Murder Balloon Halloween 2012

Another year, another showing of my incredibly bad student film Murder Balloon. I still had a blast making it. Murder LA's James Cohen was AD and co-editor. Natalie Domunguez, whose been a field reporter a number of times has a starring roll as a victim of Muder Balloon's rampage.


Happy Halloween, Things To Do In LA Readers! If partying, drive safe. It's not worth crashing into a truck and having your head roll off. If you have any other tips for tonight post them below!

Halloween Video Game Goodies

A.J. Hateley continues her series of Gaming Luggage Labels with the Willamette Parview Mall from Dead Rising. Get it here

Winter Artwork has two stickers with Zombie's DreamLand and Legend of Zombie, get'em here
or get them as shirts here

The Yetee will have the Zombie Man t-shirt today Oct 31st !

Pop That Corn! Watch Troll 2 for Halloween

If you need a last minute horror film to share with friends for Halloween might I suggest Troll 2. Condsiered by some to be the worst movie of all time, it's the best b-horror movie to laugh at ever.

On Amazon instant and Netflix

Halloween Update: Third Annual Razorblades in Your Reese's

more info

35th Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Free and open to the public
7:30 am - 5:00 pm, Ackerman Union
UCLA Campus

Halloween at The Box

 

 

 

The common thread is senseless killing. Its the new school of horror. People are what we are really scared of and there are no metaphors like zombies, demons, monsters, etc. I'm still thinking about the reasoning behind such films but the simple answer is the fear of crazy people we have to deal with everyday. Senseless murder, misogyny, etc. All this stuff exist in life but people seem to freak out over movies and ignore this stuff in the real world....

- Craig McIntyre

Halloween at The Box
October 31, 2012 8 - 11 pm Mini Film Festival Curated by Craig McIntyre

8 - 930 pm

The Beyond Dear God NO! Penance The Taint Nutcase

930 - 11 pm

A Few Screws Loose Cat in the Brain Dear God NO! City of the Living Dead Nutcase

THE BOX 805 TRACTION AVENUE LOS ANGELES CA 90013

Halloween Update: More Scares

West Hollywood Halloween Carnival

The biggest of the Hallwen events hitting LA.

"The 2012 West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval is set for Halloween night, Wednesday, October 31, 2012. One of the world’s largest celebrations of All Hallow’s Eve, the West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval will be held from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. along Santa Monica Boulevard from Doheny Drive to La Cienega Boulevard.

Public parking for the West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval will be available at parking lots throughout West Hollywood"

  

 

 

 

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor  Costume Ball and Costume Contest on Halloween

This event is better than the theme parks in my book.

  Dark Harbor guests are invited to dress up on Halloween night, participate in a costume contest for a chance to win prizes valued at $1,000, enjoy live music by a guest DJ, experience the six fright-filled mazes and dance the night away. No masks will be allowed, but face makeup is acceptable.

Where: Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor

1126 Queens Highway

                Long Beach, CA

When: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 – 7 p.m.-12 a.m. Tickets start at $20 and offer full access to the mazes, scare zones, live entertainment, costume ball and contest.

Additionally, Dark Harbor will be hosting a Little Monsters Ball for kids from 4pm to 6pm with activities including trick or treating, kids costume contest, entertainment and face painting, among others.

  more info

 

 

Big Worm's Haunted House!

Location:
8856 Encino Ave. Northridge, CA 91325
Haunted House Dates:

October 31 - 7pm - 12am

Downtown Burbank Arts Festival 2012

 Burbank has it's artist returning for their annual arts festival like the swallows to Capistrano.

"Downtown streets will be packed with artists, street painters and more than 12,000 art lovers at the Downtown Burbank ARTS Festival on San Fernando Boulevard between Magnolia Boulevard and Olive Avenue, November 3 and 4 from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The Downtown Burbank ARTS Festival is free and open to public.

Featured will be Southern California's most talented street painters creating supersized artwork on asphalt and concrete.  Included are Arlou Somo, Bill Spiess, Gustavo Lozano, Oscar De Leon, Randall Williams, Ruth Villa, Susanne Ma and Theresa Knopf Morgan. They will be working on their temporary paintings all weekend, with the 10 foot by 10 foot images completed by Sunday afternoon (November 4).  The public is invited to pause and enjoy this art form dating from the Italian Renaissance, and to experience the artists up-close.

