at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and is part of the Music Center of Los Angeles, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA

Cinderella Les Ballets De Monte Carlo at Segerstrom Hall, Feb. 9 – 12

Sophisticated interpretation of this classic fairy tale romance , choreographed by Jean-Christopher Maillot. Exclusive West Coast engagement and Center premiere. Segerstrom Hall, 715 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

West Coast Premiere: Elemono Pea, South Coast Repertory, Now thru Feb. 26 Playwright, Molly Smith Metzler, and Director, Marc Masterson, give you this keenly observed comedy about class, family and the choices that shape who we are. Unfolding in real time, the sisters of an absurdly rich New York ad man and a visiting blue collar family from Buffalo collide. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa,CA

Star Wars, Where Science Meets Imagination, Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, Runs now through April 15

Imagine humanoid robots translating languages, land speeders zooming down highways, and X-wing Starfighters guarding the skies. Could these Star Wars™ technologies become reality? Find out in Discovery Science Center’s out-of-this-world exhibit, by Bose Corporation. Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main, Santa Ana, CA

Bowers Museum’s Warriors, Tombs and Temples, China’s Enduring Legacy, runs now through March 4. Following the extraordinary 2008 Exhibition, Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana partners with Houston Museum of Natural Science to show 200 newly discovered treasures from ancient Chinese tombs. Debuting now in the U.S., these ancient works of art come from three dynasties of Chinese civilization. Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA

Newport Beach Jazz Party at the Newport Mariott, Feb. 16-19

President’s Day Weekend is a four-day festival of “Right Down the Middle and Straight Ahead” jazz with big bands and duos, playing everything from Ellington to Sinatra. Stars include John Pizzarelli (Thursday) and Frank Sinatra, Jr. (Sunday). The Newport Mariott Hotel and Spa, 900 Newport Center Drive, Newport, CA

This Weekend’s Orange County Calendar

Sandy Schroeder — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:58:43 +0000

What’s up for this weekend? You’ll find it all right here, plus upcoming February events. Welcome to Travelin’ Local’s round-up of Music, Arts, Sports, Children’s Programs, Community Events and more.

Come Fly Away, Twyla Tharp/Frank Sinatra, Segerstrom Hall, Jan. 31-Feb. 5

Come see the new Broadway musical that brings together the legendary music of Frank Sinatra and the creative choreography of Tony Award-winner Twyla Tharp (Movin’ Out). Twyla and Sinatra have a long history of interpreting the magic of love and this musical is the culmination of her famed Sinatra interpretations that go back to 2009. The seductive vocals of “Ol’ Blue Eyes” sizzle with the sound of a live 14-piece big band and the visceral thrill of Tharp’s choreography. As 15 of the world’s best dancers tell the story of four couples falling in and out of love, you will experience the exhilaration of a first kiss, the excitement of a first dance, and the bittersweet moments of a first good-bye. Featuring Sinatra classics: “Summer Wind,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “My Way,” “New York, New York” and “I’ve Got the World on a String.” Graphics courtesy of Twyla Tharp/Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Segerstrom Hall, 715 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Surfcity USA Marathon, Huntington Beach, Feb. 5

California’s Classic Oceanfront Marathon runs on Pacific Coast Highway past the Huntington Beach pier and through legendary surfing beaches. The Surf City USA® Marathon includes the Free Wheelchair Mission 7th annual Run for Mobility as runners raise funds to send wheelchairs to people in need around the world.. Retro surf bands entertain with a Finish Line Festival beach side beer garden.

Pacific Symphony’s Family Musical Mornings, Segerstrom Hall, Feb. 4 Blast off as the Pacific Symphony travels through our solar system! Real footage from NASA will accompany music from Holst’s “The Planets,” as well as selections from “Star Wars.” Featuring the gifted young musicians of Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, these 45 minute concerts are especially designed for children 5-11. During the added Musical Carnival, enjoy free hands-on activities for children, who can meet Symphony musicians, sing, dance, play, color, try musical instruments and enjoy themselves in thematic activities related to the concert. (9 a.m. for 10 a.m. concertgoers; 12:15 p.m. for 11:30 a.m. concertgoers). Segerstrom Hall, 714 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Laguna Art Museum Annual Auction 2012 – Saturday, Feb. 4

From 6 to 9 p.m., a fast paced live auction will offer over 100 premier California artists’ works in an exciting silent auction. Sampling of cuisine from known local restaurants such as French 75 and Pelican Hill, select wines, a live DJ with live art performances and an afterparty of desserts and cocktails will complete this major museum fundraiser.

South Coast Repetory, Now thru Feb. 26 Playwright, Molly Smith Metzler, and Director, Marc Masterson, give you this keenly observed comedy about class, family and the choices that shape who we are. This runaway hit is fast, furious and funny. Unfolding in real time, just after Labor Day Martha’s Vineyard is emptying out, but you can still smell the expensive sun lotion, when the sisters of an absurdly rich New York ad man and a visiting blue collar family from Buffalo collide. Low price Previews Jan. 27 – Feb. 2. Opening night, Feb. 3. Reg. performances Feb. 4-26. (Note – profanity and adult situations included.) Photos courtesy of South Coast Repertory. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa,CA

Star Wars, Where Science Meets Imagination, Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, Runs now through April 15

Lonesome Traveler at Laguna Playhouse Playing now thru Feb. 5

The Rubicon Theatre Premiere Concert is sparked with “Tom Dooley,” “Goodnight Irene,” “Puff, the Magic Dragon” “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “This Land is Your Land.” .Lonesome Traveler traces our roots from the backwoods of Appalachia to the nightclubs of New York and San Francisco; from the mid 1920s to the mid 1960s. Among forty classics you will find your favorites. From “Michael Row the Boat Ashore,” to “Mr. Tamborine Man” to “Barbara Allen,” come to enjoy. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach

Bowers Museum’s Warriors, Tombs and Temples, China’s Enduring Legacy, runs now through March 4. Following the extraordinary 2008 Exhibition, Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana partners with Houston Museum of Natural Science to show 200 newly discovered treasures from ancient Chinese tombs. Debuting now in the U.S., these ancient works of art come from three dynasties of Chinese civilization. A priceless collection from tombs that were built like homes for the daily rituals of the royal family and secrets of the silk road. Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA

Roberta Flack and the Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom Hall 2/9 – 2/11

Valentine’s Special, Grammy Award winner Roberta Flack visits the Pacific Symphony bring her Intoxicating ballads with: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “Killing Me Softly with His Tongue,” and “Where is the Love” and more. Richard Kaufmann conducts. Segerstrom Hall, 715 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA.

Tokyo String Quartet at Sokia Performing Arts Center, Aliso Viejo, Feb. 9.

Known as one of the supreme chamber ensembles of the world, the Tokyo Strong Quartet was founded 40 years ago and has an international following. They perform over a 100 concerts per season and are known for their critically acclaimed recordings and teaching record. Sokia Performing Arts Theater, University Drive, Aliso Viejo.

Monster Trucks Hit Angel Stadium Sat., Sat. Feb. 11

Monster trucks will roar into Angel Stadium Saturday, Feb. 11. The total access pass activities go from 2 to 3 pm. The Party in the Pits starts after that and at 7 pm the high energy competition begins. Angel Stadium, 2000 Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, CA.

Newport Beach Jazz Party at the Newport Mariott, Feb. 16-19

Cinderella Les Ballets De Monte Carlo at Segerstrom Hall, Feb. 9 – 12

Startin Frum Skratch Records – Where Everybody Plays their Role

D. J. Schwartz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:44:10 +0000

Recently, I was fortunate to meet up with a local guy here, DeAngelo Edmonson, who has developed one of the more unique record labels I’ve ever come across. Having a lot of experience in business, of course, naturally I’ve had my fair share of dealings in the Independent Music Label sector.

But this story is hardly about me–it’s about DeAngelo aka “Quincy Bones” the young man I happened to befriend–and after time he began to tell me about his record label and its credos, its dedication to local talent, how it gives back to the community and most importantly, that they drop 18 different tracks every single month, and have repeatedly done so since the label was formed on the very first day of January, 2010.

Don’t let the grammar fool you, Startin Frum Skratch Records, is proficient in words, deed and dollars. In words, Startin Frum Skratch has done exactly that.

Startin Frum Skratch Records Where Everybody Plays their Role

From its humble beginnings on top of kitchen tables, inside garages, living rooms and parks, the label has become an entity that garners respect wherever its members and “Band of Brothers” happen to go.

Founded by DeAngelo “Bones” Edmonson, Startin’ Frum Skratch Records has morphed from a group of rag tag rappers into its own force like a gale force wind.

Together, they represent the hopes and aspirations of all their musicians and crew–a diverse group of men and women of all ages and races. By deed, everyone that’s part of Startin Frum Skratch Records, leads by example.

The hearts and minds of an entire community are behind them, as their agenda is to influence both today and tomorrow by example from the top down of the organization. Much of this has to do with the charisma, charm and brains of “Bones.” He got his nick because he’s skinny as a Bone. But don’t let that fool you–Edmonson is a scholar of the liberal classics–and he’s taken his knowledge of those to the streets and to the community.

Therefore, his credos is far reaching. Although a musician, much of who he is, and what he does, resembles that of a politician. Although they’re very diametrically opposed, in theory, in reality they can be integrated. As DeAngelo “Bones” Edmonson eloquently explains his philosophy: “Music can be more political that politics”. And I agree.

Like a force of nature, Startin Frum Skratch Records, is recalibrating and refocusing to literally ”recenter the music industry.”

Avoiding “back-room deals” made with conflicting interests, “Startin Frum Skratch Records” as I initially discovered has created an Independent, grass roots, record label.

According to Edmonson:

Every ten years history repeats and what were once considered to be “Old Fashions” become the new trends. Old movements become current events and things that have gone too far to the left or right, find their balance and center once more. Our goal is to ‘center the music industry’ our communities, our youth and those we consider to be role models.

Startin Frum Skratch Records is as organic as it gets. Bones says, “It’s not about the flame, it’s about the ashes. We’re extremely focused on building our foundation, because what we build today may be important; but what we leave behind will be history.

And I would add, Moths don’t follow other moths–they follow the light.

