Street Art: Melrose

Melrose, between Fairfax and La Brea has some beautiful street art.  With nothing to do on Saturday I took some photos of the rotating art in the Hollywood area.

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Photos 1 and 5 Courtesy of Tim Seitter

UFO Confirmed in Burbank

Like any place, local landmarks and oddities are well known and shared with newcomers.  Like the rest of Los Angeles, Burbank is a land of newcomers.  The secret of Burbank's Fry's Electronics revealed itself to me when I was instructed to find a new microphone for my boss's daughter's karaoke machine.  I suppose the world took pity on my pathetic life.

Marina & the Diamonds: Hollywood

She has the right idea.

Targa by Russ Chimes

I held out for as long as I could.  But I've found myself listening to this song everyday since its release.  The video is juvenile, pretentious, predictable, and I absolutely adore it.

Nerds Unite!

I'm not a big concertgoer.  Especially when you are forced to bounce and clap so your friend doesn't stand alone.  Friday night I was fortunate enough to see Huey Lewis and the News.  My friend missed their concert 25 year ago so this was his chance.  We traveled two and a half hours each way to feel the Power of Love.  It was as expected.  The distance from home and the unattractive crowd made the awkward stand-dancing bearable.

Music of the Movies by the LA philharmonic is more my speed.  People aren't expected to do anything but sit back and enjoy the show.  The orchestra was conducted by John Williams who lectured us on film between songs.  Brilliant.

Tapeheads at the New Beverly Cinema

I attended my first showing at the New Beverly Cinema.  They show double features for $7.00 cash money.  The theater was recently saved from bankruptcy by none other than Quentin Tarantino.  I question the authenticity of directors.  The rich and famous always associate themselves with noble pursuits in third world countries, where they can speak on behalf of an association that gives them more credibility than they're worth.  Or at least something that their name can be affixed to.  Not Tarantino, he's legit.  He saved a god damned theater because he could.  How many times have you been bothered by something and thought, if I had the money.  He's the ultimate moviegoer and hasn't forgotten the rest of us -lining up for a movie released 22 years ago.  Curing diseases and rebuilding impoverished nations is all well and good but he gave back to something that has saved so many of us, the movies.

Tapeheads is basically two guys pursuing their dreams of making music videos.  For being a film I've never heard of, it has many recognizable faces and voices.  But now I understand why I've never heard of it, it's boring.  The film is too convoluted for a storyline which would have been perfect if left alone.  The best parts of the film are the two videos they create for their production company, Video Aces.  Like so many films, it's an accidental homage to Los Angeles.

Their first video is a commercial for Roscoe's Chicken Waffles.


The second video is for the fictional band Cube-Squared.


Roscoe's is a real place, with really good food.  And Baby Doll is actually by Devo, making the likability of the tune acceptable.

The director and a couple of the actors were present for a post screening informational.
Their insight resulted in the following nuggets of brilliance.
1.  John Cussack is physcially very strong and not bad at basketball.
2.  Tim Robbins was a jackass even before he was famous.
3.  Catherine Hardwicke, the director of the first Twilight installment was the Production Designer for Tapeheads.  She got the job because she was dating the director Bill Fishman.
4.  Fishman lives by the motto, "Style over substance."  (There is something disconcerting about this phrase but I'm starting to question if I too agree.)

With A Cherry On Top

Dessert is a lot like youth -delicate and temporary.

These are some sweet treats at the Farmers Market at The Grove in Hollywood.

Little Boys - Not so sweet.

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I'm no longer invisible.  Look at me.

Carmen MiranDarth

The above are displayed in a comic book shop on Melrose and La Brea.

Cups of Cake

• Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcake - Frosted Cupcakery, Hollywood
People are getting all mad about the insurgence of cupcake shops in the Los Angeles area. They're cupcakes people! How can anyone get upset about more cake? Cupcakes have never been some underground secret that have recently become chic, compromising their authenticity. They aren't the product of a culture whose food is exploited for the masses.
For all of you cupcake connoisseurs I recommend the Mojito Cupcake from KickAss Cupcakes, Somerville, MA.