Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Some Strange Goings-Ons About Getting Rid Of The NOHO 7

So basically some group wants to demolish the NOHO 7 for more apartments. Not sure how they could just do that, but sounds like a scheme from bad guys from an 80's movie. Here's hoping they don't, because it's a theater showing off a lot of independent cinema.

Friday, February 24, 2023

Hype: Rainy Weekend Edition

 

Hot Chocolate Party is back after a long hiatus with Stockholm Syndrome, they're song-smiths of comedy joy.


Horror Vibes NOHO looks so spooky good

5251 Lankershim Blvd San Fernando Valley, CA 91601

Nice local read on the big deal a dumpling house is moving to Glendale Galleria from the Americana from LA Eater:

Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung is at the center of an all-out tug-of-war between two of LA’s biggest malls, but the fight says something even bigger about the future of the mall itself.
 

 A24 is auctioniong props from Everything Everywhere All At Once including RACCACOONIE
 

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Movie Hype: Smoking Causes Coughing, RRR Fan CelebRRRation LIVE & Michelle Yeoh Kicks Ass

Magnet Releasing will release Smoking Causes Coughing from one of our fav directors Quentin Dupieux (MANDIBLES, RUBBER). The movie is in theaters and on demand March 31, 2023.

Think about the Power Rangers, but it all going very terribly wrong and you'll want to see how weird it gets in Quentin Dupieux latest. Been looking forward to this one since it came out on the festival circuit.

 

Mar 1, 2023 - 7:30 PM
The Theatre at Ace Hotel
929 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 623-3233
Tickets for the Los Angeles screening will go on sale at 12:00 PM Pacific on Thursday, February 23rd.

Join director S.S. Rajamouli, star Ram Charan, composer M.M. Keeravaani, and special guests for the world's largest screening of RRR! By now, it’s hard to imagine anyone who has not at least heard of S.S. Rajamouli’s earth-shattering, bone-breaking epic – but for those who are just joining us, here it is one more time: when the paths of the fearless villager Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan), an officer in the British army, cross over the kidnapping of a child from Bheem’s village, neither of them are aware of each other’s hidden agenda – what is at stake is not just their friendship or the fate of the child but a chance to truly alter fate of their nation towards revolution and freedom.

Starting Friday, March 3rd, the RRR Fan CelebRRRation will hit over 200 theaters across the US via Variance Films and Sarigama Cinemas.  The original Telugu version of the film will be back on the big screen, playing everywhere from big-city megaplexes to the leading independent art houses to small town venues, a historic third theatrical release in less than a year.

The Criterion Channel has some special movies for a special lady this March. In them she kick a lot of butt.

As she reaches new heights of acclaim for her dazzling, Oscar-nominated performance in the breakout smash Everything Everywhere All at Once, now is the perfect time to revisit the sensational career of Michelle Yeoh. Before conquering Hollywood, the Malaysian-born actor established herself as one of Hong Kong cinema’s fiercest action heroes—performing whirlwind martial-arts choreography with an acrobatic grace that reflected her early training as a dancer. Whether executing superhero stunts in Johnnie To’s action classic The Heroic Trio or taking the wuxia genre to new heights of international success in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Yeoh commands the screen with astonishing power and charisma.


Yes, Madam!, Corey Yuen, 1985

Royal Warriors, David Chung, 1986

Magnificent Warriors, David Chung, 1987

Police Story 3: Supercop, Stanley Tong, 1992

The Heroic Trio, Johnnie To, 1993

Executioners, Johnnie To and Ching Siu-tung, 1993

The Stunt Woman, Ann Hui, 1996

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee, 2000


Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Gashapon Bandai Official Pop-Up Store Now In Little Tokyo

 

Woah, opened since Feb 1st is Little Tokyo's very own Gashapon store pop-up. Don't worry, you have till August to check it out. 
 
What the heck is a Gashapon? Seen in anime and Japanese video games all the time, gashapon are
vending machine-dispensed capsule toys. There different from the ones you see near super market entrances because they usually cost more with better made products and these are officially Japanese in origin. The name is from what the machine sounds like in Japanese. Two sounds happen when operating one of the vending machines. First, the"gasha" for when you hand-crank the machine and then the "pon" for the  capsule landing in its tray. And, that's how you have its cute name.
 
If you head over to Little Tokyo you can grab toys/stuff to put on your desk from anime/video games and more. What also makes them different than our capsule machines that just getting gum, sticky hands or a fake mustache is the random toys you can get. Many from Japan are just based on random subject like nature or memes. Or just your character doing something they normally wouldn't like their taxes. It's fun to try and collect all the figures in the series, sort of like collecting every toy from a Happy Meal line.

With over 200 machines stacked up high, it looks like the perfect place to try your luck and find some fun figure to stick hidden somewhere in your house or show along your window sill.

