In the same vein as Project Runway, Bravo TV starts its new reality-contestant show tonight, Top Design. Like the fashionistas and Top Chefs before, a group of talented interior designers will compete for title of Top Designer. The judging panel promises to catch that watchable blend of critique and cattiness with home designer Jonathan Adler heading and Todd Oldham hosting. LA Times insinuated the first challenge is not the most visually interesting. A bunch of self-proclaimed fabulous people sit around sketching and talking leading up to the big end of show reveal when they have to decorate a "sanctuary room". And the folks over at TLC are probably wondering what took Bravo so long to jump on the home decorating bandwagon. But one can expect talented individuals amidst the bitchy backstabbing that seems to be a staple on all reality shows as much as claws to the face fights were on Jerry Springer.
So after Top Chef crowns its latest drama king with the big floppy hat, stick around for more drama, more design, and water cooler talk the next morning.

Top Design
Bravo (Channel 57 for the Time Warner cable folks)
11:00pm PST

Labels: design, reviews, television

The iconic design on the movie poster for Hitchcock's Vertigo is instantly recognizable. What's not so widely known, outside of certain circles, is the man behind the graphics was a talented filmmaker himself and responsible for the striking and iconic look of 1950s cinema. Saul Bass still influences the graphic designers of opening title sequences and one sheets everywhere. Bass started in advertising design concepts, moved on to animation, and soon entered every design aspect of the film industry and directing, encouraged by his contemporary Otto Preminger. With the partnership of his wife Elaine, the Basses made over 50 opening title sequences. The Skirball Cultural Center is proudly displaying Bass' original posters, as well as hosting film nights for more of his iconic works. Patrons will have the chance to see rare artifacts, like the story boards for Psycho's infamous shower scene (conceived by Bass and Hitchcock) as well as Bass' feature film Phase IV, where with the help of some clever special effects, giant ants declare war on a small town.

Film Schedule
Tuesday 2/6
Anatomy of A Murder 1:30pm
Free

Thursday 2/22
Phase IV 7:30pm
$5

Tuesday 2/27
Bonjour Tristesse 1:30pm
Free

Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda
(310) 440-4500
Museum admission free on Thursdays 12:00-9:00pm
Saul Bass Exhibition runs to April 1.

Labels: art, events, film

Thanks everyone for holding tight while I was vacationing. Jealous? I'm already missing warmer climates and hope my tan doesn't fade as much as I'm afraid it will.
I highly recommend travelling the Mexican coast. You gonna see sunsets like this in LA? Even with the smog, I think not.

Labels: reviews

Tonight Fantagraphics books hosts the release of BEASTS! A large gold collection of mythological and folkloric beasts throughout time by 100 illustrators. Artists will be attendance with their work on display.

Friday, Jan. 19
7:00-10:00pm
ThinkSpace Gallery
4210 Santa Monica Blvd.
323.913.3375

Labels: art, books, events

Do you have a special occasion in your office and the basic cake and candles just isn't cutting it anymore? Have you jumped on the cookie bandwagon yet? If not, you and your sugar-fiending co-workers are missing out.
Newly formed Sweet Cheeks Cookies offers dozens and dozens of unique recipes and will make you a made-to-order box and deliver to your next cookie craving crisis. Just contact owner/baker Courtney Cowan to work out all the details.
Each dozen comes packaged beautifully in a white box tied up with a pink satin bow. Priced at just $22.95 a dozen, Sweet Cheeks Cookies is a perfect solution for birthdays, Valentine's Day and just because.
Order by email: info@sweetcheekscookies.com
or phone: (310) 360-1074.

Labels: local, reviews, shopping

The Silver Lake Improvement Association will hold an important community meeting tonight regarding a proposed homeless facility in the neighborhood.

The 975 Vendome Building has been sold, and the owners are planning to convert it into a homeless facility. It's that large brick apartment building right on Vendome & Sunset Blvd. across the street from Club Los Globos. The block has historically housed a diverse group of people, and had it's share of problems, including the devastating fire in December of '05 that vacated the majority of the residents. Is a homeless shelter what the neighborhood needs?

The Silver Lake Improvement Association is not unfriendly to the plight of the homeless. The meeting will take into consideration the other facilities that we already have in Silver Lake including Regency Manor on the corner of Robinson and Descanso and the new facility on the corner of Hoover and London. Without taking a stand one way or the other, the SLIA would like to offer this forum for those who wish to express their views or hear those of others.

