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Author Archives: Elisa Leonelli
Ripley
di Elisa Leonelli La serie TV Ripley, regia e sceneggiatura di Steven Zallian, rinomato scrittore di film come La lista di Schindler di Steven Spielberg e The Irishman di Martin Scorsese, adatta il romanzo di Patricia Highsmith del 1955 Il … Continue reading
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Remembering GENE WILDER
Yesterday I went to see the excellent documentary Remembering Gene Wilder that opened at the Laemmle Royal Friday March 22. I enjoyed it tremendously as a long time fan of this amazing comedian. You may read these articles I wrote … Continue reading
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Kate Winslet-The Regime
Di Elisa Leonelli La miniserie TV The Regime – Il palazzo del potere racconta cosa succede dietro le quinte all’interno del sontuoso palazzo di un fittizio regime autoritario centro europeo, governato da una dittatoriale Cancelliera, la bravissima diva britannica Kate … Continue reading
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Abbot Kinney Blvd
This weekend I took a walk along Abbot Kinney Blvd, named after the founder of Venice in America, which I do periodically because it’s the coolest street in LA. It is not the shops that attract me, but the murals. … Continue reading
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Lily Gladstone
Lily Gladstone ha vinto un Golden Globe, votato da giornalisti internazionali, come migliore attrice in un film drammatico, protagonista con Leonardo DiCaprio del film Killers of the Flower Moon, regia di Martin Scorsese, dal saggio del 2017 Gli assassini della … Continue reading
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Past Lives
Past Lives (Vite passate), prima regia della scrittrice Coreana Celine Song da una sua sceneggiatura, racconta come Nora Moon (Greta Lee) e Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), amici d’infanzia, vengono separati a 12 anni quando la famiglia di Nora emigra a … Continue reading
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Sandra Milo, addio
Italian actress Sandra Milo died today January 29, 2024 at age 90. She became famous after acting in Federico Fellini’s movies 8 1/2 (1963) as the mistress of Guido (Marcello Mastroianni), and Juliet of the Spirits (1965) as the glamorous … Continue reading
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American Fiction
Jeffrey Wright interpreta uno scrittore e professore di letteratura inglese nel film American Fiction, prima regia di Cord Jefferson, autore della sceneggiatura basata sul romanzo Erasure di Percival Everett del 2001. Jefferson racconta: “Ho fatto il giornalista per anni, e … Continue reading
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Paul Giamatti-The Holdovers
Paul Giamatti Intervista di Elisa Leonelli Paul Giamatti, finalmente libero dalla seria televisiva Billions, che lo aveva tenuto impegnato per sette stagioni dal 2016 al 2023 nel ruolo principale di Procuratore Generale di New York, accettò la proposta dell’amico regista … Continue reading
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ALEXANDER PAYNE-The Holdovers
Di Elisa Leonelli Il regista Alexander Payne parla del suo ultimo film The Holdovers-Lezioni di vita. Ambientato nel 1970 in un collegio del Massachusetts, rimasto vuoto durante le vacanze di Natale, esplora l’amicizia che si forma fra tre persone diversissime … Continue reading
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Saltburn-Emerald Fennell
Emerald Fennel parla di Saltburn di Elisa Leonelli Saltburn, secondo film della attrice, regista e sceneggiatrice Britannica Emerald Fennell, dopo il suo debutto con Una donna promettente (Promising Young Woman) nel 2021, racconta la improbable amicizia tra due studenti dell’università … Continue reading
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Zerocalcare
di Elisa Leonelli Zerocalcare è il nome d’arte del fumettista italiano Michel Rech. La sua seconda serie animata Questo mondo non mi renderà cattivo va in onda su Netflix dal 9 giugno, 2023, negli Stati Uniti e in altri 190 … Continue reading
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CALL JANE for help
By Elisa Leonelli Many women rightly feared that, after the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in November 2016, the Republican President, aided by a Republican majority in the Senate, would … Continue reading
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Elvira Notari, Pioneer of Italian Cinema
By Elisa Leonelli Elvira Coda Notari, the first woman director of Italian cinema, was born in Salerno, Campania, on February 10, 1875. She benefited from an education, which was unusual for women of that time, earning a high school degree … Continue reading
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Elvira Notari, pioniera del cinema italiano
Di Elisa Leonelli Elvira Coda Notari, la prima regista donna del cinema italiano, nacque a Salerno in Campania il 10 febbraio 1875. Ebbe il vantaggio dell’istruzione, cosa insolita per le donne di quei tempi, diplomandosi dalla Scuola Normale come maestra … Continue reading
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La dea fortuna
The Goddess of Fortune (La Dea Fortuna) Italy by Elisa Leonelli La Dea Fortuna, by Turkish-Italian director Ferzan Ozpetek, is the story of a gay couple in crisis, whose daily routine is upended when their best friend Annamaria (Jasmine Trinca) … Continue reading
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PRISCILLA
