Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Weekly What To Do: Leaving January, Entering February

All Feb
Vista Theater
$

Rare, hard to find, impossible to replace, experience the first IB Technicolor Festival in 35mm, only at the Vista this February!

TOO MUCH SLEEP: 25th Anniversary Screening
Special Restoration
Date/Time: 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 1st, 2024
Location: The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007 
Free, Must RSVP
 
 









DATE FEB 1-3
TIME THU-SAT, 8:30 PM
Redcat
$30
 
A trip to Ogawa’s home country of Japan, a child’s nosebleed, and the reality TV show The Bachelor come together in this darkly comical and psychologically insightful theatrical tribute to Ogawa’s father.

Love Behind the Scenes
February 1 - February 25, 2024
Aero Theatre, Egyptian Theatre and Los Feliz 3
$

The intertwining of personal and professional lives often brings a unique depth to storytelling, creating a magical synergy on and off the screen and producing some of the most enchanting and emotionally charged works of art.

Thursday Feb 1
STARTING POINT
EMERGING ARTIST GALLERY
6:00-9:30PM 125 W. 4th Street, #102,
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Free

DTLA ArtNight is a cultural gathering and art walk organized monthly on first Thursdays where over 25 Galleries debut new exhibitions from their fine arts collections. These collections encompass a wide array of mediums from artists across LA, the U.S. and the world.

Feb 3rd - February 20th
Theo Ellsworth, Flat Bonnie, Cassia Lupo, Natalia Miramontes, Tim Furey
Schedule: Feb 3rd 12pm: Art Available Online / Exhibition Tour on Instagram Live @giantrobot / Gallery Opens 1-4pm and then the Opening Reception is from 6-9pm
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CityWalk The Musical
February 3 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre 5919 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
$20.00 

Sketch team Moon Goon presents Citywalk The Musical! Welcome to Citywalk, a place where themed restaurants and retail come alive… for real. A couple goes on an unforgettable journey to the depths of the magical mall in search of adventure, passion, and $22 sugary cocktails. From Bubba Gump to Bucca di Beppo, every new turn is always unexpected.
 
The Sklar Brothers: TAG IT!
Brett Goldstein, Judd Apatow, Fortune Feimster and more!
Monday, Feb 05, 2024 
Largo at the Coronet
366 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048
$46

The Sklar Brothers host this unique stand-up show where their funny friends perform sets as the brothers backstage and, in real time, write tags for their friends’ bits. After each set, the Sklar Brothers come on stage and pitch the comedians their tags. This show gives audiences insight into the type of riff session that happens in comedy club green rooms all over the world. 


A Movie Hooky Club IMAX Matinee of
THE GREAT YOKAI WAR (2005)
3:00 P.M. on Tuesday, February 6th, 2024
The Michelle and Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre, RZC 119
Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts
3131 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. RSVPs REQUIRED.

YOKAI MONSTERS was a hallucinatory series of Theremin-fueled films that combined Kaiju-styled beasties with epic mythological storylines. Decades after the original series ended, genre legend Takashi Miike (AUDITION) unleashed THE GREAT YOKAI WAR—a loose remake of YOKAI MONSTERS: SPOOK WARFARE that explodes with psychedelic madness.


Extra:
CGV Cinemas

A group of escaped aliens at her tail, Lee Ahn searches for the divine sword that could open a time-travelling portal which would bring the in the past trapped Guard and the cyborg Thunder back to the year 2022. 












 
UCB, a cheapo comedy show almost every night, see comedians before they make podcasts and have
stories about the UCB and before they hit the big time.
 



 
American Cinematheque-A celebrated independent theater group that brings both the talent and catalog of films to make for some of LA's best movie nights.
Secret Movie Club-Special edition posters and a large swatch of films to see.


