Up-to-date List

There is life to be lived! Proverbial Catch Up Commences:

34. IO West Secret Family Showcase

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Susina's Bakery

RESTAURANT REVIEW: The Commissary

MOVIE REVIEW: Short Term 12

MOVIE REVIEW: Salinger

RESTAURANT REVIEW: A-Frame

MOVIE REVIEW: The Spectacular Now

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Franco's

35. La Descarga

36. Yacht Ride and Jet Skiing in the Marina

MOVIE REVIEW: Afternoon Delight

37. Smooth Jazz: Dave Coz and Friends at Hollywood Bowl

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Kaido

RESTAURANT REVIEW: The Glendon

38. Trip to Martha's Vineyard: jumped off Jaw's Bridge, Alpaca Farm, Tubing, Light House, Beach

MOVIE REVIEW: Arbitrage

39. PTA Restrospective at the New Beverly: Hard Eight and Boogie Nights

40. Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Francelli's

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Pinnochio's

42. Dias De Los Muertes at Hollywood Forever Cemetary

43. Short Ends by Neil La Bute at Open Fist Theatre

44. Tattoo

45. Birthright trip to Israel: Kabbutz, Tzvat, Golan Heights, Ancient Jerusalem, Bat Mitzvah in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum/Memorial), Masada (Hike), Bedouin Tent, Camel Ride, Dead Sea, Ein Gedi (Desert Waterfall Hike), Negev Desert, Tel Aviv, Marketplace

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Volcano Tea

MOVIE REVIEW: Django Unchained

46. LA Book Festival at USC

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Katsuya Studio City

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Palermo Restaurant

MOVIE REVIEW: Frances Ha

47. Trip to Miami: Jet Skiing, Beach

MOVIE REVIEW: Fruitvale Station

48. Trip to NYC: Sleep No More Show

MOVIE REVIEW: Sleepwalk with Me

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Goldenstate

49. Book of Mormon Show

MOVIE REVIEW: Argo

MOVIE REVIEW: In a World...

MOVIE REVIEW: Wreck it Ralph

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Chop Stop

MOVIE REVIEW: The Campaign

MOVIE REVIEW: Skyfall

MOVIE REVIEW: Cloud Atlas

50. Stanley Kubrick Exhibit at LACMA

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Aoli Truck

RESTAURANT REVIEW: the Boba Truck

MOVIE REVIEW: Lee Daniels' The Butler

MOVIE REVIEW: Blue Jasmine

BOOK REVIEW: John Green Collection

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Bourgeois Pig

So I'm a writer, clearly...well, hopefully that's clear by now, and I am often looking for quaint cafes with interesting characters and surroundings to entice my imagination. Having a proper work space can completely change one's ability to create.

Coffee Bean, Starbucks, and other franchises are fine...but I think those places lend themselves to a studying environment, not a prosperous, artistic one. Being in an individualistic cafe with its own style and taste tends to conjure up a different palette from which to paint.

As part of my exploration of places to work and write and people watch and sit and pretend to be productive, I stumbled across the Bourgeois Pig, located on Franklin in Franklin Village (situated between Hollywood and Los Feliz). This quirky place is quite dark inside and is very much its own little world.

There are chairs and couches and tables of different variety, evoking an eclectic, odd, yet cozy environment. It has free internet, a small bar where you can purchase drinks or a snack (I got a really tasty iced chai latte - very large and very caffeinated!)

Within the dark living room-esque space is a pool table, conducive to small talk and quiet games. What makes this place different, and exceptional, in my opinion, is an even darker room with fake trees (one has indentations in the trunk like a doll house), a large fake moon, and even a fake owl. I believe it is supposed to resemble Where the Wild Things Are, but I could be mistaken. The room contains nooks and crannies, large comfortable couches, and smaller stools, for people to sit, sip, converse, or work. I'd never seen anything like it, which is precisely why I have such an affinity for it.

I found parking a few blocks away for the day, but it's a safe enough neighborhood that I felt fine making the minor trek. Parking is harder to find at night since the cafe is located on the same street as UCB, Birds, and other popular spots.

I highly recommend Bourgeois Pig for a nightcap with a friend or date, or a day-time rendez-vous with a study buddy or writing partner. It draws an interesting crowd, as well. I wouldn't be surprised if many romances started here. Now I'll just wait for mine...

See for yourself here: https://plus.google.com/117673859809324640837/about?gl=us&hl=en

33. The Spectacular Classics Showcase

From the writers of 500 Days of Summer (one of my favorites) comes The Spectacular Now. In order to gear up for the release of this new film, the writers have helped coordinate a screening series in certain theaters across America. This screening shows some of the films of the 80's and 90's that inspired Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter in the writing of The Spectacular Now.

