Monday, May 25, 2015

For the next two weeks...

Sunday, May 24
William Wellman Jr. discusses Wild Bill Wellman: Hollywood Rebel ("The extraordinary life of the legendary, undercelebrated Hollywood director, whose 82 movies (six of them uncredited) were iconic; many of them sharp, cold, brutal; others poetic, moving. Among his pictures: the pioneering World War I epic Wings (winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture), Public Enemy (the toughest gangster picture of them all), and the original A Star is Born.)
Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.; Pasadena; 4 p.m., free, (626) 449-5320.
Dudley Cinema presents Folk Rock Music Films ("When asked "Are you a poet?" Bob Dylan said, "No, I'm an escape artist".")
Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd.; Venice; 7 p.m., free, (310) 822-3006.
Don't Knock the Rock presents a screening of My Secret World: The Story of Sarah Records with label co-founder Clare Wadd in person ("In March 2015, the NME declared Sarah Records to be the second greatest indie label of all time, directly behind 4AD - and for good reason. Between 1987-1995, Sarah was possibly the most "indie" of all UK indie labels: one where the participants’ principles prevailed, and attitude and actions were just as important as the music. The label that released gems by twee-pop pioneers Heavenly, The Field Mice, Another Sunny Day, 14 Iced Bears, The Orchids, Boyracer and many more was buoyed over the years by heroics and belligerence, ephemeral-eternal-pop, fanzines and its incorruptible founders Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes. Dir. Lucy Dawkins, 2014, HD presentation, 102 min.")
Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave.; Mid-Wilshire; 7 p.m., $12, (323) 655-2510.
Weather today?

Monday, May 25
Walk for Warriors Memorial Day 5K
New Directions for Veterans, WLA Veterans Affairs Medical Campus, 11303 Wilshire Blvd., Bldg. 116; Westwood; 10 a.m., $20 & $45, (323) 938-4038.
The Five Minutes Game: 2015 Edition ("It’s one of our oldest Cinefamily traditions, having lasted since our very beginnings. And it’s been damned fun, too, every time. We’re firm believers in “Every movie is interesting for at least its first five minutes” - those fascinating moments when you’re still entering the new world a film presents you, and trying to figure out what the hell’s going on. What we’re gonna do is choose fifteen movies you’ve likely never seen before (with most of them still unavailable on DVD), line ‘em up and only show you the first five minutes of each, not counting their opening credits. After all that, you, the audience, votes on which film out of the fifteen we all then peep in its entirety. So bring something to cook on our grill and let’s get started!")
Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave.; Mid-Wilshire; 5 p.m., $12, (323) 655-2510.
Seven Minutes in Purgatory with Ian Abramson ("Challenges comedians to perform directly to a camera alone in a soundproof room, while audience watch a live feed in another room. This social experiment/comedy show offers a chance to watch performers attempt to do their act without the benefit of audience feedback. The Laugh Button called the show "one of the coolest and most creative additions to the comedy world," and it's been hailed by The AV Club as "hilarious".")
UCB Sunset, 5419 Sunset Blvd.; Hollywood; 7 p.m., $5, (323) 908-8702.
Weather today?

Tuesday, May 26
Sonia Sanchez, John Bracey Jr. & James Smethurst discuss and sign SOS - Calling All Black People: A Black Arts Movement Reader ("covers topics ranging from the legacy of Malcolm X and the impact of John Coltrane's jazz to the tenets of the Black Panther Party and the music of Motown") Eso Won Books, 4327 Degnan Blvd.; Leimert Park; 7 p.m., free, (323) 290-1048.
Exortionately rare 35mm double-bill of sword-and-sandal epics Hercules and the Captive Women and The Avenger
New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd.; Mid-Wilshire; 7:30 p.m., $8, (323) 938-4038.
Screening of The 11th Hour with discussion following with director Anders Morgenthaler and actress Kim Basinger ("Basinger plays Maria, a successful business executive who has been trying for years to have a child; told her biological clock has run out, she takes increasingly desperate measures to get the baby she wants. Basinger is a revelation here, applying single-minded drive to a quest that draws Maria into a world of con-men and criminals.")
Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave.; Santa Monica; 7:30 p.m., $7/9/11, (310) 260-1528.
Weather today?