In addition, there will be 90 regional artists displaying thousands of paintings, sculptures and photographs, and an wide array of jewelry, fine glass, ceramics and woodwork -- with everything made by hand."

Halloween Update: Kubrick Costumes and Gabe Swarr's Pac-Man

 Here's some doodles I did for a Kubrick costume for the LACMA Muse Ball. It's hard to come up with something new.

 

 

 Below, Gabe Swarr revealed the amazing Pac-man costume he made as a kid, with a compartment for candy in the mouth.

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia Sword Bookmark

New York Comic-con fans got these Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia Sword Bookmarks from Dark Horse this year. Have to admit it was a good marketing idea. You can pre-order The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia here

What The Hell Just Happened In Bravest Warriors #1 ?

Bravest Warriors #1 just came out and it's all kinds of mad crazy goodness. The first page has a world exploding while the rest of the issue shows the team of Bravest Warriors picking what horror movie to watch. So a sci-fi action series about space heroes first issue had little to do with anything other than chilling and picking a movie to watch. Yet, it was a hilarious read. Dialogue in this comic needs to win an award right now as ever character seems to spout some of the strangest lines that are way to thought out, many of which are burns towards other warriors.

What's funny again is that this comic came out before the launch of the actual new cartoon series on Cartoon Hangover happening Nov.9, there's clip below, so check it out. It's so strange to see new media properties come out in different formats before their own launch like how Warrios first episode hasn't come out yet. It's kind of like having the new Dante in PlayStation All-Stars before his game comes out. If the cartoon is anywhere as good as the comic then we're all in for a treat. Can't wait for the next issue and more thrilling ends to sexism for intellegent bananas.

How Do I See Space Shuttle Endeavour?

If you didn't see it overhead worry not people of LA and space shuttle enthusiasts ... if space shuttle enthusiasts exist. You can grab tickets at the California Science Center website below.

Endeavour @ California Science Center

 As I write this it looks like the first day is still open to the public and you'll have plenty of time to see it after that as it's part of the Science Center's permanent collection. Take that Florida, you might get the Harry Potter experience like I mentioned in the last post, but we get the last space shuttle.

 "Endeavour will be on display in the Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, opening October 30, 2012. Guests who come to see Endeavour will begin their experience in Endeavour: The California Story, a companion exhibit featuring images and artifacts that relate the shuttle program to California, where the orbiters were built. Following their visit to The California Story, guests will be directed to the Samuel Oschin Pavilion to see Endeavour."

Go for the Cleopatra package and maybe even go for the Natural History Museum too as they just had a great renovation. That whole area is going to be changing over the next couple of years not even due to USC.

picture via the ever talented Mr. Alcorn

Welcome To Whimsic Alley

 Calling all Harry Potter fans! Do you need magic, wands and non-alcoholic Butter Beer in your life? How about anything Harry Potter related, because this wonderful store has it all.

Whimsic Alley

5464 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036

(310) 453-2370

Once you step inside you might think you've entered an fantastic art exhibit at LACMA and the gift shop is all surrounding. Going in I thought the store would be a simple run of the mill Halloween shops open for the season, but as it turned out it's a year round store dedicated to Harry Potter. There's a vast collection of magical When you enter you feel like you've been transported to that secret magic alley. It beats target or any other conventional store, other than Halloween Town out in Burbank which are not related.

Whimsic Alley not only has a great selection, but great presentation as it has separate room for different products. Each takes it own space like a classic shoppe from the films. There's a wand store, candy store, clothing store, curio store and more. Yes, there's even a prank section.

You can get lost in the shop that's worthy of being at a major theme park. With Universal Florida getting the Harry Potter rides it's the closes you might get to experience something like that even if your play college Quidditch,  which is real and been discussed on the site before. You'd think with the old magic shop gone at City Walk Universal might try again with a Harry Potter magic shop, but instead there's a store for magnets. Whimsic Alley carries some Harry Potter magnets..and stickers and books and pens and.I'm getting at Universal Studios/Warner Bros is pretty stupid not to create their own store here. Even if they did I'm sure it be no way a wondrous and a fun trip as this one.

