this is cutting it close

I've been writing for DTLAX Magazine, a quarterly magazine for/about Downtown Los Angeles, published by my friend Bert Green (longtime downtown resident, director of the Bert Green Fine Art, and founder of the wildly successful Downtown Art Walk).

My latest, titled, "Peeing In Public" can be found on p13 of the Winter Issue and "I Can See The Streets From Where I Am Now" is on p16 of the Summer Issue. I bring this up because the next issue will be going to press soon and I have to turn in 600 words by tomorrow. And so far, I have nothing. Nothing.

a drink at cole's

I joined blogdowntown's Eric Richardson and Central City East's Don Garza at Cole's last week for the First Blogdowntown Pub Crawl. While waiting for a sandwich, I enjoyed a Sazerac and shot some video footage on the Nokia 6650 for The Nokia Chronicles.

a special voting booth for people like me

I was so glad that I managed to wake up early to to vote. Although there is a polling place across the street from my loft, I had to walk to the polling place two blocks away, down the street from our art supply store, Raw Materials. One look at the long line across the street from my loft and I picked up my pace - I'd probably be in for just as long a wait.



I walked up Main Street and took my place in line. Not quite around the block, but almost. One of the poll workers kept coming out and checking the line. He spotted a few elderly voters and a man using a cane. He walked up to them and told them there was a special booth for handicapped voters, and would they like to jump ahead in line to vote? He walked them inside the building and would periodically come out to check the line for more disabled voters. Cool. I had tons of nervous energy, but I settled in and fell into conversation with those in line around me and of course the conversation alternated between the cool places to hang out downtown, downtown viewing/victory parties, and the election itself.





I was almost inside the building when the poll worker approached me.

"We have a booth inside that's a little lower, a little shorter than the others. Would you like to come inside and vote using the short booth?"

The people in line around me, the ones I had just met and the neighbors that I recognized from walking Wonton - all laughed uproariously. I imagined that it was like a child's table, low to the ground and covered in Hello Kitty stickers, with crayons to mark my ballot.

"Are you kidding me?"

The poll worker was apologetic, "I don't mean to offend you, I just thought--"

I wasn't offended, I though it hilarious that I was singled out in that long line, not for being a disabled voter, but for being a short voter. I declined, determined to wait like all the other, taller voters around me. The poll worker went outside, looking for disabled, elderly, and short voters.

Once inside the building there were places to sit and the poll worker instructed us where to sit so that we wouldn't get out of order. Then he informed me, "You know, you can't change your mind anymore. There's someone else in there using the short voting booth."

I laughed, "That's okay, I'll wait. But can I take a picture of the short booth?"



Seen in line to vote: Hal Bastian from the DCBID, Kitty, Matthew S., Abby and her owners, Mahogany, Olivia, and former loftmates Kedric, Tim and Bethany.

seen at the nickel...

My Gossipy Neighbor and I met for brunch at The Nickel the other weekend - we love that we see everybody and their mother dining there. Then I saw this guy at the cash register, paying for his to-go order. Motioning to him, I said to my Gossipy Neighbor, "Look at this guy, he's dressed like a cholo at Easter." The guy then turned around and I recognized my friend and makeup artist extraordinaire, Jayson. Oops. I laughed, then Jayson recognized me and came over to say hi.

Of course I had to tell him, "Jayson, you look like a cholo at Easter." I think Jayson knows I meant that in the best possible sense of the word. BTW, it's his birthday this Friday - Happy Birthday Jayson!

Who else have I seen at The Nickel in the past few weeks? Jayson, Gronk, Miguel Osuna, Ruel and his partner Patrick, Luke and Summer, Bert Green with a group of hot-looking men, Stella Dottir and Julie Swayze of Metropolis Books, Neon Boy and Shannon, Neon Boy (again) and The Gentrifier (and what looked like all their aunts), Eric without Isis, and D and A. Am I leaving anyone out?

Even Jonathan Gold has been in (though I didn't see him).

defending my neighborhood

I brought our Prius in to the downtown Toyota dealership for servicing and took advantage of their courtesy shuttle to get back home. When the car was ready, they sent the shuttle to retrieve me. I probably shouldn't have gotten into it with the other passenger, but I felt my neighborhood needed defending.

Let me back up: I opened the back door of the courtesy shuttle, climbed in and said hello to the driver and passenger. We rode in silence, but when the driver stopped at the corner before making a right turn, some water splashed onto the windshield.