Wednesday, May 27
Audrey Shulman discusses Sitting in Bars with Cake: Lessons and Recipes from One Year of Trying to Bake My Way to a Boyfriend ("After living in L.A. for several years as a single lady, Shulman turned to baking. She brought her confections to bars, luring guys with a heady dose of butter and sugar.")
Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd.; West Hollywood; 7 p.m., free, (310) 659-3110.
Jacqueline Suskin discusses and signs Go Ahead & Like It ("In this scrapbook-style art book you are invited to write lists of things you like. Things that excite you and meaningful things that make every day special. It’s a self-help book for people who might not be drawn to the standard self-help style of writing. Above everything else, it presents a simple, dependable method to notice the good that’s all around us.")
Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.; Pasadena; 7 p.m., free. (626) 449-5320.
The Music of Osvaldo Golijov & Kaija Saariaho: A Visual Concert ("Soprano Terri Richter and the UCLA’s Contempo Flux ensemble, conducted by Geoffrey Pope, present a multimedia concert of live music by two contemporary composers, Osvaldo Golijov and Kaija Saariaho. The evening will showcase Saariaho’s Lonh and Golijov’s Ayre, a song cycle for soprano, electronics, and chamber ensemble, along with the video graphic design of Keith Skretch.")
Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd.; Westwood; 7:30 p.m., free, (310) 443-7000.
Weather today?

Thursday, May 28
Gwendolyn Womack reads from her debut novel The Memory Painter ("Two lovers who have traveled across time. A team of scientists at the cutting edge of memory research. A miracle drug that unlocks an ancient mystery.")
Pages, a Bookstore, 904 Manhattan Ave.; Manhattan Beach; 7 p.m., free, (310) 318-0900.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder retrospective (including Fassbinder: To Love Without Demands, a new documentary on the director), The Marriage of Maria Braun, Fox and Friends, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Veronika Voss and The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.  Through Saturday, May 30.)
Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; Hollywood; 7:30 p.m., $7/$9/$11, (323) 466-3456.
Zócalo Presents: How Do You Film the (Mexican) American Story? (Moderated by film critic Claudia Puig.  "Mexican-Americans make up the third largest ethnic/racial group in the United States. Yet few mainstream movies have explored the range of the Mexican-American experience. Two of those films - La Bamba and Selena - have become iconic. These movies deal with the broad themes of integration, mobility, the American dream, and the question of what it means to be Mexican-American. La Bamba writer and director Luis Valdez and Selena producer Moctesuma Esparza discuss the challenges and complexities of making these films.")
ArcLight Cinemas, 6360 Sunset Blvd.; Hollywood; 7:30 p.m., free, (323) 464-1478.
Weather today?

Friday, May 29
Bats Day ("Started in August 1999 as a joint effort between the promoters of the goth/industrial and deathrock clubs Absynthe and Release the Bats, it has since turned into a 3-day event." Through Sunday, May 31.)
Sheraton Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, 1855 S. Harbor Blvd.; Anaheim / Disneyland, 1313 Disneyland Dr.; Anaheim; 7 a.m., $50-$135, (813) 922 8799.
Dwell on Design ("America's largest modern design event; exhibition and conference featuring world-class speakers, product demonstrations, continuing education classes for design professionals, and seminars for design-seeking consumers." Through Sunday, May 31.)
Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St.; downtown Los Angeles; 10 a.m., $30/40/60, (800) 448-7775, lacclink.com
Friday Night Frights screening of 1982's Madman ("Brand-new restoration, producer Gary Sales and hulking star Paul "Madman Marz" Ehlers in person. We now have the legend of Madman Marz - now a total maniac who murdered his family and who will supposedly appear if you call out his name near his old cabin. Of course, a foolish and curious camp counselor does just that, unleashing a gory massacre. Wonky and oddly wonderful, Madman is a must-see to round out your slasher subgenre education. Front-and-center in this film is actress Gaylen Ross, whose only three onscreen roles were in this, Dawn of the Dead and Creepshow.")
Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave.; Mid-Wilshire; midnight, $12, (323) 655-2510.
Weather today?

Saturday, May 30
Opening of Deborah Martin's The Slabs: The Last Free Place In America photography exhibition ("Originally constructed in 1942, Camp Dunlap was expected to prepare U.S. Marine Corps for combat duty. In 1956, all buildings were ordered to be dismantled. The slabs remained. In 1965 Riverside County ordered people to leave a camping area in Painted Canyon near Mecca, California. Some migrated to Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea; others to the abandoned Camp Dunlap. The subculture that has formed in Slab City enables an individual to be in part free from the burdens of "traditional society".")
George Billis Gallery, 2716 S. La Cienega Blvd.; Palms; 5 p.m., free, (310) 838-3685.  
Opening of the Catascopes solo exhibition of new work by Pop Surrealist and Low Brow artist Anthony Ausgang (along with a performance by the artist on guitar as Cat Museum)
Copro Gallery, Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Ste. T5; Santa Monica; 8 p.m., free, (310) 829-2156.
How Was Your Day? with Arts and Athletics ("A longform improvised show in which the Arts and Athletics comedy troupe will interview an audience member about the appointments on their mobile phone calendar and do a show based on what they find.")
UCB Sunset, 5419 Sunset Blvd.; Hollywood; 10:30 p.m., $5, (323) 908-8702.
Weather today?

