Lil' Bunny, Big City

05.05.13 - EW Capetown Film Festival @ The Egyptian Neil Gaiman...

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:59:35 -0400

05.05.13 - EW Capetown Film Festival @ The Egyptian

Neil Gaiman (author), Travis Knight (Laika) at the Coraline screening for the Entertainment Weekly Film Fest (with the unfortunate Capetown moniker). I’ve seen this movie so many times and still couldn’t get enough of it, apparently.

Sorry for the audio

Pokemon: the Musical

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:48:18 -0400

Pokemon: the Musical:

tee hee

04.20.13 - 04.21.13 - LA Times Festival of Books Always look...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:58:00 -0400

Margaret Atwood (Handmaid's Tale)

Lucy Dahl

Susan Feniger

Spoken word performance

Publisher that specializes in books about Los Angeles

Central Library's store has a truck!

Many cute things inside that truck. I totally need to check out the store at the actual library

Jon Klassen, Lemony Snicket's "handler"

Demetri Martin

Mark Hamill in his Hawaiian shirted glory

04.20.13 - 04.21.13 - LA Times Festival of Books

Always look forward to this event every year. At USC again, but tons of vendors, stages, panels, and workshops to celebrate the art of storytelling. And of course, (my fave) the swag ;)

Day 1 started with the Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale) panel. A lot of the audience asked really sophic, sometimes pedantic questions, but it’s a college environment, I guess. She handled them with grace and a delightfully dry sense of humor, though. Converted my friend (a self-styled feminist who nonetheless never read her books because she doesn’t like dystopias) to give Atwood a second chance. Lunch was done at Lemonade (where I had this amazing avocado salad). Then we saw LA celebrity chef Susan Feniger (Street, Border Grill) do a cooking demo of chicken satay and an Asian fruit salad. We then saw Lucy Dahl, daughter of Roald Dahl, tell some anecdotes about her father, but I was disappointed that she didn’t read anything. We ended the day with Jon Klassen (I Want My Hat Back) and Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events) read from their new collaborative book, The Dark. It was comic gold—Klassen is the perfect straightman to LS’s deadpan, morbid humor. If I can find the time, I’ll have to upload the vids I took.

Day 2 was much more lax. Started with Demetri Martin (The Daily Show) talking about his new book. Popped into the USC Civic Engagement tent to escape the sun, when we found out we were just in time to see Mark Hamill (Star Wars, Batman: The Animated Series) read the Dr. Seuss book, Oh The Places You’ll Go! Was it bad that I kept hearing the Joker’s voice?? All in all, a pleasant surprise. Ended with John Scalzi’s (Red Shirt Army) panel.

Exhausted. Really sunburned on my feet. But lots of fun :)

Stay safe, Boston

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:09:57 -0400

Stay safe, Boston

04.12.13 - Animaniacs @ Jon Lovitz Comedy Club The Talkin’...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:54:00 -0400

Marquee from Citywalk

Randy, Rob, Tress, Jess (L-R) singing songs

Everyone who was involved in the show was invited up on stage at the end to sing the theme song. The lady in the white cardigan by the keyboard is Nancy Cartwright

Jess, Tress, Rob at the signing

04.12.13 - Animaniacs @ Jon Lovitz Comedy Club

The Talkin’ Toons Animaniacs reunion! The voice actors for the Warners, Rob Paulsen (Yakko), Jess Harnell (Wakko), and Dot (Tress MacNeille) sold out the club to a house full of 90s nostalgists (your truly included) so that we could show some love for our childhoods. They told some charming anecdotes, answered questions, and there were plenty of special guests. Of note, Maurice LaMarche (the Brain), Nancy Cartwright (of Bart Simpson fame…she also played Mindy?!?), writers and staff including Tom Ruegger and Randy Rogel (who wrote the ever famous Yakko’s World—as an audition piece, apparently!). Also of note, Kevin Michael Richardson (Shredder in the current, excellent TMNT) stopping by to ask when they’re going to make the Warner cousin Blakko XD