Little Tokyo
Location: 319 E. 2nd St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hours: Wed-Mon, 12PM - 7PM (Closed Tue)
Shop will run from Feb 1 - Aug 31. 

first spotted on Japan Up
 
 
 
 
 

Weekly What To Do: Murder, Comedy, No Dinos and No Puppets


 
Thu, February 23, 2023, 7:30 PM
The Secret Movie Club Theater 1917 BAY ST 2ND FL LOS ANGELES, CA 90021
$15 – $18
 
7:30pm THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING REEL. Murdle.com presents an original whodunit pre-show, written by G. T. Karber and performed by the Hollywood Mystery Society. The projectionist has been murdered and the first reel of the film has been stolen, so we need your help to save the screening. Get to the theater an hour early to talk to the witnesses, investigate the clues, and see if you can solve the mystery before showtime!

8:30pm KNIVES OUT (2019, dir. Rian Johnson, Lionsgate, USA, 131mns, Digital)
 
Fri, Feb 24, 2023, 8:00 PM
UCLA Ackerman Union 308 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90024
Free
 
The UCLA Game Music Ensemble presents: Valor Against All Odds. We are so excited and proud to finally announce the official GME Winter Concert for 2023! This performance intends to take listeners on a musical voyage through different video games enthusing, excitement, love, and fear into our hearts. Come join us on this journey by reserving your FREE tickets today( Limited seating )
 
USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 6
Friday, February 24th - Sunday, February 26th, 2023
Taking place at the Eileen Norris Cinema Theatreat the Frank Sinatra Hall & The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPs REQUIRED FOR EACH EVENT.
 
The 6th Edition of the USC Comedy Festival returns to campus in person this February to celebrate community and share laughter, while exploring the changing nature of comedy in contemporary society.
 
Sat, February 25, 2023, 10 AM - 5 PM
Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
FREE! RSVP required, suggested donation of $20 to support the festival.
 
Bob Baker Day 2023 Postponed Due to Weather
New date: April 30th, 2023.

"As you may have seen by now, this weekend is looking wet! Currently there are showers forecasted for Thursday-Saturday, with chances that it will continue even through Sunday.

Though we'd love nothing more than to take on a "Show Must Go On!" attitude, we know that Bob Baker Day would greatly suffer from a rainy and muddy day- not to mention the damage potential for our priceless, delicate puppets. "
 
This year’s FREE festival at Los Angeles State Historic Park on February 25th, will feature Bob Baker marionettes and Pinocchio, in addition to an incredible lineup of special guests throughout the day. Among the many fantastic acts at Bob Baker Day are David Arquette as Bozo the Clown, clowns Jozo Bozo & NüNü, King Kukulele, Joe Selph & Rene’s Marionettes, Pacific Opera Project, Randal Metz, Dynasty Typewriter, Hollow Trees, and more! 

Dr. Squatch x  Jurassic Park
Saturday, February 25th 10AM-5PM
Update:
Due to the rain on Saturday, the event has been moved to next Saturday, March 4th
Venice Beach, CA
Free
 
"Men’s personal care brand, Dr. Squatch will be ‘unleashing’ a slew of dinosaurs throughout Venice Beach on Saturday, February 25th to promote their new Jurassic Park collaboration (launching 2/24)! This partnership celebrates the blockbuster film from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s 30th anniversary in 2023. Our Dr. Squatch dinos will be running throughout Venice and jumping out at bystanders to hand out the special edition collaboration samples. There will be a homebase with a Dr. Squatch x  Jurassic Park jeep filled with soaps for consumers to take home. "
 
Sunday, February 26, 2023; 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Streets In The Valley
Free
 
5 miles of car-free open streets for all to enjoy as a temporary park space – free of charge. Participants of all ages and abilities can play, explore local gems, and sightsee, while experiencing the joy of safe, people-powered transportation on streets that are car-free. The CicLAvia-The Valley is an opportunity to explore the neighborhoods of Canoga Park, Winnetka, and Reseda along Sherman Way. This February 26th CicLAvia-The Valley will be the second time along Sherman Way – the first time occurred in December 2019.
 
Not promoted:
 
The Jewish Dog
An unconventional telling of the Holocaust by a canine narrator
Thursday, February 23, at 7PM
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049
$20 General; $15 Members; $10 Seniors & Full-Time Students

Oy, not the best way to teach or connect or really anything about the Holocaust.
 
"Filtering the darkest, most dramatic period of modern Jewish history, The Jewish Dog offers a view of the Holocaust through the eyes of a canine unusually fascinated by human affairs. When events separate him from his Jewish owners, he is adopted by a Nazi family and employed by the SS as a military dog allowing Caleb to witness firsthand the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust."
 
Extra: 

Guillermo del Toro Presents THE RED TURTLE / I LOST MY BODY + Pre-recorded introductions by Guillermo del Toro
Sat. Feb 25, 2022 | 3:00pm
Aero Theatre
Curated by Guillermo del Toro
'Guillermo del Toro's Weekend of Animation'

02.25.2023 (Sat.) – 03.03.2023 (Fri.)

