Monthly Archives: August 2008

This is our moment

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When I talk to my parents and grandparents,
They remind me
That I never lived in a world
Before the internet,
Before itunes, iphones and ipods,
Before people of all color could go to school together.

I missed Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech,
And the protests against the Vietnam War,
And watching a man land on the moon.

I missed it all.

But for my generation, this may be our moment.
This may be the moment that our children ask us about.
Because for them,
Every president WON’T be a white male.
For them,
Diversity and optimism
Will be as common and widespread as itunes and iphones.
Or so I hope.

Return of a serial killer?

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I watch waaaaay too much Law and Order, the Closer, etc. I’m the first to admit that.

But an article in LA Weekly published today is a quick reminder that Los Angeles really is the city straight out of the movies. According the the Weekly, a serial murderer, who was MIA for 13 years, is back. Yes, a serial murderer. And no one–the police cheif, city council members, or our celebutant-mayor seem to be too concerned. Maybe it’s because the murders aren’t in Beverly Hills or Westwood. Maybe they think there are more serious matters to attend to (like reelection campaigns). But last time I checked, no one here wants to live a non-fiction version of their favorite television show, so maybe somebody better get on the ball here.

Meow

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I’ve always said if I became a multi-millionaire (ok, doubtful) I would buy a big house with a lot of land and adopt a lot of shelter pets to save them from their terrible living conditions and imminent death.

Well, someone beat me to it.

Four hours north of Los Angeles, Cat House on the Kings sits as a hidden oasis for hundreds of cats. While at first she may seem like a “cat lady,” this woman has given these animals an opportunity to have a life–a healthy, enjoyable life roaming the lands and climbing trees.

At the no-kill shelter, all the animals are adoptable. I’m not sure how she handles the costs, and time it takes to care for all these animals, but this is clearly a woman doing good. They take donations. Actually, they need donations to survive.  Here’s a video of this amazing shelter:

Vicky Christina Barcelona- Review

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When the closing credits rolled after Vicky Christina Barcelona, a man in the row behind me exclaimed,

“Gimme a break! I want a story. Come on Woody, I want a story.”

While I doubt the portly man knew Woody (Allen), he seemed to know even less about his films. His newest endeavor, starring Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, and Javier Bardem, has the signature Woody moves– love triangles and trysts and quirky characters. Moreover, everything and nothing happens at the same time.

The story begins in the beautiful, romantic, whimsical city of Barcelona, where two American tourists have come to live for the summer. The analytical and pragmatic Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and her best friend, the unpredictable Christina (Johansson) could not be more different. They meet Juan Antonio (Bardem), a local artist, who invites them for a weekend trip of sight-seeing and love-making. There, they learn of Juan Antonio’s ex-wife (Cruz), a passionate, yet volatile woman who’s not afraid to use knives and guns.

While there are plenty of good, solid actors in this film, Cruz shines. Her character is both crazy and lovable, beautiful and complete mess. She seems most comfortable in her native language, which soars through the film like a bat out of a hell.

I’ve been to Barcelona a few times in my life. It really is a city of possibility, and Woody brings that to the highest level. Sure, a complete stranger will fly you to a small, romantic town and then sweep you off your feet and in to bed. Sure, his crazy ex-wife will teach you to photograph like you never have before. Sure. With a background of Gaudi design and the bustling of a beautiful city, how could it not happen?

Woody Allen’s films often transcend the need for an epic ending, for a life-shattering turn of events. Sometimes, crazy stuff happens, and then other stuff happens. For the man in the audience, that wasn’t enough. But sometimes, that’s all there is.

