France to go

Note: This post somehow disappeared from my blog, so I’m reposting it. Seriously, it’s a total mystery to me what happened that would erase the whole post from last night to today. Apologies if you’ve seen this twice now.

We’re still getting the apartment set up, but it’s been sort of slow going because we’ve been having too much fun. Friday we went to a late screening of Quantum of Solace after getting Martinis with some friends. I’m not normally a big Bond fan, but I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. It’s action sequences were pretty amazing and covered close to every mode of transportation, from cars to boats to planes to feet to hanging from the ceiling by ropes.

There was also a point in the movie, when Bond is at a party in Bolivia, that one of the voices sounded exceeding familiar. I leaned over to Evan and said, “That sounds exactly like Guillermo (Del Toro),” and he said, “Oh, it is him! I almost missed it!” Apparently Guillermo Del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron both have voice cameos in Bond. I was pretty proud to have picked that up, even without knowing.

Santa Monica

Saturday we got up late and went down to Santa Monica to meet up with my friend Terri, her two little kids, John and Lexi, and some of her friends. We walked along the beach, ate some french fries and then walked down the pier to take the kids on some rides. Johnny absolutely loved them and just kept waving at us and smiling and enthusiastically driving his mini bumper car, airplane or jeep.

Johnny on the bumper cars

Earlier in the day we were surprised how clear it was despite all the nearby fires, but by late afternoon, we started seeing a lot of ash in the air and the sun was an eerie pink-red as it was setting, creating a very fiery reflection on the water.

Saturday evening, my parents came over to the apartment for happy hour — bruschetta, cheese and crackers, and wine — then we all went out to Bel Air to see the McGill Jazz Orchestra play at an alumni event (both my parents are McGill alumni). We drove on a very windy mountain road to a beautiful home and drank more wine and ate hors d’ouevres outisde in the warm night. When it was time for the jazz to start, my parents snagged front-row seats, and we sat just feet away from the high-energy band.

There were plenty of impressive solos from piano, guitar, trumpet, saxophone and trombone players, a guest performance from an alumnus, and an incredible sight reading session where the band was handed new music — it was even new to the conductor — and started playing and even improvising solos on the spot. There was even an tuba solo! My dad started a standing ovation at the end of that song and the rest of the audience joined in, then he started yelling for an encore. The band obliged and ended with “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky, which nearly deafened us since two of the trumpet players stood in the front row.

We met some of the students in the band after the concert and it turns out they had also been having fun in Santa Monica earlier in the day.

The top of a “burning trash can” table

Last night, Evan and I went to the Hellboy II The Golden Army DVD release party (boy, that’s a mouthful). It was quite an event, and it looks like quite the Blue Ray DVD, with tons of special features, a 2 and a half hour documentary on the making of the movie, a director’s notebook, lots of commentary, a comic book creator and a “goggle view” that lets you see the movie in various stages of visual effects. We can’t wait to get our hands on one and check it out with our new Blue Ray player, which is still in the box.

The party was a major production, which transformed the club Element into a scene from Hellboy, complete with monsters, burning trash cans, and actors from the movie.

Evan and me with a monster

Evan and I had fun taking photos with the monsters who did an incredible job in their elaborate costumes. We’re pretty sure they couldn’t see a thing, and saw quite a few of them being led around the room slowly by hand. Some of their costumes were huge, too, and Wink’s mouth and hads were radio-controlled making him unbelievably life-like.

Evan and me with the enormous Wink

Guillermo Del Toro also gave a presentation about the Blue Ray’s special features, making sure to rib on the cast and costumes in his typical fashion. He’s also hosting the first-ever in-Blue Ray live chat on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at 6 p.m. PST, which anyone can join by signing up at UniversalHiDef.com and submitting questions via the “Directors Chat” tab in “My Account.”

Guillermo Del Toro introducing the Hellboy II DVD

There was also a rather funny panel discussion with Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Doug Jones, Mike Mignola, a Dark Horse exec and Guillermo. We learned that Guillermo liked to call Jeffrey Tambor “Jeremy” and Guillermo said that Selma and Doug “learned everything they know about handling a weapon from Charlie’s Angels.” The actors confirmed that and Selma added that when using her fake gun, she would say “Bang bang,” when it was supposed to go off, and she had to be reminded to keep quiet during her close-ups. Doug talked about the elaborate costumes he got to wear during the shoot since he played three characters, and they all talked about their favorite monsters — most were partial to the incredible Angel of Death.

Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Doug Jones, Mike Mignola, Dark Horse exec whose name I can’t remember, Guillermo Del Toro

After the party, we went to an Italian restaurant next door to the club with the DVD producer, Javier, and his girlfriend Orso (the ones we baked the cake for), a concept artist, Francisco, and a few other people. We didn’t get DVDs, but we did get Golden Army toys and a big hug from Guillermo.

See the rest of our photos in Evan’s Facebook album.

Tonight Evan and I went to the Hellboy II DVD release party. It was great — they turned the Hollywood club Element into a scene reminiscent of the Troll Market in the movie, complete with plenty of monsters, like Wink and the Butcher Guards, and tables that looked like burning trash cans covered with Hellboy II-branded plexiglass. Guillermo Del Toro made a presentation to show off some of the new Blue Ray DVD’s features, like the goggle view, which allows you to see the movie as it was shot and in two stages of temporary visual effects, and he also showed some behind-the-scenes footage from the set. Then there was a panel, with Guillermo, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, Jeffrey Tambor, Selma Blair, Doug Jones and a Dark Horse exec, which had some funny moments, mostly from Doug and Jeffrey.

More to come about the event tomorrow, but for now, check out our swag. Unfortunately we didn’t get our own Blue Rays, but we did get Golden Army toys.

Monday night, Kacie and I went to the premiere of Flash of Genius in Westwood, courtesy of Spyglass Entertainment. The movie is an underdog fight-for-your-rights piece based of the true story of Robert Kearns, the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper — and then had his invention ripped off by Ford. As the tone of the movie quickly goes from excitement and optimism about the new invention to disillusionment and rage at the Ford Motor Co., you follow Kearns’ long, obsessive quest to protect his patent, which tears apart his family and puts him on unemployment.

Greg Kinnear, playing Kearns, gives a sensitive portrayal of a man who gets under the skin of the bullies and will not give up on what he believes despite the prospect of losing everything. His determination to prove his point is almost frustrating at points — many times I felt compelled to agree with his wife and his lawyers that he should just settle and move on instead of forging ahead with his much-postponed lawsuit.

But despite all the lucrative settlement offers Kearns receives, there would be no real payoff for him, or for us as viewers, if he didn’t go to court, representing himself against Ford’s corporate attorneys. For those familiar with the story, you’ll know how it turns out; for me, I was left guessing which way it would go until the very end.

Though the film had some slow points and the story followed a predictable arc, I enjoyed watching it unfold and ultimately learned a little something about what went into making the intermittent windshield wipers we all have on our cars.

Me and Kacie across the street from the theater– you can see “Flash of…” in the back right. This is what happens when you aren’t looking at what you shoot…

Friday, Evan and I went to support our friend Aaron in a play. We didn’t know what to expect — the last time I went to support a friend of a friend in a play, he only showed up in the last scene and played a mute. Seriously. In any case, our experience Friday couldn’t have been more different.

We showed up at the Tre Stage, upstairs in a strip mall at La Brea and Sunset, and were greeted at the door by a nice little crowd of theater-goers. We paid our $15 and were immediately offered a glass of wine at no charge. We soon got to go into the theater itself, a small room, painted black, with two rows of bench seats in an ‘L’ around the stage.

After passing the wine bottles around again for pre-show refills, the lights dimmed in the intimate black box theater, and the show started with a short slide show and music.

As suggested by the title, “Months on End,” the play follows a year in the life of its characters — relatives and friends — whose lives are all intertwined. It starts with a New Year’s Eve party in January, and introduces the characters a few at a time, month-by-month, as their stories unfold. We were given glimpses of relationships growing and of others falling apart, the anxieties of twentysomethings, and the ways our lives can change instantly.

There are some laugh-out-loud moments, like a college graduation speech gone awry in a nearly “I Love Lucy” fashion, and a blow-out over a chipped Yellow Submarine collector’s item which results in the most hilarious tirade of the night but also proves poignant, as it marks a turning point in a marriage. There are also touching tear-up points, like rehearsing a young friend’s eulogy. And it’s the mix of comedy, tragedy and uncertainty that make the play transcend its barren stage and feel very real.

The play’s reality and humanity also come from its good writing and strong performances. The cast is packed with theater majors, most of whom have MFAs, who inject a lot of personality and compassion into their characters. The music selection — songs to set the tone before each scene — was also a great mix. I would love to have the playlist.