The highlight was when Rogel joined them on stage and they performed three songs: I’m Mad, Wakko’s America (which Jess noted, helped a lot of kids—including myself—get through geography lol), and Yakko’s World—with a new verse for the countries not covered in the original! Sorry, they didn’t allow videos yesterday :’(

There was a raffle for custom Animaniacs Vans (which I, sadly, did not win), and signings afterward. They were only supposed to do one item, so I chose my CD, but Tress was like “give that here” (referring to the pictures they handed at the door), and then Jess was like, “well, let me sign that, too” and then they slid it over to Rob while he was distracted! So that picture will go to my friend. XD These guys were so warm, and you could tell that this show meant as much to them as it meant to the audience who watched it. Lots of love all around. Thanks for the show, guys <3

Oh, and for my fangirly moment of the day, I got to gush to Jess how Wakko was my favorite, and he answered (in Wakko’s voice), “you’re my favorite, too.” ##^^##

As for the club itself, it was a first time visit for me. Someone commented it was like the Roller Ball because it was 3 stories high, lol. Lots of fun art of Kevin Smith and his cronies around, and of course the towering “classy” portrait of Jon himself at the stage. It was also a fun excuse to visit Citywalk, as I hadn’t been back for ages!

04.06.2013 - Rosario Dawson - Trance Q&A (Arclight Cinemas...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 01:31:00 -0400

04.06.2013 - Rosario Dawson - Trance Q&A (Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood)

Sorry for the crap lighting. I had the misfortune of sitting right under a house light. At least the audio is unfazed.

It was a fantastic movie—had me second guessing myself every 2 minutes and then the twist undid all of my theories. Highly recommended if it’s showing in your area.

I like the Arclight generally as a theater chain. The facilities are top notch, and I love how you can reserve seats. First time being to this location, and wow, it was really big. Very angry theater goers, though, that evening. I’ve been to a ton of film screenings, and usually the crowds are fun and eager fellow fans. Must’ve been something in the soup. *shrug*

Easter brunch @ Bottega Louie Happy Easter!

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 03:36:00 -0400

Bar area and open kitchen

Salmon benedict

Breakfast flatbread

Confectionery store

Bakery

Chocolate eggs and lambs for easter

Easter bunnies!

Easter brunch @ Bottega Louie

Happy Easter!

RDJ/Bill Rosendahl talks homelessness in Venice

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:58:53 -0400

RDJ/Bill Rosendahl talks homelessness in Venice

J.Crew | Blog: Locals Only

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:37:00 -0400

J.Crew | Blog: Locals Only:

jcrew:

while we were in L.A. we met up with four local creative guys, gave them each a
pair of our new Vans® shoes and asked them to show us around some of their
favorite spots…

Mike wears a Deus Ex Machina button-down, a Splendid Mills baseball T-shirt,
an Acne jean and Vans for J.Crew

Cherry blossoms @ Lake Balboa So here’s the thing: I am...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 02:26:00 -0400

Swan! And other water fowl

Capping off the lovely day with some cherry blossom cupcakes from Georgetown, yeah!

Cherry blossoms @ Lake Balboa

So here’s the thing: I am obsessed with cherry blossoms. Luckily, LA has a park with about 2,000 trees surrounding a lake. They’re planted more spread out, so they’re not as thick when in bloom the way that the famous DC cherry blossoms are (which I had the privilege of seeing last year, dream of a lifetime come true ngl), there are still plenty to satisfy sakura aficionados, picnicking families, and cosplayers. And in years to come, Lake Balboa might closer to DC, as I saw several young trees just planted on the far side of the lake. Sadly, the blooms were either coming in waves, or we caught the tail-end of the blooming season, because the trees at the entrance of the park were already bare. Still plenty towards the middle of the park, though.