The staff was incredibly helpful even when someone had the gall to ask for a cheap robe to be a Jedi. Go to Star Wars store, oh wait there isn't one. You'd think there would be one with LA being the entertainment capitol of the world and a fun tourist attraction, but like the the prequels it's a complete let down here. Off the subject of Jedi's and back on the staff who answered all my questions and explained everything I wanted to know. If you're looking for the hard to find items of Potter simply ask or get lost looking around.

The best part might be the Grand Hall in back. They've recreated it from the films and it stunning. Just go past the spooky hall in back and your ready for some celebrations. Hanging the candles to match the films must have been a time consuming endeavor. The results are too great and I greatly want to party there for a future event. They have many events and they had to make an extra day for their Yule time event as it became sold out. They have and upcoming Wizard Craft Fair this November with rare items from etsy. Murder mysteries from the cast of the Harry Potter films and into January a Doctor Who one. You can even rent the Great Hall out for yourself for whatever you like, well you know keep it pc.

The store updates it's grand inventory for what's popular, so there will be products from The Hobbit in stock as I write this and before that was Hunger Games. There's some hard to find Doctor Who goodies too. So if anything new from Harry Potter gets made like the next edition on Blu-ray or special edition dinner plate it'll most likely be there.

more pics

Stanley Kubrick @ LACMA Part 2

Here's part 2 of my preview of LACMA's

Stanley Kubrick Exhibit

Art of the Americas Building, Level 2

November 1, 2012–June 30, 2013 

 

A Clockwork Orange

 Full Metal Jacket

 Dr. Strangelove

 Misc.

Made in Japan: 100 New Products Review

Made in Japan: 100 New Products

Flipping through the book I didn't think any connection to LA would be found. On page 107, item 041 caught my attention . "Knot" a bag made of strong red rope was shown and I thought "Wait, I've seen this before!". Sure enough, when I read through the piece on the red rope bag it mentions as shop in LA carrying it.

It's a small world after all as some of the stylish products in Made in Japan: 100 New Products might be in some high end Beverly Hills and ritzy LA shops. For those who have the income or want some higher end products you might see this book as a catalog. For others it might me a book on handsome consumerism. In reality it's both as Japan excellent sense of style and workmanship is seen on every page. Next to every picture showing off fanciful products are outstanding articles on how they were created, how useful they are and the people an design groups that created them.

Different techniques and looking into the past of certain objects is a common occurrence for this book. For example the "Guh" , C-bin and O-bin shaped trash cans that hug each other, show off some of the innovation brought on from finding a way to make something better. The reason the Guh (hug spelled backwards) was created was to find a nicer looking way to separate trash for recycling.

Nicer looking doesn't even go into the detail of all the products, some resembling dream scape ideas like "Rock" by Jin Kuramot. How would you like it if plants grew out of rubies? The rubie flower vases may look different in shape, but remain stackable for a striking look.


Not everything is striking, some innovations are just to better common products like redone coat hangers or a minimalistic toaster or multiple bowls that can be placed in one another to save space. That's a feature written about often, saving space as Japan homes must often do. Saving energy and resources is a common theme too.

Made in Japan covers not only simple household rewrites like a new take on the dumbbell and common household watering can for plants, but on technology. Redesigns on a CD player to baby thermometer that is simply placed on the head makes you wonder what else can be remade. I'm kind of astonished I didn't see a section devoted to cell phones with the book being about Japan and all.

 There's some curious creations that are modelled more on Japan life like "Sleepy" by Daisuke Motogoi Architecture that resembles a folded up futon. You have the Sakurasaku cups that leave cherry blossoms condensation shapes on the surface they were placed. You have the Ikea like Altar For One God, that makes a Japanese traditional altar look like something you'd find in Target. I'm surprised by the Pencut and Kamikirimushi which rethink what scissors should be. Pencut allows travels size scissors in the shape of a pen, while Kamikirimushi makes scissors that take the form of a mouse.

Made in Japan is a book of ideas and what was behind them. Showing off the fascinating aspects of Japanese culture and it's wants, needs and pleasures. Many are the same as ours, many are altered takes on are own. All of them are fascinating to read and lookt at. They may inspire you too.