The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, in Conjunction with RVCA and Monster Media are Proud to Present
Sea No Evil, An Art Benefit
Silent Auction: Saturday, July 12, 2008 (Preview 2 weeks prior to event)

Raising money and awareness for the protection and conservation of the world’s oceans, the 2nd annual “Sea No Evil” Art Benefit is set to become a major event on the art and conservation calendar in years to come.
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Caia Koopman and Mark Gleason
La Luz de Jesus Gallery
Artists Reception Saturday July 5, 8-10pm

4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles

For a dose of artifice-debunking figurative painting, if that is even possible, the La Luz de Jesus Gallery presents their July exhibit of Caia Koopman and Mark Gleason this weekend. The gallery exhibits a new show every month, always kicked-off by a reception that Details Magazine allegedly described as being “the biggest and best party in Los Angeles,” according to the gallery’s website.

Koopman has experienced some commercial success already with her works that explore the fundamentality of femininity and nature. Koopman endeavors for her acrylic on wood and canvas creations to didactically assert the importance of nature and the feminine on the environment and humanity. Her works feature women depicted in an amalgamation of mother earth allegory and contemporary pop-art exaggeration. The result is graceful though cartoon-like, but in a good way, with lush textile-esque surfaces and bold colors. Koopman also designs for companies ranging from Roxy to AT&T, and creates original snowboard graphics, stemming from her love of the sport.

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Well, it looks like everyone needs a vacation. Not many choices but maybe you’ll run into your favorite local band as you stumble your way home. If not then, check out these three bands and see if they could be a part of your July 4th plans!

• Spindrift, The Flash Express | 8:30pm at The Echo - Map | 18+ | Tickets $10 Buy now
• Castledoor | 9:00pm at The Scene - Map | 21+

Photo by Rich62

Yay it’s 4th of July! That fabulous, summer crash-course of a holiday where we can forget our troubles and remember how great it is to live in this amazing country. A country “of the people, by the people, for the people”. A country free from corrupt government, a country whose civil liberties are still intact and, um… well…

At least we still got burgers.

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Fireworks

• Nine best places in LA to watch Fireworks | July 4th | Most fireworks start around 9pm - but check each individual listing for day time events or possibly changes | Don’t miss out! No mater where you are in the city there is sure to be a place near you that has great fireworks for you to enjoy!

Dance

• Drop | July 4th and every first Friday of the month | 11:55pm | Cost $10 | Every month at a different loft - this month it’s located at 651 South Anderson St, Downtown LA (Map) | Looking to dance the 4th away? They’ll be spinning reggae, dancehall, mashups, and dubs all night long. E-mail dropafterhours@gmail.com to RSVP and get on the list for $5.

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This week in the literary world approaches Independence Day with lack of convention, substituting red, white, and blue for a personal shade of green, and focusing on Hollywood yet again as the center of the universe.

Open Mic Poetry | Friday, July 4, 2008 | 8:00 pm | Barnes & Noble - Map | A poetry reading is probably the last place you’d think spend the Fourth of July. However, if you’re like me and can go without the sometimes alarming sound of exploding fireworks, perhaps it would make do to have few choice words tickle your ears instead. For more info, call (818) 558-1383.

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The 4th is only hours away, and I’ll bet dollars to donuts a good portion of you have not yet prepped for your festivities.

And it’s a good thing you haven’t, because I’ve compiled for you a handy, and delicious, list of  recipes from around the web to help tantilize and titillate your palate on this, our most BBQtastic holiday of the year.

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This July 4th weekend does not have to be all about fireworks, burnt barbecue, and Uncle Sam. Take the nontraditional track with a late-night improv show, a dark comedy set in an overseas land, or a sex-filled coming-of-age story. True, going to the theater may not be the best way to express one’s patriotism, but what better way to support one of your favorite city’s favorite industries? Read below for more information about The Completely Different Late Show, Refuge from the Storm, Spring’s Awakening, and Maestro, If You Please!

The Completely Different Late Show - An improvisational show with members of The Groundlings, an improvisation troupe whose alumni include Will Ferrell and Lisa Kudrow, “The Completely Different Late Show” isn’t just your set of old “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” games. Given its successful alums, however, the laughs should be bountiful! While this is a weekly event, brand new material by the troupe plus guest appearances by Saturday Night Live alumni make this a lively event for any weekend, not just July 4th.

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JUDITH LIEBE
“PANDORA’S BOX - Transformation of a Woman”
July 10 – 27, 2008
Opening Reception: July 10, 7 – 10 PM

“Provocative Love, seductive Love, hopeless Love.  Liebe’s images of women reflect triumph, power, loneliness and pain.”
-David Glover, Curator

German artist Judith Liebe returns to Los Angeles with her most striking U.S. show yet. Focused on ‘the fearless Female’, which Liebe marries images of the female body, fashion as well as erotic media, created in the form of photo collage, as well as paintings of nudes, both brazen and unapologetic, with a direct connection to the poetic.

As in her earlier works, women take the center stage. The body remains the focal point of all forms of love.

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The Aero:

• Thur 3 at 7.30: Mr Hulot’s Holiday (1952) / The Big Day (1948)

The first of Jacques Tati’s feature films as director lacks the sense of obsessive control that escalates through his next pictures - Holiday, Mon Oncle (1958) and Playtime (1967) - but the gags are nonetheless highly organised, and it is perfectly charming from start to finish. In The Big Day (Jour de fête) he plays François the postman, bumbling through his round in the northern French countryside while the small local town prepares for its annual fête. There’s little story, but a series of charming encounters and splendidly silly gags (often involving his bicycle) and gradually running jokes as the day progresses. Alongside the black and white version, Tati filmed with the new Thomsoncolor process and it is this version, splendidly restored to its lovely gentle tones, that’s showing here.

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I love summer. I love free shows. Free music shows, that is! Catch some amazing acts for the week of July 3 - July 9!

Thursday, July 3

• One Hawai’i with Keali’i Reichel, Na Leo, Weldon Kekauoha and Hula Halau | 7:00 pm at the Santa Monica Pier | Info Here

Sunday, July 6

• Soul Shot | 12:00 pm at Point Fermin Park | Info Here
• 110 South | 3:00 pm at Point Fermin Park | Info Here
• Victor Cisneros y Alteza (Latin Pop) | 6:00 pm at Rosewood Park | Info Here
• Paul Wittenberg with Daniel Alfred Wachs (pianists) | 6:00 pm at the Leo S. Bing Theatre in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art | Info Here

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Well, technically Hancock cheated. You could buy tickets and see the film July 1st. This will be Will Smith’s FIFTH 4th of July opening weekend (week) In 1997 Men in Black opened to $51.1 million, in 1999, Wild Wild West opened to $27.7, Men in Black II opened to $52.1 and finally Independence day opened to $50.2. Now with SEVEN days to let the numbers add up, we’ll see what kind of ridiculous total he can rack up. If you’re in the mood to see a good film, we got plenty of those for you. The Wackness made huge waves at the LA Film Festival and looks like it’s sure to get you laughing. Kabluey is supposed to be one of the best dark comedies of the year. I’ll let you be the judge. Then we have Diminished Capacity (aka Little Miss Sun Sunshine with a different cast and a mission to exchange an amazing basketball card) which looks like it should be enjoyable. Hell, I’m a sucker for great casts, bonding, and some laughs.

So here it is. Your list for films opening this week with times and ticket, cast and crew information, reviews, and trailers. Enjoy!

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