The play only has two more showings, this Friday, September 26, and Saturday, September 27, so do check it out if you’re looking for something to do this weekend. Just remember not to wear anything too warm — the audience sits so close, they’re under the same hot lights the actors are; and go to the bathroom before the hour-and-a-half performance — otherwise you’ll be trying to sneak across the stage to the door.

Show info:

What: Months on End by Craig Pospisil
When: Friday, September 16, 2008 at 8:00 p.m./Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: The Tre Stage, 1523 N. La Brea, Studio 210, Los Angeles, CA
How much: $15

Starring:

Elaine - Elizabeth Chomko
Walter - Brian Bitner
Phoebe - Adrian Lynn
Tony - Brace Harris
Ben - Aaron Shact
Nick - Michael Miller
Paige - Rachael Kemery
Heidi - Caitlin Leonard
Gwen - Karla Holland
Chris - Clyde Small

Directed by Kunal Nayyar
Produced by Chancellor Dean

Evan and I have been back in LA for about two weeks now, and we’re working on getting back into the swing of things. I’m working on some freelance projects, Evan is looking for editing work, and we’ll start figuring out where we’ll live soon. Evan also just bought a car — a used Audi A4 he found on Craigslist. He’s only had it since the weekend, so we were surprised to see that it was leaking oil yesterday, after it had already been checked out. We took it to his mechanic in Santa Monica today and it needed some work done — nothing major, but enough to leave us without a car (mine was at my parents house) for the day.

We started by walking down to the Lazy Daisy, one of our regular breakfast spots before we left. We grabbed a small, blue mosaic table in its closed-in patio, which does a decent job of making the restaurant feel removed from busy Pico, and perused the breakfast selections. I settled on an omelet and Evan chose a breakfast sandwich. We got our waters in big, thick plastic cups (the only thing that really bugs me about this restaurant — I don’t really like using plastic dinnerware — thankfully it’s only the cups, not the plates, too), then relaxed in the cool LA morning while enjoying our leisurely breakfast.

When we were done at the Lazy Daisy, we needed to brainstorm what to do next. It was still early — not even 9 a.m., so we had some pretty limited options. We thought we could find a matinee for 10ish, or maybe go down to the beach or the public library. We thought about getting a cab or a ride from the mechanics (they’d offered earlier), but then we realized something pretty revolutionary for us car-centric LA folk — we could take the bus.

We started walking down Pico, which has plenty of bus stops, and realized that though there were stops, there weren’t any route maps. Finally, after passing a few stops and making it to Santa Monica College, we found a route map, made sure we were headed to the right place, and hopped on the Big Blue Bus. It cost 75 cents for each of us, and we were at the 3rd Street Promenade in about 10 minutes. We also found out that SMC students can ride the bus for free — and plenty seemed to be taking advantage of the deal.

We walked to the library, but we were a bit early for its 10 a.m. opening time, so we checked out the movies — not much we wanted to see and nothing that started before 11:20 — and wandered around until we could head back to the big public library, a bright, airy, two-story building built around a courtyard with an arid garden, shallow and sparky fake stream, and a cafe.

At the library, we started by getting new cards, then went to use the free internet. There was a rather creepy guy sitting next to Evan who was staring at a picture of a girl in a low-cut shirt for at least 30 minutes. We mostly just read the news and checked our email.

Then we went down to the sunny downstairs reading room (the sun finally burned off the haze by 11), where we read and relaxed on a comfy bench. What a nice and peaceful way to spend the morning! And a lot of other people had the same idea — the library was full of people working, reading, researching and eating.

We headed back to the mechanic’s because we were told the car would be ready, but alas, it wasn’t, so we decided our next excursion would be a walk to a cafe by Evan’s old apartment called Bolivar. We walked down the tree-lined streets, past a corner where a small accident took place — everyone was calm and just waiting for the police — and a high school field getting covered with astroturf.

At the cafe, we ordered arepas — little Venezuelan sandwiches in hot cornmeal pouches. Yum! We each had one with mango and cheese, called the Pacifico, and one with black beans. They were delicious, especially when we added the extra cilantro-flavored sauce they added on the side. I’d only had salads and sandwichs here before, so this was quite a treat.

We walked back to the mechanic’s and still had a bit of a wait for the car, but being without the car for the day actually ended up being a lot of fun. We didn’t spend much money, we weren’t stressed by traffic and we had a good time rediscovering Evan’s old neighborhood.

