Twitter Updates
- 21:51 I thought I done for the day. Now I head back into the night.
Hi there! I'm a dude in his mid-twenties who moved to LA to take my shot at writing professionally. On this site I share my observations of the Los Angeles culture, its politics, the entertainment industry, and the minutiae of my life. I also design typefaces, if you're into that.
Entry posted on Friday, September 26th, 2008
Massimo's Mudspot
I'm trying a new cafe today, this one much closer to my home. It's called Massimo's Mudspot, and I think we have a winner, here. It opened about a month ago, and I hope it sticks around.In high school, a few friends had described their dream of opening a coffee shop. This space feels like realization of a similar dream, though from the mind of an Italian who enjoys riding bicycles. Big windows for people watching. Excellent drinks, funky but comfortable furniture. There's a picture of a scooter on the wall, which earns brownie points from this rider. And they're open late.
Two young men met me at the register with an odd mix of excitement and hesitance, as though paying customers were still a thrilling reality. I asked if they had iced tea. "We have a Moroccan mint iced tea which is sweetened." Then, with a shy smile, he added, "It's really good." Later, as I worked on my laptop (and wrote this -- free Wifi), those young men took a seat outside under their Danesi coffee umbrella to smoke and chat. I wonder if this had been their dream. Open a cafe, so you'll always somewhere cool to hang out.
On my second visit Monday morning, there was a boy maybe five years old, who I assume is the son of the owner. "Come along Massimo," called the father. Now we know who the cafe is named for.
Also: assorted used books lined up along the wall, board games, air conditioning, cheap food, Coke in the bottle, and plenty of plug-ins for laptops.
Entry posted on Saturday, September 20th, 2008
Tags: cafe, eating, los angeles, writing
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Twitter Updates
- 13:25 Sitting at the breakfast table with Bill and Halbe, reading the Sunday paper.
Entry posted on Sunday, September 7th, 2008
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Hollywood Moment #316: The President
I was on my scooter, idling at the intersection of Wilcox and Sunset. Pedestrians were crossing a few feet in front of me. No eye contact was made. This is normal. On the scooter I regularly exchange a nod or wave with other motorcycle or scooter riders, but walkers breeze by, eyes always forward. Perhaps a human face in place of the usual car is an uncomfortable thing to pass. Children are the exception. They'll gaze at the humming grill of my fairing, then at me. I'll smile and sometimes they'll smile back, over their shoulders, as their mothers tug them along to the curb.This day something different happened. A well-groomed, mid-50's white man wearing a beige suit and tie was half-way across the street. He was mouthing something, and my mental illness spidey sense began to tingle. He passed, noticed the scooter, then turned around to face me. He extended his hand and smiled. "Hi," he said. "I'm the President."
I smiled back and shook his hand. It was clean and soft. "Nice to meet you, sir," I said. He watched me a moment more. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded, then finished crossing. He took a few steps down Sunset then doubled back. He stopped, arms at his side. He had a look of great consternation, then cracked that smile again. He started down Wilcox with long, confident strides, his hand extended, though no one was there.
Entry posted on Friday, August 15th, 2008
Tags: los angeles
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Twitter Updates
- 12:27 Hanging out with Kim in Seattle, then driviing up to Vancouver for movie magic.
Entry posted on Monday, August 11th, 2008
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Twitter Updates
- 11:53 We just had a little earthquake. My office heaved like a lung. My car was rocking in the driveway.
Entry posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
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Runyon Canyon Regulars
Photo by Jason Morrison
Runyon Canyon is a staple of the West Hollywood workout regime, and for good reason. It's free. It offers a variety of hikes, from a gentle, paved stroll, to rock-scrambling, three-contact-points-needed climbs. It's a nice respite from the city. Two blocks from Hollywood Boulevard, cleaved into the Hollywood Hills, it is a largely untouched, undeveloped land. It's dry and dusty, with brown-yellow brush and a few, curled trees for shade -- a slice of what Los Angeles looks like, as Nature intended. Legions of Angelenos take on those trails daily. Two weeks ago today, I joined them.