Message from SLIA: "We hope to have a good turn out of our members and neighbors to give us their views and opinions of this proposed permanent, supportive facility slated to house about 40 formerly homeless, mentally disabled adults. The property was purchased on the private market, and it's a done deal; however, the application process to get additional funds to rehabilitate the property and the search for a service provider has yet to be completed. If you have a concern about this property one way or the other, this community meeting is the place to have your voice heard. BE there if you CARE!"

Thursday, Jan. 18
7:00-9:00pm
Russian Orthodox Meeting Hall
650 Micheltorena Street

Labels: local, politics

The LA theater community sure can be wacky. Among the struggling extras, would-be models, and sketch comics, anytime there's an experimental theater event, the fire-eaters show up. The Theatre of Note's 12th Annual Marathon Benefit Night will be no different. What will be unique is the amount of performance art they'll pack in their marathon schedule which starts Saturday at 1:00pm and heads on without stopping into the wee hours of the next morning. Tenacious D took the stage hostage a couple years back. You might discover the next big act too, just make sure you sit a couple rows back to avoid getting any hair singed off. $18 grants you admission for the 15+ hours.

Saturday, Jan. 20
12th Annual Hollywood Performance Mayhem to benefit
Theatre of Note
1517 N. Cahuenga
Validated parking available at Arclight Cinemas parking garage.

Labels: events, performances

Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt's 3rd Animation Show kicks off today. The travelling show brings the year's best animated shorts to your city hand-picked by animators Judge (Beavis & Butthead, King of The Hill) and Hertzfeldt ("Everything Will Be OK"). Each evening promises an eclectic mixture of Oscar nominees and festival favorites as well as Hertzfeldt's latest cartoon.

Tickets are onsale now. Schedule and line-up found here.

The California tourdates:

1/16/07
Arlington Theater, Santa Barbara
Mike Judge in attendance

1/25/07
Castro Theatre, San Francisco
Special Guest VJ set by Max Hattler who's short "Collision" appears in this year's program + pre-show by students of the SFSU Animation Dept.

1/26/07
California Theater, San Jose
VJ set by Max Hattler + a show by Shrunkenheadman, San Jose State's animation/illustration club.

1/27, 1/28/07
Wheeler Auditorium, Berkeley
VJ set by Max Hattler

2/7/07
UCLA Royce Hall, Los Angeles
Gallery Nucleus store

2/8/07
Spreckels Theatre, San Diego

2/9/07
Crest Theatre, Sacramento

2/15/07
Rialto Theater, South Pasadena

Labels: comics, events, film

Three great things about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, Jan. 15):

1. Honoring the man and trailblazers for freedom

2. LA DWP will be off for the day so that means a break from the traffic due to construction on Toland Way. Be extra thankful when they start re-piping underneath Glendale Blvd. next week.

3. Play hookie and go get cultured.

LACMA museum Admission after 5pm on weekdays is free. Gallery stays open 'til 8:00 so there's time to take in the latest Magritte show. Don't neglect the costume gallery either in the permanent collection.

Labels: art, freebies

Starting tonight, even if you're not a guild member or Academy voter you have the chance to see all of the Golden Globe nominees for Best Foreign Language Film. Take in Apocalypto, Letters from Iwo Jima, The Lives of Others, Volver, and Pan's Labyrinth at the Aero Theater through Jan. 13 and then on Sunday afternoon join the FREE roundtable discussion with all of the filmmakers (minus Mel Gibson) at the Egyptian Cinemateque. At the end of the weekend you'll really feel like a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press.

Sunday, Jan. 14
1:00pm
Golden Globes Foreign Language Nominees Seminar
with Pedro Almodovar, Guillermo Del Toro, Clint Eastwood, and Florian Henckel von Donnersmark.
Egyptian Theater
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Free admission and parking. Tickets will only be available the day of the event.

Labels: events, film

I can't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated with pinhole photography. Anyone who has taken a photo class knows the wonder of ultra long exposures. Some of the first cameras were actually dark chambers (Camera Obscuras) with one hole to let the light in, thus casting a real perspective of an image. Duh, you might be saying, but what you may not know is you can make a pinhole camera from practically any light safe object. A step by step guide courtesy of ikea hacker takes some wooden plant holders and develops these beauties:

Even more impressive and inspiring is Ralph Howell's pinhole kitchen, which contains 46 individual pinhole cameras made out of pretty much any common household item and food. Link to the video from EGG The Arts show, originally aired on PBS in 2000.

I love this thorough how-to guide from Fecal Face. And I love that he calls himself Capt. Awesome and decorates the camera with stickers.


