A Short Trip to Disneyland

Shag's Enchanted Tiki Room

Don’t tell anyone, but this morning I walked two friends into Disneyland—a practice that Disney discourages because of the lost revenue. I, however, made up for almost all that lost revenue by shopping—a new Shag line commemorating the Enchanted Tiki Room’s 50th anniversary (highly collectible!)—plus I stayed to see the new “Mickey and the Magical Map” show in the Fantasyland theater. So it wasn’t really like I just walked in and then out. The Mickey show got a rave review in the L.A. Times when it opened a few weeks ago and, indeed, was lots of fun: several musical numbers jammed into just 23 minutes, including a lovely medley by Pocahontas, Mulan and Rapunzel. Afterward, I rushed home to finish the rest of my workday.

The short trip reminded me, though, that I hadn’t blogged about Disneyland in a while. So roll your eyes if you must, these photos are for my sister to enjoy!

With Jack Skellington on my

birthday weekend

Autopia car in the Disneyland Hotel lobby

Mad Hatter tea cup furniture, Disneyland Hotel

on my birthday

Ridin' the Junkyard Jamboree in Cars Land -
yup, that's me screaming!

Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990

A sequel to last year’s wildly successful Pacific Standard Time exhibit is currently running at the Getty Museum. Called “Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990,” the show presents the single best overview of L.A.’s constructed environment we’ve ever seen. Not only are there maps, photos, and blueprints of iconic, as well as lesser known, spaces in Los Angeles, there’s also a terrific video of Edward R. Murrow touring Television City (CBS studios) in the 1950s, an historical look at L.A.’s intricate freeway system, artist renderings of LAX, UCLA and Disneyland, and architectural artifacts from the 1984 Olympics. Also featured are the Case Study houses, Park La Brea, the Century Plaza hotel, Gregory Ain and Joseph Eichler homes, the Chemosphere, Watts Towers, the Capitol Records building, Dodgers Stadium, the Hayden tract, Disney studios, and almost everything else we love about Los Angeles. Karen, Tim and I spent more than two hours pouring over every detail.

This is a fabulous exhibit. But it ends July 21, so get over there quickly. And while you’re there, be sure to stop by the Getty gardens, now in all their summer glory. It’s the perfect L.A. experience.

Getty Gardens from above

Enjoying the gardens

Summer Movies

When life is moving along at its usual chaotic clip, we tend to go to one or two movies a week. Lately, however, things have been so crazy that whole months have gone by without seeing one single film. To make-up for lost time, we’ve viewed 13 movies this past month (yikes!). Here are the best of the best:

Much Ado About Nothing – Joss Whedon’s black-and-white homage to Shakespeare, filmed in his own backyard (literally) – loved it (no surprise there!) 

This is the End – Seth Rogen’s raunchy yet fun end-of-days spoof, set in the Hollywood Hills (but filmed in Louisiana)

The Spectacular Now – a wonderful coming-of-age story about a lovable but alcoholic high school senior with serious problems - previewed at L.A Filmfest (being released August 2) 

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction – documentary screened at L.A. Filmfest (to be released soon), followed by a live and impromptu musical performance by Stanton himself 

20 Feet From Stardom – excellent documentary about mostly female backup singers and their attempt to become headliners – includes interviews with Sting and Bruce Springsteen, among others, and lots of great concert footage 

I’m So Excited – Almodóvar’s hilarious sexual romp, set in an airplane circling at 30,000 feet above Spain – the Spanish is funnier than the sub-titles

The Way, Way Back – the best of the lot, this is another wonderful coming-of-age story about a teenager who escapes the taunts of his mother’s boyfriend by working in a vacation water park – GO SEE IT RIGHT NOW! 

The Lone Ranger – yes, we’re all about Disney, but this movie really is entertaining and beautiful to watch (shot in Monument Valley, for pete’s sake!), plus Johnnie Depp is more restrained than usual – DON'T BELIEVE THE REVIEWS!! 

"For Your Consideration"

Last month’s mayoral race was barely over when we suddenly started seeing “For Your Consideration” ads in the entertainment section of the L.A. Times. What readers are being asked to consider, of course, are TV shows worthy of nomination for this year’s Emmy awards.

This is an annual ritual in Los Angeles, since many, if not most, television shows are produced here. Ads in the L.A. Times have become especially prominent since the demise of paper versions of Variety and other “industry” publications. But imagine our surprise when we ran across these lawn signs as we were walking along a major street near our home. Surely this has to be a first, even for L.A.!

By the way, we’re not members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. But if I were, I’d vote for House of Cards, for best dramatic series, and its two main stars, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, for their lead performances. I’d also vote for John Noble, for his supporting role as Walter, the brilliant but tortured scientist in Fringe, and Monica Potter, for her effective supporting role in Parenthood. Ballots are due Friday.

Ringo: Peace & Love

One of the perqs of being members of the Grammy Museum is that we’re occasionally invited to members-only events, including the openings of their special exhibits. In the past, the Museum has featured exhibits on John Lennon and George Harrison. Now it’s Ringo's turn—yay! The exhibit, “Ringo: Peace & Love,” opened last week. We were among the first to see it.

Needless to say, I love Ringo. Of all the Beatles, he’s the one who has been the most matter-of-fact about his life, growing up poor in post-war Liverpool and then suddenly, in the 1960s, being thrust onto the world stage as part of history’s most influential pop-rock band. The exhibit touches on his early days as the drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes as well as the far more famous years that followed. There are photos, letters, album covers, lots of videos, two drum kits, and even a booth where you can sing-along with Ringo on “Octopus’s Garden.” But think twice about pushing the record button: you may just discover how terrible a singer you are. Thank goodness the booth is soundproof.

Below are just a few of the many items we saw, before Tim was yelled at for taking pictures. The event was crowded, so I’ll be returning this summer during a slow weekday when I can have Ringo all to myself.

Lobby mural

The drums Ringo played on The Ed Sullivan Show

The red jacket Ringo wore during the Beatles' 

famous rooftop concert

Cell from the Beatles' Saturday morning cartoon

The infamous—and now extremely valuable—

"butcher" album cover that was immediately

recalled

Ringo's Sgt. Pepper uniform