Sunday, May 31
826LA@Hammer: Build Your Own Treasure Map ("Ages 8-13. Learn how to give clear, step-by-step instructions while building a real-life treasure map. Instructor Neil Gordon is a publishing professional who has ghostwritten how-to books seen on shows like Ellen and Dr. Oz.")
Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd.; Westwood; 11 a.m., free, (310) 443-7000.
Los Angeles Review of Books Quarterly Brunch / Launch ("Copies of the Journal will be available at the store for purchase, and bagels and beverages will be provided. If you are not yet a QJ member, you can subscribe here. We will also be toasting to our 75 years of independent bookselling! Special readings by Samantha Dunn, David L. Ulin, and Sonia Greenfield.")
Chevalier's Books, 126 N. Larchmont Blvd.; Koreatown; 11:30 a.m., free, (323) 465-1334.
Screening of the director's cut of the 1984 spy spoof Top Secret! (this verison has only been shown once and is not available on DVD). movie followed with a Q&A with filmmakers David Zucker, Jim Abrams, and Jerry Zucker.
Vidiots, 302 Pico Blvd.; Santa Monica; 6:30 p.m., $15 & $20. (310) 392-8508
Weather today?

Monday, June 1
Former longtime Cinefamily programmer Bret Berg's launch party for his new pop-up used bookstore Mindwebs
Meltdown Comics, 7522 Sunset Blvd.; Hollywood Hills West; 7 p.m., free, (323) 851-7223.
Zócalo Presents: Is L.A.’s Past Worth Saving? ("When iconic sites like the Ambassador Hotel or Ray Bradbury’s home are demolished, we wring our hands collectively, wondering whether we don’t respect our past enough. To help us get a grip on our local heritage, the Getty and the City of Los Angeles have created HistoricPlacesLA, the first online system to inventory, map, describe, and help protect Los Angeles’ significant cultural resources. To celebrate the launch of HistoricPlacesLA, crime novelist Denise Hamilton, Libros Schmibros founder David Kipen, L.A. Office of Historic Resources manager Ken Bernstein, L.A. Weekly staff writer Dennis Romero, and KCET arts and culture columnist Lynell George discuss the places from the past that make L.A. feel like home today.")
The Plaza on Olvera Street, El Pueblo De Los Angeles, 845 N. Alameda St.; downtown Los Angeles; 7:30 p.m., free, (213) 485-6855.
Kid in the Hall Bruce McCulloch signs Let's Start a Riot: How a Young Drunk Punk Became a Hollywood Dad ("Chronicles his journey from wild early days as a "young punk" in 1980s Alberta, to his flannel plaid days and futon nights in 1990s Toronto, to becoming a "pajama-clad dad" living in the Hollywood Hills.")
Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave.; Griffith Park; 7:30 p.m., free, (323) 660-1175.
Weather today?

Tuesday, June 2
Screening of the documentary Take Away One followed by a Q&A with director William Lorton ("The true story of Mary Baratta-Lorton, whose work revolutionized how American children were taught math - until her mysterious death in 1978.")
Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Bldg., University of Southern California, 900 W. 34th St.; University Park; 7 p.m., free, (213) 740-2804.
The Kids in the Hall (venerable Canadian quintet of intensely gifted comedians)
The Theater at Ace Hotel, 929 Broadway; downtown Los Angeles; 8 p.m., $50. (213) 623-3233.
FYC @ UCB: Brooklyn Nine-Nine ("Conversation with the cast and executive producers of Brooklyn Nine-Nine including Andy Samberg, Chelsea Peretti, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Joel McKinnon Miller, Dirk Blocker, and Dan Goor. Jason Mantzoukas (The League) will moderate.")
UCB Sunset, 5419 Sunset Blvd.; Hollywood; 8:30 p.m., $5, (323) 908-8702.
Weather today?

Wednesday, June 3
Mark Haskell Smith in conversation with Los Angeles Times Books editor David Ulin to discuss Naked At Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World
Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.; Pasadena; 7 p.m., free, (626) 449-5320.
Lauri Taylor presents The Accidental Truth ("When Taylor’s mother went missing one day in 2006, no one expected her body to turn up ten days later in a remote Mexican desert, and no one could solve the crime. The O.C. housewife set out to investigate the murder. In the process, she was forced to investigate her mother’s life and her own childhood, filled with uncertainty and pain. Combines the suspense of a true crime page-turner with the emotion of a mother-daughter saga.")
Pages, a Bookstore, 904 Manhattan Ave.; Manhattan Beach; 7 p.m., free, (310) 318-0900.
Bronson soundtrack LP release party with filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn in person ("To celebrate Milan Records’s new release of the full soundtrack to Refn’s classic film Bronson - on gatefold double-vinyl no less - we present a very special screening and record-signing. Bronson is based on the true story of Britain’s most violent and expensive prisoner, the ultra-violent career criminal Charles Bronson. An unnervingly bizarre and disturbing performance by Tom Hardy fills every minute of the film, narrating his tale to an anonymous audience from an Edwardian music hall stage whilst dressed as a circus strongman.")
Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave.; Mid-Wilshire; 7:30 p.m., $12, (323) 655-2510. 
Weather today?