 New Bev-Tarantino owned independent theater with old school style

Cinelounge - Hollywood based tiny theater, showing off indies you've never heard of
 
Brain Dead Studios-Newcomer that manages to fill its schedule almost every night

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Monday, January 29, 2024

Latte Larry’s Pop-Ups For Curb Your Enthusiasm Premiere & Free Chili Day at Philippe's

This weekend, Friday, February 2 - Sunday, February 4, as the world eagerly awaits the premiere of the 12th and final season of the acclaimed HBO® Original Series CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, Max is inviting fans out to “Latte Larry’s,” Larry David’s short-lived coffee shop in Season 10.

In partnership with Menotti’s Coffee Stop, at their Culver City and Venice Beach locations, enjoy free Hot Cups of Spite (coffee) and Dry Scones (one per person, while supplies last, vegan options available), along with limited edition Menotti’s x CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM collaborative shirts and mugs, plus a special blend signature roast of “Latte Larry’s Beans.”
DATE & TIME
February 2, 2024, 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
February 3, 2024, 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
February 4, 2024, 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

LOCATIONS
CULVER CITY
12430 Washington Avenue, Los Angeles, 90066
VENICE
56 Windward Ave, Venice, 90291
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SpectreVision Resurrects Mondo As Mutant


The name of Mondo is dead, bought by Funko and turned into a joke of what it once was. Mondo was once the go to for collectibles, posters & more for any type of movie/show/game. It's technically a division of Funko now, but everything that made it great is gone. Luckily, the guys over at SpectreVision were fans of original Mondo and have brought it back with its original founders to sell goods and collectibles with the stable of artists Mondo was known for. And, now it's gonna go by the name Mutant. Neat.


Long times fans of both companies, such as ourselves, couldn't be happier as this might be the only good news to come out of January 2024.

A whole slate of new soundtracks and goodies for specific fandom is coming out for you.

Mondo is dead, long live Mutant!
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Sunday, January 28, 2024

LA Times Participation Certificate & More

-Some of the people who wrote it laid off from the LA Times.

 As layoffs batter L.A. Times, California lawmaker renews push to force Google, Facebook to pay for news

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Friday, January 26, 2024

An Evening with FX’s Shōgun Featuring Hiroyuki Sanada Jan 31st

 


An Evening with FX’s Shōgun
Featuring Hiroyuki Sanada
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Location: JAPAN HOUSE Salon | Level 5
6801 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
Note: Must be 21+
Free, Must RSVP

FX and JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles will co-present an exclusive screening of the first episode of FX's Shōgun, followed by a conversation with Hiroyuki Sanada. The evening will end with a networking reception featuring Japanese refreshments prepared by UKA restaurant.

FX's Shōgun, an original adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel, is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Producer Hiroyuki Sanada stars as “Lord Yoshii Toranaga” who is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him.

The 10-episode limited series features an acclaimed Japanese cast, unprecedented for an American production.  
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Thursday, January 25, 2024

Game Hype: Not A Great Time

Our government really needs to stop allowing this mergers for all mega corporations. They're suppose to be stopping monopolies.

 

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Hype: D&D & The Academy

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Anime Hype: Otaku USA Now Quarterly, Anime Expo Now With More Entrances

 

Sad to write that instead of being a bi-monthly magazine, Otaku USA is now quarterly. The switch seems to have taken place this year. If you look online for new/renew subscriptions you'll see you're getting less than the year before. So, instead of six issues a year, it's only gonna be four. Otaku USA is the last American anime magazine in print. It's sister magazine Anime USA will still be coming out, but was always quarterly.

Anime Expo 2024 registration is already online and those prices for a day aren't what they were a decade ago. Anime Expo 2024 takes place July 4-7 at the LA Convention Center.