Last year, I got a curious friend request from something called “Best Supper Ever” on MySpace. I initially thought it might be spam, but when I clicked on the link to investigate further, I was bombarded with, well, awesomeness. I also knew some of the group’s founding members, so that helped met start following their silly supper antics, too.

Since its early days, Best Supper Ever has had a mission — to rate and review LA restaurants in search of, well, the best supper ever. The group of 20something diners then post their reviews in an easy-to-digest, visually delightful little module, with clever commentary from nicknamed reviewers, a wallet-pain chart that makes me grin every time I see it, and photos that make me want to start a supper club of my own (or at least get invited along to a BSE feast).

The brainchild of Marissa Mukavetz, AKA Battlecat, she rounded up her rag-tag group of friends, put her degree in photography and graphic design to work, and started a side project which is gaining new fans by the day.

Since I’ve always wanted to hang with the cool kids, I asked Battlecat to do an interview so I could learn more about the mechanics of the BSE, how it got its look and how I could go out to dinner, too. I also learned that Battlecat likes talking about herself in the third person.

Me showing some BSE love at the Louvre

France: Where did you get the idea to start BSE?
Battlecat: Three woebegone friends were on a long hike in the ferocious Malibu wilderness. They were hungry… cold… and detrimentally bored with the same ol’ night-life scene in Los Angeles. So they came up with a mission to change the world as they knew it. At least as far as eating out goes.

How often do you go out for dinner?
Battlecat: BSE meals are every other week. The default day is Thursday, but if you’re hosting the dinner that week and you want to stay home and watch Lost, you can move the dinner to Wednesday or something.

How do you choose where to go for dinner?
Battlecat: Well, we go down the list of the 12 founding members of the BSE, and each gets to choose a restaurant. The very first BSE was technically La La’s Argentinian Grill on Melrose in West Hollywood. I think that was chosen ’cause it was walking-distance to the person’s house who picked it. Ha.

The founding BSE teamsters

Who gets invited to dinner? Can anyone join the club?
Battlecat: The founding teamsters who are supposed to be the only ones who choose the restaurants, but we’re pretty lax about that rule and have electoral votes for outside people to host dinners, too. We also have weekly columns on various subjects that really anyone who wants to write can, like “Margarita Tuesdays” and the “Math Column.”

When you become a BSE teamster on our website, you are treated as one of our own — we send you comments, we reply to every single email we get, and we just slam you with adoration and reverence beyond your wildest nightmares. For example, if you regularly email the BSE and we run into you on the street, be forewarned that you’ll probably get screamed at in a fury of love, tackled, and go home in a new shirt made of BSE stickers.

How did you choose your nicknames?
Battlecat: Each founding member chose their names on their own. So I’m not really sure how Nipples or Garbage came about, but I know I thought Battlecat (He-Man’s devoted companion/mode of transportation) was a perfect match for me. Especially since I’m usually the designated driver. And I wear a suit of armor regularly.

What has been your favorite dinner so far?
Battlecat: OOoo… tough question. But I’d have to say Medieval Times was hands down the most fun I’ve had in the past 5 years of my life. Something about screaming and no napkins got me going. I’m all about the atmosphere.

BSE goes to Medieval Times

Have there been any dinner disasters?
Battlecat: Oh man, there was a very early-on BSE that was at Havana’s, a Cuban restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The Citysearch review said that it had live music and dancers and looked like a rowdy good time. This is obviously why you should never use Citysearch: When we got there, we were one of the two parties in the whole place and it was in a shopping plaza. There was one server/bartender/hostess/cook taking care of us who served us the driest chicken on the planet — which took about an hour and a half to get. Then, the only other patron in the building had a STROKE! (I kid you not.) Following that, ambulances came, there were fireman, yada yada yada. It was hilariously awful.

Do waiters and other restaurant staff hate you?
Battlecat: One would think. But we are an inordinately cheerful group — I think our unceasing good moods spread through the restaurant when we’re there. BSE evenings frequently end in a sing-a-long with the staff. We have video if you need verification on that statement.

How many people are visiting your MySpace page?
Battlecat: We’re what you consider a “secret” club, so we’re very elite momentarily. Haha — we get around 1,000 hits a day, but we get new friend requests daily, and our numbers increase daily, too.

