Author Archives: Elisa Leonelli

Kathryn Hahn-Agatha

Intervista di Elisa Leonelli 6 novembre, 2024 Kathryn Hahn interpreta una potentissima strega dell’universo Marvel nella serie TV Agatha All Along, spin-off di WandaVision (2021) con Elizabeth Olsen e Paul Bettany, entrambe create da Jac Schaeffer. L’attrice risponde alle domande … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Kathryn Hahn-Agatha

Macario at Vidiots

Macario, a 1960 Mexican film restored in 2023 with funding from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (now Golden Globe Foundation), was shown at the Eagle Rock theater on Saturday November 2 to celebrate the Day of the Dead (Día de … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Macario at Vidiots

Gabriel Labelle-Saturday Night

Gabriel LaBelle aveva interpretato Steven Spielberg adolescente nel film autobiografico diretto dal famoso regista, The Fabelmans. In Saturday Night, regia di Jason Reitman, presentato alla Festa del Cinema di Roma e in uscita nei cinema, interpreta un giovane Lorne Michaels, … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Gabriel Labelle-Saturday Night

Saturday Night-Jason Reitman

Saturday Night, regia di Jason Reitman, racconta i retroscena di quella serata in cui questo spettacolo di vignette comiche e musica andò in onda per la prima volta in diretta sul canale nazionale NBC in tutta l’America l’11 ottobre 1975. … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Saturday Night-Jason Reitman

Robert Fitzpatrick

Reading the Los Angeles Times, I learnt of the passing of Robert Fitzpatrick on September 30 at age 84. I was reminded of the times I photographed and interviewed him as Director of the Olympic Arts Festival (June 1-August 12, … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Culture, Photography | Comments Off on Robert Fitzpatrick

Kris Kristofferson R.I.P.

My colleagues, the journalists of the Hollywood Foreign Press, had interviewed Kris Kristofferson twice before, in 1976 for A Star Is Born with Barbra Streisand (awarding him a Golden Globe as Best Actor among the five Globes earned by the … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Kris Kristofferson R.I.P.

His Three Daughters

Di Elisa Leonelli His Three Daughters (Le sue tre figlie) aveva debuttato il 9 settembre 2023 al festival di Toronto, uscito nei cinema USA il 6 settembre, 2024, è disponibile su Netflix dal 20 settembre. Si tratta di un film … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on His Three Daughters

Richard Gadd-Baby Reindeer

Intervista di Elisa Leonelli 16 settembre, 2024 La miniserie Baby Reindeer ha ricevuto quattro premi Emmy domenica 15 settembre su cinque candidature. Tre per Richard Gadd, come attore protagonista, scrittore e produttore, una per Jessica Gunning, come attrice non protagonista. … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Richard Gadd-Baby Reindeer

Depression 1974

I am celebrating today, Friday the 13th of September 2024, the 50th anniversary of a humorous performance art event, the New Depression, that was staged by conceptual artist Lowell Darling and comedy writer Stuart Birnbaum on Friday the 13th of … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Culture, Photography | Comments Off on Depression 1974

Lloyd Ziff remembered

Reading his obituary in the New Times today, September 10, I remembered when I photographed Lloyd Ziff at Los Angeles parties from 1973 to 1978. Here is Lloyd at an April 13, 1975 party. He was part of my circle … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Culture, Photography | Comments Off on Lloyd Ziff remembered

Madame Clicquot

  Madame Clicquot, regia e sceneggiatura di Thomas Napper dalla biografia di Tilar Mazzeo del 2008 La vedova Clicquot, racconta la storia vera di una giovane donna francese, Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, che dopo la morte del marito, François Clicquot, nel 1805 … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Madame Clicquot

John Van Hamersveld

On May 5 I was at LAX terminal 1, departing for my Road Scholar trip to Sedona and the Grand Canyon, when I saw this brand new 2024 Los Angeles mural by John Van Hamersveld. I later learnt that several … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on John Van Hamersveld