Driver: Oh, look at that! Raindrops! It's raining.
Me: Good, I'm done with this heat.
Passenger: (laughs) Oh, I don't think that's rain.
Driver: No, I heard it was going to rain this weekend.
Passenger: (laughs) In this neighborhood, that could be, you know, anything coming out of these windows.
Me: (looking up at the SB Manhattan, SB Lofts, Hayward Hotel) Oh please, this neighborhood is not that bad. Bodily fluids are not being squirted out the windows onto the street.
Passenger: I used to work down the street on Spring... I'd see all sorts of things.
Me: Yeah, how long ago was that? Save it sister, I've lived downtown for seventeen years and I've seen the neighborhood go through changes. Sure, they used to throw bodies out the windows of these buildings, but that was years ago. That was probably water from someone's rooftop jacuzzi.

Ha ha, right? Late the other night, Jim and I are on Spring, walking Wonton. A guy is walking on the sidewalk ahead of us when someone dumps a large amount of water out a window of the SB Manhattan, hitting him. He jumps out of the way, missing most of the deluge. Then, seconds later, someone throws a water bottle out the window and hits the sidewalk with a huge, sickening thud. That could've landed on me, or Jim, or my precious little Wonton. Stupid motherf*#$ing neighborhood.

this weekend: celia and the seven drag-nuns

If you saw an Asian guy running around downtown dressed in a nun's outfit a couple weekends ago (he was at Sh*ts & Giggles and The Hideaway), you weren't seeing things, that was my Cousin Angel visiting from Chicago. He was in town to promote his show, Nunsense II: The Second Coming (where the sisters are brothers), which is playing this weekend at the Metropolitan Church in the Valley. Cousin Angel just arrived this morning to do more advance promotion and help me prep for the arrival of the cast. Did I mention that all seven of them are staying at our loft this weekend?

WHAT:
Nunsense II: The Second Coming

WHERE:
Metropolitan Church in the Valley
5730 Cahuenga Blvd, North Hollywood

WHEN:
Friday and Saturday, September 12 & 13 at 8pm

Tickets are $15 - For reservations, call (818) 762-1133


Cousin Angel is such a hoot, I can only imagine what six more drag-nuns for an entire weekend will be like. If you're going to be in WeHo, they're also performing a few songs at The Abbey on Saturday afternoon. I'm going to Saturday night's show, anybody else in?

obama loft party in downtown los angeles

Will I see you there? I'm bringing dessert. Please RSVP to Dan directly.

waking from a food coma

UPDATED 08.22.08: I need to clarify a few things - The Nickel's pastry chef is Sharlena, and she worked for Thomas Keller at Per Se and Bouchon as a Pastry Chef de Partie, of which there are many. She was not the Pastry Chef, she answered to the Pastry Chef. She also worked at 11 Madison as a Pastry Chef de Partie.

This past Wednesday, Jim and I had the pleasure of a sneak preview of The Nickel and their breakfast offerings during their invitation-only dry run (FULL DISCLOSURE: Jim and I have a financial stake in the success of The Nickel, we're investors. That's my bias, well, that and I'm a lazy foodie who doesn't like to leave downtown unless someone else drives). If you haven't yet, check out Rich's pics/post on Angelenic.

I already have my favorite table picked out, but unfortunately, Julie of Metropolis Books and Stella (my favorite Icelandic witch/designer) were already sitting there enjoying their breakfast. No matter, we were seated in a nearby booth where I could ooh and ahh over all the decorative details. The co-owners - Kristen Trattner, Ricki Kline and Monica May have done a wonderful job. The place looks great - it's warm, inviting, and OMG the food!

Let's start with the beverages. Juices are fresh-squeezed and they had this zippy carrot-ginger-I forgot the third ingredient juice, which I recommend trying. Jim ordered two eggs scrambled with bacon, I ordered the Cameron's Puppy Pile (chicken apple sausages tucked into buttermilk pancakes with a fried egg on top), extra egg and with a side of potatoes. I was hungry.

While waiting for our order, Kristin brought out some fresh mini-donuts for us to try. Nice touch. Did I mention that their pastry chef used to be Thomas Keller's pastry chef? Kristen brought her over to our table and introduced us, but I forget her name, probably because I had eaten two donuts and was already on a sugar high. In any case, she bakes genius. I can already feel my waistline expanding in anticipation of her "Cher Cake" and what I'm told is an amazing Tres Leches Cake. That reminds me, I need to renew my gym membership.