Who takes the photos and how do they get that awesome glowy effect?
Battlecat: Ha ha… well, Battlecat is the in-house BSE photographer. I actually have a degree in photography and graphic design from Kent State in Ohio (holla!), so that comes in handy when building the reviews. As for the “glowy” effect — I WILL NEVER REVEAL MY METHODS! But if you own a 2004 Cannon Elf SD110, you probably know my secrets far too well.

Who does the graphic design work on the site?
Battlecat: Battlecat, Battlecat, Battlecat! Who would’ve thought that what you learned in school could be FUN!? Not me.

The BSE pain chart

Why is BSE on MySpace as opposed to a blog or other type of site?
Battlecat: Myspace is super-easy to use. And I’m into that… because I’m lazy. And it’s just way easier to get readers cause it’s such an intense network. It’s nice that it’s interactive, too — people can post comments or pictures and everyone can see them. And we can post comments to people, too. WE WORK FOR THE PEOPLE! WE ARE THE PEOPLE! HASTA LA VISTA BOREDOM!

Do you think you could ever make any money off this idea?
Battlecat: Well, the original idea was to create an outlet for our friends to actually do something to entertain each other, as opposed to sitting on bar stools and starring at each other — not particularly to be lucrative. But if we could get our act together and start a real website outside of Myspace, we could probably make some advertising money. I really don’t know.

The BSE TV show has also been mulled around a bit. We’ll see. It’s hard because each of us in the BSE are just real people with 9-to-5 jobs, so there isn’t much extra time to work with. That’s also the charm of us, too. In the end, the concept of the BSE is pretty much golden, and it’s more fun than I’ve ever had in regards to a nightlife scene. So I’m pretty sure I’ll be a millionaire in about 2 months.

What’s the long-term plan for BSE? World domination?
Battlecat: Well, we’re in search of the BEST SUPPER EVER! Duh. I don’t know what we’ll do when we find it. I guess be on the search for a “better” supper.

Thanks, Garbage, for setting up this interview. Everyone else, don’t forget to go visit the BSE!

This just in: The schedule I posted earlier for the Towards Darkness screenings has changed. The latest opening dates and theaters:

• NEW YORK – March 14 — Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, Greenwich Village, New York, NY 10011 (777-FILM #636)

• LOS ANGELES – March 28 — Laemmle Music Hall, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills 90211 (310-274-6869)

• IRVINE – March 28 — Westpark 8, 3735 Alton Pkwy, Irvine CA 92606 (949-622-8609)

• SANTA FE – March 28th — DeVargas Mall 6, 562 North Guadalupe, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505-988-1110)

• MIAMI – TBD (I’ll keep you posted)

It seems like the Fort Lauderdale screening is off at the moment, too, unfortunately. Thank goodness the New York premiere is still happening the same weekend as planned — we already have our tickets.

You can stay updated on the movie through it’s websites: www.peacearch.com, www.tdmovie.com, www.myspace.com/tdmovie.

There’s also a new trailer:

UPDATE: This information is now outdated. View new theaters and opening dates here.

Save the date, book your tickets and plan an awesome night out at the movies on March 14 if you’re in LA, New York, Miami or Fort Lauderdale: Towards Darkness (aka Hacia la Oscuridad) is finally making its public debut. Its also Evan’s first feature as an editor.

We went to the premiere last year at the Tribeca Film Festival, which was actually the first time I got to see the film — no sneak previews for me on that one — and I was totally blown away. About a college student’s kidnapping in Columbia, the story is full of suspense. It also stars America Fererra among other talented actors and is half in Spanish, half in English.

Evan and I are planning on going to New York to see it, so if you’re going to be around, let us know and we can all go together.

Where you can see it:

• Los Angeles: Laemmle Music Hall, 9036 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills 90211
• New York: Quad Cinema. 34 West 13th Street, Greenwich Village, New York, NY 10011
• Miami: AMC Aventura 24, Biscayne Blvd. In Aventura, FL 33180
• Fort Lauderdale: MUVICO Paradise 24 Theater, 15601 Sheridan Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33331

I have no idea how long it will be playing, so try to make it opening weekend, March 14, 2008.

What people are saying:

“A gritty bilingual kidnapping tale.” -Entertainment Weekly

“A thrilling and mesmerizing story that will have audiences glued to their seats.” -Skuawk! Magazine

“Slick, riveting, and absolutely sure of itself at every moment…like ‘Man on Fire’ only with a cooler story structure.” -Creative Screenwriting Magazine

The trailer:

And if you can’t make it out to the theater, the DVD is set to come out June 17, 2008.