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver received the Golden Lion for Lifetime achievement at the 81st Venice film Festival. Speaking to press, she said: ““We’re all so excited about Kamala. Women are strong, and don’t give up, because we can’t, we have to do … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Sigourney Weaver

Freud-L’ultima analisi

Freud’s Last Session descrive una discussione immaginaria fra Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins), padre della psicanalisi, e C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode), autore del ciclo di romanzi Le cronache di Narnia. Freud, 83enne, si era rifugiato a Londra da Vienna nel 1938, … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Freud-L’ultima analisi

Ed Ruscha at LACMA

I never met Ed Ruscha in person, but I was aware of him since moving to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, because I became friends with his younger brother, Paul Ruscha, also an artist. You may read here my … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Ed Ruscha at LACMA

Cassandra & Paradox

Dopo tante interviste con Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman e Shaw Levy su Deadpool & Wolverine (vedi servizio di contro copertina Best Movie luglio) intervistiamo per la prima volta insieme a loro i due attori britannici, Emma Corrin e Matthew MacFayden, … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Cassandra & Paradox

Judy Baca at LACMA

After attending the press opening of this exhibit, Painting in the River of Los Angeles: Judy Baca and the Great Wall, last October, I could not miss the closing media event on July 16. Baca herself talked about the various … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Judy Baca at LACMA

Young Woman and the Sea

17 luglio 2024 di Elisa Leonelli Young Woman and the Sea (La ragazza del mare), il film, che racconta la storica impresa sportiva della nuotatrice Trudy Ederle debutterà su Disney+ il 19 luglio, dopo essere stato presentato nei cinema USA … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Young Woman and the Sea

Shelley Duvall

I interviewed and photographed Shelley Duvall in December 1980, when she talked to us, journalists of the Hollywood Foreign Press about the movie Popeye, directed by Robert Altman, where she played Olive Oil opposite Robin William as the Sailor Man. … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Shelley Duvall

Daddio

Di Elisa Leonelli 28 giugno, 2024 Daddio, con Dakota Johnson e Sean Penn, presentato ai festival di Telluride e Toronto nell’autunno del 2023 e a Tribeca nell’aprile di quest’anno, esce nei cinema USA il 28 giugno, ma non ha ancora … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Daddio

Glen Powell-Hit Man

Di Elisa Leonelli Glen Powell, 35 anni, si era fatto notare come uno dei piloti addestrati da Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), ma ultimamente la sua popolarità è esplosa a tal punto che l’Hollywood Reporter lo mette in … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Glen Powell-Hit Man

Meryl Streep at 75

  Meryl Streep turned 75 on June 22, and that milestone made me reflect about the many times I interviewed the greatest actress of my generation and the numerous articles I wrote about her work, in my long career as … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Meryl Streep at 75

Donald Sutherland

I will always remember staying up all evening on a cold outdoor set in Vancouver, Canada, waiting for a break in the filming to photograph Donald Sutherland, and his co-star Brooke Adams, who were shooting a movie titled A Man, … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Donald Sutherland

Anouk Aimée, adieu

One of the great actresses of European cinema, Anouk Aimée, died in Paris at age 92. I had the great privilege of interviewing her in 2002, as a journalist in the Hollywood Foreign Press, about Festival in Cannes directed by … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Anouk Aimée, adieu

Accidentally Wes Anderson

I visited the unusual exhibit “Accidentally Wes Anderson” (AWA) at the Santa Monica Art Museum on the Promenade, on view until June 20. The photographs on display were taken by people all over the world, after creators, Wally and Amanda … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV, Photography | Comments Off on Accidentally Wes Anderson

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Ripley

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Remembering GENE WILDER

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Kate Winslet-The Regime

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Venice | Comments Off on Abbot Kinney Blvd