I'm not going to write a blow-by-blow (or a fork-by-fork) account of the meal, but damn those pancakes were beautiful. Big, light, fluffy cakes of tasty goodness. The service was attentive, the music was very good and at a volume conducive to conversation, the booths were comfy, and I love the decor. This is just what the neighborhood needs, but mostly it's what I need. Guess where I'm having lunch next week?

The Nickel Diner
524 S Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Opens Wednesday, August 27, 2008

making strange: rooftop sci-fi

This looks like a fun thing to do in downtown Los Angeles - a three-week series of rooftop screenings of sci-fi flicks at the Bonaventure Hotel. The FREE screenings are held on the Plaza Pool Deck, 4th floor, and begin at dusk.

Making Strange: Rooftop Sci-Fi at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel
404 South Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Screenings will be held on the Plaza Pool Deck, 4th floor.
Blankets and pillows are encouraged, as seating will be limited.
Street parking, or City National Garage (on Flower Street), $10 with validation. Hotel valet, $25.

Thursday, August 14
Powers of Ten
(Charles and Ray Eames, 1977, 9 min.)
Solyaris
(Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972, 163 min.)

Thursday, August 21
Ascension of the Demonoids
(George Kuchar, 1985, 46 min.)
Sins of the Fleshapoids
(Mike Kuchar, 1965, 43 min.)

Thursday, August 28
Double Lunar Dogs
(Joan Jonas, 1984, 24 min.)
Space is the Place
(John Coney, 1974, 82 min.)

Screenings are FREE and begin at dusk.

I wonder if they'll allow dogs on the plaza? If my husband Jim and I can find the time to check this out we'll probably want to take Wonton along.

a mime, a breakdancer and a trombone player walk into a bar...

My husband Jim and I were talking to our business partner/brother-in-law James Adams the other day about the July Downtown Art Walk and how we'd still like to participate despite our lack of dedicated gallery space (we'll be getting the space ready for our store's grand opening in August, and our two other exhibits at the PE Lofts come down on June 22nd and revert to other Phantom Gallery LA exhibits) .

I missed the past art walk where someone parked a truck, with art hanging inside, on the street during art walk where it functioned as a temporary gallery. Ideas like that were thrown around, but nothing appealed to us. Oh yeah, there was another problem - James (our jet-set curator) will be in Peru and Argentina during the entire month of July.

My solution? Performance art.

I don't mean Annie Sprinkle, more like Improv Everywhere.

We (Jim, James and I) don't let the each other live down forget that someone else ago, we were once a breakdancer, a trombone player, and a mime. You can guess what I once was, but I will neither confirm nor deny.

So the suggestion was made that the ex-breakdancer perform a set at the corner of 5th and Main during the July Art Walk. Then $100 was offered to the mime to perform the "walking into the wind" or the "can't get out of the box" bit between the hours of 6-9pm, right in front of Bert Green Fine Art or Pharmaka.

My husband, however, has other ideas. I don't think people realize just how funny Jim is.

Any suggestions?

i've been busy

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging lately. It's not that I don't miss you, it's just... I've been a little busy with this writing thing. And a million other things I don't want to bore you with. So what do I want to bore you with?

Jim and I have been working stealthily on something and now we're ready to let you know - we signed a lease on a retail space on Main Street and together with our partner James Adams, we will launch Raw Materials, an art and architectural supply store, in August 2008. Additionally, we are looking for gallery space to launch Winstead Adams Projects, dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art from emerging artists, in downtown Los Angeles.

Because we don't know any better, we're not letting the lack of a dedicated gallery space deter us. We're producing three art shows in three different gallery spaces downtown - the future home of Raw Materials at 436 S. Main Street, and two corner spaces in the PE Lofts (6th & Main and 6th & Los Angeles Streets):

Winstead Adams Projects presents FIRST | LAST, a group exhibition at Raw Materials in downtown Los Angeles

Winstead Adams Projects and Phantom Galleries Los Angeles present A Deeper Shade

Winstead Adams Projects and Phantom Galleries LA present The Stage, a World

I hope you can come by, check out our shows, say hi and give me some grief about not blogging.

things to do downtown today

1) Bring Wonton to The Lofty Dog for grooming. (Done! Wonton is there now and I think he's liveblogging.)

2) Check out some of my favorite galleries during tonight's Downtown ArtWalk. (Done! Sort of. Passed by Lost Souls Cafe (ube shake, yum!), Art Murmur, and Bert Green Fine Art on the way back. I'm so glad I walked back from The LD instead of taking the DASH. I loved Lost Souls' new menu and need to come back again soon, I loved the new installation in Bert's window and I really really wish I had the cheddar to purchase all of Yun Bai's works in the first room at Art Murmur.)