Priscilla, written and directed by Sofia Coppola, from the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley, premiered at the 80th Venice film festival, where the film’s star Cailee Speany won the Volpi Cup as best actress. Elvis is played … Continue reading
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The Creator
Gareth Edwards answered questions from journalists via zoom about The Creator, the science fiction thriller that he directed and co-wrote (with Chris Weisz), starring John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Allison Janney. Watch him say in this featurette: “My … Continue reading
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Asteroid City
If you read Italian, please see the article I wrote for the Italian monthly Best Movie about Asteroid City by Wes Anderson, released in Italy Friday September 28. Asteroid City Wes Anderson e il cast svelano le ispirazioni dietro al … Continue reading
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Italians in Hollywood
In 1978 I conceived and executed a photo journalistic series about Italians who succeeded in Hollywood. Included were actors Raf Vallone and Cesare Da Nova, cinematographer Mario Tosi, creature maker Carlo Rambaldi, producer Dino De Laurentiis, costume designer Nino Novarese, … Continue reading
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Claudio Mazzoli, Renaissance Artist
I met Claudio Mazzoli in 1978, when I included him in my photo-journalistic essay about Italians living in Los Angeles who had been successful in Hollywood movies. Click to read Italians in Hollywood and learn about the others. In 1976, … Continue reading
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Venice Murals
I have been photographing murals in Venice for decades, and I often used them as backdrops in the 1980s when I was shooting photo layouts of movie or TV stars, such as Lee Curreri from Fame or Scott Glenn from … Continue reading
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Venice murals by Rip Cronk
I was always interested in photographing street murals, because I love their bold colorful depiction of imaginary landscapes. I started with my Nikons and color slides, both Ektachrome and Kodachrome, when I worked as a professional photo-journalist from 1974 to … Continue reading
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DALILAND
Dalíland is the fantastical world where Salvador Dalí lives, as seen through the eyes of his newly hired young assistant James, when he steps into the Spanish painter’s lavish suite at the St Regis Hotel in New York City to … Continue reading
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Little Mermaid
The animated Disney movie Little Mermaid had enchanted children in 1989, now the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson returns in a reimagined live-action version with new songs. Director Rob Marshall said: “It’s a very modern story about a … Continue reading
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L’immensità
L’immensità by Italian director Emanuele Crialese premiered in September 2022 at the Venice film festival and was released in US theaters on May 12. Penélope Cruz plays Clara, the Spanish mother of three children living in Rome in the 1970s, … Continue reading
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PERSIS KHAMBATTA
Not many people remember her today, but I have a special affection for Persis Khambatta, the Indian actress and model who passed away of a heart attack 25 years ago, in 1998, at the young age of 49, in Mumbai, … Continue reading
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CinemaCon 2023
As in previous years, I attended CinemaCon this year (April 24-27), the annual convention of theater owners at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas where Hollywood studios present trailers of their upcoming movies, parading stars and directors on stage. Everyone celebrated … Continue reading
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Extrapolations-Oltre il limite
Extrapolations-Oltre il limite, una serie televisiva di otto episodi interconnessi, esplora gli effetti dei cambiamenti climatici che già oggi minacciano la vita sulla Terra e probabilmente peggioreranno nel prossimo futuro con conseguenze catastrofiche, a meno che non vengano prese misure … Continue reading
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EXTRAPOLATIONS
EXTRAPOLATIONS By Elisa Leonelli. April 10, 2022 Extrapolations, a limited series of eight interconnected episodes streaming on Apple TV, explores the effects of the climate crisis that already threaten life on Earth today and will likely worsen in the near … Continue reading
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HAMMER MUSEUM
The Hammer Museum unveiled its new entrance on Sunday March 26, at the corner of Wilshire and Westwood Blvd, with an electronic display featuring a rotation of current exhibits. Inside the spacious remodeled lobby an expansive art installation of intricately … Continue reading
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Lidia Poët
The Law According to Lidia Poët is an Italian television series streaming on Netflix inspired by the true story of the first female lawyer in Italy. Set in the 1880s in the regal city of Turin in the Piedmont region, … Continue reading
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Santa Barbara Film Festival
The 38th edition of the Santa Barbara Film Festival took place from February 8 to 18 offering movie screenings and celebrity tributes. Receiving variously named awards for their performances and participating in conversations were Angela Bassett for Black Panther: Wakanda … Continue reading
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Judy Baca at Geffen