    Starts January 23, 2024, at 12:00 PM PT
    Pricing:
        4-Day: $150
        1-Day Thursday: $75
        1-Day Friday: $80
        1-Day Saturday: $85
        1-Day Sunday: $70
        Child Pass (6-13 years): $40 **Child badges are non-transferable and can only be purchased with another GA badge. Child badges should only be purchased by the parent or guardian who will be accompanying the child at Anime Expo.**
        Military Badge Offer. Verification Application Opens.
            Military Special Offer 4-Day: $125

It's funny they are advertising this, but it's been a request for many years. Also, nice exhibit hall opens at 9am every day.

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Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Hype: Not Great News For The L.A. Times, Cartoon Network Lettering & Knott's Berry Farm Jams Gone Too

 

The L.A. Times is reporting on its own lay-offs today. Many great writers have been let go. Some who write about the cool stuff happening in LA like Jen Yamato. I'd look up if any of your fav writers or sections they write for are going, so, you can start following them via X or whatever to see where they end up.


We're gonna get a lot less local coverage of what makes LA great when it comes to local fandom and we have a lot of that. 


 


In more depressing news, the lettering off the Cartoon Network building in Burbank was recently being seen sold off on eBay. You might recall Warner Bros recently sold off the building. Not showing the greatest strategy for future animation.

Iconic Cartoon Network Building Signage Sold Letter-By-Letter In Ebay Auction

The gist of the story is Warner Bros didn't even think about keeping it for sentimental or monetary reasons and simply let the company that took the letters off sell it to someone who then sold it all away on eBay. It just shows very little love by corporate for anything Cartoon Network.

We're not done killing your child-hood, give us a second. Knott's Berry Farm jams are discontinued. Corporate simply decided to stop making them. via KTLA 5


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Weekly What To Do: Dance, Design & Joan


In the Know: Screening / Q&A
January 24 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre 5919 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
$5.00 
 
UCB presents an advanced screening of the first two episodes of Peacock’s new series In The Know followed by a Q&A with the creators and stars. Featuring: Zach Woods, Caitlin Reilly, Charlie Bushnell and Brandon Gardner Moderated by: Abbi Jacobsen

Thursday, January 25, through Sunday, January 28, 2024
Barnsdall Art Park’s historic Gallery Theatre atop its beautiful hilltop campus (4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027). Single tickets are $15 and full festival passes are $150, which include all screenings, receptions, and workshops.
 
 The world renowned Los Angeles-based film festival committed to exploring dance in the context of cinema, announces that the 22nd edition will include over 40 films from 20 countries, all making their World, U.S. or L.A. premieres; a selection of films from DCW's 2024 Guests of Honor Javier de Frutos; along with workshops, artist talks, and receptions.
01.26.2024 (Fri.) – 04.14.2024 (Sun.)
JAPAN HOUSE Gallery, Level 2
Free
 
The six internationally renowned Japanese creators – Tamae Hirokawa, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Reiko Sudo, Kinya Tagawa, Tsuyoshi Tane, and Koichiro Tsujikawa, come from various areas of design practice, from product design to film and video production, from fashion and textile creation to video game design and architecture and will be showing off their work at this exhibit.



Joan Brown
January 26, 2024 – June 2, 2024
Orange County Museum of Art
3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Comprising over forty colorful paintings and sculptures, Joan Brown spans the engaging career of one of California’s most important artists. Deeply embedded in the Bay Area art scene, Joan Brown (b. 1938, San Francisco; d. 1990, Puttaparthi, India) drew inspiration from many sources to create works that merge autobiography, fantasy, and whimsy, with weightier metaphysical and spiritual themes.