3) Check out a few comedians performing tonight at the Inaugural Comedy Walk. My vote for the best venue so far? The men's room at the Palace Theater.

4) Have dinner at LiliYa China Bistro and catch up with my soon-to-be-married friend, Helena.

5) Pick up Wonton at The LoftyDog just in time for Yappy Hour.

6) Write.

And not necessarily in that order.

happy new year

So many options for NYE in downtown Los Angeles, but Jim and I decided to stay in tonight and celebrate the New Year at home on our patio with a romantic dinner and some bubbly.

I hope all my blog readers have a safe and fun New Year's Eve. Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy 2008!

wga strike goes to city hall

On December 18, 2007, I attended the City Council's Affordable Housing and Economic Development Committee's Hearing on the impact the WGA Strike has had on the local economy. I took a few pictures and some video.


Seven-thirty AM and the room fills up with striking writers.


Sitting in the Council Chambers, Kurt Voelker suddenly realizes I'm taking a picture. That's Joan Ling in the background, getting ready to testify.

Jack Keyser, from the Los Angeles Economic Development Office, speaks on the impact of the WGA Strike on the local economy (in three parts):







Then, after Jack Keyser finishes up, an economist from UCLA/Andersen Forecast spoke:





Then Steve MacDonald from FilmLA spoke:



John Bowman gave great testimony at the hearing about the WGA Strike:



As did Betsy Thomas:



Other writers (and below-the-liners) also testified, speaking eloquently about the effect of the WGA Strike on the local economy:



After the Committee Hearing, the writers who filled the Council Chambers gathered outside in front of City Hall to hear Eric Garcetti speak (and for a photo opp). After that short break, it was back inside for the City Council Meeting.

november downtown dogwalk

What does it mean when my puppy, Wonton, has a more active social calendar than mine? Hope to see a lot of other downtown dogs and their owners tonight.

fellatio, first floor

Something happened in the lobby of my building the other night that reminded me of the elevators and the stairwell outside my front door when I lived at the Alexandria Hotel. I don't remember if I ever wrote about it, but I often joked that the 8th floor stairwell outside my front door was the best place to score a $5 handjob from Cheryl the coke whore. I never saw anything, but when I'd pass by late at night, I'd often hear things.

So there I was, headed out with Wonton for his second walk of the day. Jim said he'd hop in the shower and meet us on the way back. Wonton and I rode down the elevator and when we got to the front door, it was broken, completely off its hinge. I didn't want to leave the door unlocked and hanging open, not in my neighborhood, but Wonton kept pulling at his leash. I saw that Ken the Handyman's office door was open and I heard his voice. He was probably on the phone trying to get someone to come out and fix the door. I figured, Jim's right behind me, Ken's right there in the lobby, it was probably okay to head out.

Later, as planned, Jim joined us as we headed back home on Main Street. We approached the front door - it was still hanging off its hinge. Obviously, we didn't have to punch in our entry code, so I heaved the door open, let Wonton and Jim inside, then tried to heave the door in place behind us. It wasn't happening, the door wouldn't close. I noticed that Ken's office door was closed and wondered if he was at Home Depot, trying to get a new door.

I walk over to the elevator and saw the display, indicating it was still on the lobby level. I hit the button and the doors opened. The first thing I saw was a homeless man, his shirt pulled up to expose his big dirty belly, and his pants dropped around his ankles. I didn't see his genitals, because there was a woman on her knees in front of him, blocking the view with her mouth.

"Oh, f*ck no!" I yelled. Caught by surprise, she scrambles to her feet. He fastens his pants and pulls down his shirt, laughing to himself the entire time. I'm livid. I pull out my cell phone and dial my landlord's office. While I wait for it to connect, I'm ushering them out the door, "Get the f*ck out of here!" Jim sits at the desk by the door, Wonton beside him, shocked into good behavior by my raised voice - directed at someone else.

Jim asks, "So what were they doing in the elevator?"

I get voicemail and leave a terse message, recounting what I saw in vivid detail for the landlord's office and Jim. I hang up and dial again.

"Are you calling Ken?" asks Jim.

I nod. Ken answers and I tell him that I just got back from walking Wonton and found the door off its hinge. He interrupts me, "I just left there about a half hour ago. Don't worry, I'm trying to get someone to come in early tomorrow morning to fix the door."