Wherever they go–Their Music Accompanies Them

Naturally, being the brilliant businessmen DeAngelo “Bones” Edmonson is–the label keeps all publishing rights and masters–as that’s part of the key to having a good Independent Label–along with good music and fantastic promotion.

To wit, their business philosophy:

Welcome to Startin Frum Skratch Official website. We hope to bring you the best entertainment EVER! Imagine a company who welcomes all opinions, talents, resources, and time schedule. We are building this company from scratch. We are making every member investors in our company.

Startin From Skratch Records also helps the community by keeping young men and women out of trouble by simply putting them to work or out in the field as videographers, models, hair stylists, photogaphers and every other position immanaiageable.

In essence, they’ve created a record label from nothing–from Scratch. And, they make and sell their own Swag–T-shirts–and along with making their own music, these visionary wunderkinds control their own music distribution and music production.

So what else is needed you may ask yourself?

Our support–let’s help them keep “the dream” by keeping their music going for the next 100 years. Support their website and whenever possible encourage these talented young ladies and gentlemen wherever and whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Meanwhile, kickback, and groove to the many artists involved in laying down their tracks and getting represented by a Label that’s dedicated to their art and artists which is a rare commodity in today’s world.

So here’s the roster of artists for you to enjoy and listen to the tracks they’ve laid down.

Just click on their Black & Blue Corporate Logo above to enjoy their Videos, Artists, Art, Events–and the rest of their information.

~Peace Out~

This Weekend’s Orange County Calendar

Sandy Schroeder — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:40:39 +0000

What’s up for this weekend in the OC? You’ll find it all right here, plus upcoming February events.

Welcome to Travelin’ Local’s Orange County round up of Music, Arts, Sports, Children’s Programs, Community Events and more.

West Coast Premiere: Elemono Pea, South Coast Repertory, Jan. 27 – Feb. 26 Playwright, Molly Smith Metzler, and Director, Marc Masterson, give you this keenly observed comedy about class, family and the choices that shape who we are. This runaway hit is fast, furious and funny. Unfolding in real time, just after Labor Day Martha’s Vineyard is emptying out, but you can still smell the expensive sun lotion, when the sisters of an absurdly rich New York ad man and a visiting blue collar family from Buffalo collide. Low price Previews Jan. 27 – Feb. 2. Opening night, Feb. 3. Reg. performances Feb. 4-26. (Note – profanity and adult situations included.) Photos courtesy of South Coast Repertory. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa,CA

Come Fly Away, Twyla Tharp/Frank Sinatra, Segerstrom Hall, Jan. 31-Feb. 5
A new Broadway musical that brings together the legendary music of Frank Sinatra and the creative vision of Tony Award-winner Twyla Tharp (Movin’ Out). The seductive vocals of “Ol’ Blue Eyes” sizzle with the sound of a live 14-piece big band and the visceral thrill of Tharp’s choreography. As 15 of the world’s best dancers tell the story of four couples falling in and out of love, you will experience the exhilaration of a first kiss, the excitement of a first dance, and the bittersweet moments of a first good-bye. Featuring Sinatra classics: “Summer Wind,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “My Way,” “New York, New York” and “I’ve Got the World on a String.” Segerstrom Hall, 715 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Monster Trucks Hit Angel Stadium Sat., Jan. 28 and Sat. Feb. 11

Monster trucks will roar into Angel Stadium this Saturday. The total access pass activities go from 2to 3 pm. The Party in the Pits starts after that and at 7 pmthe high energy competition begins. Angel Stadium, 2000 Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, CA.

Top Dog Underdog at the South Coast Repertory, runs through Jan. 29.

This Pulitzer Prize drama is an electrifying view of the gritty lives of two street savvy hustlers, Lincoln and Booth. The New York Times calls it, “a thrilling comic drama….dazzlingly written!” Bearing names of white men given to them by their father as a joke before he walked away, the brothers never stop conning suckers on the street and, ultimately, each other in this darkly funny drama of family grief and recovery. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa,CA

Star Wars, Where Science Meets Imagination, Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, Runs now through April 15

Lonesome Traveler at Laguna Playhouse Playing now thru Feb. 5

Bowers Museum’s Warriors, Tombs and Temples, China’s Enduring Legacy, runs now through March 4. Following the extraordinary 2008 Exhibition, Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana partners with Houston Museum of Natural Science to show 200 newly discovered treasures from ancient Chinese tombs. Debuting now in the U.S., these ancient works of art come from three dynasties of Chinese civilization. A priceless collection from tombs that were built like homes for the daily rituals of the royal family and secrets of the silk road. Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA

Roberta Flack and the Pacific Symphony at Segerstrom Hall 2/9 – 2/11

Tokyo String Quartet at Sokia Performing Arts Center, Aliso Viejo, Feb. 9.

Newport Beach Jazz Party at the Newport Mariott, Feb. 16-19

Surfcity USA Marathon, Huntington Beach, Feb. 5

California’s Classic Oceanfront Marathon runs on Pacific Coast Highwaypast the Huntington Beach pier and through legendary surfing beaches. The Surf City USA® Marathon includes the Free Wheelchair Mission 7th annual Run for Mobility, as runners raise funds to send wheelchairs to people in need around the world. Retro surf bands entertain with a Finish Line Festival beach side beer garden.

Cinderella Les Ballets De Monte Carlo at Segerstrom Hall, Feb. 9 – 12

Laguna Art Museum Annual Auction 2012 – Feb. 4

Joaquin Phoenix’s Movie “I’m Still Here” is a Hoax

D. J. Schwartz — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:24:01 +0000

Gee, as if that’s a real shocker. And frankly, if anybody really cares, well that’s their problem.

For anyone not familiar with the latest antics of these two Dynamic Duo morons, producer Casey Affleck and actor Joaquin Phoenix—Affleck “pretended” to film Phoenix pretending that he “lost his mind”.

Phoenix decried that he’s “giving up acting;”’ he grew a shaggy beard and his hair was unkempt; he didn’t bathe, only wore sunglasses and announced to the world that he was “going to be a rapper.” And squeezed into a virtual non-stop portrayal of Phoenix’ panic attacks, there were scenes of someone defecating on his face, Phoenix entertaining himself with drugs and prostitutes. And, oh yeah, he is supposed to now be a “rapper.” But there wasn’t much of that. Not much at all.

Frankly, since the entire movie had Phoenix in the eye of the Camera—how could anybody have thought it was real. He’s an egomaniac and as far as this critic is concerned, don’t bother watching the movie as it’s a colossal waste of time.

For me, there was a smorgasbord of give-aways that the movie was bunk. Like when he announced to the audience:

“Hey world, I’m Joaquin Phoenix and I can do whatever I want and I don’t care what you think.”

Errr. sure, Joaquin, whatever………………..

During a so-called rap performance he did in South Beach, Miami, he got into a verbal altercation then a physical brawl with someone in the audience. But why was Phoenix screaming that he “has a million dollars in the bank and what does the other guy have?”

Nuts don’t make those kinds of statements—egomaniacs do.

Phoenix,grew a ratty beard, embarked on a hip-hop career and fumbled his way through awkward interviews, such as his infamous 2009 sit-down with David Letterman.

“It’s a terrific performance, it’s the performance of his career,” director Casey Affleck told The New York Times–self-aggrandizement at it’s best–but in all reality, probably at it’s worst.

After much speculation (and mostly negative reviews), Affleck owned up to the ruse and revealed that most of the film was fake. The filmmaker described how footage of Phoenix and his siblings frolicking in Panama were actually actors swimming in Hawaii, with the film later doctored to look aged.

Affleck also revealed that disturbing moments in the movie in which Phoenix appears to live it up with prostitutes and drugs were created with the help of actors. (Again, does anyone even care).

Affleck revealed that the actor’s agent was even in on the stunt and agreed to cooperate after the director detailed his plan to show the world Phoenix “has lost his mind,” noting, “You would think he would have me killed immediately.”

Many moviegoers will perhaps question why Affleck and Phoenixwent to the trouble of staging what appeared to be a meltdown of an Oscar-winning A-lister instead of just openly shooting a “mockumentary” and calling it a day. Affleck explained that the duo wanted viewers to believe they were indeed witnessing the fall of a great star.

“We wanted to create a space,” he said. “You believe what’s happening is real.”

Spoken by a true, Hollywood elite moron—We, the movie-going public, want to watch movies that have stories, good plots, great acting, unique scenes and special effects.

As movie goers, and film lovers, we go to movies because we want to be scared, we want to be in on the action, we want to see the good guys win and the bad guys lose , we want to escape into the world of cinema for precisely the opposite reasons that Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix produced and filmed “I’m not Here”.

We want to dream, escape into new worlds, meet new characters with interesting personalities, we want to see drama, protagonists in love, interesting locales, and some film aficionados, of course, love all of the different genres that cinephiles definitely are drawn too.

As far as Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix’ “mockumentary” is concerned—we don’t like to be mocked and toyed with to massage atrophied abilities of the afflicted who are unable to properly practice the craft of true movie making.

Tom Cruise has taken over Beverly Hills – Literally!

D. J. Schwartz — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:54:42 +0000

A New Top Ten List for Tom Cruise Movies. Hands down, his take-down of the City of Beverly Hills has now taken the Number One Spot:

10. Tom’s bartending scene from “Cocktail”: Tom played an ex-soldier that tries to get a marketing job, but when he realizes he needs a college degree, he finds work as a bartender, an alternative career in which he successfully executes one of the most famous bartending scenes in the history of film. Not only did Tom Cruise flip bottles and entertain bar-goers in the movie “Cocktail” with flair, but his role as Brian Flanagan also earned him a nomination for the Razzie Award for Worst Actor. But hey, we still loved it!

9. Tom’s casino scene from “Rain Man”: Wanna learn how to master blackjack by counting cards and nearly bankrupting a casino? It’s exactly what Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman did in the movie “Rain Man.” In this classic scene, Tom and Dustin cheated their way Vegas-style to a large sum of winnings. We all know cheating is wrong, but it never looked like so much fun!

8. Tom’s motivational speech from “Magnolia”: Tom Cruise may be an actor, but he proved in “Magnolia” that he could deliver one heck of a compelling motivational speech on the big screen. It might not have been the exact “motivation” the audience would have expected from a typically clean-cut boy like Tom, but with his now famous “seduce and destroy” pitch, he taught male audience members exactly how to seduce women. So, remember to, “respect it… and tame it.”