HERO COMPLEX GALLERY IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE OUR FIRST 
IN-GALLERY SHOW IN A VERY LONG TIME:
"CHERRY BOMB"
A PINUP TRADING CARD ART SHOW by
GLEN BROGAN& MONA COLLENTINE
IN-PERSON RECEPTION
SATURDAY JAN 27, 6pm 
Hero Complex Gallery1050 S Fairfax, LA
 
-FEATURING TRADING CARDS & ART PRINTS
-ORIGINAL SKETCH CARDS BY BOTH ARTISTS WILL BE RANDOMLY INSERTED INTO
TRADING CARD PACKS

PURCHASE A COLLECTABLE TRADING CARD PACK AND GET A 1 IN 4 CHANCE OF GETTING AN ORIGINAL SKETCH CARD BY GLEN BROGAN OR MONA COLLENTINE

 
L.A. Intersections
Saturday, Jan 27, 2024
8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
East West Bank Plaza, 1st Floor Exhibition Galleries, Oculus Hall at The Broad
Tickets $30 

"Join us after hours at The Broad for L.A. Intersections, a two-part festival-style series celebrating organic music and spoken word scenes that have emerged in Los Angeles including punk, jazz, rap, noise, and the culturally infused experimentation led by a new generation of Filipinx artists."
 
 

Giant Robot's Game Night
Saturday, January 27, 6pm-9pm
GR2 Gallery 
2062 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90025
Free
 
Super excited for a Giant Robot Game Night, it's been a while. Even more buzzed, because it's for the Rose & Camellia Collection, which is headed to Switch. In this game you have to prove yourself to the upper crust by slapping the sh*t out of them. It looks like one of the best uses for the Joy-cons since WarioWare: Move It! just came out. The website for it still has no release date, it's coming out through Wayforward.
 
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre 5919 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
$10.00 
 
Written, rehearse and performed every two months – Quick & Funny Musicals brings you a gritty noir musical in the world of Disney Princesses

There’s been a murder in FairyTaleTown! A princess is dead and everyone’s a suspect. Now a veteran detective and his new rookie have to solve the crime! But sometimes these beloved characters are not what they seem. If you love Disney, you love noir, or you love musicals, this is the show for you!

Sneak Preview Screening
THE TASTE OF THINGS
Date/Time: 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, January 30th, 2024
Location: Norris Cinema Theatre at the Frank Sinatra Hall, 3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007 
Free, Must RSVP
    
Set in France in the late 19th century, the film follows the life of Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel) as the preeminent chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie (Oscar®-winner Juliette Binoche). Eugénie and Dodin share a long history of gastronomy and love. While emotions remain contained, the culinary discoveries are, on the other hand, breathtakingly exquisite. The only hitch is that Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin. So, the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her.

 
 
 Extra:
Two online art shows dropping Friday at 11am from Gallery 1988, sucks they don't have a physical location anymore.

Art of the Music Video! Are you longing for the days of MTV and its unparalled cultural significance? This this show is for you. Check out this piece from Stephen Andrade - and get ready to see more, leading up to the drop on Friday…
 
 We’re opening Off The Leash, group show celebrating our favorite, and most famous, creatures. So many great pieces, so many famous pets.

 
UCB, a cheapo comedy show almost every night, see comedians before they make podcasts and have
stories about the UCB and before they hit the big time.
 



 
American Cinematheque-A celebrated independent theater group that brings both the talent and catalog of films to make for some of LA's best movie nights.
Secret Movie Club-Special edition posters and a large swatch of films to see.


 New Bev-Tarantino owned independent theater with old school style

Cinelounge - Hollywood based tiny theater, showing off indies you've never heard of
 
Brain Dead Studios-Newcomer that manages to fill its schedule almost every night
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Monday, January 22, 2024

Hype: Tekken 8, Restore Point & Molli and Max in the Future

 

Tekken 8 is out this Friday to PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X | S, and PC via Steam®. For more information, visit https://tekken.com/

XYZ is going down a strange path on distributing stuff of lower quality, such as generic sci-fi Restore Point, the English dub is just Chef's kissm so-bad-it's-good.