I interrupt him right back, "I haven't even told you the best part, Ken. I pressed the elevator button, the doors opened, and there was a homeless man getting a blow job in the elevator."

"What? I locked all the floors on the elevator. There's no way anyone could get up without a key."

"They weren't headed anywhere, the elevator car was still in the lobby. They were just inside getting off."

I waited for Ken's reaction. Silence, then, "I'm on my way back right now."

"What about the front door?"

"I'll call one of the guys on the sixth floor to come down and watch the door until I return."

We hang up and I tell Jim of Ken's plan. Just then, one of our neighbors from the third floor walks up to the keypad outside, punches in his entry code, and realizes the door is broken. I open it for him and we tell him what just happened. He suggest we use a padlock on the door, one used for the deliveries cabinet in the lobby.

I'm skeptical, "If we put it on the outside of the door, people inside can't get out. If we put it on the inside..."

He nods. Then another neighbor from the third floor exits the elevator. I don't know his name, we just refer to him as "the Smarmy Attorney who keeps trying to sneak onto our rooftop patio with his ugly dates no matter how many times we tell him that it's a private patio and he's not welcome". Smarmy Attorney (SA) asks what's going on with the door, so I tell the story again.

SA asks, "What was she charging?"

My inner voice says,"Fifty bucks, same as your mama." But in the interest of being neighborly, I just grimace and roll my eyes. SA tries to throw his shoulder into the door. It doesn't budge. I tell him to lift it, then push. No, don't thank me, please just make another lame joke before you go.

"Hey, maybe we can get her back in here and get a cut for using our elevator."

What a tool. No one laughs, so he leaves and doesn't bother trying to close the door.

Jim offers to sit at the door and stand watch until the guy from the sixth floor comes down. Problems solved for now, third floor neighbor gets in one elevator (the one not harboring horny street people), waving goodbye. I take Wonton and we head upstairs to get dinner started while Jim stands sentry at the door.

A few minutes later, Jim comes up. One of the guys from six is standing guard at the front door with a large black dog. He didn't think to ask the guy's name, but the dog's name is Souldog.

After dinner, Jim goes downstairs to throw out the trash and to check on the door situation. Jim had been very quiet throughout dinner and I asked if anything was wrong.

"The more I think about what happened with the elevator, the more upset I get. Sure, they couldn't get upstairs because all the floors were locked. But what if you were alone at home, called the elevator and those two wound up on our floor? What would you do then? What if they had been hostile?"

At first I make the argument that I'd be fine, I wouldn't be scared and besides, I'm a seething cauldron of anger, ready to kick ass when provoked. But I stopped, I knew he was right. What if it had been two men, not having sex in the elevator, but ready to rape and pillage whichever lucky resident called the elevator up?

Jim continued, "What if any of the other women in this building called the elevator up?"

I didn't want to think about it, didn't want to admit that we live on a dangerous street full of desperate people, that there was fresh gang graffiti on the building next door. I didn't want to think of any number of close calls I might've had, how badly things could've turned out.

Later that night, I looked out our windows at the quiet city below. A siren shattered the stillness of the night and I thanked my lucky stars that I wasn't riding in that ambulance, or waiting for it to arrive. Lucky that Jim was with me, that they weren't hostile, and that Ken was willing to stay at the door all night.

Oh yeah, we got a new door installed the next day. Now Jim is wondering how long before someone tags it. Such a pessimist. Here I was, wondering if I could put some Hello Kitty stickers on it.

busy days ahead

I haven't written much about what's really been going on with me, there's been so much "doing" rather than reflecting, and unfortunately the lack of activity on my blog shows that. As the WGA strike continues and we head into the holiday season, I'm afraid it's not going to get any easier.

Tonight is the Downtown Art Walk, which means Jim and I will take Wonton to The Lofty Dog for Yappy Hour. We've been taking Wonton on twice-daily walks and anytime we head north on Main or Spring past 4th Street, Wonton assumes he's headed for The Lofty Dog and damn near runs the whole way. I hope we'll have time to check out a few galleries and MOCA's Murakami exhibit, but I look at my pile of things to get done and I don't think it'll happen.