There’s lots of different water fowl, bike rentals, playgrounds, and charcoal pits for BBQs, and lots of families about. It can get pretty messy and take away from the tranquil feeling of it all. Still, it was a gorgeous day and a pleasant walk. To finish, we stopped by Georgetown cupcakes for some of their beautiful cherry blossom cupcakes! :)

Me: Do you know what I love about Mexican food? That citrusy aftertaste.

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:22:00 -0500

Me: Do you know what I love about Mexican food? That citrusy aftertaste.
Friend 1: What citrusy aftertaste?
Friend 2: Yeah, I have no idea what that means either.
Me: Oh, man, you guys are eating the wrong kind of Mexican food...

Kubrick Retrospective at LACMA One of the current rotating...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 02:47:56 -0500

Kubrick retrospective at LACMA's Art of the Americas building. Smaller than Burton's exhibit, but a very thorough look at his work

Spartacus costume and concept art. Note the color red as a recurring theme in both his work, and the museum's analysis of his work

Chessboard and stills from Paths of Glory. Apparently he was an avid player

Costumes from Barry Lyndon

Masks from Eyes Wide Shut. Note the red again

Details of helmet from Full Metal Jacket

Come play with us, Danny. Forever. And ever. And ever... (The Shining)

3D diorama of interior from 2001 Space Odyssey

Costume from Clockwork Orange

Milk bar props from Clockwork Orange

Kubrick Retrospective at LACMA

One of the current rotating exhibits, like the Burton one in 2011, this exhibition takes an in-depth look at Stanley Kubrick’s amazing career and legacy as a filmmaker.

The hall is more or less set up chronologically, following Kubrick’s start as a photographer and shows his amazing eye even before he got into moving pictures and several of the cameras he used. The friend I attended the exhibit with remarked how impressive it was for Kubrick to get so many storytelling shots purely through analog, without the benefit of digital editing.

There are props, script drafts, and conceptual sketches from several of his seminal works, including Dr. Strangelove and Lolita, as well as letters that reflect the government or public outcry behind the societal controversy.

A lot of clips were also running showcasing important scenes. The one that stood out the most was the 2001: A Space Odyssey room, where HAL’s unnerving monotone played in the background of a dark room featuring the eerie glowing 3 dimensional interior mock-up of the space station.

All in all, it’s a great look at his career, with plenty of analysis and informational goodies to sate eager film students and Kubrick fans. Special thanks to LACMA for actually allowing pictures (!!) to be taken of the exhibition, which I find generally enhances the interactive experience of everything, and I wish they had allowed it for the Burton one, too.

Make sure to download the app from LACMA that supplements the exhibition and see it before it closes in June.

Oh my glob, the strawberry champagne cupcakes from Georgetown are amazing. Well done, you East Coast...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:17:17 -0500

Oh my glob, the strawberry champagne cupcakes from Georgetown are amazing.

Well done, you East Coast ex-pat, you.

Lake Hollywood How long have I lived here and had no idea one of...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:06:00 -0500

Approaching Lake Hollywood resevoir

The walking path surrounding the reservoir is very lush with foliage

The park is very close to the Hollywood sign, fittingly

Another vantage point of the lake

The lake seems to sit on top of the busy metropolis

A cache of cacti

The surrounding neighborhood has a lot of personality! Check out this person's garage

Lake Hollywood

How long have I lived here and had no idea one of the busiest places in Los Angeles had its own lake? Literally just off the notoriously congested 101 there’s a serene oasis known as Lake Hollywood. You have to drive through a sleepy residential area through narrow, windy roads, and voila! A reservoir of sparkling blue water that seems to float above the hazy smoggy city below.

Surrounding the lake is a lush walking trail and a park. There’s no doubt hiking trails to the Hollywood sign, given how close it is, but the neighborhood is very lovely as well, lined with quaint houses and flowering trees lining the lanes.

It’s a great place for some peace and quiet, and a lot of fun to just get lost in for a few hours.