On Sunday we visited MOCA Geffen in Little Tokyo to experience the amazing exhibit World Wall: A Vision of the Future Without Fear. Conceived by Judy Baca, this series of nine large murals created between 1987 and 2014 stems from … Continue reading
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Santa Claus in LA
After living in Los Angeles for a few years, in December 1978, I decided to photograph a self-portrait series of myself dressed as Santa Claus to show how different Christmas looked in this metropolis on the Pacific Ocean where it … Continue reading
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Il Boemo
Il Boemo tells the life story of an 18th century composer who traveled from Prague to Venice, Italy in 1763 at the age of 25 to pursue his dream of creating music and succeeded. His name being Josef Mysliveček, which … Continue reading
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Martin Scorsese
In my long career as a journalist I interviewed masterful Italian-American director Martin Scorsese multiple times. In 1986 I interviewed and photographed him and Tom Cruise about The Color of Money. In 1990 an interview I wrote about Goodfellas was … Continue reading
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Bette Midler
Bette Midler is back as one of the three witches in the sequel to Halloween’s cult classic Hocus Pocus (1993) co-starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, streaming on Disney+ Read at this link my article of archival quotes from … Continue reading
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Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton is the striking Scottish actress who worked with filmmakers like Derek Jarman (Caravaggio 1986, etc), Sally Potter (Orlando 1992), Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers 2005, Only Lovers Left Alive 2013), the Coen Bros (Burn After Reading 2008, Hail, … Continue reading
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Roberta Colindrez and baseball
It will be a pleasure to watch Roberta Colindrez play Latina pitcher Lupe García in the TV series A League of Their Own based on the 1992 movie by the same title directed by Penny Marshall. Her casting, as well … Continue reading
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Tagged Abbi Jacobson, Geena Davis, Penny Marshall, Roberta Colindrez
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Gentleman Jack
The most interesting aspect of the fashion in the BBC series Gentleman Jack, that just aired its second season on HBO, are the style choices made by costume designer Tom Pye for actress Suranne Jones, playing 19th century lesbian landowner … Continue reading
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WILLEM DAFOE
In my long career as entertainment journalist, I interviewed Willem Dafoe numerous times during the past 40 years, and I always liked him. This year I noticed his engaging performances in four movies. He was directed for the sixth time … Continue reading
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Judy Baca retrospective
We visited the Judy Baca retrospective at MOLAA, the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, Memorias de Nuestra Tierra (Memories of Our Land). Against the colored walls, the painting Dance of the Land above literally seems to move … Continue reading
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Novelties on Robertson
This week I took a couple of daytime walks on South Robertson Blvd between Cattaraugus and Cadillac, the borders our Reynier Village Neighborhood. Twice I stopped by Eyes Peeled Coffee, at 2839. The first time I spoke to owner Gavy, … Continue reading
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Wende Museum
Yesterday I decided to visit the Wende Museum of the Cold War in Culver City, that I had heard about when it first opened in 2018, but had been closed for months due to the pandemic lockdown. The word Wende … Continue reading
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Eat on Washington
After receiving in the mail a $15 off discount if you spent $30, I visited again the Santa Monica Coop at 8770 Washington Blvd and National. I had featured this place when it first opened in a post about Food … Continue reading
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Mural Mile
Inspired by an article on LA Muralists on LAist, we spent Mother’s Day walking along Mural Mile on Van Nuys Blvd in Pacoima to photograph murals that we liked (when the light was right and we had access). They were … Continue reading
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New on Robertson
Merit-LA, 2360 S Robertson During one of my daily walks for exercise around the neighborhood, now that gyms and pools are closed, today I explored Robertson Blvd, South of Beverlywood Street. I noticed that the showroom of Merit-LA furniture at … Continue reading
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Culver City Restaurants open
On this sunny Saturday afternoon, with the sky blue and clear after the rains, I took a walk in Downtown Culver City, after shopping at Trader Joe’s, to see which restaurants had reopened for outdoor dining, since they were finally … Continue reading
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Tom Hanks on 2021
As a Foreign Press Correspondent, I spoke with Tom Hanks many times through the years, and twice in 2020, about Greyhound and about News of the World directed by Paul Greengrass. I wrote an interview for the Italian magazine Best … Continue reading
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Sunday lunch on Washington Blvd