Every morning, I check Wonton's eyes, clean out any schmutz and apply the ointment that his veterinary opthalmologist gave us. Yes, our vet referred us to a specialist for Wonton's eye troubles. Yes, I realize this ups my ridiculousness rating considerably (as if it weren't high enough, what with Wonton blogging). At least I don't take him to a psychic or a therapist, but I'm getting off the subject. This morning, Wonton threw up on my comforter and his Hello Kitty blanket. Might have something to do with him trying to hoover up whatever he finds on our floors, or his eating the orchids off my orchid plant, or chewing the monkey sock slippers Jim's mom gave me last Christmas. I threw the bedding in the wash and Jim took Wonton out for his morning walk. He was probably trying to keep me from insisting on taking Wonton to the vet in a panic, like I did last time. Now he's napping (Wonton, not Jim), nestled inside the wooden basket that he normally tries to chew apart.



I was on a conference call with a WGA strike captain the other night. That, and some questions aimed at an entertainment attorney and a few producers, helped to clear up a few things as regards what I can and cannot do during the strike. I'll write about that in a separate post, it deserves more, um, reflection.

In other writing news, I'm working on a graphic novel. I'm in the outlining stage right now, but I do have a few panels written and have been lucky enough to get some sage advice from a friend and a seasoned pro in the field. I'll post more on my progress as work, um, progresses.

I've been meaning to check out one of those $15/hour foot massage places in San Gabriel, on Valley Boulevard. I'll probably need it after walking the picket line. Who wants to check it out with me? Anybody?

Oops, look at the time. If you're out Art Walking, stop by The Lofty Dog and say hi to me, Jim and Wonton (and other downtown dogs)!

i'm a picketer's pal

Wired News' Jenna Wortham wrote a story about Dave Bullock's Downtown Locations Filming Map and how it's being used during the WGA strike to picket downtown location shoots. It mentions me briefly, and how Dave's traffic has spiked since the strike started. Check it out here.

jim's birthday conveyor-belt sushi dinner

To celebrate my husband Jim's birthday, a few of our friends gathered for a sushi at Frying Fish at the Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo. I made reservations for 20, so we didn't take up all the available spaces at the sushi counter, but in the end we were 16 diners strong. Diners included: Albert, Neonboy and the Gentrifier, Shannon, me, Jim, Angel, Helena and Garen, Jim, Gabrielle and Poppy, Camille, and Sandra.



We had plenty to celebrate besides Jim's birthday, but I'm still waiting to hear whether I can blog about the other things yet or not. In any case, once we were in full swing, I put my camera on a plate on the otherwise sushi-laden conveyor belt and hit the record button. Here it is:



I'm such a dolt, I didn't videotape us singing "Happy Birthday" drunkenly and loudly for Jim. Oh well. The management of Frying Fish were so nice and accommodating, serving up cake and ice cream for the birthday boy. I definitely recommend Frying Fish for sushi, especially the red dragon roll, and the prices were very reasonable.

Afterwards, Matt and Reena joined us and we all went over to cefiore for some frozen yogurt. Good times. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as Jim and I did, and thanks for coming out!

so much going on tonight

I wish I could be in several places at once, there are so many things going on tonight and through the weekend. I'll be attending Creative Screenwriting's Screenwriting Expo, which kicks off tonight and wraps up Sunday evening. This event used to take place at the Convention Center, but last year they moved it to the LAX Marriott and another adjacent hotel. I think the venue sucks and would love to woo them back to downtown. Brady, can you work your magic and make this come back downtown?

Jim and I were scheduled to attend a screening tonight of THE NAMESAKE (and I was really looking forward to it), followed by a Q&A with director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair). But I have to go pick up my expo passes and attend a kick-off networking party. Yeah, that'll be a barrel of laughs, everyone in a group worryfest about the impending WGA strike. Drink, please!

Closer to home, we're missing Niche LA's screening of Hideo Nakata's RINGU tonight at 7:30pm:

"In honor of Halloween, we present the film that started the J-horror movement. An investigative reporter looks into the mysterious deaths of seemingly healthy people and hears rumors of a strange videotape with a particular curse -- anyone who watches it will die in exactly one week. Forget the Hollywood remake which took the rough (and arguably scarier) edges off the story. This is the original and still the best. You'll never look at a TV screen in the same way again."

WHAT: Free Wednesday Night Film Screening of RINGU (1998, Runtime: 96 mins)

WHEN: October 24th @ 7:30PM

WHERE: Niche.LA Video Art
Spring Arts Tower
453 S. Spring St. #443
Los Angeles, CA 90013 (corner of 5th and Spring in Downtown LA).
Space is limited, so please RSVP via email or call/text (213) 247-0002.
Click here for info on parking/directions.

View Larger Map

So what are you doing tonight?