We normally would have been seeing “Funny Girl” at the Ahmanson two weeks ago, on April 6th, but I was three large states away, so we rescheduled.
No, I haven’t become homeless – that’s my two-day old Kings playoff beard! Yes, I know the looks are almost identical…
Let the festivities begin!
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
Or at least, that’s the plan!
When “Dune” came out three years ago we went to see it in IMAX on the last day it was there in the big screen format – and the projector was broken. So I don’t take anything as a sure thing.
(The good news was that we got our money back, of course, and also got six or eight comp tickets. We also did eventually get to see it in IMAX when it made another pass through a month or two later, plus again about two weeks ago.)
Tonight’s only Day Three of the new movie’s run, and even if tragedy were to somehow strike twice (highly unlikely!) there will be plenty of other opportunities.
No, so far the biggest tragedy tonight looks to be that they’re sold out of the bizarre sandworm popcorn bucket toppers. I sort of wanted one – but I’ll live.
SHAI HALUD!!
Filed under Entertainment
Yesterday’s post was just a minute or two before midnight, just one word (“Wow”), and one enigmatic and non-flattering picture of me.
What’s up with that?!
Well, I’ve always been a huge fan of “Dune,” both the original novels by Frank Herbert and the 1984 film by David Lynch. But I am freakin’ obsessed with the new movies by Denis Villeneuve.
When the first of Villeneuve’s “Dune” films came out in 2021 I wanted to see it in IMAX, but almost missed my chance. (I probably wrote about it here – it’s too late and I’m too tired to go look it up.) I had tickets for the final IMAX showing but there were technical problems with the theater, so they cancelled. I thought I had missed my chance, but then it came back into the IMAX theaters for just a few days a month or two later, so I got to see it in IMAX.
Since then I’ve probably watched it forty or fifty times on television. It’s great, but nothing compares to IMAX.
With the second “Dune” movie opening on March 1st, they’re bringing the first movie back to IMAX for a week. Of course I had to see it.
This last weekend was out due to the Super Bowl and our party on Sunday, and prepping for that party on Saturday. But during the week, the showings are at something like 10:00, 15:15, and 20:45. I have a day job… So 20:45 it is!
That’s really late for an olde phart like me. And of course, a movie that “starts” at 20:45 actually doesn’t start until 21:10 after 25 minutes of trailers and ads for popcorn and Nichole Kidman. Then it’s a 2:35 long movie. Then, and I wasn’t going to miss this, there’s a ten-minute special extended preview of “Dune 2” following the movie…
Add in the fact that I’ve got that 737 day streak going for my posts on this site…
I knew that I would be pushing midnight when we got out, but I figured that I would have time to do a quick post before midnight when I got to the car.
WRONG!
So as I’m taking the escalator down from the theater at 23:58, I’m pulling the app up on my phone, typing in a title and one word and the one useable picture I took all day, praying for a decent wi-fi connection, trying not to drop the phone or lose my balance and go ass over tea kettle down the escalator, and hitting “SEND!”
It worked.
As for the film in IMAX. Well, as I said yesterday, “Wow!” Focusing on the film, seeing it bright and LOUD, catching every detail, it was so much more marvelous than just having it on the television in my home office. And the trailer for “Dune 2?” You can see that extended trailer online, but just like with the first movie, it’s so big and spectacular on the IMAX screen, it’s just breathtaking.
Yes, I have tickets to see “Dune 2” the first weekend it comes out. I can’t wait.
What, you read all the way through all of that?
Thank you! Here’s a picture of the three-day old moon and some high, thin clouds as a reward!
Filed under Entertainment, Photography
I like how, near sunset, there are layers of clouds over to the west that are making the lower band of clouds in the lower right be in their shadow, causing it to be darker than the still brightly lit cloud bands above it.
Contrasts, For The Win! They keep the world from being bland and boring.
A week ago we were at “A Christmas Story – The Musical” at the Ahmanson. You know the story, it’s been 40 years since the movie came out and these days there are multiple cable channels that show it 24 hours a day for a day or two around Christmas weekend. Ralphie, the BB gun he wants, the bullies at school, his friend who gets his tongue stuck to the flagpole, his dad swearing at the balky furnace, the “glowing sex” leg lamp that dad wins as a major prize in a sweepstakes, everyone telling him “you’ll shoot your eye out!” A dozen other gags and scenes that are legendary, all rolled into one.
At the intermission, a woman sitting with a group of friends in the row in front of us, got up and left. She was upset and couldn’t stay for the second act of a production that celebrated giving a child a gun. She didn’t make a big scene, but she was quite emphatic to her friends about her objections and clear that she would NOT. BE. BACK.
I have questions…
I can, in theory, understand her objection, even if I don’t necessarily agree with it. We definitely live in different times than when the movie was made, and MUCH different times that the era (early 1950’s) that was portrayed in the story.
But how in the world can ANYONE come in to this production and not be at least passingly familiar with the fundamental plot line?
I’m not saying that everyone there needs to be able to quote every line in the movie, especially their favorites (“Daddy’s going to kill Ralphie!” in case anyone was wondering), but to be a member of this society in the last forty years and be totally unfamiliar with “A Christmas Story,” or to be unable to figure out that “A Christmas Story – The Musical” was related to it?
(She probably wouldn’t get this one either!)
Filed under Entertainment, Photography, Sunsets, Weather
And we’re off!!
The parking is full, full, full!!! But the view crossing back from the Court House parking garage to the Music Center is wonderful!
I’ll try not to shoot my eye out!
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
Some days, in addition to already being Mondays (I mean, jeeze!!), throw in extra roadblocks.
Like, significant pain every time you try to move or walk.
Like, three and a half hours in Urgent Care.
So if there was barely enough time to get things done before that particular pile hit the fan, there sure wasn’t time left over after.
And there most certainly isn’t a lot of time to think great thoughts and pontificate in a blog post.
So here’s a couple of “spare” pictures from Saturday night at the Music Center.
“Peter Pan Goes Wrong” was hilarious and spectacular, by the way. See it if you can.
While this season is over for us at the Ahmanson, next season’s subscription has already been secured, starting in December. In between, next month, we’ll be seeing the return of “Hadestown” because it was just so stinkin’ fine last year.
I’m going to go take some pain meds, slap on an ice pack, and feel sorry for myself. (I’m fine, just some sort of unexplained muscle sprain. Getting old sucks. But beats the alternative. Barely.)
Filed under Entertainment, Health, Photography
It’s been a good one, highlighted by spectacular productions of “1776” and “Into The Woods.”
Tonight we finish with “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” which promises to be raucous.
It’s twenty minutes before we start but there are folks wandering around the audience yelling at folks, which is unusual, even for LA…
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
Because we have tickets at the Ahmanson tonight!
Granted, Canada has more (and probably better) woods than LA does, nevertheless, THIS is where the Sondheim is tonight.
“1776” was a huge highlight of this season for me (a truly outstanding production!) but this is a close second.
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
Back at the Ahmanson!
A pleasant night in LA, the routine down pat, the sun back today for the first time in weeks.
I hope your weekend is going well!
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
You can thank me later for taking a look at that picture before just blindly posting it. You don’t even want to know why.
Meanwhile, the other random thought in my head for the last several days since Ted Kaczynski had the good grace to shuffle off of this mortal coil was this, like my fourth or fifth favorite scene in this spectacular film, “Good Will Hunting”:
I’m still breathing! How are all y’all doing?
Filed under Entertainment, Paul, Photography
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