In these sad and tragic times of COVID-19, when so many people around the world got sick or died or lost their jobs (which only in the US means they no longer have health care), we gave some comfort to … Continue reading
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Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin wrote and directed The Trial of the Chicago 7, with Sacha Baron Cohen playing Abbie Hoffman, Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin, Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seal. On Netflix September 16, watch trailer. … Continue reading
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Coastal Elites
Coastal Elites, written by Paul Rudnick and directed by Jay Roach, was originally conceived as a play for New York’s Public Theater. These 5 monologues were recorded during the pandemic and will air on HBO September 12. Bette Midler is … Continue reading
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Jacarandas blooming
Seven years ago we had written in this blog: “Dozens of jacaranda trees have been blossoming in Reynier Village for the past few weeks, their violet purple flowers brightening the neighborhood and blanketing our streets…” Click here to read. And … Continue reading
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VIDA and Boyle Heights
When I first watched the TV series VIDA in 2018, I was excited to learn about the East LA neighborhood of Boyle Heights, and to see all kinds of sexual preferences and gender expressions represented, in what used to be … Continue reading
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Bianca Bakery
Today I tried a new restaurant in Culver City, Bianca Bakery, at 8850 Washington Blvd, next to the Platform shopping complex. I tasted their daily lunch special, polpette di vitello (veal meatballs) in marinara sauce, and I was pleasantly surprised … Continue reading
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Obsidian, Massage on Robertson
Last night we were invited to an open house to introduce a new place to have a massage in Reynier Village, Obsidian at 2865 Robertson. We met the owner, Zvi Kraus, born in Israel, raised in Los Angeles, and his … Continue reading
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Culver City History Tour
Today I attended a tour called “Culver City at a Crossroads,” organized by the Los Angeles Conservancy. It gave me a chance to discover many things I did not know about the history of iconic buildings such as the Helms Bakery … Continue reading
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A Cannabis Cafe
Touted as the first restaurant in America where guests can openly smoke marijuana, A Cannabis Cafe opened October 1st at 1201 N La Brea Ave in West Hollywood. They serve farm to table food and offer a variety of cannabis … Continue reading
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Museum of Weed
The Museum of Weed, at 720 N. Cahuenga Blvd (north of Melrose), is a temporary installation that opened August 3 and will close on September 29. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday. You may check the hours and buy tickets on … Continue reading
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Franco Columbu, addio
Only this morning I read in the Los Angeles Times of the sudden death of Italian champion bodybuilder Franco Columbu, on August 30. He was 78. While vacationing in his native Sardinia, he became ill swimming in the Mediterranean and … Continue reading
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Robertson Open House
Today Sunday June 2, we strolled to Robertson from our house, visited the many establishments that were open for the Art Walk, we said hello to friends and neighbors. Michael, RVNA Co-President, Dan at the Relational Center, Avi at Fred’s Bakery. The … Continue reading
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Graciela Iturbide, photographer
It was not until this morning, while reading a review in the LA Times, Her view of Mexican life, that I found out about an exhibit of photographs by Graciela Iturbide, at the Rose Gallery(D-4), Bergamot Station Arts Centerin Santa Monica, 2525 Michigan Ave. … Continue reading
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Photoville LA
A free pop up photography festival featuring over 55 installation, Photoville LA, presented by Annenberg Space for Photography, is set up in the grass area behind 2020 Avenue of the Stars in Century City (from Saturday to Monday April 26 … Continue reading
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New Restaurants Culver City
We were disappointed when we discovered that EnjoyEat, our favorite Italian restaurant in Culver City, had closed until further notice on January 1, 2019, after months of only having been open for dinner, not for lunch. When we contacted the … Continue reading
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Actors Gang performs Dario Fo
The 1970 play Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Italian playwright Dario Fo is being performed until March 9 by the Actors Gang, founded in 1981 by a group of actors, with Tim Robbins as artistic director. Since 2005 their … Continue reading
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Wisdome LA
After reading an article in the LA Times, we visited Wisdome in Downtown LA. 1147 Palmetto St.We walked inside 5 darkened domes, white on the outside, we sat back on couches to watch SAMSKARA, a psychedelic 22-minute 360 degree video … Continue reading
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Meditation Gardens
