UCLA grad with a passion for writing. Love catching a flick on any given night, as well as settling down in front of the tube for my fave shows. (And I willingly enter arguments about the merits and masterpiece of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Bring it on!) Other than that, an outgoing individual who likes to hike, swim, run, and do other outdoorsy type things. Sometimes I'm crazy and combine my two favorite things (writing and the outdoors). I know, what am I thinking, right?
Want to know anything else? Email me. Have a good one!
September 14th, 2008 Written by: Karl · No Comments
This month at Arclight Cinemas, the American Film Institute presents its usual assortment of films (less so than other months), though the month of September brings several Director’s Screenings as well.
Arclight Hollywood
- Fame - September 17th at 8PM. Q&A with Debbie Allen.
- The Defiant Ones - September 24th at 8PM. Q&A with Karen Kramer (widow of Stanley Kramer)
Directors Series (Arclight Hollywood)
- Choke - September 22nd at 8PM. Q&A with director Clark Gregg and actors Brad William Henke and Bijou Phillips.
- Miracle at St. Anna - September 25th at 7:30PM. Q&A with actors Derek Luke, Laz Alonso, and Omar Benson Miller. (NOTE: Although under the AFI’s Directors Series list, Spike Lee is not scheduled to attend.)
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Tags: Film · Upcoming events
August 31st, 2008 Written by: Karl · No Comments
Arriving in the Beijing Capital International Airport for the 29th Olympiad with excitement up to my forehead, I was still prepared to deal with huge crowds, long lines, and impatient vendors. What I found was a sense of world unity and camaraderie that is rarely seen these days; one in which, Chinese natives, or anyone for that matter, could wear the colors of another country without irony or malice, but simply enjoy what life had to offer at that particular point in time.
Being an LA native, I have dealt with all the above mentioned nuisances, but hearing there was going to be “soooo many people” and that it was going to be “soooo crowded” didn’t really help in assuaging any concerns of mine. But after arriving and taking a cab to my hotel, I found Beijing to be less crowded and dense than I had imagined. Traffic was about what one might find here in LA, but it never took more than thirty minutes to get around the city; and the pollution levels I had heard about seemed to be that of an urban legend. True, the government did a lot of cleaning up for these Olympics (instituting odd-even license plate traffic restrictions, closing down street vendors, etc.) in order to present a cleaner and more welcoming China, but that was not going to take away from my enjoyment of the city.
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Tags: Editorials · Sports
“What do we do now, Buffy?”
It’s been five whole years since Buffy, the Vampire Slayer said goodbye on television screens across the nation. While the show never reached the ratings highs of, for example, Lost, it did have and still retains a passionate fan base, who made the show a media giant. Add to that Joss Whedon’s smart, witty, and dramatic themes and dialogue, and you have, arguable, one of television’s ten best shows of all time.
The show did wonders for themes of female empowerment paving the way for other shows, such as Alias, and helped a little network formerly known as The WB become a contender in the television realm. Plus, Buffy’s emotion, suspense, humor, drama, intellect, and, ultimate payoff upped the ante for countless other shows. In fact, without Buffy…well, let’s not imagine a world without Buffy.
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Tags: Reviews · TV
This month at Arclight Cinemas, the American Film Institute presents:
The Wild West (Hollywood) and Summer Drive-In (Sherman Oaks).
Arclight Hollywood - The Wild West
- The Searchers - May 14th at 8PM
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - May 21st at 8PM
- The Wild Bunch - May 28th at 8PM
Arclight Sherman Oaks - Summer Drive-In
- The Seven Year Itch - May 5th at 7:30PM
- American Graffiti - May 12th at 7:30PM
- Jaws - May 19th at 7:30PM
- Grease - May 26th at 7:30PM
Buy tickets at www.AFI.com
Photo by intergerpoet via Flickr.
Tags: Film · Upcoming events
May 1st, 2008 Written by: Karl · 1 Comment
So another tween megastar, Miley Cyrus, has to explain her decision on a particular photo… just another Tuesday on the Disney lot. But this time, what is the big deal?
By now, the formula is a bit tired: Disney star grows up, rebels, becomes a tabloid fixture, then tries to turn his/her life around. With Miley Cyrus’s recent photo shoot for Vanity Fair, the public might be seeing the first signs of rebellion, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Within the past week, Cyrus has been under extreme heat from all media outlets, even apologizing for the photos in question. In fact, for the entire hubbub over Cyrus’ photos, one almost wishes they were a bit more scandalous. Anyone one remember Britney Spears’ first Rolling Stone cover? Now, that was something to get up in arms about. A wholesome image both literally and figuratively shed in front of millions of fans with Spears posing in her underwear in sexually suggestive photos. Cyrus’ crime? Holding a blanket against what appears to be her topless torso in a tastefully done photo by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, who is known for shooting celebrities in vulnerable states.
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Tags: Celebrity News · Editorials
March 23rd, 2008 Written by: Karl · No Comments
Chances are if you’ve heard of Hyde Lounge, you know how exclusive it is. And if you haven’t heard of Hyde Lounge, well, that’s how exclusive it is. Located on Sunset Blvd, right down the street from the Laugh Factory, Hyde Lounge has become the go-to spot to be seen in Hollywood.