7. Tom jumps car-to-car in “Minority Report”: From dramas to comedies, Tom Cruise has starred in numerous genres of movies and has pulled off many different types of characters. His most beloved roles, however, may just be those from his action movies. In “Minority Report,” he pulled off an intense car chase scene as he jumped from vehicle to vehicle, capturing a memorable movie moment.

6. “You Can’t Handle the Truth” from “A Few Good Men”: Some lines make scenes memorable, and some scenes become the heart of a film. This is particularly true with the now infamous line, “You can’t handle the truth!” from the movie “A Few Good Men.” Even though Jack Nicholson delivered the line, the courtroom scene with Tom Cruise goes down in history as a legendary moment. The line is listed at #29 on American Film Institute’s Top 100 movie quotes.

5. Tom hangs upside down while breaking in from “Mission: Impossible”: The “Mission Impossible” movies are known for their intense action scenes and Tom Cruise is known for entertaining audiences by performing the majority of the stunts himself. In the first “Mission: Impossible,” Tom showed off his athleticism in one particularly memorable scene when he hung upside down on a wire while trying to break into a CIA computer. 4. “Show Me The Money” from “Jerry Maguire”: Sometimes, a movie’s most famous line is more memorable than the plot, and in 1996, Tom Cruise delivered a line that would go on to stand the test of time. Still best known for the line, “Show me the money!” “Jerry Maguire” would go on to score an Academy Award win for Best Supporting Actor, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Although Cuba originated the line, Tom called and repeated it along with him. The line is listed at #25 on American Film Institute’s top 100 movie quotes and #80 on Premiere’s “The 100 Greatest Movie Lines” list.

3. Tom Cruise as Les Grossman in “Tropic Thunder”: He was hairy, vulgar, and a killer hip-hop dancer. In a role that would go on to become a hilarious alter ego, Tom Cruise caught audiences by surprise with his cameo as media mogul Les Grossman in “Tropic Thunder.” One of his most memorable scenes involved showing off his dance skills and doing what Les does best while jamming to a hip-hop beat. Les Grossman even made a return to the small screen by “producing” the 2010 MTV Movie Awards and has since landed his very own movie at Paramount. We wish nothing but success for Les as he continues to, “achieve greatness against the odds.”

2. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” in “Top Gun”: In all of Tom Cruise’s movies, he gets the girl, but in “Top Gun,” he delivered one of the best pick-up lines of all-time. Not only is, “She’s lost that lovin’ feeling” a memorable line from the movie, but his character, Maverick, swept Charlie (played by Kelly McGillis) off her feet with his (and 20 of his fellow cadets’) rendition of the actual song “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by The Righteous Brothers. Of course, Charlie was probably slightly embarrassed by Maverick’s approach, but deep down inside, what lady doesn’t want to be serenaded to by a group of complete strangers?

1. In what initially looked like an embarrassing mistake on the part of Beverly Hills, a sign in front of City Hall has been exposed as a movie prop, and for a Tom Cruise film, according to a comment left by Mayor Barry Brucker at the Beverly Hills Patch. Beverly Hills’s ornate 1931 City Hall is playing the part of LA’s government center during the course of a one-day shoot, reports the Patch, which initially thought the sign was an amusing screw-up.

It’s not clear what the movie’s about (could it possibly be alien genocide flick Horizons?), but the crew couldn’t have shot the real thing 11 miles east?

· Update: City of…What? [BH Patch]

The 84th Annual 2012 Oscars Nominees

D. J. Schwartz — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:57:21 +0000

Oscar Week Events

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences paid homage Tuesday morning to the early days of cinema by bestowing the lion’s share of Oscar nominations on two films that are valentines to the early days of cinema. “Hugo,” Martin Scorsese’s heartfelt love letter to filmmaking, earned the most nominations with 11, including best picture, best director and best screenplay as well as several technical Oscars. “The Artist,” the low-budget black-and-white silent movie that offers a glimpse of Hollywood during its transition to the “talkies,” earned 10 nominations, including nods for best picture, best director, screenplay, actor and supporting actress.

BEST PICTURE

“The Artist,” Thomas Langmann, producer
“The Descendants,” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, producers
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” Scott Rudin, producer
“The Help,” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, producers
“Hugo,” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, producers
“Midnight in Paris,” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, producers
“Moneyball,” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, producers
“The Tree of Life,” Nominees to be determined
“War Horse,” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, producers

LEAD ACTOR

Demián Bichir, “A Better Life”
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

LEAD ACTRESS

Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Bérénice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

“The Descendants,” Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
“Hugo,” John Logan
“The Ides of March,” George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
“Moneyball,” Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

“The Artist,” Michel Hazanavicius
“Bridesmaids,” Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
“Margin Call,” J.C. Chandor
“Midnight in Paris,” Woody Allen
“A Separation,” Asghar Farhadi

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“A Cat in Paris,” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
“Chico & Rita,” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
“Kung Fu Panda 2,” Jennifer Yuh Nelson
“Puss in Boots,” Chris Miller
“Rango,” Gore Verbinski

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“Bullhead,” Belgium
“Footnote,” Israel
“In Darkness,” Poland
“Monsieur Lazhar,” Canada
“A Separation,” Iran

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

“Hell and Back Again,” Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,” Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,” Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
“Pina,” Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
“Undefeated,” TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement,” Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
“God Is the Bigger Elvis,” Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
“Incident in New Baghdad,” James Spione
“Saving Face,” Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom,” Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

“Dimanche/Sunday,” Patrick Doyon
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
“La Luna,” Enrico Casarosa
“A Morning Stroll,” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
“Wild Life,” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

“Pentecost,” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane
“Raju,” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
“The Shore,” Terry George and Oorlagh George
“Time Freak,” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
“Tuba Atlantic,” Hallvar Witzø

ART DIRECTION

“The Artist,” production design: Laurence Bennett; set decoration: Robert Gould
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” production design: Stuart Craig; set decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Hugo,” production design: Dante Ferretti; set decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
“Midnight in Paris,” production design: Anne Seibel; set decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
“War Horse,” production design: Rick Carter; set decoration: Lee Sandales

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Guillaume Schiffman, “The Artist”
Jeff Cronenweth, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Robert Richardson, “Hugo”
Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life”
Janusz Kaminski, “War Horse”

COSTUME DESIGN

Lisy Christl, “Anonymous”
Mark Bridges, “The Artist”
Sandy Powell, “Hugo”
Michael O’Connor, “Jane Eyre”
Arianne Phillips, “W.E”

FILM EDITING

“The Artist,” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
“The Descendants,” Kevin Tent
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker
“Moneyball,” Christopher Tellefsen

MAKEUP

“Albert Nobbs,” Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
“The Iron Lady,” Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

“The Adventures of Tintin,” John Williams
“The Artist,” Ludovic Bource
“Hugo,” Howard Shore
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Alberto Iglesias
“War Horse” John Williams

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets,” music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio,” from “Rio,” music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown; lyrics by Siedah Garrett

SOUND EDITING

“Drive,” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Ren Klyce
“Hugo,” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
“War Horse,” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

SOUND MIXING

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
“Hugo,” Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
“Moneyball,” Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
“War Horse,” Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

VISUAL EFFECTS

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
“Hugo,” Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
“Real Steel,” Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

100 Years of Paramount Pictures sponsored by Film Independent & LACMA

D. J. Schwartz — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:07:10 +0000

100 Years of Paramount Pictures

January 26

For the next five months, on the last Thursday of each month, Film Independent at LACMA invites you to a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Paramount Pictures that will include a double feature of movies chosen from the studio’s archives. To kick off the Paramount Pictures’ centenary, the focus is on a pair of comedies created by the films’ female stars—women whose unique timing and specific approach to sexuality in film is groundbreaking for very different reasons. The first film is the unique and rarely revived A New Leaf, the 1971 directorial debut of Elaine May. In this odd and defiantly sweet take on a comedy of manners, Walter Matthau stars as Henry, a high-living player who has run through his entire fortune. This rake’s idea of progress is to seduce and marry the peculiar botanist and heiress, Henrietta (May). May’s film garnered her a WGA award for its script. In the second half of this bill, the seduction is on the other foot—that is, the slipper. In the 1933 comedy She Done Him Wrong, Mae West helped adapt the successful Broadway sex farce, “Diamond Lil” (which she wrote) that made her infamous. Speedy and hilarious, the 1890-set Wrong follows Lou (West) as she cuts a swath of larceny and lasciviousness through the Bowery, and her targets include a younger actor in his second role with his new stage name: Cary Grant.

7:30pm

A New Leaf

1971/color/102 min./digital

Scr / Dir. Elaine May; with Elaine May, Walter Matthau, George Rose and James Coco

9:15 (approximate start time)

She Done Him Wrong

1933/black & white/ 66 min.

Scr. Mae West / dir. Lowell Sherman; with Mae West, Cary Grant and Owen Moore

$7 for LACMA members

$5 for Film Independent, LACMA Film Club, and New York Times Film Club members.
Members of these groups will be required to show proof of membership when retrieving their tickets.

Tickets available to members Thursday, December 15 at 5 pm | Tickets available to the public Thursday, December 22 at 5 pm

Film Independent – History – About

The seeds for what would grow to be Film Independent were planted in 1981 when Gregory Nava and a small band of directors, writers, and producers began gathering regularly to share creative ideas and discuss ways to increase resources for independent filmmakers.

The non-profit member driven organization Independent Feature Project (IFP)/West soon emerged from these meetings with the mission to cultivate the careers of independent filmmakers, build larger audiences for independent film, and champion diversity in the entertainment industry. National recognition quickly followed when the organization took on production of the Independent Spirit Awards in the late 1980s and assumed ownership of the Los Angeles Film Festival in the year 2000. In time, IFP/West would become IFP/Los Angeles and in 2005 it took on the name Film Independent—a more accurate banner for the spectrum of services the organization had expanded to include.

Today, Film Independent remains a collective of filmmakers, industry professionals, and film lovers, but encompasses a broad community of individuals who appreciate and sustain artist-driven filmmaking. Film independent empowers filmmakers to tell their own stories, in their own voices and provides a support system in which their work can be appreciated.

