Thursday, March 29, 2012

L.A.'s Red Light Cameras Are Gone (But Not Forgotten)

Fantastic news for those of you who thought you were going to have to choose between paying for your heart medicine this month and getting the traffic cops off your back! After going back and forth on their beleaguered red light camera system, the LAPD has finally declared that they will not pursue the 65,000+ drivers with unpaid red light camera tickets, most of which are in the neighborhood of $500 per violation. So if you're still holding an unpaid L.A. red light ticket, congratulations! Go treat yourself to an iPad!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

LEGO The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

I stumbled upon this awesome shot-by-shot LEGO remake of The Dark Knight Rises trailer and just had to share it!  I love LEGOs!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Grauman's Chinese Theater Celebrates 85 Years With 25 Cent Admission

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Grauman’s Chinese Theatre celebrates its 85th birthday this year and in honor of the occasion, the iconic L.A. landmark will be offering admission for only 25 cents, the same price it fetched on its 1927 opening, on select Mondays beginning April 2nd. On these 25-cent Mondays, Grauman’s and the Chinese 6 Theatres will show classic films premiered at the Hollywood monument over the past eight decades.  As a tribute to the birthday of one of L.A.'s greatest icons, we bring you a closer look at Grauman's rise as Hollywood's most famous movie theater and its rich history of milestones and events since 1927, from its first glamorous movie premiere to a recent Spongebob beatdown. Go HERE for my full article, published on Guest of a Guest L.A.

Monday, March 26, 2012

$5 Tuesdays: "21 Jump Street"

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It's been a while since I laughed through an entire movie from beginning to end, but I was able to revisit the experience thanks to my latest $5 Tuesday movie: 21 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.

Before going to the theater to watch 21 Jump Street, I really didn't know what to expect.  The trailer seemed funny, but having known the original "21 Jump Street" television series, starring a very young Johnny Depp, I was scared that it was going to be a bad remake.  Thankfully the filmmakers were smart and created a funny and witty new world that drew inspiration from the original, but still managed to remain unique and fresh.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Wondrous, Wacky World Of WonderCon 2012

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WonderCon 2012 came and went, and it was a great experience for me, especially because it was my first time at a comic book convention.  I got to see all of the fans dressed up in costume and confirmed why spandex suits aren't for everyone.

I grew up reading comic books and have always enjoyed the art style, but my recent visit to WonderCon has really increased my appreciation for the artwork and the amount of talent that these artists possess.

Comic book art has really grown from the days when the drawings were simple figures printed on newspaper in black and white.  Today's artists use advanced drawing and coloring techniques to paint vivid scenes full of life and emotion.

Friday, March 16, 2012

$5 Tuesdays: "Project X"

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Since I was a decent student in high school, taking almost every honors course available, my most outrageous house party moment was when I accidentally spilled a plate of chips and salsa on my parents' carpet.  And because I don't find it cool to drink until you can't stand anymore, I turn to the movies to watch stupidity unfold so that I don't actually have to be around it.

My recent exposure to poor decision making came courtesy of this week's $5 Tuesday movie, Project X.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Things I Could Have Done With The Hour That I Lost

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Now that we're officially in daylight saving time (DST), I really wish I could get back that one hour that I lost somewhere between 2:00 am and 3:00 am on Sunday morning.  There are so many things that I would have/could have done with that hour.

Here are some of my top things to do with the hour that was lost:

Friday, March 9, 2012

Metropolis II, A City In Motion

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Whenever I'm in the Miracle Mile district, I always like to stop by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to see their latest exhibits.  Not knowing what to expect, I was very lucky to stumble upon a new installation called Metropolis II located in the West wing of the BCAM building.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

English Laundry, Defiance Sample Sale

I can't remember the last time that I went to the mall to buy an article of clothing at full retail price and after visiting today's Defiance USA/Global Rebels sample sale and picking up this awesome English Laundry ensemble on the left for $36 total, I don't see myself going to the mall anytime soon.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

$5 Tuesdays: "The Lorax"

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I've always been a fan of animated films and the recent offerings from the major studios just keep getting better and better, except for Happy Feet 2; that was a load of crap.  I'm a firm believer that animated films are just as much, if not more, for adults than kids, especially with recent movies chock-full of witty humor and pop culture references that no child would ever understand.  But a lot of parents still view an animated movie as a one and a half hour baby sitter, and in an effort to avoid a theater full of screaming babies and wild kids running amuck, I decided to attend a super-late showing of this week's $5 Tuesday movie, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.

Monday, March 5, 2012

The Best Bottomless Booze Brunches in L.A.

We've all had those mornings- you wake up after a hard night of partying, struggle to locate your phone, wallet, and/or pants, chase four Advils with a double-shot of espresso, and tell yourself that you're never drinking again. But this is America, where nobody likes a quitter, and besides, we all know that a far better cure for the weekend morning blues is to get right back on that horse with a hearty, delicious brunch and some classy, but free-flowing, brunch cocktails. For those of you ready to keep the party going in daylight, here's a list of my favorite all-you-can-drink brunch spots where you can wine and dine your early-morning woes away.

Friday, March 2, 2012

A Guide To Los Angeles' Best Happy Hours

Sometimes, the work day, the traffic and life in general is just too taxing, and when 5pm rolls around, you need to head straight to the bar. Hey, I'm not judging you. But with so many happy hour offerings in this great big city, it can be difficult to choose where to go, which is why I've put together a list of the best happy hour spots for your after-work rest stop. From $2 PBRs to gourmet steamed mussels, 3D TVs to watermelon martinis, L.A. Graffiti's got the details on its favorite happy hour destinations in and around Los Angeles.

When You Gotta Go...


Spotted on the corner of Robertson Blvd. and 3rd St. in Los Angeles.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

$5 Tuesdays: "Act Of Valor"

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While everyone was scrambling to add this year's Oscar winning movies to their Netflix queue, I went out to watch some good ol' fashioned shoot 'em up action, and let me tell you, it was satisfying.

This awesome hailstorm of bullets and casings came courtesy of this week's $5 Tuesday movie: Act Of Valor, starring the brave men and women of the Navy SEALs.