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 ...
In last night’s “Emmys” dance number, gloved arms by Jack Cole 1
Sep
23
2013
In last night’s Emmy broadcast, dance maker Spencer Liff opened his “Number in the Middle of the Show,” with a filip right out of Jack Cole’s playbook: black opera-length gloved arms reaching through holes in a wall … a distinctive design element that Cole used repeatedly. Below, he uses it in “Tars & Spars” (1946) ...
3-D Wizard of Oz at the Chinese 1
Sep
22
2013
We’re pleased to re-publish this wonderful essay by guest writer, Jan-Christopher Horak, Director of the UCLA Film & Television Archive, who first wrote it for his blog at the Archive. * * * Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. is an iconic landmark of the studio era. Any day of the week you can find ...
Koehler on Cinema: Clips
A week’s run of the deliriously cataclysmic and violent “Drug War” by Johnnie To is simply not enough. But Cinefamily, bless ‘em, has it through Sept. 26. It’s easily the best of the week’s new releases—and certainly one of the year’s most essential movies. To’s incredible achievement in action mise-en-scene must be seen to be ...
‘Round and ’round with Jacaranda
Sep
21
2013
Santa Monica’s Glow, the all-night cultural experience, will include classical music with “The Rest Is Noise: A Carousel Ride Through 20th Century Music,” produced by Jacaranda, the classical music series known for rarely heard, new and modern music. The project, conceived by Jacaranda’s artistic director, Patrick Scott, will take place in the historic Santa Monica carousel building ...
Koehler on Cinema: How to watch movies in Los Angeles and how to watch Los Angeles at the movies 1
The most important film screening in a weekend full of interesting ones (see this week’s “Clips” column for more on that) is the American Cinematheque’s Friday night presentation of Thom Andersen’s new and improved version of his influential, paradigm-shifting and pretty damn funny essay film, “Los Angeles Plays Itself, ” on how the city has ...
Choreographers move “on camera” at Sunday’s Emmy award show
Sep
20
2013
In an historic first, the Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography (nominees here) has been moved to the Primetime Emmys, that is, the on-air show, widely broadcast this Sunday evening, giving the art of choreography yet another creative boost in Hollywood. In past years, the choreography Emmy has been presented during the “Creative Arts” Emmys the ...
A la française: food & fashion films
If you are me, you’re going to the movies this weekend. You’re going to skip “Rush,” but there are two oh-so-French movies opening, one which I have seen and recommend highly. I loved “Haute Cuisine.” Hortense Laborie (Catherine Frot), a renowned chef from Perigord, is astonished when the President of the Republic (Jean d’Ormesson) appoints ...
Koehler on Cinema: “Rush” It Ain’t
In lieu of original material, Hollywood continues to borrow (Spike Lee’s “Old Boy”), copy (the sequel tsunami that never ends), or adapt better non-Hollywood writers (“Life of Crime”). Or, in a favored mode of where we are right now, which is the start of the official Oscar season, turn actually interesting true stories into hopefully ...