Be independent. Not alone. Click here or call 310.432.1231 for information on becoming part of the Film Independent community.

This Weekend’s Orange County Calendar

Sandy Schroeder — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:11:15 +0000

What’s up this weekend in Orange County?

Plenty! And you’ll find it all right here, plus new February events. Welcome to Travelin’ Local’s round up of Music, Arts, Sports, Children’s Programs, Community Events and more.

Lonesome Traveler at Laguna Playhouse Playing now thru Feb. 5

Bill Maher, Irvine Improv, Sunday, January 22

Known for his political satire, Bill Maher is an American stand-up comedian, TV host, social critic an author. He targets religion, politics, bureaucracies, mass media, greed and people in positions of power. Don’t miss this evening with Maher. Irvine Improv, 71 Fortune Drive, #841, Irvine.

LaLaLa Human Steps Irvine Barclay, Thursday Jan. 26

The U.S. premiere of a new work from Montreal, Canada. Edouard Lock’s latest major work, The New Work, is inspired by classic love stories, Dido and Agneas, and Orfeo and Eurydice, re-envisioned with lightning fast spins in hyper dynamic choreography. The Irvine Barclay Theater, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA

Bowers Museum’s Warriors, Tombs and Temples, China’s Enduring Legacy, runs now through March 4.

Following the extraordinary 2008 Exhibition, Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana partners with Houston Museum of Natural Science to show 200 newly discovered treasures from ancient Chinese tombs. Debuting now in the U.S., these ancient works of art come from three dynasties of Chinese civilization. A priceless collection from tombs that were built like homes for the daily rituals of the royal family and secrets of the silk road. Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA

Top Dog Underdog at the South Coast Repertory, runs through Jan. 29.

This Pulitzer Prize drama is an electrifying view of the gritty lives of two street savvy hustlers, Lincoln and Booth. The New York Times calls it, “a thrilling comic drama….dazzlingly written!” Bearing names of white men given to them by their father as a joke before he walked away, the brothers never stop conning suckers on the street and, ultimately, each other in this darkly funny drama of family grief and recovery. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa,CA

Tokyo String Quartet at Sokia Performing Arts Center, Aliso Viejo, Feb. 9.

Newport Beach Jazz Party at the Newport Mariott, Feb. 16-19

Star Wars, Where Science Meets Imagination, Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, Runs through April 15

Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main, Santa Ana, CA

Surfcity USA Marathon, Huntington Beach, Feb. 5

Crystal Cove State Park’s January Tours. Explore tide pools, learn about geology and gray whales and visit the 12 acre historic district of famed cottages. The whole month is full of special guided tours. Crystal Cove State Park, 8471 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.

Cinderella Les Ballets De Monte Carlo at Segerstrom Hall, Feb. 9 – 12

Laguna Art Museum Annual Auction 2012 – Feb. 4

Orange County Calendar for this Weekend

Sandy Schroeder — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:30:09 +0000

What’s up for the weekend? You’ll find it all right here. Welcome to our round up of Music, Arts, Sports, Children’s Programs, Community Events and more.

Bowers Museum’s Warriors, Tombs and Temples, China’s Enduring Legacy, runs now through March 4th. Following the extraordinary 2008 Exhibition, Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana partners with Houston Museum of Natural Science to show 200 newly discovered treasures from ancient Chinese tombs. Debuting now in the U.S., these ancient works of art come from three dynasties of Chinese civilization. Many have been unearthed from imperial, royal and elite tombs and from ancient Buddhist monasteries near the modern city of Xi’an in Shaanxi Province. A priceless collection from tombs that were built like homes for the daily rituals of the royal family and secrets of the Silk Road. Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA

Top Dog Underdog at the South Coast Repertory, runs through January 29th

This Pulitzer Prize drama is an electrifying view of the gritty lives of two street savvy hustlers, Lincoln and Booth. The New York Times calls it, “a thrilling comic drama….dazzlingly written!” Bearing names of white men given to them by their father as a joke before he walked away, the brothers never stop conning suckers on the street and, ultimately, each other in this darkly funny drama of family grief and recovery. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa,CA

Newport Beach Jazz Party at the Newport Mariott, February 16th-19th

Star Wars, Where Science Meets Imagination, Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, Runs through April 15th

Imagine humanoid robots translating languages, land speeders zooming down highways, and X-wing Starfighters guarding the skies. Could these Star Wars™ technologies become reality? Find out in Discovery Science Center’s out-of-this-world exhibit, by Bose Corporation.

Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main, Santa Ana, CA

Surfcity USA Marathon, Huntington Beach, February 5th

Cats, Segerstrom Hall, January 17th-22th

Introduce your family to live theater with the magic and mystery of Cats. What began as a musical about cats after Andrew Lloyd Webber picked up a book of poems in an airport bookshop has become one of the longest running shows in Broadway’s history. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Segerstrom Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA

Lonesome Traveler at Laguna Playhouse Runs thru February 5th

The Rubicon Theatre Premiere Concert is sparked with “Tom Dooley,” “Goodnight Irene,” “Puff, the Magic Dragon” “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “This Land is Your Land.” .Lonesome Traveler traces our roots from the backwoods of Appalachia to the nightclubs of New York and San Francisco; from the mid 1920s to the mid 1960s. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach

Cinderella Les Ballets De Monte Carlo at Segerstrom Hall, February 9th – 12th

Laguna Art Museum Annual Auction 2012 – February 4th

From 6 to 9 p.m., a fast paced live auction will offer over 100 premier California artists’ works in an exciting silent auction. Sampling of cuisine from known local restaurants such as French 75 and Pelican Hill, select wines, a live DJ with live art performances and an after party of desserts and cocktails will complete this major museum fundraiser.

Special Foodie tip: New Umami Burgers coming to Anaheim Brewery, 336 St. Anaheim Blvd. and 610 N. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. Umami’s fifth taste burgers are rated among the best in Southern California. Secret? They grind their own beef and pickle their own veggies.

Orange County – Playground for Hollywood’s Famous and Sports’ Top Athletes

Sandy Schroeder — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:15:11 +0000

Recently we visited Orange County’s historic movie theaters. Some are thriving. Others are valiantly struggling. Then we explored OC movie locations, where George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Reese Witherspoonll all worked.

So, not surprisingly, Orange County was and remains a playground and home for Hollywood’s glitterati, as well as home for many famous and successful sports celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods.

In a world of tweeted news, the celeb world is quickly reflected. However, with a little digging, the celebrity world thrives and always has in Orange County.

Right now…

We can head up to Newport’s Pelican Hill resort, and find Lakers’ captain, Kobe Bryant, parking his Lamborghini in front of a $1,000 a day hideway, as he leaves his Newport mansion to sort out his marital difficulties.

Or we might spot Justin Bieber at the Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach, shop with Sandra Bullock at South Coast Plaza, go to Disneyland with Jack Nicholson, Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon; or Elton John dining at the Anaheim White House with Brad Pitt, Gwen Stefani or famed tenor, Andrea Bocelli.

If you’re a sushi afficianado, the Ra Sushi Bar in Huntington is another constant hotspot for celebrities. (If there be sure to try their Pineapple Cream Wontons).

Then if we go way back.

At Newport’s Balboa Bay Club in the forties we’d find John Wayne playing chess, or Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall flirting at the bar. Claire Trevor was also there, winning an Oscar for Key Largo and was nominated for Dead End and The High and the Mighty. She settled into Newport and married producer Milton Bren. Her stepson, Donald Bren, went on to dominate Orange County real estate with his real estate empire, The Bren Company. The University of California Irvine later established The Claire Trevor School of the Arts in her honor.

Tyrone Power honeymooned here in the fifties, staying on Lido Island and sailing his sloop, The Black Swan, with Rock Hudson and Sterling Hayden. Shirley Temple, George Burns and James Cagney all lived here too.

The John Wayne Legend..

It also seems like every third person in Orange County either had a drink with Wayne or spent time on his boat, the 134-foot Wild Goose, along with Dean Martin and Bob Hope. They named the main Orange County airport after John Wayne, and would probably have elected him Newport mayor if he was interested.

Wayne grew up in the twenties bodysurfing and playing football, when an injury forced him to try acting. Early cowboy star Tom Mix hired him as a prop man for Fox Studios and John Ford discovered him while he was loading furniture. The Duke lived in a huge waterfront home overlooking Newport Bay until his death in 1979. He is buried just a few miles away at Pacific View Cemetery in Corona del Mar.

Joseph Wambaugh, former LA police officer, and long running novelist, spun much of his material here–writing The New Centurions, The Choirboys, The Onion Field, The Black Marble and The Blue Knight. The Golden Orange comes closest to Newport glimpsing life in and around Balboa Island. Best selling author Dean Koontz also lives in Newport.

Skipping around OC, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicholas Cage both lived in Newport along with Kelly McGillis, Jean-Claude Van Dame and surf guitar king, Dick Dale. Steve Martin grew up in Garden Grove. Sandra Bullock briefly lived in Sunset Beach, while Cameron Diaz lived next door in Surfside.

Going way back, Bette Davis lived in Corona del Mar when her film Jezebel launched the opening of the historic Lido Theater in 1936. And Fatty Arbuckle grew up in Santa Ana, where he appeared live on the Yost Theater stage, another historic movie theater that has recently been reinvented as a club.

Diane Keaton and Jennifer Aniston have both called Laguna Beach home and famed opera singer Deborah Voigt lived in Placentia as a teen. Actor John Raitt was born in Santa Ana and went to high school in Fullerton. As a memorial, Raitt Street runs through a portion of central Orange County. Raitt was known for his stage roles in Carousel and Oklahoma, and is the father of singer Bonnie Raitt.

While golfer Tiger Woods grew up in Orange County, learning to play on a Cypress golf course, retired baseball record setter Mark McGwire lived in Huntington Harbor setting up his own restaurant/hangout as the Abbey in Seal Beach. Kevin Costner and Will Ferrell also spent time in OC.

As a final touch of literary history, down in South Laguna, the Hangover House recently sold for $2.4 million. This 1930’s home on Ceanothus Drive was so named because of its party history. It was also said to be the inspiration for the Heller House in Ayn Rand’s novel, The Fountainhead.

The celeb story here is ever changing and that’s what makes it so irresistible a topic; new names, new hotspots just keep popping up, as but one more vital link to the film and movie star fame and magic that we all treasure.