My next step is to find someone with ample access to a darkroom. Any takers for a pinhole camera collaboration? I might buy the paper model from Dirkon.

Labels: art, DIY, shopping

For all you shopaholics who have discovered the wonders of Lush, I happened to be in the Santa Monica shop during my lunch break today to find out they are having one sweet promotion. If you don't know, Lush makes a whole line of bath products, like soaps, shampoos, perfumes, lotions all out of 100% natural materials. Their concoctions are unique and all have a trademark musky sweet smell. Most products are also vegan friendly.
Since the products are all natural they do have a shelf life. So instead of tossing the bath bomb out with the bath water Lush is giving away their winter stock for free. Okay, you've gotta spend at least $35 pre-tax in one of their stores, but then you can pick any item in the store for free. It's not one of these coupons for "any item of equal or lesser value" nope - it's actually ANY item. Go nuts. I did this afternoon where creamy conditioner, a coffee flavored lip balm, and lemony cuticle butter set me back $37 and then I picked up a $15 tea tree toner completely guilt-free.

Promotion lasts 'til Jan. 21.

Lush locations in Los Angeles:

Beverly Hills 312 N. Beverly Drive 90210 (310) 271-0880	Los Angeles Universal City Walk 91608 (818) 487-9800
Pasadena 24 E. Colorado Blvd 91105 (626) 792-0901	Santa Monica 1404 Third Street Promenade 90401 (310) 255-0030

Labels: shopping

The premise behind this elaborate production is simple: make up a musical/pageant/spectacle , where all props and costumes must be made from items found at the 99cents Only Stores. An annual event, the past four shows have seen musical variety shows, feuding tribes of puppeteers, a 99cents Only village, and last year's dinner theater set in Wyoming. If you grew up with any exposure to Lawrence Welk, this year's show is a familiar premise: the pageant of the four seasons. Ushured in by a glorious Mother Nature, Summer through Spring follows a young man and lady through four show stopping numbers. Writer/Director/Choreographer Ken Roht has an interest in minimalist opera and sought to grow as an artist with more abstract collage work. What occurs each second on stage is not just collages of technicolor plastics but a series of gorgeous tableaus where the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock would be jealous. With at least a dozen dancers on stage at all times, producer Jessica Hanna assures this is not the largest cast in the 99 cents show's history but by far this year boasts the most donations. (99cents Only lets the company have free reign on their warehouse and all designers are encouraged to keep buying as the budget allows). Familiar household objects pop out of plastic palm tress, like rainbow feather dusters and loofahs. Laundry baskets double as giant flowers. Christmas tinsel dresses the dancers' hula skirts. In fact the only thing not originating from the 99cents store would be the performers' leotards and sneakers, a minimalist white which makes everyone on stage deranged mimes. Each season anticipates a giant song and dance number and every actors' physical abilities are top-notch. In L.A. we get a nod to the plight of the out of work triple-threat, when the actor under the Lizard-Elvis makeup from the summertime Hawaiian under-the-sea showstopper flashes his headshot and phone number on the back wall. The screen on the back wall is another layer to the mayhem morphing like a giant screensaver to fit the mood of each season. Fall brings a modern ballet, while Winter is not the predictable Nutcracker snowflake suite, but a sparse meditation where the white of snow is no longer associated with purity but creates cold. This is the moment in the 50 minute show where one can rest from the sensory overload and actually appreciate the artistry by every cast member. Spring, of course, comes to full bloom and re-awakening but with a folk music soundtrack. Did I mention every bit is original music and lyrics? The arrangement is wonderful if not lost in the bootleg theater's sound limitations. Fans of past shows and lovers of all things Americana-kitsch will find a home here and maybe think twice when buying their next cheap toilet brush.

The pageant has been extended but will close Jan. 28th.

The 99 cents Only Modern Something presents
Pageant of the 4 Seasons
Thurs-Sat 8:00pm
Sun 7:00pm

Bootleg Theater
2220 Beverly Blvd.
Echo Park
(213) 389-3856

Labels: performances, reviews

I've got some great submissions SO FAR. There are still plenty mix CDs to be made. I won't start burning until I'm certain we've got an eclectic and great collection.
Here's the list so far:
Post your lists and email me your mailing address to get a free mix CD. We're talking hundreds of songs for FREE. That's like an entire iPod battery charge.