I had read about the Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens, located at 3500 West Adams, in the online magazine LAist over a year ago, but did not visit it until yesterday.I planned to meditate about the end the year in … Continue reading
Palisades Village
The newly remodeled shopping mall Palisades Village had opened in September, and finally today I had a chance to visit it, when a friend invited me to lunch. We picked Edo Little Bites, because we were familiar with the Italian … Continue reading
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LA news and midterm elections
As well as following the news in the New York Times, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, TIME magazine, etc, I subscribe to online newsletters to find out what is happening in Los Angeles every week. It’s great that LAist is … Continue reading
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Getty Villa and Getty Museum
There has been renewed interest recently in the life of John Paul Getty. It was explored in the movie All the Money in the World, where director Ridley Scott decided to remove the performance of Kevin Spacey to replace him … Continue reading
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Neighborhood Bookstore
We learnt from residents posting on Nextdoor that a bookstore opened in our neighborhood, which is exciting news, so we went to check it out. Sideshow Books, a store of used and rare books that for 11 years was located … Continue reading
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Garage conversion to ADU
When I received a notice in the mail about a LA City hearing (scheduled for July 5), I read it carefully, and wondered why residents within a 500 feet radius had to be notified, about a construction permit for a … Continue reading
Eat Vegetarian
On Mother’s Day we tried OOAK, the new Asian Vegetarian restaurant in Culver City. We had pumpkin soup and shaking beef (actually mushrooms). The Cantonese food and the service were excellent. I asked for the meaning of the word OOAK. … Continue reading
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Terra opens at Eataly
Terra, the new rooftop restaurant at Eataly in Century City, opens Thursday March 29 at 5pm. They will only serve dinner at first, until 11 pm, later also lunch. The word Terra in Italian means Earth, soil. As you enter … Continue reading
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Pasta Sisters in Culver City
Pasta Sisters finally opened on Sunday March 4, at Helms Bakery in Culver City, and it was worth the wait. It was an exciting experience to be there on their first day. My family and friends became fans of their … Continue reading
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Alien Zoo in Century City
I was invited to experience Alien Zoo, a Virtual Reality pop up in the Century City Mall. It opens to the public Wednesday February 7 and runs until Friday March 2, from 12 noon until 8.40pm, every 40 minutes. You … Continue reading
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Unplug in West Hollywood
Last night I was invited to the opening reception for the new West Hollywood location of Unplug Meditation, at 8500 Melrose Ave, in the newly renovated building at the corner with La Cienega. Beautiful and trendy people were in attendance; … Continue reading
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Movie Studios-Culver City
After the news that Amazon Studios will be moving into Culver Studios at 9336 Washington Blvd, we looked into the history of this movie studio. It was built by silent movie producer-director Thomas Ince in 1918 on a lot acquired from … Continue reading
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Chocolate on Robertson
At the September 27 SORONC Townhall meeting about the Robertson Great Streets plans, I was impressed by the heartfelt speech of a young man, David, who introduced his handcrafted chocolate to the neighbors. They are open to the public on … Continue reading
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Food Markets
The Santa Monica Coop, at 1525 Broadway since 1995, opened another location in Culver City. It’s called CoOpportunity Market & Deli, it’s located at 8770 Washington Blvd and National. Coop, Culver City I went to check it out today and found … Continue reading
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Reynier Park regulations
Loud and drunken parties have occasionally taken place at Reynier Park for years, however, since Nextdoor has made it possible for neighbors to communicate directly with each other on the Internet, the posts about the weekend invasion of our park … Continue reading
Enjoy South Robertson
Sunday June 4, I walked 3 blocks from my home to South Robertson to experience the SORO Fest, a joyous community event in its 20th year, when this usually busy street between Cadillac and Cattaraugus is closed to traffic and … Continue reading
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Reynier Park
During the past couple of weeks, we noticed several workers in orange vests and hard hats working on our Reynier Park, so we went to check and talk to them. They removed the old sidewalk and poured cement to build … Continue reading
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New Restaurants-Culver City
We were curious about several new restaurants that opened recently in downtown Culver City, replacing others that closed, so we took a walk, looked at their menus and sampled some of their food. We favored inexpensive and unpretentious establishments, offering … Continue reading
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Native Gardens
Yes, Southern California experienced lots of rain this winter and the long drought may be ending, but that does not mean you should keep that water-thirsty lawn in front of your house. In 2009, when we started this blog, we … Continue reading