Photos courtesy of Al Brittian and Golf.com.

Free Concerts from the World

D. J. Schwartz — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:37:05 +0000

In case you hadn’t heard, the Music Center downtown is offering free concerts designed to give you and your family a little taste of the world.

Each concert brings a different country to light.

This week, on January 14^th, you can enjoy the Khac Chi Ensemble & Korean Classical Music and Dance Company at the W. M. Keck Children’s Amphitheatre in the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Khac Chi Ensemble performs the music of the mountain people of Vietnam featuring rare instruments such as the dan t’rung – a suspended bamboo xylophone – and the dan bau – a one-stringed zither. The energetic rhythms and fascinating timbres offer intriguing glimpses into Vietnam’s rich musical traditions.

Korean Classical Music and Dance Company

In celebration of the Lunar New Year, the Korean Classical Music and Dance Company performs both folk and court styles. Using a 12-tone scale instead of the Western diatonic scale, the company performs authentic music and exquisite dance that originated with the ancient culture’s royal dynasties.

Even though these performances are free, you still need to get tickets. Head to Grand Avenue at 2^nd Street one hour before each scheduled concert time, which are at 11:00am and 12:30pm.

Workshops, designed to let children explore the featured culture through unique art-making projects such as calligraphy, puppets, musical instruments, accordion books, textile projects and more, are available on each concert day and are also free.

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award Nominations

D. J. Schwartz — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:18:07 +0000

The Screen Actor Guild (SAG)Awards is the only Awards show that exclusively honors performers, and it presents thirteen awards for acting in film and television, including both individual performances as well as on the work of the entire ensemble of a drama series and comedy series, and the cast of a motion picture.

The SAG Awards also nominate and vote for outstanding performances by film and television stunt ensembles.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards include the Life Achievement Award is given annually to an established performer for nurturing the highest ideals of the acting profession and tributes to the varied talents within the Guild’s membership.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are also distinctive in the size of its voting body. Two randomly selected panels of 2,100 SAG members each from across the United States choose the nominees for television and motion pictures.

The final ballot then goes out to the full guild membership — approximately 100,000 members — who select the outstanding performances of the year.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards is the only national network television show to recognize the work of union members; affiliated with the AFL-CIO through the Associated Actors and Artistes of America.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards also benefits the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, which provides a meaningful way for SAG members to contribute to the literacy of children in their respective communities via BookPals (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools), its online component, Storyline, and the We the Children family-heritage book-writing project.

Interestingly, the SAG Foundation programs provide emergency relief to members in economic distress, video and audio preservation of the creative legacy of SAG members, scholarships for performers and their children and emergency funds for members with catastrophic illnesses.

The 18^th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominees were announced on December 14, 2011 from the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, CA at 9am EST.

The awards season’s premier events, 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live coast to-coast on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, at 8 p.m. (ET), 7 p.m. (CT), 6 p.m. (MT) and 5 p.m. (PT)from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles. It will also air internationally as well.

Some incisive comments about the SAG 2012 Nominees, indicate that the SAG awards are timely and veritably interconnected with the Academy Award nominee process, along with the Golden Globe Nominees, The Los Angeles Film Critics choices, The New York Art Critics picks, The Foreign Press Association’s choices, The AFI Awards, The Spirit Awards, and the Emmy, Tony, and the Guild Awards:

“The ensemble prize at the SAG Awards is one of the most reliable prophets of Academy Award glory, and while Wednesday’s Screen Actors Guild nominations clarified the front-runners for the best picture Oscar race, they may have muddied the outlook for the second tier of movies.

The 2,100 nominating voters in the actors union picked "The Help," "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Midnight in Paris" and "Bridesmaids" for its cast award, SAG’s honor for the year’s top production. While "Bridesmaids," a raunchy comedy, was a mild surprise, the other four selections were favorites.

"I think actors understand how hard comedy is, and that’s why we were acknowledged," said Judd Apatow, who produced "Bridesmaids."

The civil rights drama "The Help" collected the most nominations, with four, while "The Artist" — a black-and-white silent film — was second with three. In including "Bridesmaids," SAG voters bypassed some year-end releases that have strong pedigrees and critical buzz. Not one cast member from Stephen Daldry’s 9/11 story "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," Steven Spielberg’s World War I drama "War Horse" or Martin Scorsese’s 3-D family film "Hugo" received a nomination. Two of December’s most acclaimed performances — Michael Fassbender playing a sex addict in "Shame" and Gary Oldman as a master spy in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" — also were not nominated.

Awards-watchers are now waiting to see how those films fare with Golden Globes nominations, which were announced on Thursday morning, December 15 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. A number of those movies, including "Extremely Loud," as well as David Fincher’s "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," are not in theaters yet and only recently started screening for critics and awards voters. It’s unclear how many people on SAG’s nominating panel saw those movies before ballots were due.

Last season, all five of SAG’s ensemble nominees earned nominations in the best picture Oscar race, with both SAG and the academy choosing "The King’s Speech" as the year’s top film. But while SAG selects five nominees for its ensemble award, there can be up to 10 nominees for the best picture Academy Award.

The nominating process creates a coalescing of varied interests and makes the political component of picking Motion Picture Film Awards along with Television Show winners more predictable and palpable for both our Industry Town and the general public throughout the world.

That being the case, the following is a list of nominees for the 18^th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role

DEMIÁN BICHIR / Carlos Galindo – "A BETTER LIFE"
GEORGE CLOONEY / Matt King – "THE DESCENDANTS"
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / J. Edgar Hoover – "J. EDGAR"
JEAN DUJARDIN / George – "THE ARTIST"
BRAD PITT / Billy Beane – "MONEYBALL"
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role

GLENN CLOSE / Albert Nobbs – "ALBERT NOBBS"
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark – "THE HELP"
MERYL STREEP / Margaret Thatcher – "THE IRON LADY"
TILDA SWINTON / Eva – "WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN"
MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Marilyn Monroe – "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN"
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role

KENNETH BRANAGH / Sir Laurence Olivier – "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN"
ARMIE HAMMER / Clyde Tolson – "J. EDGAR"
JONAH HILL / Peter Brand – "MONEYBALL"
NICK NOLTE / Paddy Conlon – "WARRIOR"
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER / Hal – "BEGINNERS"
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role

BÉRÉNICE BEJO / Peppy – "THE ARTIST"
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote – "THE HELP"
MELISSA McCARTHY / Megan – "BRIDESMAIDS"
JANET McTEER / Hubert Page – "ALBERT NOBBS"
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson – "THE HELP"
Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture
"THE ARTIST"
"BRIDESMAIDS"
"THE DESCENDANTS"
"THE HELP"
"MIDNIGHT IN PARIS"
TELEVISION
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series

PATRICK J. ADAMS / Mike Ross – "SUITS"
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch "Nucky" Thomson – "BOARDWALK EMPIRE"
KYLE CHANDLER / Eric Taylor – "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS"
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White – "BREAKING BAD"
MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan – "DEXTER"
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series

KATHY BATES / Harriet Korn – "HARRY’S LAW"
GLENN CLOSE / Patty Hewes – "DAMAGES"
JESSICA LANGE / Constance – "AMERICAN HORROR STORY"
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – "THE GOOD WIFE"
KYRA SEDGWICK / Dept. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson – "THE CLOSER"
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series

ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – "30 ROCK"
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – "MODERN FAMILY"
STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott – "THE OFFICE"
JON CRYER / Alan Harper – "TWO AND A HALF MEN"
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker – "MODERN FAMILY"
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series

JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy – "MODERN FAMILY"
EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – "NURSE JACKIE"
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon – "30 ROCK"
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett – "MODERN FAMILY"
BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky – "HOT IN CLEVELAND"
Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE"
"BREAKING BAD"
"DEXTER"
"GAME OF THRONES"
"THE GOOD WIFE"
Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series
"30 ROCK"
"THE BIG BANG THEORY"
"GLEE"
"MODERN FAMILY"
"THE OFFICE"
Outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries

LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Thurgood Marshall – "THURGOOD"
PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke – "TOO BIG TO FAIL"
GREG KINNEAR / Jack Kennedy – "THE KENNEDYS"
GUY PEARCE / Monty Beragon – "MILDRED PIERCE"
JAMES WOODS / Richard Fuld – "TOO BIG TO FAIL"
Outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or Miniseries

DIANE LANE / Pat Loud – "CINEMA VERITE"
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – "DOWNTON ABBEY"
EMILY WATSON / Janet Leach – "APPROPRIATE ADULT"
BETTY WHITE / Caroline Thomas – "HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE LOST VALENTINE"
KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce – "MILDRED PIERCE"
HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU
COWBOYS & ALIENS
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

DEXTER
GAME OF THRONES
SOUTHLAND
SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA
TRUE BLOOD
48TH LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
MARY TYLER MOORE

Orange County’s Movie History

Sandy Schroeder — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:05:39 +0000

Can we rewind and fast forward? That seems to be the movie question in Orange County. Right now Orange County has a small core of historic movie theaters that we recently explored, and a fresh crop of the newest movie multiplexes like Newport’s Island Cinema.

What will happen next?

In an age of instant communication with more electronic choices than we ever dreamed of, I think we are fortunate to still be able to “go to the movies.” Perhaps the message is to stay involved and support them all.

Not surprising, many of us also get excited when we spot a film crew and see a new movie being shot.

So let’s look at Orange County’s landscape of movie locations. Like me, I’m sure you will find a few memories lurking there. A lot of magic has happened in Orange County. Perhaps even more has originated in Los Angeles. But either way, when we troop off to the movies, the screen often reflects us.

Orange County beaches from Seal to Laguna and beyond have always played a part in the movies. Going way back, the 1923 silent film version of the Ten Commandments was shot in Seal Beach. Cecil B. DeMille used local extras to shoot the film and melting jello to create the effect of the parting of the water! Much later George Clooney turned up in Dana Point to shoot ocean shots that were depicted as Gloucester, Massachusetts in The Perfect Storm.

The Crystal Cove State Park and the Balboa Fun Zone near the Balboa Pavilion provided a playground for Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey in Beaches. Last fall, Oliver Stone was on the sand in Laguna Beach filming Savages with John Travolta and Uma Thurman.