"Just A Thought" Gnarls Barkley (St. Elsewhere)**
"Hips Don't Lie" Shakira w/ Wyclef Jean (Oral Fixation)
"Gold Lion" Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Show Your Bones)**
"Munich" Editors (The Back Room)
"Love Me Or Hate Me" Lady Sovereign (Public Warning)
"Like A Pen" The Knife (Silent Shout)
"LDN" Lilly Allen
"Naive" The Kooks (Inside In/Inside Out)
"Little Lover's So Polite" Silversun Pickups (Carnavas)
"Living Proof" Cat Power (The Greatest)
"Beecharmer" Nellie McKay w/ Cyndi Lauper (Pretty Little Head)
"Low Life" SCANNeRS (Violence Is Golden)
"Handle with Care" Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins (Rabbit Fur Coat)**
"Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" Camera Obscura (Camera Obscura)
"Standing In The Way of Control" The Gossip (Standing In The Way of Control)
"Incinerate" Sonic Youth (Rather Ripped)
"Fidelity" & "Hotel Song" Regina Spektor (Fidelity)
"Promiscuous" & "Maneater" Nelly Furtado (Loose)
"Future Sex/Love Sound" & "Summer Love" Justin Timberlake (FutureSex/LoveSounds)
"Lithium" Polyphonic Spree (Wait EP)
"Yellowcake" Kaki King (...Until We Felt Red)
"Sing" The Dresden Dolls (Yes Virginia...)
"Motorcade" & "Movie Theme" & "No Complaints" (The Information)
"Snow Lion"Readymade FC & Feist (Babilonia)
"Oh So Bucco" Rick Moranis (The Agoraphobic Cowboy)
"Emily" Joanna Newsom (Ys)
"Pompeii Am Gotterdammerung" The Flaming Lips (At War With The Mystics)
"Tropicana" Ratatat (Classics)
"The Henney Buggy Band" Sufjan Stevens (The Avalanche)
"The Race" Suzanna Choffel (Shudders & Rings)
"You Sure Look Swell" Sondre Lerche (Duper Sessions)
"Kikapoo" Tenacious D (The Pick Of Destiny)
"Atoms For Peace" Thom York (The Eraser)
"La Llorona" DeVotchKa (Little Miss Sunshine)
"Blue Sun" Think About Life (Think About Life)
"If you see light" The Mountain Goats (Get Lonely)
"crane wife 1 & 2" Decemberists (The Crane Wife)
"Wet Sand" Red Hot Chili Peppers (Stadium Arcadium)
"N2U" Outkast (Idlewild)
"Raspy Shit" Pharrell (In My Mind)
"Stolen Script" & "Pokerface" Ghostface Killah (More Fish)
"Maybe Sparrow" Neko Case (Fox Confessor Brings the Flood)**

**also got votes for Best album of 2006

Labels: games, music

If you listened to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's first self-titled album, then you know these guys are clever lyricists, artsy vocalists, and craft a unique sound more likely to share a category with Talking Heads than a lot of recent indie rock.
What you may not know is that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are releasing their second album "Some Loud Thunder" Jan. 30 and have a great offer on their website. If you pre-order the CD on their site you'll also get the entire album's MP3s. MP3 tracks are available on Jan. 16, when you'll receive an email with a special code. The you'll get the actual CD in the mail on the 30th. Then you can brag to all your friends.
Two tracks on the website right now for your listening pleasure are "Love Song No. 7" with a Cat Power-esque piano section, and "Underwater (You and Me)" a similar sounding track with plenty of charm. "Satan Said Dance" played on Indie103.1 this morning and has a lot more kick and kookier singing.

Labels: music, reviews

Doomed to play the Nice Guy, Scott Foley at Wild Oats on Montana stretching and touching his toes while waiting at the deli counter. Didn't recognize him at first in celeb-deceptive workout attire and balding patch on top of his head.

Labels: celeb sighting

Just as many craft bloggers inspire each other, I too have been inspired by Ann Wood, an artist out of Brooklyn. She did the paintings for one of my more favorite recent films, Junebug. She also makes a lot of beautiful little things like paper mache ships and vintage fabric birds. She also recently completed the task of creating 100 horses. Each day she sat down and made at at least one out of cardboard, buttons and scraps. She opened up some odd creative channels and even named each one. I experienced the same joy when making my Christmas cards this year, promising myself that like a snowflake, no two would be exactly alike. I've compiled a list of each of her horses' precious names.