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Lily Gladstone

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Past Lives

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Sandra Milo, addio

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on American Fiction

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Paul Giamatti-The Holdovers

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on ALEXANDER PAYNE-The Holdovers

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Saltburn-Emerald Fennell

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Zerocalcare

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on CALL JANE for help

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Elvira Notari, Pioneer of Italian Cinema

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Elvira Notari, pioniera del cinema italiano

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on La dea fortuna

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on PRISCILLA

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on The Creator

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Asteroid City

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

Posted in Movies & TV, Photography | Comments Off on Italians in Hollywood

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Photography | Comments Off on Claudio Mazzoli, Renaissance Artist

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Photography, Venice | Comments Off on Venice Murals

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Photography | Comments Off on Venice murals by Rip Cronk

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on DALILAND

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Little Mermaid

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on L’immensità

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

Posted in Movies & TV, Photography | Comments Off on PERSIS KHAMBATTA

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on CinemaCon 2023

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Extrapolations-Oltre il limite

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on EXTRAPOLATIONS

Ali Wong-Beef

di Elisa Leonelli VOILÀ Magazine, 7 aprile, 2023 Ali Wong è la co-protagonista con Steven Yeun della serie televisiva Beef. Ali Wong as Amy in Beef (c) Andrew Cooper-Netflix Alexandra Wong, nata a San Francisco da una madre immigrata dal … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Ali Wong-Beef

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on HAMMER MUSEUM

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Lidia Poët

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Santa Barbara Film Festival

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Judy Baca at Geffen

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

Posted in Photography | Comments Off on Santa Claus in LA

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Il Boemo

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Martin Scorsese

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Bette Midler

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Tilda Swinton

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Roberta Colindrez and baseball

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Gentleman Jack

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on WILLEM DAFOE

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Judy Baca retrospective

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

Posted in Food & Dining, Local Businesses, Robertson | Comments Off on Novelties on Robertson

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Culver City | Comments Off on Wende Museum

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on Eat on Washington

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Mural Mile

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

Posted in Local Businesses, Robertson | Comments Off on New on Robertson

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on Culver City Restaurants open

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Tom Hanks on 2021

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on Sunday lunch on Washington Blvd

L’amica geniale su HBO

I romanzi del Quartetto Napoletano scritti da Elena Ferrante dal 2011 al 2014 erano statti tradotti in inglese e diventati dei bestseller in America. La prima stagione della serie televisiva co-prodotta dalla RAI e dalla HBO, L’amica geniale (My Brilliant … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on L’amica geniale su HBO

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Trial of the Chicago 7

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Coastal Elites

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

Posted in Garden | Comments Off on Jacarandas blooming

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

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on VIDA and Boyle Heights

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on Bianca Bakery

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

Posted in Local Businesses, Robertson | Tagged , | Comments Off on Obsidian, Massage on Robertson

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

Posted in Culver City, History | Comments Off on Culver City History Tour

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

Posted in Food & Dining | Comments Off on A Cannabis Cafe

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Museum of Weed

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Franco Columbu, addio

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Local Businesses, Robertson | Comments Off on Robertson Open House

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Santa Monica | Comments Off on Graciela Iturbide, photographer

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Century City | Comments Off on Photoville LA

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on New Restaurants Culver City

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Culver City | Comments Off on Actors Gang performs Dario Fo

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Wisdome LA

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

Posted in Garden, History | Comments Off on Meditation Gardens

Bernardo Bertolucci-In Memoriam

by Elisa Leonelli November 26, 2018 Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci (born in Parma, Italy, March 16, 1941, died November 26, 2018 at age 77) was inspired by the experimental cinema of Jean-Luc Godard and Pier Paolo Pasolini, who served … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Bernardo Bertolucci-In Memoriam

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

Posted in Food & Dining | Comments Off on Palisades Village

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on LA news and midterm elections

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

Posted in Art & Culture | Comments Off on Getty Villa and Getty Museum

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Local Businesses | Comments Off on Neighborhood Bookstore