Newport Beach was the opening scene of Gilligan’s Island as the S.S. Minnow leaves the harbor. Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown used a Newport apartment setting for the main character. Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise are in the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center in the closing scene of Rain Man.

The University of California, Irvine, which also houses the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, has hosted a whole string of movies. Check the UCI at the Movies site for more details. Ocean’s Eleven was filmed there in 2001 with most of it shot at night and over weekends. During the shooting, Clooney and his cohorts snacked at The Anteatery, the local campus restaurant.

Poltergeist was also done at UCI with the Main Library serving as a scary backdrop. Silent Movie, director Mel Brooks’ comic tribute to the silent screen, was shot at the UC Irvine Main Library, Aldrich Park, and the Gateway Plaza.

John Wayne/Santa Ana Airport doubled as the Las Vegas airport in the Rat Race which was a remake of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World. Clear and Present Danger with Harrison Ford and Jerry McGuire with Tom Cruise also used the John Wayne/Santa Ana Airport.

Legally Blonde was shot on the steps of the Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana. Palm trees wrapped with fir trees turned the steps into those of the Harvard Law School. Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon film was done in Los Angeles, but Nixon’s Western White House in San Clemente and the parking lot of the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda were used for garden and helicopter lift off scenes. Some of the scenes in Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan happened at The Block at Orange in Orange.

The Park Place corporate complex in Irvine, became a view of the future in the Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. The 2006 movie, A Scanner Darkly was shot in Anaheim with freeway scenes taken along the I-5 in Tustin. Little Saigon in Westminster was one of the locations for The Fast and the Furious when Johnny Tran and his gang blow up Vin Diesel and Paul Walker’s car.

The Main Place Mall in Santa Ana became the opening chase scene in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Kindergarten Cop. The 2009 shuttle bay scenes for the Star Trek movie were done in the Tustin blimp hangars.

The Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley was the staging ground for Starship Troopers. Will Smith’s movie Hancock opened with a scene in Costa Mesa. The Coen Brothers’ The Man Who Wasn’t There, Martin Lawrence’s Big Momma’s House and Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do all used Orange County for some of their filming.

The 2005 neo-noir film, Brick, might be one of the best examples of local work. It was written and directed by Rian Johnson, who won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. He was influenced by Dashiell Hammett’s detective novels, shooting the film in 20 days in San Clemente, where he grew up.

The list is hypnotizing, one film memory after another forms a continuous loop of celluloid history that runs all around the County. Other places with other inducements have lured projects away, but the hope is that we will wake up to the losses, recognize what we have, and push for the future in movie theaters and movie projects so that our kids and their kids can continue to share the magic.

UCI at the Movies and Wikipedia were used as references for location research.

Orange County’s Historic Movie Theaters

Sandy Schroeder — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:24:57 +0000

Step closer. Remember when the lights dimmed, the red velvet curtains parted, and the organist played the first notes in these historic keepers of movie magic.

As I stood in front of the historic Bay Theater in Seal Beach, that some say Steven Spielberg frequented when he attended California State Long Beach, I wondered where will this story go as we fast forward to the future?

Will Orange County’s core of historic movie theaters be renovated, preserved, and carefully handed over from one generation to the next?

Or will their historic presence and unique voice be swept away in a stream of laptop movies, Netflix fixation, home entertainment hideaways and real estate pairings of cinema multiplexes with sleek restaurants and shops?

In researching this story and series about Orange County’s Historic Movie Theaters, I found celluloid footprints all over Orange County.

In this article, I will focus on some of the treasured movie houses that date back to the thirties. Some are showing movies daily. Others have been torn down or converted to other uses. A few stand silent, waiting for the next screening, as loyal residents create foundations to reopen them.

Beyond the movie theaters there is a whole separate landscape of legendary locations where movies have been shot in Orange County. Everywhere you look a new film is about to shoot, or has already been used as a backdrop. And finally, there is the sizzle that Hollywood’s brightest bring as they continue to live and play in Orange County.

But now let’s look at Orange County’s Historic Movie Houses

For starters, the Bay Theater in Seal Beach, The Lido in Newport, and the Laguna South Coast Cinemas in Laguna Beach are all up and currently operating and showing movies. But there are footnotes to their stories, as we shall see. Meanwhile, the Yost Theater in Santa Ana, has been reinvented, and many others are regrouping.

The Bay Theater in Seal Beach, at 340 Main Street, is a single screen theater currently showing independent, foreign and classic movies. But its future has been up for discussion in recent meetings of the Seal Beach Planning Commission. The original owner passed away and the Bay has been listed officially and unofficially for sale by the owner’s daughter. The Bay Theater was built in 1947 and purchased by Richard Loderhose in 1975. For many years a Wurlitzer organ was a magnificent part of this theater and the movie going experiences. Now, it’s since been sold.

Local officials and residents are calling for new strategies and re-thinking about these historic and cultural Orange County Historic movie theater landmarks, hoping to keep them remaining as officially designated historic landmarks or be given tax break subsidies to stay in business. Movie theater fans here are looking for ways to promote it, hoping to build support before they are all gone and have disappeared.

When I was there The Wizard of Oz, was playing.

Positioned in the third block of the popular Main Street Old Town area here, there are fun restaurants, Irish taverns, and little shops within easy walking distance. Parking is just around the corner. Could be a good date night or Sunday outing fare, capped with a stroll on the pier.

The Lido in Newport at 3459 Via Lido, opened in 1938. The story goes that Bette Davis, lived nearby in Corona Del Mar and insisted her movie, Jezebel be the opening night film. Her wishes were granted, along with requests for a smoking parlor in the ladies’ room. The mens’ room was subsequently moved upstairs to make space for the parlor.

The tile throughout the theatre is original and gorgeous, installed in the 30’s by a local Italian family. Real tickets are issued in the small matching tiled box office out front. The sound system and Grand Marquee are first rate. True signatures of the best! Free parking is available behind the theater and independent and foreign films reign here.

Restaurants like the Blue Water Grill and the Cannery are just around the corner, and Woody’s is right next door.

The Lido is also a film hub for the whole Southern California surf, skateboarding and winter sport culture, screening all of their biggest and best films. The Lido also serves as a leader for the Newport Beach Film Festival in the spring.

In a word, in my opinion, the Lido, could be a template for what every historic movie theater should and could be with enough support!

The Laguna South Coast Cinemas located at 162 South Coast Highway, first opened in 1923. Sitting right in the midst of a beautiful old brick complex with shops on either side, the theater faces Main Beach across Coast Highway, and has an inviting courtyard accented with original tiles.

It’s Just right for a day in Laguna with a shop, lunch, movie excursion or an early show and dinner at one of many nearby restaurants. There’s a public parking lot about a block up from the theater.

This historic theater is the only surviving movie theater in this flourishing art community. In the eighties the auditorium was divided to create two screens and two smaller areas. What the future holds is hard to predict. With a surge of promotion and some upgrading and polishing it could become even more of an ode to the past with modern features, along with its prime location and charming setting. When I was there, a banner was promoting New Year’s Eve. First run movies are shown with art films on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The Yost Theater in Santa Ana located at 307 N. Spurgeon, was a home for Mexican vaudeville. Built in 1912, it’s nationally recognized as a historic place where silent films, the talkies, and Mexican cinema all played here. Over the years it was also used for religious services and had its ups and downs in maintenance. In 2007 and 2008 it was restored and recast as a live theater for club nights, live concerts, and private banquets and parties.

Fullerton’s Fox on Harbor Blvd. opened in 1925 and closed in 1987. But now as you can see on their fundraising/development site, they are working to create a commercial complex that will allow this historic theater to re-open and reign again. As an official landmark of the City of Fullerton since 1990, the Fox Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in October 2006. In 2005 the city started showing movies in the rear parking lot to raise funds for its restoration!

The Balboa Theater, at 3630 Balboa Blvd. in Newport Beach, has an equally rich history with ties to the nearby Lido Theater. It started business in the twenties and was named the Balboa Theater in 1939. It closed in 1992. Now it’s also on the restoration track hoping to revive those famed midnight showings of the campy The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a once beloved, but controversial staple.

Orange County’s historic movie theater tale continues in communities throughout Orange County with many final chapters still in limbo.

Recently I saw J Edgar, at The District in Tustin. In cushioned, upscale surroundings, I watched as Clint Eastwood continued to hone his craft, and Leonardo DiCaprio forged new ground in a fascinating movie.

But, not too long ago, I watched Capote at the Lido in Newport, as Philip Seymour Hoffman receiving an acclaimed Oscar for his role, in this complex historical movie. The show was beautifully complemented by the Lido’s classic surroundings. If we’re really lucky, we’ll ensure our native Southern Californian culture by ensuring the survival and thriving of both Orange County’s Historic Movie Theaters, as well as ones throughout the Southland, to pay homage to our past while keeping an eye to the future.

You may remember being a wide eyed kid watching Saturday morning cartoons at the local movie house. Later you may have watched Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront“>/em>, or James Dean in “East of Eden“.

Or you might want to salute the seventieth anniversary of Orson Welles’ masterpiece, “Citizen Kane<“/a>.

Whatever your favorite, now may be the time to share it with a friend, your kids, your mom or dad, or grandparents as you head for your nearest historic movie theater.

Photos courtesy of Cinelog, Quiksilver, and Wikipedia.

Sundance Film Festival Entrees Announced

D. J. Schwartz — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:04:29 +0000

Between all the Hollywood scmhoozing, partying, sex, booze and Rock’n'Roll serious distribution and acquisition deals are taking place at this years’ annual Sundance Film Festival.

“Storytellers broaden our minds: engage, provoke, inspire, and ultimately, connect us.” —Robert Redford, President and Founder”

And the Nominees for Dramatic Films are:

“2 Days in New York”: Marion has broken up with Jack and now lives in New York with their child. A visit from her family, the different cultural background of her new boyfriend, her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and her upcoming photo exhibition make for an explosive mix. Director: Julie Delpy. Screenwriters: Julie Delpy, Alexia Landeau. Cast: Julie Delpy, Chris Rock, Albert Delpy, Alexia Landeau, Alex Nahon.