The first 11 didn't have names.
12. Betty
13. Giselle
14. Dell
15. Darger
16. Finn
17. Jek
18. Nola
19. Nell
20. Lincoln
21. Betsy (daughter of Betty)
22. Lorraine
23. Patrice
24. Folly
25. Picnic
26. Apple
27. Bitty (daughter of Apple and Picnic)
28. Paddy
29. Poor Walter
30. Mangus
31. Roulette
32. Roca
33. Cormac
34. Forest
35. Michal
36. Parham
37. Willa
38. Elise
39. Jane
40. Baby
41. Telly
42. Adrianne
43. Alice
44. Lawrence
45. Colin (son of Mills)
46. Doe
47. Ada
48. Clark
49. Lewis
50. Becky
51. Roman
52. Walton
53. Ford
54. Otto
55. Beckett
56. Eva
57. Elliot
58. Montgomery
59. Kos
60. Melchior
61. Antonia
62. Wheeler
63. Orn
64. Hudson
65. Elaine
66. Amundsen
67. Roan
68. Lafayette
69. Madison
70. Billy
71. Winston
72. Meg
73. Christopher
74. Pilot
75. Jefferson
76. Poppea
78. Owen
79. Chase
80. Belin
81. Spaulding
82. Salem
83. Charne
84. Sabine
85. Jasper
86. Zal
87. Raymie
88. Folsom
89. Perce
90. Perminder
91. Topal
92. Albert
93. Pelham
94. Dorrit
95. Nevins
96. Pinkerton
97. Sackett
98. Gem
99. Rand
100. Quilty

You can buy her wares in her online store or bid on her ships in the craft auction to benefit the family of James Kim.

Labels: art, DIY, shopping

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. -- Mark Twain

For the next week or so I'm going to be elaborating on my New Year's resolutions.

In no particular order, in 2007 I resolve to:

1. Actually use that gym membership
2. Download more new music from foreign lands
3. Make a pinhole camera
4. More craft projects!
5. Find all the organic restaraunts in L.A.
5. Watch Factotum
6. Date Seth Rogen

Labels: DIY, random

This past November the 32 acres of downtown Los Angeles known as The Cornfields was saved from building development once more thanks to the City Project.
I thank the City Project for providing me with these eye-opening facts:
- In Los Angeles, children of color living in poverty with no access to cars have the worst access to parks and recreation.
- Too many people live more than half a mile from the nearest park throughout the region of Los Angeles.
- Children of color disproportionately live in the California state assembly districts with the highest levels of child obesity and the worst access to parks and recreation. The levels of obesity are intolerably high for children throughout the region ranging from 23% to 40%.
- This is the first generation in the history of the country in which children will have a lower life expectancy than their parents if present trends in obesity and other diseases related to inactivity continue.

The City Project calls on a new form of social action: to Green LA. In the past six years, The City Project has spearheaded efforts to create new urban parks; to establish schools as centers of their communities; and to influence the investment of billions of dollars for public works projects in under-served communities.

The Daily Breeze reported:

"Robert Garcia, executive director of the City Project, a nonprofit group that focuses on parks, health and transit issues for low-income Los Angeles residents, said a pedestrian trail and bus route should link [the Los Angeles State Historic Park] with El Pueblo to the south, and another state park planned on the east bank of the Los Angeles River to the north. 'They should not be treated as isolated, separate parks but as one continuous parkway system,' he said... 'This is a wonderful opportunity. Los Angeles is hungry for its history."

Other victories for the group include preserving El Rio de Los Angeles State Park at Taylor Yard, 2 square miles of Baldwin Hills Park, and a dedicated 100 acres to Ascot Hills Park in East L.A. Their goals for next year include: to influence billions of dollars from resource bonds passed in November 2006 for parks, schools, housing, transit, clean water, and local jobs, to restore the Great Wall of Los Angeles, to Build an urban environmental movement that puts children and families first, and serves the needs of Latinos and diverse communities in ways no one else has. What does that mean? It means they hold politicians like Villaraigosa and Schwarzenegger to their word when they pass Green bills. It means there are organizations out there who care more about the cultural impact of development in Los Angeles than loft space.
It may be a tad late for year-end tax deductions but you can give to The City Project here.

Labels: environmental, local, politics

Well, I guess if you don't count the boogie-down time after the ball dropped on Monday. My feet are still aching from The Killers show at Paramount studios.

Think they'll be giving away Puma gear? Worth a shot I think.

Friday, Jan. 5
10:00pm doors
The Short Stop
1455 Sunset Blvd.
Echo Park

Labels: events, music

3rd & Rimpau, Los Angeles, 2007.

Courtesy of losanjealous.com.

Even more pictures at Blogging LA.

Labels: local, random