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Freeway Garden
This warm sunny morning, only one week away from the beginning of spring, I took a walk from my house to meet up with my neighbor Steven, who wanted to show me the colorful flowers blooming in his freeway garden. … Continue reading
Mansionization in Reynier Village
On March 1 the Los Angeles City Council approved new regulations, backed by Paul Koretz of Council District 5, to control the size of Mcmansions, large modern 2-story houses built on small lots, replacing quainter older homes in single-family neighborhoods. 8921 … Continue reading
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Robertson-Great Street
Many residents were disappointed two years ago when South Robertson Boulevard was NOT included among the 15 “Great Streets” chosen by Mayor Eric Garcetti for transformation. Last November SORONC (South Robertson Neighborhood Council) leaders applied for a $13,000 matching grant, … Continue reading
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Pizza pop Up
I was checking their website to see if Sweetgreen had opened at Platform in Culver City (it has), and saw a page about Roberta’s Pizza. I was born in Italy, so I’m always on the lookout for authentic Neapolitan pizza … Continue reading
Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining
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Romantic Bookstore
It was only a few days ago, while reading an article in Los Angeles Magazine about the 14 Best Mom and Pop bookstores in L.A., that I discovered The Ripped Bodice, A Romantic Bookstore, in downtown Culver City. It opened … Continue reading
Posted in Art & Culture, Culver City
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Halloween
Reynier Village celebrated Halloween with many neighborhood activities. Residents decorated their homes with pumpkins, skeletons and graves, kids went out trick or treating dressed in scary costumes. The Relational Center on Robertson held a party for the community. RVNA (Reynier … Continue reading
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Sprouts is here!
I have been shopping at Sprouts for years, ever since they opened their first Los Angeles area store on Sepulveda at Jefferson in 2010. I was glad when they took over a location on Westwood Blvd, since that is closer … Continue reading
Gelato on Robertson
Monaco- Fabbrica di Gelato finally opened on Friday September 2 at 2633 Robertson Blvd. 203-979 6346. Their hours are Thursday to Sunday from 12 noon to 8pm. Residents of Reynier Village and Castle Heights already love walking over there to … Continue reading
Dolce Isola is Capri
We enjoy having Dolce Isola on Robertson, the bakery of the Ivy restaurant; they serve breakfast, sandwiches, salads and ice-cream. The downstairs space is way too small, but they do have a few more quiet tables upstairs. Ever since they … Continue reading
Posted in Food & Dining, Robertson, RVNA
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Culver City summer
Yesterday I checked out the Summertini event in Culver City. I discovered that the name means small tastings of martinis, vodka mixed with different fruit juices. They were served in tiny (tini) plastic cups, not only at restaurants, but also … Continue reading
Posted in Art & Culture, Culver City, Food & Dining
Tagged Hikari, Kirk Douglas Theater
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Platform on Washington
Last week, after picking up the delicious Gazpacho soup from Smart Simple Gourmet at 3731 Robertson, I took a walk on Washington Blvd going East. This used to be a long stretch of road with no shops, mostly occupied by … Continue reading
Posted in Art & Culture, Culver City, Food & Dining
Tagged Aesop, Blue Bottle Coffee, Loqui
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Expo to Santa Monica
We have been waiting anxiously for four years, since the Expo Line from Robertson and Venice to Downtown LA opened in June 2012, and now the opening day (announced February 29) of the Expo Metro line to Santa Monica is … Continue reading
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1920s Jazz club
While reading the online newspaper LAist, we learned about the Cotton Club by Frank Sebastian, that opened in 1926 in Culver City, during the Prohibition era (1919 to 1933), and operated until 1938. Located at 6500 Washington, it offered valet … Continue reading
Smart Food
After my first juice cleanse in June 2014, I started incorporating cold pressed vegetable juices into my daily diet, which I found an easy way to add nutrients. There are SO many places selling these juices all over town now, … Continue reading
Arcana-Helms Bakery
Last Saturday afternoon I attended an event at the Arcana bookstore in the Helms Bakery District. I was intrigued by the photographer, Aline Smithson, who was signing her new book, Self & Others: Portrait as Autobiography. My curiosity was rewarded, … Continue reading
Wilde Thistle
This Sunday afternoon we visited a lovely Irish-Scottish Cafe and Pub (for Artists, Writers, Thinkers & Lovers), at the corner of Motor and Palms, named after Oscar Wilde, the national poet of … Continue reading
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SORO Fest
Today we participated in one of our neighborhood’s most popular events, the 18th annual street festival on South Robertson Blvd. The LA Fire Department was out in force with 2 giant firetrucks parked on Beverlywood, and numerous firemen talking to … Continue reading
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Movies in the park