I'd avoided it for months, but proximity and my swelling corpulence won me over. On my lunch break I put on shorts, a white cotton tee, a baseball cap, then attacked the gentlest slope. The park, normally swamped when I pass it in the morning and evenings, was suspiciously empty, and five minutes in it became clear why. Being mid-day, the sun was at its highest and most intense. I had no water with me, and had not drunk much before I left. I felt short of breath. Sweat soaked through my hat in minutes. I only made it half-way up the hill before the heat and exhaustion drove me back to my air-conditioned office. When I returned, someone at work looked at me, astonished. "Didn't you know it was 105 degrees outside?" No, I did not know.
Despite all this, and especially after the dizziness passed, I felt good. Really good. In my legs and my arms, a warm satisfaction had developed -- like my brain wanted to congratulate my body with a nice endorphin cocktail for a great job of nearly succumbing to heat exhaustion. "Well done, lads. Next time we'll get 'em!" (For the purposes of this story, my brain speaks with a Cockney accent). So, because it felt good, the next day I tried it again. The heat wasn't so bad and I hydrated properly. I made it further up the hill. I brought my iPod and listened to NPR's This American Life. The whole experience was pleasant enough that the next day, Saturday, I hopped on my scooter, drove my morning commute (it's short, 12 minutes), and did it again. I was hooked. It's been fourteen days now, and I have hiked Runyon eleven of those days; today at lunch will be the twelfth.
Of all the routes, I prefer the western ridge line. It's the most difficult of the routes. A child on Nintendo, I am driven to seek the "hi-score". So, by my brain's flawed logic, the hardest route equals the most effort expended, and therefore the fastest improvement and quickest results. That sounds 'bout right, 'eh guv'nuh? Also, I don't feel as bad when I take a break every few minutes to catch my breath and take in the sites.
Because it is free and convenient, Runyon sees a slice of the populous that cuts through societal boundaries: racial, economic, and attractiveness. Toned-models in tights and crop-tops walk their maltipoos and talk on cell phones. Shirtless old men with white chest hair and dark, leathery skin jog slowly in faded shorts. Adonis-like actors run with long strides and short bleach-streaked hair, ipods strapped to their arm, white earphone wires bouncing in time. A middle-aged Jewish couple, with conservative haircuts and matching, maroon tracksuits. Tourist families in shorts, calves thick and pasty, children silent, slowly trudging up for a view of the Hollywood sign. Babies in strollers with big wheels, groups of 20-somethings chatting, businessmen catching up, and of course, the dogs. Runyon is one of the few off-leash parks in Los Angeles, so dogs abound. They love it; running up and down the trails, sniffing each other, peeing on things, more sniffing, etc. Sometimes you'll see a tiny dog trotting down the trail, alone, and then minutes later, their owner, running to catch up.
Then of course, there's me. Shorts. Shirt. A Forgetting Sarah Marshall promotional baseball cap. IPod tucked in the waist belt. I ran through all the This American Lives available on iTunes (I now have a new reason to look forward to Mondays). Now I'm listening to the Creative Screenwriting podcasts. Paul Haggis, man. He is not a fan of the Iraq war.
Entry posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008
Tags: culture, hiking, los angeles, runyon canyon
1 comments / permalink
Movie Reviews: Hancock, Step Brothers
HancockThe first thirty minutes are fun. We meet Hancock, this anti-hero super hero. He's mean, but not too mean -- Will Smith "mean". An annoying kid prods him, says "Hancock. Bad guys?" pointing to a news report of a crime in progress. Instead of the violence or yelling one might expect from a recently roused alcoholic, he asks the kid if he wants a "cookie", then tells him to "beat it." Do people talk like that in real life?
The first criminals are awesome. Penultimate Hollywood bad guys. No personalities, foreign, and indiscriminately spraying the scenery with machine guns. I thought I was in for a good popcorn flick, but the second and third acts bog down with a slew of hard to swallow clichés and a ham-fisted story.
First, the "big reveal" is alluded to heavily with lingering glances between Hancock and a significant other. In scene after scene, it would happen: a close shot of Will Smith, his eyes flitting to this other person, the other person holding his gaze, a meaningful moment (all the other characters oblivious, of course), then both looking away, as though embarrassed or ashamed. When the reveal finally comes, as unexpected as ambulance blaring a siren, there was an audible groan in the theater.