35 Signs You Grew Up In Los Angeles In The '90s

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:44:44 -0500

35 Signs You Grew Up In Los Angeles In The '90s:

wheninla:

#hi #justbecause

01.31.13-02.03.13 - LA Art Book Fair at the Geffen The first...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:18:00 -0500

LA Art Book Fair - the contemporary of the NY Art Book Fair

SPA featuring the art of Terry Hsu

Masters of the Zine Universe exhibit

Trimpkin art book - the sleeve is a functioning music box!

Preview galleys for a new illustrated edition of On the Road by Jack Kerouac

The Magician put out by Marquand books. Only 20 ever made!

View from photography landing

Posters from the LA Forum for Architecture and Design. Important how water shapes our civil engineering, and these were delightfully sardonic

01.31.13-02.03.13 - LA Art Book Fair at the Geffen

The first ever LA version of the New York festival. I imagine this is what Alternative Press Expo looks like for non-industry types. Lots of indie-zines, art exhibits, and bibliophiles peddling their wares and soaking in some counter-culture. Where big publishers are dying out, there were tons of smaller, independent distributors out in force, taking up the entire Geffen. Close to 220 participated, and they were all very enthusiastic about their products. Some of them were really cool—like The Magician, an interactive graphic novel (no words, but images and magnifying glasses to help with the visual distortion) that came packaged in an LED box with equally cryptic but pleasing visuals. Retailed for a cool $1200, but if I had the money to drop on it, I would, since there’s only about 20 in existence.

Special shout-out to the SCB Art Book Collection who were kind enough to introduce me to a really cool artist Dennis de Groot’s awesome minimalistic pop culture art. New person to stalk!

Yay, books! I hope they bring this back next year, and that these vendors are still around to participate next year.

colchrishadfield: Los Angeles, CA. The grey of pavement and...

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 21:07:21 -0500

colchrishadfield:

Los Angeles, CA. The grey of pavement and dense population is visible from Earth orbit.

Important PSA: DineLA begins today

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:53:20 -0500

Important PSA: DineLA begins today:

Restaurant week 2013 winter edition has arrived! I’ve already got 3 restaurants lined up (two I haven’t tried before) so I am looking forward to this.

WHEN ROLLERBLADERS GO TOO FAST ON THE STRAND

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:37:47 -0500

wheninla:

Shamelessly reblogging this for the bunnies :3

Josephine the Singer: LA is a state of mind

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:36:00 -0500

Josephine the Singer: LA is a state of mind:

mousesinger:

Sometimes I wonder if the “OMG I love this place!” people are transplants, because when I grew up in LA, I never, ever said “OMG I love this place!” (and I really did love it).

Even if I move to SF proper, I will probably never be able to put “OMG I love this city” and “exploring my…

Whoop! Bookmarked this to use as a spring point for this entry, because the first part definitely spoke to me.

Growing up in LA, I also never went, “OMG I love this city!” either, and frankly, I don’t really know any Angelenos who did. I suppose it wasn’t really done. Moving away to college and beyond, I found that most people took overt pride in their respective city, and even more, had a pretty set definition of how their personalities were shaped by their place of origin. I was dismayed to find that I didn’t really have that, because I couldn’t really pinpoint what “made” LA.

But I knew I did love this city, even if I had a hard time articulating why. So, as trite as it sounds, I decided to “explore my city” a little. To the extent my job and other commitments would allow, anyway. And I would argue that going out to clubs, shows, restaurants are legitimate ways of doing so. I concede that they are a very limited and particular way of exploring the city, but people have different interests, and thus tend to explore cities in different ways.

For example, reviewing this blog, there’s a decidedly geeky bent towards things that I’ve documented. So really, I’m a geek living in LA, and my city experience is going to be defined by this, which is going to be a different experience from a foodie living in LA, or a scenester living in LA. I think all these little experiences seem unimportant in isolation, but reflecting back on them, they’re important to building up my idea of what LA is as a city, and by extension, my identity as a person. Or maybe that’s too overreaching?