In search of the Emerald City
There’s a foul smell in Pershing Square. Well, several foul smells, really. Most prominently, there’s the smell of urine. It wafts in all directions, emanating from a dozen dark, hidden recesses spread throughout the square. There’s the smell of the fountain, a giant purple modernist abomination that every so… Keep Reading »
In search of the Emerald City
There’s a foul smell in Pershing Square. Well, several foul smells, really. Most prominently, there’s the smell of urine. It wafts in all directions, emanating from a dozen dark, hidden recesses spread throughout the square. There’s the smell of the fountain, a giant purple modernist abomination that every so… Keep Reading »
L.A. Art Collective Struggles to Go On After Actor's Death
A Greyhound-style bus purchased on Craigslist for $8,700 rolls eastbound out of Los Angeles on Interstate 10, headed for Marfa, Texas, with 18 passengers. If a highway patrolman were to pull us over, he’d encounter a head-scratcher of a group. First he’d confront a big, bald white man named… Keep Reading »
And Sharon Jones is its hardest-working woman
The summer of 2008 is starting to sound a lot like ... 2007? Recent singles, including Solange Knowles’ sock-hoppin’ “I Decided” and Little Jackie’s tart “The World Should Revolve Around Me,” ostensibly nod back to the swing and shine of Motown’s 1960s sound, but the inspiration isn’t Tammi Terrell… Keep Reading »
Director makes cinematic trance of Reed's days-long 2006 concert at Brooklyn's St. Anns Warehouse
The most epic musical moment at this year’s South by Southwest Festival was a Lou Reed tribute extravaganza, a tented Texan sweatfest that saw the guest of honor publicly kissing Moby on the cheek (!) and a string of cover-song minisets from rock stalwarts Yo La Tengo, Thurston Moore… Keep Reading »
Behind the velvet ropes of the Westwood W, chef's latest is all American generosity
The Nine Thirty restaurant might be the last place you would expect to find a culinary epiphany in Los Angeles, jammed into the back of the Westwood W Hotel, adjacent to a bottle-service bar, past at least two velvet-rope gauntlets of bouncers who do not have your best interests… Keep Reading »
The mayor gets caught with his hands in a $137 million cookie jar
When a horribly tortured boy enters child protection, does skin color hurt his safe ticket out?
Indy Mac implodes and Johnny Mac's exposed, as econ guru suffers from recession of the brain
Is DOJ probing the Alexandria? Or is it a ruse by the powerful to slime the powerless?
Propositions, recrimination and helpful hints from polyamory detractors and defenders
Behind the velvet ropes of the Westwood W, chef's latest is all American generosity
In the meat-intensive land of Sideways tourism, a fresh phenomenon in Los Alamos
Plus, the Uber-Mex and the Zimmerman Telegram
Also, Looped, Of Equal Measure, and more
CAPSIZED FLOTSAM Donaco Smyth’s fun comedy is set in — and ostensibly modeled after…
A play-by-play of filling L.A.'s stage venues
Animation sparks magic in these bodies of art
New short fiction tackles unsettling subject matter
So many shows, so little time; always the problem in this compact column, but…
The magic of Marlene Dumas; the theater of Philip-Lorca diCorcia
Hold that tiger! Foot traffic pauses on Hollywood Boulevard as reporters, tourists and photographers catch a glimpse of near-naked activist in painted stripes
Celestial close-ups courtesy of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society
Photo essay and observations on L.A. Airport's iconic dome under repair
Last month, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and watched myself outlive…
And another week draws to a close. I'll be reviewing The Dark Knight on Monday morning, which I'm sure everyone will be patiently for […]
If you're at all looking forward to Sideshow's 12-inch G.I. Joe, line head over here and watch their (needlessly unembeddable) teaser trailer for the second […]
Advice to straight and gay newbies from an insomnia-plagued columnist
L.A. art collective struggles to go on after actor's death
Heath Ledger cements his legend playing nemesis to Christian Bale's Gotham City hero
Is the new season's bonehead L.A. Times character Sam Zell's idea of a model reporter?
Also, Looped, Of Equal Measure, and more
In search of the Emerald City
L.A. Art Collective Struggles to Go On After Actor's Death
Heath Ledger cements his legend playing nemesis to Christian Bale's Gotham City hero
Here we go again, in this (Shirley) valentine to 50-something broads
Director makes cinematic trance of Reed's days-long 2006 concert at Brooklyn's St. Anns Warehouse
Also, Felon and A Very British Gangster
The long-awaited release of the British pop-culture phenom loved by Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino
Is the new season's bonehead L.A. Times character Sam Zell's idea of a model reporter?
A car company recruits rising stars of the L.A. music scene to help sell autos. Who's buying?
Also, James McMurtry, Barn Owl
Also, Wolf Parade, Pierced Arrows, Summer Darling
Wondering why guys don't make the first move anymore, and notes on the pains and pleasures of threesomes
This number is from a rival studio, not Warner Bros. Total domestic grosses for all the movies playing this weekend looks around $250M. That easily shatters the best-ever FSS non-holiday overall record -- beating the $218.4 million set on July 7-9, 2006 when Disney's Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest opened. Stay tuned.
SATURDAY 3PM: Well, look who's laughing now! Warner Bros, because The Dark Knight's Friday opening was even bigger than first thought, as final numbers come in -- not just $66.4M but $67+M in North American gross from a record-setting wide release of 4,366 theaters. That includes the record-setting $18.5M in midnight-to-3AM shows from a smaller pool of 3,040 venues. Now Warner [...]
I have on my desk two new books on a subject that now seems…
The last things we'd ever do
Bob Nuchow busted his way into the film industry by creating his own jobs.…