Last night we went to check out this new event in our neighborhood. Street Food Cinema presents summer movie nights in nearby Syd Kronenthal Park in Culver City, at the end of McManus Ave, South of Washington Blvd, walking distance … Continue reading
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Undergrind Cafe
After running our of money in June, when they were planning to open their café on South Robertson, Ron and Rachel Sazon launched a successful crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter and raised the additional $12,000 they needed. They finally opened their … Continue reading
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Juices for health
After hearing about it from friends, a few months ago I decided to try a juice cleanse, not only to lose a few pounds, but for overall health. I was cautioned that this should not be attempted without the guidance … Continue reading
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Robertson clean-up
The Crestview Neighborhood Association organized a cleanup of Robertson Blvd, from Pickford to Sawyer, Sunday September 7 starting at 7.30am. Today at 10 am the Reynier Village Neighborhood Association sponsored a clean-up of the Fwy embankment outside and inside … Continue reading
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Neighborhood clean-up
Sunday August 17, the Helms Neighborhood Association organized a community trash clean up and tree trimming of the Santa Monica 10 Freeway embankment along Regent Street. Cal Trans workers were also there replacing parts of the old fence. More than … Continue reading
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Eatalian
I had discovered Eatalian last year (October 6, 2013), when the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West (IACCW) organized “Piazza Italia” at Ciclavia, a taste sampling of Authentic Italian restaurants, in a downtown pedestrian area near Grand Park. I had tasted … Continue reading
Asian fusion
We were delighted to find out that a new location of PEI WEI had opened in Culver City, close to our Reynier Village neighborhood, so we went to try it out. We had liked their place in Beverly Hills, … Continue reading
Blue Buddha
During one of my walks to greet new businesses opening up in our neighborhood, I discovered that a lovely photography studio recently opened at 2803 Robertson Blvd. It has the evocative name of Blue Buddha Studio. So I walked in … Continue reading
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Robertson mural
On one on my walks around the neighborhood, I discovered this bright new mural, on the side wall of the liquor store on Robertson, corner Gibson St. The signature reads Beautify Robertson/septerhed1@gmail. We located the website and contacted Sept. He … Continue reading
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Shop on Robertson
A few weeks ago, during one of my walks, I discovered that an elegant new shop had opened on Robertson at 2613. So I walked in and chatted with the proprietor, Shannon Colburn, and her son Conor, who created their … Continue reading
Art Space on Robertson
A new community art space and print studio opened in our neighborhood PHLAT PHILE at 2805 Robertson: 323-744 7222 On June 2, at the SORO Festival, they launched a group exhibition called “1 Degree of Separation” featuring various … Continue reading
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Jacaranda
Dozens of jacaranda trees have been blossoming in Reynier Village for the past few weeks, their violet purple flowers brightening the neighborhood and blanketing our streets; but they will soon be gone, so you may wish to walk around and … Continue reading
FARMERS MARKETS
We are lucky to have so many farmers markets nearby, and we already recommended the closest, on La Cienega at 18th Street within walking distance of Reynier Village, Thursdays from 2 to 7pm. But our favorite is the Culver City … Continue reading
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Good Karma Gardens
Our good neighbor who grows bananas in his backyard, tipped us off about the Good Karma Gardens (GKG) in Mar Vista. They provide free guidance for people who wish to grow sustainable food in their backyard. Check it out! Visit … Continue reading
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Casa Rocha
For years I had heard stories about this cluster of homes on Shenandoah Street, down a tree lined path from an old sign that says “Casa Rocha.” So finally I decided to do an Internet search and I was delighted … Continue reading
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New Culver City Restaurants
We had been waiting for months to see the new LYFE KITCHEN-Love Your Food Everyday, open in Culver City, after seeing their name on the boarded up storefront, and that event finally took place this week. I had read a … Continue reading
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Garden nurseries
As we were searching for plants to replace the old bamboo and create our new garden, we visited several nurseries. Here’s a list of some we liked. Rolling Greens in Culver City, 9528 Jefferson Blvd, was the most amazing. Too … Continue reading
Posted in Culver City, Garden
Tagged Armstrong Garden Center, Rolling Green, Two Dog Nursery
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Redwood fence
I had seen inventive redwood fences with horizontal slats around the neighborhood (Holt and Halm), so, when it came to replace the old wood fences behind the thick bamboo hedge we had removed, I inquired about those custom choices, but … Continue reading
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Bamboo removal