This past Tuesday, I went to the screening of Dazed and Confused at the Los Feliz 3 Theatre. The theatre is small, but despite not having stadium seating and the multitude of snacks we are used to at places like the Grove, the Arclight, and the Landmark - the Los Feliz 3 has a certain charm, and the screen was high, so being height-challenged, wasn't a problem.

To begin the screening, they play the trailer of The Spectacular Now, which looks charming and sweet despite my distaste for romantic comedies, along with a short video (very poorly shot) of the writer's discussing this series and from where they draw their inspiration.

This was my first time seeing Dazed and Confused, and while I find the acting very naturalistic, and the characters fun to watch and easy to relate to, overall these 90's movies tend to be fairly un-cinematic and have too many main characters. I wasn't sure who to follow, who to empathize with, etc. Also, after learning much about structure, I found that this film was very much a slice of life. The characters didn't really change all too much, despite minor arcs, and I'm so used to stories that have concrete beginning, middle, and ends that watching something that seemed fairly slow paced was hard for me to get into. Probably doesn't help that my high school experience was much different than the one portrayed in this film (small private school in brentwood, CA in the 00's versus a lax public school in anywhere, usa in the 70's).

However, despite my ambivalence for the film, it was fun and I am happy that small theaters like this one still exist and participate in programs where you can watch classics on the big screen. Some of the other films in this particular series include Say Anything (which I managed to see half of), Almost Famous, and The Breakfast Club. Tickets are $9.50.

Learn more here: http://www.slashfilm.com/say-anything-dazed-and-confused-almost-famous-and-the-breakfast-club-screen-to-promote-the-spectacular-now/#more-183461

MOVIE REVIEW: Monster's University

You can always count on Pixar for an emotional, humorous, charming animated feature that brings personality and life to mere objects or fantastical figments of one's imagination. Monsters Inc. is one of my favorite pixar movies as it shows a different side to nightmarish creatures, giving them heart and human goals that everyone can understand. It also cleverly turns the scaring of children into a business, and the life purpose of monsters, who really aren't that bad. My favorite element of Monsters Inc. was the relationship formed between Sully (one of the best scarers played by the voice of John Goodman) and a brave little girl he attempts to frighten but ends up loving instead.

I was excited for Monsters University which is a flashback to the "glory" or not-so-glory days of Sully and Mike Wazowski (Sully's neurotic Jewish monster friend - genius - voiced by none other than Billy Crystal) in college.

While the movie was certainly entertaining, and displayed loveable characters and clever comparisons between our cherished college days to those of monsters (showing the cliques, sorority and fraternity life, various kinds of teachers, etc.), it lacked real heart. I loved the beginning which showed a dimunitive, young, retainer-wearing Mike Wazowski as a teacher's pet (pictured below - so adorable!) (sidenote: why did he wear a retainer - wouldn't gnarled teeth be a good thing as a monster? PLOT HOLE). I could have watched him and the other endearing characters for the entirety of the movie. But once we got to the University section and the bulk of the movie, I wasn't that impressed. I thought the creativity of showing the similarities and differences between Monsters University and a human university was not delved into quite enough, and thus, the story wasn't as funny as it could have been and missed a lot of opportunities. I also felt the true "heart" story which was the budding friendship between two enemies and monsters of a different sort was not pushed enough to evoke the classic Pixar tears.

I guess, my problem was, the stakes weren't high enough. The main low point for the characters occurred when they were kicked out of the scaring program at the university. I can understand that being devastating -  professional life-long goals being thrown out the window - but us avid Pixar watchers know that both Mike and Scully do "make it" in the end, so maybe knowing that, made their low point sort of fall flat. Also - the main "bad guy" was a dragon-like stern and brittle professor, who wasn't all that menacing to me and didn't pose such a great threat.

All in all - the movie was fairly entertaining, easy to watch, and inviting (didn't bore me), but I think Pixar missed out on a lot of creative moments that is such a large part of the company's reputation. Here's to hoping the next film is akin to some of the greats, such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Wall-E.

Learn more about Monsters University here: http://disney.go.com/monsters-university/

RESTAURANT REVIEW: 9021PHO

A Vietnamese friend of mine recently made me home-made, vegetarian pho (pronounced fa). It was delicious - a simple, subtly spicy broth, fresh vegetables and herbs (basil, sprouts), rice noodles, and tofu. The soup was so scrumptious and comforting and I craved more.