Second, the news reports. The conveniently-timed television news report, imparting some vital piece of info ("This just in, Hancock is hurt downtown!") are a well-known cliché, to the point of parody (Family Guy: "Next up, our special report on convenient news reports. Watch out for that skateboard, Peter."). If there had been some wink to the audience about it, I would have considered them a joke, but they popped up over and over, earnest, bald-faced exposition in a manner that would have embarrassed a first-year film student. Hancock browses the aisles of a liquor store. A TV behind reports that a dangerous criminal has escaped from prison, and then proceeds to give a detailed summary of the criminal's life: what he went to jail for, his education, his famed ruthlessness. Hancock finally selects a product from the shelf, approaches the register, and the report tapers off. And yes, this is the bad guy he fights at the end of the movie. I wish I was joking.
Supposedly there's a much darker, pre-Will Smith draft of the script out there. I was told it includes a scene where Hancock has sex with a woman, but his climax kills her like a shotgun blast. This is why he is so lonely and bitter. I wonder why that didn't make it into the final version...
I think it will do fine business. The film is well produced. The visual effects are great. If what I described above would not annoy you, then I recommend checking out a matinee.
Step Brothers
Just watched it tonight. I don't want to build it up, but I laughed my ass off about 75% of the time, and was having a fine time the other 25%. I predict "Fucking Catalina Wine Mixer" becomes the next hip slogan. I should start printing the ironic t-shirts now -- God knows I missed the boat with "Milk Was A Bad Choice."
You know the filmmakers had fun making this, and it shows up on screen. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly have natural chemistry. Half the enjoyment for me came from what I was watching, the other half imagining how this would have read on the page, and the inspired lunacy that lead to its creation.
On the other hand, the person I went with thought the entire film was silly, immature, and not funny. I would be in mid-LOL, glance over at her, and she'd be silent, the look on her face that of someone cornered by a talkative drunk at a holiday party.
For fans of the Will Ferrell-Adam McKay-John C. Reilly-Judd Apatow oeuvre, this may be a new high-water mark. I highly recommend it. Also, all the actors do a great job, but Adam Scott is particularly inspired as the douche bag, overachieving younger brother.
Again, I hate building things up, and I feel bad that what I'm about to say may ruin this moment for a few people but, dammit, I need to share: the final scene (post credits) is the funniest thing I have seen in months. Maybe years. I had tears in my eyes. I laughed about it on the ride home, and I'm chuckling as a write about it now. You've been warned.
DISCLOSURE: Prior to Step Brothers, we were given "full access" to the concession stand. Whatever we wanted, all we had to do was ask. And ask we did. Did this dream-come-true sway my opinion of the movie? I don't think so. The combo of white Wild Cherry Slushie, cinnamon pretzel, Reece's Pieces, and Nestle ice cream nuggets turned out to not be as delicious as initially hoped. I bravely muscled through though, somehow.
Entry posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
Tags: hancock, movie review, step brothers
9 comments / permalink
Twitter Updates
- 20:19 Having dinner with cousin e fiance at La Buca.
Entry posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008
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The 35th Annual Student Academy Awards (2008)
I recently met a guy named Rajeev Dassani at a party. A fresh USC grad by day, digital artist by night, he was showing off some recent work on a laptop in the corner (the nerd's 21st century equivalent of the punch bowl at a party). We got to chatting, hit it off, and he later showed me an absolutely stunning student film he had done titled A DAY'S WORK. It's a well-written, beautifully shot, 20 minute film about race relations in Los Angeles.
In May, A DAY'S WORK won a Student Academy Award; we just didn't know which. Student Academy Awards differ from the regular Oscars in that three awards (Gold, Silver, Bronze) are given out in four categories (Alternative, Animation, Documentary, and Narrative). On the night of the event, the Academy announces which prize each of the winning films has won. A DAY'S WORK was in the Narrative category.
This year the ceremony was in Beverly Hills at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Tickets were free, so I grabbed two, my suit, and a buddy (Mitch), then headed out Saturday night to cheer Rajeev on.
In many ways, the Student Academy Awards felt like Oscars Lite. Same organization, but no red carpet, no big stars, no yelling paparazzi. The audience skewed much younger. Suits without ties and Banana Republic evening dresses were the norm. The theater was large, with red velvet curtains and seats. A pair of large, golden Oscar statuettes guarded the borders of the stage.