Villa- Models, Bottles and so much less

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I’d post a photo to go along with my review of VILLA, but they don’t allow photos inside. Really, VILLA is the queen of Hollywood snobbery.
It’s a small space–one room with a balcony, so the door goon has the ability to turn away anyone he pleases. VILLA is known for its exclusivity. NO ONE, it seems, can get in, and paps spend half their nights outside of it.  Just check out TMZ.
If you do make it past the pearly gates, you’ll find a room stuffed with beautiful people–anorexic models and men with high cheek bones– and money out the ears. But you won’t find much more. The decor is pirate cosmopolitan, ropes hanging from the ceiling like a skeleton.
VILLA is exactly like the people held within it: beautiful, but not much substance.

An Update on Ara Abrahamian

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Ara Abrahamian, the Swedish wrestler who walked off the podium and dropped his bronze medal, has been stripped of his medal, and barred from all Olympic venues.

He violated the spirit of the Olympics, which was the point I was making in my previous post. Yes, he may have been cheated–but that was being investigated, so the podium was not the place to react. If he hadn’t made that display, he would still have a medal, rather than nothing at all.

Sore Loser

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The Swedish wrestler, Ara Abrahamian, threw his bronze medal down and stormed off at the Olympic ceremony for wrestling today. See video here.

Sore Loser

Sore Loser

The Olympics are about sports and sportsmanship. Abrahamian shamed his country and his sport with his actions. He seems to feel he was cheated out of the gold, but regardless he should be graceful in his loss. I understand that the judges are now under investigation, but he should let that take its course and at least be graceful on the stand. This is not about if he was wronged (which it sounds like he may have been) but about the way you carry yourself when you represent your country.

Mamma Mia!

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I’ve always wanted my life to be a musical. For my friends and lover to break out into song during emotional moments of my rollercoaster life would make it all the better. And in musicals, all that messy stuff always works itself out right before the ending.

So when MAMMA MIA came out as a movie, I was pumped. 70′s ABBA music? Meryl Streep? Colin Firth? Greece? How could this be anything but AWESOME?

I discovered that I could never hate a musical. The singing always lifts my spirit, no matter how ridiculous. I’ve seen the live musical, and I loved it. The film could never live up to that, but it does have its own benefits.

If you’ve never heard the story before, it’s about Sophie (played by Amanda Seyfried–who CAN sing) who is about to get married, and wants her father to walk her down the aisle. The only problem is that she is not sure who her daddy is because her mom (Meryl Streep–whose amazing acting masks the fact that she can’t sing) slept with three different men around the time of Sophie’s conception. So, Sophie invites the three men (Colin Firth–who can sort of sing; Stellan Skarsgard–who doesn’t sing; and Peirce Brosnan–who should NOT be allowed to sing) to her wedding in order to find out who really is her father.

 While the singing is obviously not up to par with the musical, the scenery makes up for it. Shot in Greece, the cliffs and water and beaches are breathtaking. The camera work takes full advantage of the picturesque locations.

I’m glad I saw it. Heck, I’d even buy it because it makes me feel that good. Life (and film) really is better in song.

Men at Sea

Men at Sea

Death of a Nightclub– GOA

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I’ve been working in the nightclub business for the past couple of years. While I think bottle service is ridiculous, it has paid for food on my table and a roof over my head.

An added benefit has been a crash course in the business of nightlife. What I’ve realized is that in a city like LA, nightlife is a world of its own.

Clubs come and go faster than a rainstorm or the latest fashion trend here. The best recent example of this is GOA.

I went to GOA right after it opened. A beautiful chain-link ceiling, large spacious rooms and a beautiful crowd made is seemed destined for Hollywood greatness. But it turns out GOA is already floundering.

Because of a licensing conflict, GOA is changing into a restaurant. This Friday is the last night for one of their biggest promotions.

There have been several complaints about the noise and over-capacity of the place as of late, filled with D-list wanna-be-celebs like Heidi Montag. So, the owners are putting in tables, and serving sushi.

Even though they’re trying to stay afloat, most people know that a nightclub serving food doesn’t float well here. You don’t want to dance where you eat, most of the time. So, it is only a matter of time until GOA sinks all together.


Crowd at Goa