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

Posted in Home, RVNA, SORONC | Comments Off on Garage conversion to ADU

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on Eat Vegetarian

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

Posted in Century City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on Terra opens at Eataly

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

Posted in Century City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on Pasta Sisters in Culver City

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Century City | Comments Off on Alien Zoo in Century City

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Local Businesses | Comments Off on Unplug in West Hollywood

Luca Guadagnino

Intervista di Elisa Leonelli 21 novembre 2017 Luca  Guadagnino, nato a Palermo il 10 agosto 1971, da padre siciliano e madre algerina, si è laureato all’università Sapienza di Roma con una tesi sul regista americano Jonathan Demme, ha iniziato la … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Luca Guadagnino

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

Posted in Culver City, History | Comments Off on Movie Studios-Culver City

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

Posted in Food & Dining, Local Businesses, Robertson | Comments Off on Chocolate on Robertson

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Comments Off on Food Markets

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

Posted in RVNA, SORONC | Comments Off on Reynier Park regulations

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Local Businesses, Robertson, RVNA, SORONC | Comments Off on Enjoy South Robertson

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

Posted in SORONC | Comments Off on Reynier Park

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

Posted in Food & Dining | Comments Off on New Restaurants-Culver City

TCM Classic Film Festival

by Elisa Leonelli April 10, 2017 The TCM Classic Film Festival, launched in 2010, was held for the eighth year in Hollywood from Thursday to Sunday April 6 to 9, 2017. Crowds of movie lovers of all ages lined up … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on TCM Classic Film Festival

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

Posted in Garden | Comments Off on Native Gardens

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

Posted in Garden, RVNA | Comments Off on Freeway Garden

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

Posted in Home | Comments Off on Mansionization in Reynier Village

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

Posted in Food & Dining, Local Businesses, Robertson | Comments Off on Robertson-Great Street

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 | Leave a comment

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 | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Robertson, RVNA | Leave a comment

Laverne Cox

by Elisa Leonelli October 16, 2016 Laverne Cox stars in the Fox TV remake The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again. She plays the role of mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter made famous by Tim Curry in … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Laverne Cox

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Food & Dining, Local Businesses, Robertson | Tagged | Leave a comment

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 | Leave a comment

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 , | Leave a comment

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 , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Culver City | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Culver City, History | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Ugo Tognazzi-in memoriam

di Elisa Leonelli 27 ottobre, 2015 Nel 25esimo anniversario della sua scomparsa (il 27 ottobre 1990, a 68 anni, di ictus cerebrale), ricordiamo il grande attore italiano Ugo Tognazzi. Nato a Cremona, Tognazzi aveva iniziato la carriera nell’avanspettacolo, era diventato … Continue reading

Posted in Movies & TV | Comments Off on Ugo Tognazzi-in memoriam

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Culver City | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Food & Dining, Local Businesses | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Robertson | Leave a comment

Robertson Map

We just received this lovely map of the businesses on South Robertson Blvd, designed by our local artist, Barbara Mendes. Check out the alphabetical listing in the Robertson page of our Reynier Village Neighborhood Association website. Patronize these shops, galleries, … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Culture, Robertson | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Culver City, Food & Dining | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Local Businesses, Robertson | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Food & Dining | Leave a comment

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

Posted in RVNA | Leave a comment

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

Posted in RVNA | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Tagged | Leave a comment

Wine Tasting

During one of our exploratory walks along that stretch of Washington Blvd between National and La Cienega, that has been blossoming with new restaurants, shops and art galleries for the past few years, we discovered a gem:  Bar and Garden, … Continue reading

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining, Local Businesses | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Local Businesses, Robertson | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Robertson | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Local Businesses, Robertson | Tagged | 1 Comment

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Robertson | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Art & Culture, Garden | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Culver City, Food & Dining, Local Businesses | Leave a comment