“Arbitrage”: A hedge-fund magnate is in over his head, desperately trying to complete the sale of his trading empire before the depths of his fraud are revealed. An unexpected, bloody error forces him to turn to the most unlikely corner for help. Director and screenwriter: Nicholas Jarecki. Cast: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Laetitia Casta.

“Bachelorette”: Unresolved issues between four high school friends come roaring back to life when the least popular of them gets engaged to one of the most eligible bachelors in New York City and asks the others to be bridesmaids in her wedding. Director and screenwriter: Leslye Headland. Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, James Marsden, Adam Scott, Kyle Bornheimer.

“California Solo”: A former Britpop rocker has long settled for an unfettered life working on a farm outside of L.A. When he’s caught driving drunk and faces deportation, he must confront past and current demons in his life to stay in the country. Director and screenwriter: Marshall Lewy. Cast: Robert Carlyle, Alexia Rasmussen, Kathleen Wilhoite, A Martinez, Danny Masterson.

“Celeste and Jesse Forever”: Celeste and Jesse met in high school, married young, and at 30, decide to get divorced but remain best friends while pursuing other relationships. Director: Lee Toland Krieger. Screenwriters: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack. Cast: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Ari Graynor, Chris Messina, Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts.

“For A Good Time, Call…” Lauren and Katie move in together after a loss of a relationship and a loss of a rent-controlled home, respectively. When Lauren learns what Katie does for a living, the two enter into a wildly unconventional business venture. Director: Jamie Travis. Screenwriters: Katie Anne Naylon & Lauren Anne Miller. Cast: Ari Graynor, Lauren Anne Miller, Justin Long, Mark Webber, James Wolk.

“Goats”: Ellis leaves his unconventional desert home to attend the disciplined and structured Gates Academy. There, he reconnects with his estranged father and for the first time questions the family dynamics. Director: Christopher Neil. Screenwriter: Mark Jude Poirier. Cast: David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Graham Phillips, Justin Kirk, Ty Burrell.

“Lay the Favorite”: An adventurous young woman gets involved with a group of geeky older men who have found a way to work the sports book system in Las Vegas to their advantage. Director: Stephen Frears. Screenwriter: D.V. DeVincentis. Cast: Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rebecca Hall.

“Liberal Arts”: When thirtysomething Jesse is invited back to his alma mater, he falls for a 19-year-old college student and is faced with the powerful attraction that springs up between them. Director and screenwriter: Josh Radnor. Cast: Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney, John Magaro, Elizabeth Reaser.

“Price Check”: Pete is having trouble resolving a happy marriage and family life with rising debt and a job he hates. When his new boss pulls him into the maelstrom that is her life, money and opportunities come his way, but at what price? Director and screenwriter: Michael Walker. Cast: Parker Posey, Eric Mabius, Annie Parisse, Josh Pais, Cheyenne Jackson.

“Red Hook Summer”: A young Atlanta boy spends his summer in Brooklyn with his grandfather, who he’s never seen before. Director: Spike Lee. Screenwriters: James McBride, Spike Lee. Cast: Clarke Peters, Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, James Ransone, Thomas Jefferson Byrd.

“Red Lights”: Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic. Director and screenwriter: Rodrigo Cortés. Cast: Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth Olsen, Toby Jones.

“Robot and Frank”: A curmudgeonly older dad’s grown kids install a robot as his caretaker. Director: Jake Schreier. Screenwriter: Christopher Ford. Cast: Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Liv Tyler.

“Shadow Dancer”: When a widowed mother is arrested in an aborted bomb plot she must make hard choices to protect her son in this heart-wrenching thriller. Director: James Marsh. Screenwriter: Tom Bradby. Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Aidan Gillen, Domhnall Gleeson, with Gillian Anderson and Clive Owen.

“The Words”: Aspiring writer Rory Jansen finds another man’s haunting memories in a collection of lost stories and claims them as his own, propelling him to literary stardom. Directors and screenwriters: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal. Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde with Zoe Saldana.

And this year’s nominees for Documentary films are

“About Face”: An exploration of beauty and aging through the stories of the original supermodels. Participants including Isabella Rossellini, Christie Brinkley, Beverly Johnson, Carmen Dell’Orefice, Paulina Porizkova, Jerry Hall and Christy Turlington weigh in on the fashion industry and how they reassess and redefine their own sense of beauty as their careers progress. Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.

“A Fierce Green Fire”: A definitive history of one of the most important movements of the 20th century, “A Fierce Green Fire” chronicles the environmental movement’s fascinating evolution from the 1960s to the present. Director: Mark Kitchell.

“Bones Brigade: An Autobiography”: When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too — as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field. Director: Stacy Peralta.

“The D Word: Understanding Dyslexia”: While following a dyslexic high school senior struggling to achieve his dream of getting into a competitive college, “The D Word” exposes myths about dyslexia and reveals cutting-edge research to elucidate this widely misunderstood condition. Director: James Redford.

“Ethel”: This intimate, surprising portrait of Ethel Kennedy provides an insider’s view of a political dynasty, including Ethel’s life with Robert F. Kennedy and the years following his death when she raised their 11 children on her own. Director: Rory Kennedy.

“Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap”: Through conversations with rap’s most influential artists — among them Chuck D, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, MC Lyte, Mos Def and Kanye West — Ice-T explores the roots and history of rap and reveals the creative process behind this now dominant art form. Director: Ice-T. Co-director: Andy Baybutt.

“Untitled Paul Simon Project”: Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic “Graceland” album, including the political backlash he sparked for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa, designed to end apartheid. Director: Joe Berlinger.

“West of Memphis”: Three teenage boys are incarcerated for the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Ark. Nineteen years later, new evidence calls into question the convictions and raises issues of judicial, prosecutorial and jury misconduct — showing that the first casualty of a corrupt justice system is the truth. Director: Amy Berg.

For all information about this year’s Sundance Film Festival, you can find it at their official site.

How Gaming can increase California’s Tax Revenues

D. J. Schwartz — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:18:23 +0000

Gaming is now an accepted and welcomed contribution to many cities and nations around the world.

It’s also used as a way to meet different and varied lifestyles and preferences various types of people to suit their customized needs.

As an example, Las Vegas is no longer used in a single adjective to describe the many things one can do there, the products and services that they provide for tourists, as there’s not a single description for all the things they offer and provide.

That’s because, not only is it a gaming town, Las Vegas like most other adult and other destination resorts, offer all types of things to fit a certain profile—which in turn meets a lifestyle which means different things to different people.

As Las Vegas continues to grow as a professional music and performance venue , as well as an adult lifestyle destination, they’re constantly coming up with new and different ideas to meet the ever evolving needs of its visiting clientele along with their differing tastes and preferences.

And as this particular type of “lifestyle” movement goes global, online gambling serves a world-wide demand that’s growing exponentially.

For example, Australia is now home to the new hotel, The Darling, a brand-new, 171-room hotel attached to the Star Casino. Although this sleek and modern high rise all-glass condo building is not something that one would expect in of all places, Sydney, Australia, it’s actually within walking distance of the Sydney Opera House.

As to California, our lawmakers were wise to grant gaming licenses to the Indian reservations, and before that, allowed for Lotto legalization–which has played a significant role in its financial contribution to our State school systems.

While Californians voted last year not to tax and legalize marijuana to help solve the state’s financial problems, two Democratic state senators and a Republican congressman are betting that residents are ready instead to embrace legal online gambling as a way to generate jobs and revenue.

Supporters of online gambling say that the recession–and California’s $26.6 billion budget deficit have improved the prospects of tapping the state’s estimated 500,000 online poker players to eventually bring the state $100 million a year in tax revenue and 1,100 to 3,000 new tech-related jobs.

At the same time, a recent survey showed that a strong majority of Californians – 66 percent – would back state regulation and taxation of online poker profits.

“For the first time, I have real hope,” said Tom Goldstein, a Washington attorney who has long worked on gaming issues. "I think we’ll see either state or federal legislation in the next 18 months."

The interest in legal online gambling in California comes as the New Jersey Legislature has approved a bill to legalize online poker that awaits the consideration of Gov. Chris Christie. Regardless of what the Republican governor does, the bill has caused a rush among competing state and federal online gaming supporters to get legislation passed.

In Sacramento, one of two bills to legalize online poker and other games got a boost in the Legislature in recent days when it received the blessing of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association – a collection of 29 tribes that are among the state’s largest.

A bill by Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, would allow California card clubs, racetracks or Indian casinos to host online poker. In the 2009-10 fiscal years, the state received $370 million from tribal casino compacts.

At the same time, a bill sponsored by state Sen. Roderick Wright, D-Inglewood (Los Angeles County), would include games other than poker and would allow businesses other than California tribes, racetracks or card clubs to apply for licenses. Source: Online gambling could be California revenue source

As to solving California’s fiscal woes there’s been many ideas bandied about—and most of us who live in the Golden State remain skeptical of Sacramento’s abilities to completely solve some of our debt and other infrastructure and other issues, but at least with the legalization of Indian gaming and the tax benefits it brings to those and surrounding areas—it’s been a success.

So to get to the thrust of the argument there’s no longer any need to go to Las Vegas for exciting gaming action. There are plenty of options and venues in Southern California to choose from–and many include entertainment, accommodations, and fine dining opportunities to go along for a weekend or a mini “staycation.”

Also we can raise revenue here locally from horse racing, to the card rooms at Hollywood Park Casino, and the Hustler Casino, to horse racing at Santa Anita Park, we have always led the nation in innovation, and now is certainly not the time to stop.

With the recent huge success surrounding the development of the Staples Arena, the L.A. Live multi-use facility, our convention center, and the ingenuity of the Indian Gaming Community here in California, the more that lawmakers keep pace with the consumers ever demanding set of requirements, then economic development and increased tax revenues for California will increase. It’s already been a proven fact, and left in the hands of private development we already are seeing signs of the revitalization of downtown Los Angles, and other areas, that will arguably add tax revenue to California’s coffers.

By now it’s obvious that we need as much require to be flexible in how we treat every facet of not only casino gaming, but any other rational and reasonable idea that helps us to solve our budget woes that meets a current California demand, as it’s just a fact—if we don’t do it, another state will step in and fill a void in the marketplace that we let slip though our fingers.