Thursday, June 4
Lou Ureneck discusses and signs The Great Fire: One American's Mission to Rescue Victims of the 20th Century's First Genocide
Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.; Pasadena; 7 p.m., free, (626) 449-5320.
Lye Soapmaking with Angharad Caceres ("Learn to make bar soap from olive, coconut, and other oils, aromatics and lye. Use safe kitchen chemistry to make versatile holiday and hostess gifts, and explore different wrapping and decorative techniques to make your gift soaps stand out! Caceres is a lifelong crafter and founder of the Urban Craft Center.")
1450 Ocean Ave. Auditorium, 1450 Ocean Ave.; Santa Monica; 7 p.m., $20, (310) 458-8300. 
Poetry: James Merrill: Life and Art ("Langdon Hammer is chair of the Yale English Department. The New Yorker calls James Merrill: Life and Art, his new biography of Merrill, "as vivid and artful an account as we are likely to encounter." Stephen Yenser, Merrill’s co-literary executor, joins to discuss the work of this great 20th-century poet.")
Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd.; Westwood; 7:30 p.m., free, (310) 443-7000.
Weather today?

Friday, June 5
Daniel Clowes discusses and signs The Complete Eightball ("Clowes will make his first L.A. appearance in several years to celebrate the release of the two-volume collection of the influential and iconic comic book series on a night complete with prizes, a book signing, costume contest, and an interview between Clowes and Mark Frauenfelder from BoingBoing.")
Meltdown Comics, 7522 Sunset Blvd.; Hollywood Hills West; 7 p.m., free, (323) 851-7223.
Max Ophüls double-feature with special prints and Andréas-Benjamin Seyfert, great-grandson of Max Ophüls introducing the screenings of Sarajevo (1940; John Lodge as Archduke Franz Ferdinand) and Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948, "Shy young Lisa (Joan Fontaine) nurtures a lifelong love-from-afar for debonair composer and worldly lothario Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan, who died this past Valentine's Day at age 93), who lives upstairs in her building. Ophüls’ device of Brand finally learning of Lisa’s deep feelings from a letter to him as he readies for a duel at dawn bookends the narrative with a tragic anguish that is extremely moving.")
Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave.; Santa Monica; 7:30 p.m., $7/9/11, (310) 260-1528.
UnCabaret: I'm With The Band ("In conjunction with the exhibition Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution listen as host Beth Lapides joins comedian Greg Behrendt (co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You), TV writer John Riggi (30 Rock), Grammy-, Emmy-, Tony-, and Webby-winning songwriter Allee Willis, and Moon Zappa (Curb Your Enthusiasm) for a night of rock & roll comedy, featuring stories about some of rock’s biggest legends.")
Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.; Brentwood; 8 p.m., $8/10/15, (310) 440-4500.
Weather today?

Saturday, June 6 
Patrick O’Neil with Jim Brown discusses and signs Gun, Needle, Spoon ("Memoir follows a punk rock pioneer on his slide into drug abuse and life as an armed robber, all the way through life in recovery. During punk's heyday, Patrick O'Neil worked at the San Francisco's legendary Mabuhay Gardens. He went on to become the road manager for Dead Kennedys and Flipper, as well as T.S.O.L. and the Subhumans.")
Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd.; West Hollywood; 5 p.m., free, (310) 659-3110.
Inaugural Los Angeles Bread Festival ("A free celebration of the local artisan bread renaissance. Hands-on family friendly activities will include a participatory butter-making/aerobic class, tortilla-making, sourdough starter 101 and more. The Festival will also include a 12-minute sneak peek of the documentary The Grain Divide" a film by JD McLelland that aims to change society's perceptions of wheat and mend the broken relationship between humans and grains. The panel discussion "Field to Table" will explore the L.A. bread movement from the perspective of local farmers, millers, bakers and chefs." Through Sunday, June 7.)
Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway; downtown Los Angeles; 8 p.m., free, (213) 624-2378.
L.A. Weekly presents the 3rd Annual Tacolandia ("More than 80 top taco vendors curated by the World's First Tacorazzo, Bill Esparza; live mariachi music, cash bars with beer, wine and cocktails as well as awards for best tacos in various categories presented by The Vendys.")
El Pueblo de Los Angeles, 125 Paseo De La Plaza; downtown Los Angeles; 8 p.m., $45 & $50, 21+, (213) 622-3694.
Weather today?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.