One casual Friday, I was walking through Beverly Hills and stumbled upon 9021PHO. The name makes the restaurant seem like a cheap chain, but I figured it'd be worth a try. 

I ordered the chicken breast pho with extra vegetables, to go. They package the rice noodles, chicken, and vegetables separately from the broth to preserve freshness. Overall, it definitely wasn't as good as the home-made authentic pho I had prior, but the broth (though fairly salty) was tasty and I liked the assortment of vegetables (mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, broccoli). The chicken was dry and flavorless and I ended up not eating it.

Overall, ordering from 9021PHO made me realize that I want to try more pho places, but not necessarily this one. I'd go back if someone else wanted to, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it or go out of my way to go there. As far as ambiance goes...it was hard to tell because they were redoing their floors, so I can't speak for the feeling of the resturant. I also noticed that the chefs were not Vietnamese...which made the place seem less authentic. Sidenote: it was reasonably priced. 

Moral of the blog post...try pho! Just maybe not in 90210. 

32. Chamber Music Concert at Disney Concert Hall

Need inspiration, moments to meditate, or a place to sleep? Go to Disney Concert Hall. On December 11th, I went to a Chamber Music Society concert at Disney Concert Hall. The artists were the members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The program included music by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Zelenka. The concert itself lasted about an hour and 1/2 with a small intermission. 

I am not a huge classical music fan, though I did listen to it quite often while studying for the SATs back in the 2000's, and it proved very efficient. Occasionally I listen to classical while writing or working, and I can find it quite relaxing or a means to creative thinking. However, generally, it's not the genre of music I am drawn to. 

This concert was probably a very different experience for classical music lovers, but I can only blog about my evening. During the four classical pieces, I went from scribbling harried notes for a script I was writing at the time on a small piece of paper while squinting in the dim light, to staring in awe at the musicians (I had a good view, though we were seated in the balcony), and finally to closing my eyes and resting my mind. 

I recommend going to a concert here mostly if you enjoy classical music and would like a sophisticated, different experience. Most of the crowd at this particular concert was older and casual. I was probably one of the youngest people in attendance. I would also recommend going if you want to sit amongst people, while having a very internal, personal, and thoughtful experience- it's renewing and productive at the same time. 

Learn more about the concerts here: 

LAPhil.com or call 323-850-2000

MOVIE REVIEW: For a good time call...

For A Good Time Call is a bromantic comedy for and about women...not a bromance but a WOmance. It follows Lauren Powell, a reserved overachiever, and her friend and apartment-mate, Katie Steele, a seemingly free spirit. When Lauren loses her job and breaks up with her current boyfriend who finds her "boring," the two girls start a phone-sex service, which breaks Lauren from her hard shell and shows Katie the importance of true friendship and connection. 

Overall, I found the movie comical and entertaining. It's always nice to see female protagonists and films by women writers. However, the director was a man, and I think that might have influenced some of the tone of the film. What I didn't like was the sexual nature of the friendship between Lauren and Katie. As a comic gag, their friendship seems like a romantic relationship at times, and there is a hint of their mutual sexual curiosity. This bothered me. I have many close friendships with women. I am heterosexual and so are they. We cuddle, we laugh, we poke each other playfully, we hug, we kiss each other on the cheek - but there is nothing sexual about it. It's love and affection and sisterly or familial. I didn't like the choice to sexualize a beautiful friendship, because to me, that turns a movie that is for women into a movie that is aimed at men. 

Men want to see women together in a sexual way. It's the old cliche of men wondering what happens at a slumber party - they pray for scantily clad women in lingerie having pillow fights. In real life, it is far from glamorous - at least the slumber parties I've been too. The night consists of pajamas and oversized sweatshirts, gabbing over fatty foods (pigging out is almost a requirement), talking about our woes with men, watching Lifetime or reality TV, reading trashy magazines, and occasionally polishing each other's nails. I think For A Good Time Call had a good opportunity to shed light on a true female relationship that grows and evolves through a comical situation, but I think the filmmakers copped out a little bit by having sexual undertones.  

On the other hand, the movie did shed light on my own female friendships and hit something personal. There is something so wonderful about having a "best" friend - someone you tell everything to and talk to every day. I have a lot of very special, close friends, but not one be-all-end-all friend, and it made me want to get even closer to my gal pals - because at the end of the day they are truly the ones that understand you and can be there for you. 

I recommend For A Good Time Call because it was a funny, sweet story and the acting was really well done. I just wish they would have honed the friendship a bit and made it more realistic. 

Learn more about For A Good Time Call here: 

http://www.foragoodtimecallmovie.com/