With the projected budgetary problems associated with the hopeless boondoggle of a bullet train gaining any more traction without leaving the taxpayer holding the bill for a unintended consequence—we have an obligation to do those things which are not only morally and practically feasible, as to not do them is much more damaging now as it will be in the future for our children and grandchildren.

Happy Halloween from Travelin’ Local!

D. J. Schwartz — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:12:19 +0000

It’s customary nowadays to say Happy Halloween, although Halloween may not be the best day for well wishes.

But it is definitely the day that’s devoted for ghouls, ghosts, and goblins. And ghosts are certainly one of the icons and symbols that Hollywood is famous for–or rather infamous for.

Who knew?

Jane Mansfield.

Joan Crawford.

As did Marilyn Monroe.

As our local lore and customs would have it–there’s ghosts walking down Hollywood Boulevard; the halls of the Roosevelt Hotel; and even high atop in the Pacific Palisades.

To learn and discover more about these Hollywood stars, their untimely and often unseemly deaths, and where they can be found now, these following five videos will tell you more, and hold the keys for you to discover some of the most notorious deaths ever both in Hollywood lore and spread and talked about around the world–even until the present:

As the ever increasing popularity of Halloween spreads among the masses; there’s plenty of mystery here in Hollywood–where stories abound and were wide spread among Hollywood’s affected “classes.”

Henry’s Crime

D. J. Schwartz — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:19:40 +0000

The movie, Henry’s Crime, is a sardonic and idiosyncratic movie that masquerades as an illusion of comedy; but is really a cover for life’s perpetual misfortune and subsequent redemption, by being in the wrong place at both the wrong and right times.

Its main themes include all of the characters multi-faceted collective ennui, selfishness, selflessness, altruism, and hope.

That being said, the 3 main leading characters as played by Keaunu Reeves, Vera Faringa, and James Caan, all have a dry wit, along with a combined air of irreverence.

What makes Henry’s Crime insidiously interesting is the main protagonists cleverly say and act witty and provide the viewer with distinct and unique personalities–as they complicate and interact with each others lives.

The movie’s central motif is simple—although Henry is innocent and falsely arrested for something he didn’t do; he’s constantly reminded that if you do the time, you might as well have done the crime.

Keanu Reeves plays the character Henry, whose life’s ambition is nothing more than having a freeway pike booth job to collect drivers’ tokens, “loving” his wife, Debbie, (Judy Greer), and to hang around with his slacker friends–Eddie, played by Fisher Stevens, and Joe, (Danny Hoch).

One day, using the ruse of telling Henry that they are going to a baseball game, Eddie and Joe say they have to stop first at an ATM at the local bank.

However, their real intent is to rob the bank, and unknowingly, Henry waits in the car, only to be collared for a crime he didn’t commit.

Caan plays the loquacious con-man, Max Saltzman, Henry’s talkative and friendly inmate buddy.

Reeve’s leading lady, Vera Faringa, plays the character, Julie Ivanova–and rounding out the movie’s main cast is Frank, (Bill Duke), the Bank’s security guard.

His wife, played by Judy Greene, is a non-descript woman who projects an uneasy and strange, urbane love for Henry; but that’s only a mirage, and neither Keanu Reeves nor the viewer are surprised when she dumps him for one of his slacker friends while he’s in prison.

Typical in his film roles, Keanu Reeves’ character is a man who speaks little—Henry’s a middle aged man, whose life’s dreams are that he has none.

In a remarkable turn-a-bout of events, Reeves’ Henry, takes the central motif of the film completely literally and decides to rob the bank that he was falsely accused of robbing in the first place as his new dream and purpose—irony at its best.

Refreshingly, Reeves’ character Henry, is a blank slate, therein providing fodder for the viewer into believing that whatever he says or does that at times ranges from quirky to ridiculous—he acts the part laconically and with a straight face–that provides us with a character that’s not as funny as he is silly.

The reason for Henry’s change of heart is because he’s been inculcated that for a man to find his purpose he must first have a dream that’s continuously drummed into him by Caan’s likeable character, Max.

Again, silly but believable enough, Max feels most at home in prison—for no other apparent reason other than that’s where he feels the most comfortable.

When Henry is released from prison, he does intend to follow through with his life’s new purpose:

Having done the time, Henry has made his goal to actually do the crime.

As a bank robber, Henry like all Bank Robbers needs accomplices to help him rob the bank.

As Henry hesitatingly reconnoiters the bank, he’s hit by a car driven by Vera Faringa, (Julie Ivanova).

Although not hurt, Max is barraged by Farringa’s yelling at him for being “stupid;” followed by her asking Max if he needs to go to a hospital—which she repeats the scene’s lines with several iterations with a surreal detachment, as she’s talking on her cell phone as she’s berating Max. (Later they become involved romantically).

As quickly as she hit Max, she drives off but not before thanking Max for not suing her.

Julie is an actress in the Theatre next door to the bank, in the Chekhov play, “The Cherry Orchard.” So for Henry to gain access to the tunnel that starts in the lead’s dressing room, Max decides to act as the lead replacing the other actor who falls ill.

Next, he works to recruit Caan’s character, Max, who is both incredulous and skeptical as to Henry’s new-found ambition.

But as blithely as Max is conclusively cynical about Henry’s change of heart, and makes no bones about it; Henry boomerangs his now canned answer to Max’s doubtfulness–‘I’ve done the time; I might as well do the crime.”

Funny stuff and logical too.

As Henry informs Max, with a deadpan straight face and benign temperament, it’s not hard to see how Caan slowly but surely warms to the idea. Their crew is completed when Henry’s slacker friends join in as well as the Security Guard Frank, (Bill Duke), who first pinched Henry, but decides to get in on the action because he’s set to retire; but he has no savings to account for during his entire tenure working for the bank.

In the end, as fate and serendipity enter Henry’s world, he has to choose between taking the money and running; or staying to act opposite Vera Faringa, (Julie Ivanova), in the Chekov play, so she can break out of her acting slump and move to Hollywood.

Henry’s Crime is an allegory and fable. You have to change your life if you’re not happy, and wake up if things aren’t going the way you want.

The Top 10 Free and Affordable Things to Do in Los Angeles

D. J. Schwartz — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:12:06 +0000

To be sure, Los Angeles is quite often an expensive place to live and play; however, if you’re on a budget, there’s still plenty of activities to do, go, and see.

However, from Santa Monica to the Hollywood Hills to Downtown LA–free and affordable–means that there remains ways and means for many people here to do thing they find appealing. Especially during these tough times.

As an ode to our City of the Angels and for both our residents, and visiting guests, let’s get started:

1. Hike to the Hollywood Sign

Since arriving here a few years ago, I have had an ongoing love affair with the Hollywood Sign and environs.

Indeed, on clear days, I look for it where ever I am in the city, and you’d be surprised how often I see it! You can’t touch the sign, but you sure can get pretty close. And if you traverse its hills on a clear day, your views of the city from the Hollywood Sign are gorgeous and amazing.

2. The Getty Center

If you love art, you can’t miss the opportunity to get to The Getty. World renowned in its collections, The Getty’s ever changing artist landscape keeps visitors coming back for more. Entrance to The Getty is free; but there is a parking fee of $15.00. However, if you park after 5:00pm, parking is free. Better yet, if you take public transit, you don’t have to worry about parking.

3. Santa Monica Pier/3^rd Street Promenade

If enjoying the sun, people watching, and shopping on your list of things to do in LA, then you’ve come to the right place. Between the Santa Monica Pier and the 3^rd Street Promenade, you’ll find all that and more. Paid public parking is available, and if you walk a bit, you can find free side street parking. Or better yet, bike there.

4. The Venice Boardwalk/Venice Canals

There is no place in the world like Venice. Its uniqueness stands out in so many one-of-a-kind and interesting ways. Between enjoying the sites, pursuing the public murals, watching the street performers, and listening to the surf, shopping and people watching--you’ll never be at a loss for things to do in Venice.

In all of LA, the Venice Canals are one of my favorite spots. With its Quiet walkways surrounded by beautiful architecture in an untraditional setting. (Keep an eye pealed for Travelin' Local's complete Walking Tour!

5. Griffith Park

For hikers, train enthusiasts, also children of all ages, combined with visiting the Griffith Observatory, at Griffith Park, you're bound to have tons of fun.

It's 1,134 feet above sea level, and provides the best views of Los Angeles bar none. So, pack a picnic and spend the day. And parking is free, too.

6. Olvera Street/ El Pueblo de Los Angeles

As one of the oldest parts of Downtown Los Angeles and part of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, history is alive and vibrant here.

Directly across the street from Union Station, you can walk its cobble and brick streets and absorb our city's history, how the city was first settled, and see the oldest residence in town.

7. Downtown LA Walking Tour

To be sure, we still have a walking tour of Downtown LA for free, and it’s Travelin’ Local's. One of the first tours we did was walk the streets of downtown discover many of her treasures. Just follow along and you’ll discover a side to Los Angeles you probably were not aware of or ever knew existed.

View Walking in LA in a larger map

8. Hollywood Walk of Fame

You won’t find it anywhere else but here! We have sidewalks lined with movie and television stars to current motion picture heroes, pioneers of film technology and lore--to yesterday’s radio actors. Plus, with other attractions including the Capital Record's building, Grauman's Chinese Theater, and the Hollywood/Highland Center, there's plenty to do and find here.

9. Miracle Mile/La Brea Tar Pits/The Grove Shopping Center

Within this 3 mile radius, we provide Walking Tour, of the area where you get to experience history, shopping, architecture. It's even fun for the whole family.

View Mid-Wilshire Walk in a larger map

The La Brea Tar Pits are part of LA’s unique history, and LACMA is right next door. Although they do charge admission, you can still find free days every month, and of course, shopping at The Grove, remains one of LA premiere shopping destination.

10. Universal City Walk

With their many concerts and DJ events (a few free), dining or watching the latest movie, Universal City Walk has to be on your must-go list. And, quite frankly the place is a blast!

Including more than 30 great restaurants and places to eat; a 19-screen movie theatre featuring an eight-story-high IMAX®, seven hot night spots including the new Jon Lovitz Comedy Club and the new Samba Brazilian Steakhouse & there's a lounge and believe it or not an indoor sky-diving and more than 30 stores to peruse. And general parking rates start at $10.

What do you think? Did we miss anything?