Life achievement award for jazzman Hubert Laws
Oct
8
2013
In the photo, famed jazz and classical music flutist and saxophonist Hubert Laws, who will be presented with the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Society’s 30th Anniversary Jazz Tribute Awards Dinner and Concert on October 27. Laws, a graduate of the Julliard School and a forty-year jazz professional, an NEA jazz ...
Koehler on Cinema: Clips
African cinema is the most commonly overlooked in almost every corner of the world except France and Italy, where a combination of a tradition of cinephilia along with cultural and colonial ties make these movies a real presence. Here in the U.S., African movies are often treated as beyond exotic, which is ridiculous. The new ...
“Gravity” and the Spirit of Sandra Bullock 1
For all of its ominous forecasts of artificial intelligence run amok, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” was a response to an era of great optimism for the prospects of manned space flight and exploration. There was no reason to feel otherwise: the U.S. Apollo missions, ongoing during the making and release of “2001,” and ...
Cheech, sans Chong, pairs with painter John Valadez
Oct
2
2013
From our friends at the Vincent Price Art Museum at East Los Angeles College an invitation to join an afternoon of activity surrounding its current exhibition Santa Ana Condition: John Valadez (through December 7, 2013). A foremost collector of Chicano art, Cheech Marin, will be present in support of the Valadez show. . 1 pm book signing: Valadez ...
Flying high, then down to earth: dance at LAX
A highlight of “Everywhere Nowhere,” choreographer Sarah Elgart’s rich installation presented this weekend in a courtyard at Los Angeles International Airport, was the dance maker in a Hitchcockian cameo-role. Dressed as a peasant, a field laborer, in hobbled Elgart, her back bent beneath the weight of a huge thatch of wheat, a vision of pathos ...
Koehler on Cinema: Clips
Two of the year’s most interesting film series are either underway or just about to launch, and for no clear reason, the local Los Angeles arts media is ignoring both. Already underway since last weekend is LACMA’s “The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema,” a 13-film survey of the work of the great Mexican cinematographer Gabriel ...
Koehler on Cinema: Porn Yesterday
I’m told that Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 2009 short, “Sparks,” based on Elmore Leonard’s brilliant short story of cat-and-mouse-as-dialogue, is terrific and sharply cast. Gordon-Levitt’s feature debut, “Don Jon,” (The Landmark, Laemmle NoHo 7, Laemmle Claremont 5) lacks a writer of Leonard’s mastery (because the director made the mistake of writing his own script) but confirms that ...
Koehler on Cinema: The Big Idea Movie, Robert Reich Edition
When it comes to big ideas, movies are usually a poor substitute for books. A few movies are able to put them across in new and meaningful ways; the best in the past decade are David Barison’s and Daniel Ross’ astounding essay film, “The Ister,” on the cultural and intellectual history of the Danube river, ...
George Chakiris honored @ UCLA Film & Television Archive 1
UCLA Film & Television Archive salutes the extraordinary career of actor, singer and dancer in “An Evening with George Chakiris,” an exciting screening and discussion on Saturday, November 16, 2013. Trained in Los Angeles, Chakiris first distinguished himself as a dancer in Hollywood films, displaying an athleticism and grace that helped bring renown to West Coast ...
Pasadena modern home to host Museum of California Design event
Sep
25
2013
A beautiful and much anticipated event in the design and architecture communities is Bill Stern’s annual Award Benefit event for the Museum of California Design. It’s a traveling party that’s invariably blessed with the best of autumnal afternoon weather. The event is open to the public and ticketed. It’s a cool crowd and supporting this ...