Molli and Max in the Future is coming to theaters this Feb and suffers from a different problem with sci-fi. I'm pretty sure it's look is intentional of a low-budget, but fun sci-fi film. The acting and comedians in it tell me, this is more a fun for them to make sort of film than it trying to be seen as a movie you need to see. Still, I'd take it over Restore Point any day.
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Friday, January 19, 2024

Game Night: Rose & Camellia Collection Jan 27

 

 

 
Giant Robot's Game Night
Saturday, January 27, 6pm-9pm
GR2 Gallery 
2062 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90025
Free
 
Super excited for a Giant Robot Game Night, it's been a while. Even more buzzed, because it's for the Rose & Camellia Collection, which is headed to Switch. In this game you have to prove yourself to the upper crust by slapping the sh*t out of them. It looks like one of the best uses for the Joy-cons since WarioWare: Move It! just came out. The website for it still has no release date, it's coming out through Wayforward.



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Thursday, January 18, 2024

Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color/Plus Bull$h*t


 -In the one day since reporting on a possible release for Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color coming to our shores the film has been officially announced for a week run staring Jan 26th in the U.S.. Now, you might recall me stating that I think of it as a cash grab from the studio and that it's just a fun way of honoring a film to make it look like it came from the classic era of cinema. Director Takahashi Yamazaki & TOHO have taken it a step further with explaining why the film is now better without color, even though they originally released the film in color.
 
 
 "Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color is not just a simple black and white version," Yamazki said, "The colorist took the care and the time to go through a careful and very complex process. The black-and-white images make Godzilla look very realistic and documentary-like, which leads to even more fear. Even we have seen Godzilla many times, but we felt that something completely different appeared there. It is very scary. So this is not only for those who liked Godzilla Minus One but also those who are seeing it for the first time. They should definitely see this black-and-white version. Especially the scene at the beginning where Godzilla appears in the night - it is so terrifying that it made my knees shake!"
 
This is just some amazing quotes and marketing from TOHO and good on them for having the director going, "Yeah, it's really cool." Though, from the quote it shows his lack of involvement other than giving a thumbs up. And that also, you might just want to watch that first scene when Godzilla shows up, but they can give up on the movie.
 
In another quote from Bloody Disgusting he said he was a bit more involved. 

“We are now able to announce Godzilla-1.0/C, which we have been working on for a long time. Rather than just making it monochrome, it is a cut by cut. I had them make adjustments while making full use of various mattes, as if they were creating a new movie. What I was aiming for was a style that looked like it was taken by masters of monochrome photography. We were able to unearth the texture of the skin and the details of the scenery that were hidden in the photographed data. Then, a frightening Godzilla, just like the one in the documentary, appeared. By eliminating color, a new sense of reality emerges. Please live and resist further fear at the theater.”

Once again great quote. Great motivator to see his move again or for the first time, now that color is missing from it.
 
Which, once again I would suggest  costs less for the theaters to display as it costs less energy I assume to project black and white films. And the saving should be passed onto us. And, if not for that, because this is still the same movie, minus color. You can say whatever your colorist did or that it's a new experience in the end, it's just watching a fake version of an old movie.
 
Kind of a nice reveal that he or the studio had planned on the black and white release and that it just wasn't a filter used. Like someone didn't just use their smart phone app. I guess for me, it's how long ago did they plan on having a black and white version? The Japanese got it in October, but we just got the film in December. This is cutting it real close for American audiences. I think TOHO probably said something like, "Nameless colorists, no, go back in and make it black and white, you're gonna be missing Halloween this year." And he was like, "Ayahh." And, he was sad because he did have a Halloween party to go to. TOHO probably ruined a number of colorists Halloween.

I'll just go back to how Director Steven Spielberg went back into E.T. the Extraterrestrial with his 20th anniversary edition and made some changes, like changing the guns held by government agents into walkie talkies. You already made your film the way you wanted. Going back and redoing it again, lessens it and everything you did when you first made it.

Still I have to admit, it's a great name.

 
Oh, wait, they've got to make a Godzilla Minus One coloring book, but you're just suppose to enjoy it as is.



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