The thing about Hyde is that you either love it or hate it. There is no in-between, no gray area. For those who love it, there is a lot to admire. The decor is pretty sweet, with candles lining the walls. In fact, its as if this bar was actually a set for the Material Girl’s next video. And you can’t beat the capacity. Although Hyde loves to cram people in, there is a limit, and a small one at that. You might have to wade through a crowd of people, but at least its not the barage of people you normally encounter elsewhere. Then, there is the exclusivity factor– a big plus for those who would like to consider themselves part of Hollywood’s elite. And lastly, for the star-struck, you can’t beat seeing Matt Dillon on a random night.
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Tags: Bars · Reviews
March 11th, 2008 Written by: Karl · No Comments
“Ooooooooh….The Wizard will see you now!”
If that sound-bite from the commercials for Wicked does not ring any bells, then maybe it’s time to come out from under that rock and listen to the radio or watch a bit of television.
Wicked, the Broadway musical now in its second year at the Pantages Theater, depicts the story of the witches of Oz before they were…well, the witches of Oz. It plays as a both a prequel and a parallel story to the original The Wizard of Oz, with the main question posed by Glinda, the Good Witch of the North: Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?
Based on the popular novel by Gregory Maguire, the musical is reasonably paced with proper attention given to each major player. In addition to Glinda, there is Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West; Fiyero, the self-absorbed pretty boy; Nessarose, Elphaba’s handicapped sister; Doctor Dillamond, the talking goat professor; and, of course, the Wizard. Central to the story is Elphaba’s opposition to the gradual repression of animals and their ability to speak, as well as her developing relationship with Glinda, her college roommate. In retelling the story from the witches point of view, the audience sees what events led to Elphaba’s supposed demise. But was her demise warranted or was she the victim of series of tragic events?
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Tags: Stage · theatre
March 7th, 2008 Written by: Karl · 1 Comment
Thursday nights: A time to go out, enjoy the city, toss back a few cold ones, and watch turtles scurry for the white line. Wait, what?
Every Thursday night, a crowd gathers at Brennan’s Pub in Marina Del Rey between 9 and 10PM to check out the weekly Turtle Races. Patrons can bring their own turtles or rent one for their own entertainment. The gimmick works as grown men and women are found cheering for their respective turtles, hoping to win one of the gag prizes that the bar provides.
On this particular Thursday, yours truly rented a fairly large turtle, thinking the large legs would help in its speed towards the finish line. Participants can name their turtle whatever they please, thus, I named my turtle “Stud Muffin” regardless of whether this animal had girl or boy parts. After renting my turtle, I had to wait until my race came up, but it was fun watching the other races take place.
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Tags: Local LA · News
March 4th, 2008 Written by: Karl · No Comments
Ever wanted to go toe to toe with a former astronaut? One that’s been on the moon? How about Buzz Aldrin of the famed Apollo 11 mission?
Chances are you won’t get to show off any skills, but you will get to meet Buzz Aldrin this week at the Arclight Hollywood. On Thursday, March 6th, Aldrin will be participating in a Director’s Screening of a new documentary entitled The Wonder of It All. After the film there will be a “Q’n'A” with both director Jeffrey Roth and former astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
The movie, as described on the Arclight website:
Focuses on the personal stories of the men behind the Apollo space missions. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Edgar Mitchell, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt reflect on their childhoods, the training, the tragedies, the camaraderie and the effect that their space travel had on the lives of their families.
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Tags: Film · Upcoming events
February 28th, 2008 Written by: Karl · No Comments
This month the list of films presented at Arclight Cinemas focuses on “Politics in Cinema” (Hollywood) and “Sports at the Movies” (Sherman Oaks).
Included during the month of March are two director screenings for the films Snow Angels and The Wonder of It All.
Arclight Hollywood: Politics in Cinema
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington — March 5th at 8PM.
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962) — March 12th at 8PM.
- The Parallax View — March 19th at 8PM.
- All the President’s Men — March 26th at 8PM.
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Tags: Entertainment · Film · Upcoming events
February 25th, 2008 Written by: Karl · No Comments
The awards have been given out, the parties have all happened, and the show was only 3.5 hours long! The 80th Academy Awards came in with controversy with the recently resolved writers strike, and ended with everyone talking about the upsets, the fashion, the host, and of course, the winners. So how was it? What was the best moment? How did Jon Stewart do? Ladies and Gents, a LA.CityZine recap…
The Host: You have to hand it to Jon Stewart. With only 11 days to prepare a show that usually takes 7 months, Stewart and his team of writers managed to come up with pretty funny bits. While his opening monologue was hit or miss (make-up sex, anyone?), he seemed to gain momentum and get better as the show went on, firing off one liners that have endeared him to audiences. Stewart shined when he played off of others, as when he joked about John Travolta’s plane being parked on La Brea and when he stated how “arrogant” Glen Hansard (Winner for Best Original Song) was after Hansard gave one of the more humble speeches of the night.
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Tags: Editorials · Entertainment · Film
February 21st, 2008 Written by: Karl · 3 Comments
All right moviegoers, you have had several weeks to catch up on the nominated films, but since you probably did not do your homework, LACityZine is here to pick up the slack. Yup, its time for LACityZine’s Oscar predictions, as well as who everyone else thinks is most likely to win.
But for now, read, absorb, and mark down your Oscar pool.
Best Picture – Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood
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Tags: Entertainment · Film