Sample 20 unique sakes from brewers across Japan, all served with carefully curated food pairings, while enjoying the sweeping views over Hollywood!
 
UCB, a cheapo comedy show almost every night, see comedians before they make podcasts and have
stories about the UCB and before they hit the big time.
 
 
 
 
 
Street Food Cinema-nothing till Feb

Rooftop Movies at The Montalbán-Nothing, much right now
 

 
 
Electric Dusk Drive-In

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Movie Hype: EO & Sisu: Nazi Killing Never Not Fun


 


EO is out today for streaming or rent, but if you want to see this Oscar Nominee, you can see it in person with a live little donkey for free, just got RSVP.

EO / Jerzy Skolimowski Curated Short Film Program 

SUN MAR 5, 2023 2:00 PM
Free
Aero Theatre | Q&A with filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski and screenwriter/producer Ewa Piaskowska. Moderated by Susan Orlean.
Miniature donkey “Lil Bit” will join the screening from Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue

Synopsis: In Polish, Italian, and French with English subtitles

With his first film in seven years, legendary director Jerzy Skolimowski (DEEP END, MOONLIGHTING) directs one of his most free and visually inventive films yet, following the travels of a nomadic gray donkey named EO. On his journey, EO is both helped and hindered by a cast of characters including a young Italian priest (Lorenzo Zurzolo), a Countess (Isabelle Huppert), and a rowdy Polish soccer team. Loosely inspired by Robert Bresson’s AU HASARD BALTHAZAR, and featuring immersive, stunning cinematography by Michal Dymek coupled with Pawel Mykietyn’s resonant score, Skolimowski’s film puts the viewer in the perspective of its four-legged protagonist. EO’s journey speaks to the world around us, an equine hero boldly pointing out societal ills, and serving as a warning to the dangers of neglect and inaction, all while on a quest for freedom.



 

From the director who gave us the Christmas classic Rare Exports, Jalmari Helander, we have a new Nazi-killing action movie headed out for theaters April 28th, Sisu.

It's Nazi- Killing Time!

 Synopsis:

During the last desperate days of WWII, a solitary prospector crosses paths with Nazis on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland.  When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover that they have just tangled with no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu”, this legendary ex-commando will embody what sisu means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And no matter what the Nazis throw at him, the one-man death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back – even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path.


Palm Springs Modernism Show 2023: What We Saw

 

By Jonathan Bilski
 
Art swooped through LA over the weekend; we went further out for Modernism Week in Palm Springs. The Palm Springs Modernism Show (Feb 17-20, 2023) was where we ventured, back for another weekend at the Palm Springs Convention Center. We were surprised by the art work and furniture that would make any collector of Modern style swoon.


Even before we entered we were perplexed and in awe of the The International Museum of Dinnerware Design, which is real. The greatest little bit of trivia shared with us is, that movie theaters use to have ladies nights where you would get a plate or bowl and would have to keep coming back to get the whole set. They haven't done so in decades though.Theaters might want to try doing that again, we know we would like a plate from seeing the upcoming release of Cocaine Bear.

And, yes this is a real non-profit that likes showing off dinnerware they deem to be persevered and talked about.
 

On the the other side of the entrance was a wonderful exhibit of tiny modern homes made by students  of BEAM. Did you like making dioramas when you were little? Well, students in this program, standing for building educational architectural models, seem to. The kids make their homes after going on a tour and getting a lecture on real life Modern houses. They tiny domiciles were inventive and we wonder if they had help from their parents.

Inside, the exhibit floor had over 100 exhibitors, showing us a future VR showroom, being shown off by Formus to upside down feet snack tables from artist Rick Dallago. You could get lost or at least look around for two hours or more.


We noticed animal themed furniture was all over the place. The flamingo side tables were quite nice over at the Greg Palombo booth as was the rainbow framed mirror.

We took a second to enjoy sitting down and using a typewriter again at the Mod Type In with a booth showing off pillows and prints of real cameras. There's nothing like the click-e-ty-clack of a typewriter and the ring of its bell. I'm sure, if any kids were there, they must of wondered what they even were.

There was an abundance of dogs though and both exhibitors and attendees seemed to love having their canines companions with them looking over the art and trying to get a deal on the goods there. Maybe, a dog lover discount?


 
Art, and hard to find furniture that stood out was down every row and around every corner. Stuff to turn your head and go, "Oh, what's that?"




Not far from Atomic Ranch's section were two booth selling people on...well, very nice toilets. One exhibitor trying to get our attention by shouting out, "It changes color."

Really, if you were ready to pay you could find that special something to make your pad or place stand out.

Gualeni Design, Unapologetically Italian-love their tag line

We looked around at high-end furniture, and pieces you wouldn't normally find. We don't think we need a Chanel football, but, perhaps, you know someone who does? It's unlikely you'd see such style in one spot, but it makes it easier to see everything that could fitting in your home all in one location. For Modern style seekers, a must.