I chose Larry Hess of Bloom Landscaping to clean up my bamboo hedge, remove the morning glory and replace a portion of the decaying picket fence, because I knew him from the SORO Green Team. With Paula Waxman he had … Continue reading
Halloween
The Reynier Village Neighborhood Association hosted their annual Halloween party in Reynier Park today. A jazz band played and lead the costume parade, pizza was served, kids had their face painted and hit the pumpkin-shaped piñata full of treats. If … Continue reading
Bamboo
For 25 years, since I bought my home in Reynier Village, I loved the tall and thick bamboo hedge that surrounded my backyard and protected my privacy through its impenetrable branches. It was planted decades ago, in a time when … Continue reading
Art classes
We were glad to see that the remodeled space at 2803 S Robertson Blvd has been rented to Art Works Studio (310-202 1894). Starting September 10, they offer art classes and workshops for all ages on drawing, painting and mixed … Continue reading
Posted in Art & Culture, Local Businesses, Robertson
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Outdoor rooms
We were so impressed by the landscaping of the outdoor spaces of a Reynier Village home now for sale that we asked the owners for some tips on how they accomplished this result, in case other neighbors wished to do … Continue reading
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Washington Blvd Restaurants
We had blogged about this stretch of Washington Blvd, between La Cienega and National, in 2010 and 2011, when it comes alive for the annual Culver City Art Walk (this event was sadly canceled this year because of citywide budget … Continue reading
Riding the EXPO
It was exciting, even for a jaded adult like myself, to ride the Metro Expo Line on the opening day of the Culver City station at Venice and Robertson, and the kids seemed to love it. The atmosphere was festive, … Continue reading
Fracking in Baldwin Hills
Last night we attended a Hammer Forum, a conversation with Bill McKibben, the Vermont author, founder of the environmental action group 350.org, and Josh Fox, director of Gasland, the documentary about the devastating effects of hydraulic fracturing to extract natural … Continue reading
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New Restaurants
A few weeks ago, we blogged about our old time favorite nearby restaurants, see post. Now we want to tell you about a few recent discoveries. Earlier in the year, with my neighbor Deni, co-author of this blog, we tried … Continue reading
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Rain barrels
Don’t you wish you could have collected some of the rain that fell yesterday to use it in the coming dry weeks to water your garden? Well, now you can by installing rain barrels under your downspouts. Tree People has … Continue reading
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Robertson remodel
Many of you probably noticed that four storefronts are being remodeled on Robertson, painted in bright pastel colors to attract new tenants. We can’t wait to find out which exciting new shops will open there. One of them is already … Continue reading
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Schools on Robertson
Did you know that you could find so many learning opportunities for yourself and your family on our very own South Robertson Blvd? If you have teenage children, they may attend Alexander Hamilton High School, and qualify for their excellent … Continue reading
More on Robertson
There are so many useful places on Robertson, right next door to our homes, and we should support them, because we’d like to make our neighborhood more user-friendly. For instance, I always have my car washed locally, bring my donations … Continue reading
Local restaurants
For over 20 years, since moving to Reynier Village, I have been going out for meals with friends and family at my favorite nearby restaurants, a short drive away. CAFE BRASIL, opened in 1991. They were the only place to … Continue reading
Posted in Food & Dining, Local Businesses
Tagged Café Brasil, Hu’s Szechuan, Versailles
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Eat on Robertson
There are not nearly enough good places to eat on Robertson as we would like, so we wouldn’t have to drive to downtown Culver City to find a proper restaurant, however we have some local favorites, like Campos, not a … Continue reading
Posted in Food & Dining, Local Businesses, Robertson
Tagged Argentinean Empanadas, Campos, Dolce Isola, Reynier Village
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Swim on Robertson
When I moved to Reynier Village from Hollywood 24 years ago, in 1988, my daughter was still a baby, but pretty soon I was taking her to swim at the Beverlywood Swim School on Robertson, a local institution that has … Continue reading
Posted in Local Businesses, Robertson
Tagged Beverlywood Swim School, S Robertson Blvd, swimming lessons
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RVNA Community Meeting
Every year the Reynier Village Neighborhood Association organizes a Community meeting, where our residents socialize and exchange ideas. Members of the RVNA Board plus APS, SORONC and LAPD representatives make short presentations of their activities, answer questions and concerns. This … Continue reading
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Robertson Blvd
I often take walks around the neighborhood, by myself or with a friend. Even now that our dog has passed away, I keep up this habit to get some exercise. Last Sunday I walked on Robertson Blvd, which I don’t … Continue reading