Sid Ganis, head of the Academy, gave a friendly and brief welcome speech, congratulating the winners. Clips of all the films in a category were shown, then an industry figure would give out the awards.
Well-known cinematographer Caleb Deschanel handed out the Documentary awards. Gold went to a polished film about Rwandan genocide survivors attempting to forgive the men who murdered their families. Despite the powerful topic, the film itself left me unaffected. The plodding cuts of angry face to apologetic face to confessional shot felt uncomfortably close to Real World: Rwanda. Though we only saw a clip, the silver winner, UNATTACHED, looked more interesting. It's about the crisis of single adults in the New York Orthodox Jewish community. Highlight: An exasperated Jewish 20-something man describing how his longest relationship (six-months) ended because the woman could not remember his phone number. "I'm a numbers man," he explained.
Todd Holland, a television director, handed out the awards for Alternative and Animation. VIOLA, a bizarre, unsettling film that featured a little girl climbing floating chairs and hugging a headless man won the Alternative category. I enjoyed it. With the right music and a few more creepy visuals, it could sit nicely among the Tool music video oeuvre.
Animation Gold winner was the hand-drawn ZOOLOGIC, which beat out two computer animated shorts. The look was rough pencil sketches against near empty backgrounds, but charming characters and perfect timing ironically made polished computer generated films feel less considered in comparison. All three were fantastic, though. It'll be a crime if all three filmmakers are not snatched up by Pixar or Disney right away.
Winner were announced in the order of Bronze, then Silver, then Gold. So, as Todd Holland quipped, "you don't want to be called first." In the Narrative category, the Bronze went to a film titled PITSTOP. As soon as presenter Jason Reitman (THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, JUNO) announced the Silver winner was from Florida State University, there was an audible murmur in the room.
What I remember most about Rajeev's acceptance speech for the Gold award was Jason Reitman, a charismatic and engaging presenter, standing behind him, laughing and appearing to genuinely enjoy Rajeev's all-inclusive acknowledgments (he even personally thanked Jason). You can see Jason's face juuuust peeking over Rajeev's shoulder in the above photo.
They then screened all the Gold winners, and brought up the lights. It was a mad house in the entry hall, with the winners being swarmed by well-wishers, Rajeev no exception. We spoke briefly, then Mitch and I retired to Islands Restaurant on Beverly for a pair of gut-bomb burgers.
Entry posted on Monday, June 9th, 2008
Tags: a days work, industry, los angeles, rajeev, student academy awards
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Twitter Updates
- 16:23 I'm writing at the Doheney Library today. Outside, graduates in crimson robes pose with their families for photos.
Entry posted on Saturday, June 7th, 2008
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Twitter Updates
- 17:08 Hungry for Chinese food.
Entry posted on Thursday, June 5th, 2008
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Twitter Updates
- 13:11 Cous-cous and black bean soup for lunch. Then: vote! No on prop 98.
- 17:05 Voted!
Entry posted on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
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Twitter Updates
- 13:08 Eating lunch at Jerry's on Beverly. Gorgeous day.
- 13:10 I'm a little self-conscious of scooterer's chapped lips. But Carmex is habit forming!
Entry posted on Friday, May 30th, 2008
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Twitter Updates
- 23:54 Working at Insomnia. Where else can I go to write in West LA after they close at 1:30?
Entry posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
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Twitter Updates
- 10:17 Back to the grind.
Entry posted on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
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Twitter Updates
- 16:19 Just washed and waxed my car. First time I've waxed a car before. It took a five freakin' hours. Next time: electric buffer.
Entry posted on Monday, May 26th, 2008
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Updates via Twitter
- 11:35 @payforthepiano Thinking about it, if the market declines enough. #
- 11:38 Worked out with Halbe. I ate a pear, and she's making fat free blueberry muffins. Great, cloudy weather for writing. Treatment by Tuesday! #
- 16:06 Insomnia cafe. Vanilla ice blended (with whipped cream). Five uninterrupted hours to work. I hope this leads to something useful. #
- 16:22 Laptop count: 11 #