Festival Recap by Don Rose
LAFFING: there were comedies galore at this year's fest. "Cold Souls" was the hottest Dark SciFantasyComedy of the fest (okay, the only one), and the director said it was inspired by a dream she had in which she and Woody Allen are in a waiting room holding boxes containing their souls. (Dream analysis, anyone?) Paul Giamatti stars as himself; after undergoing a procedure to store his soul, it winds up getting smuggled out of the country and into a female actress who suddenly displays his great acting prowess. (Yes, the plot is kinda Kaufmanesque.)
LOVING: the LAFF is known for showcasing quirky tales of attraction action, and this year brought unique love stories. For example, "Paper Heart" (starring buzzworthy actors Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi) and "Paper Man" (the Jeff Daniels / Ryan Reynolds dramedy that gets The LA Report's Find of the Fest award), which kept audiences elated and enthralled.
LIVING LEGENDS: several made appearances, both live and onscreen, especially those in the (artificial yet artful) category Music Legends In Documentaries. Two living Doors (Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger) attended a screening of the new Doors doc "When You're Strange" (my favorite film of the fest). And there was white-haired Jimmy Page and Jack White at the premiere of the doc that features Page, White and The Edge -- "It Might Get Loud" -- as well as at the afterparty held at the Hotel Palomar (a spiffy recently-opened hotel at the corner of Wilshire and Selby, with a superb restaurant that served delicious sliders and other delectables at the party). In the arena of sports, "Facing Ali" featured many legends of yesteryear; this doc showcases the select group of boxers who took on the best boxer ever, and now share what it was like to fight The Greatest.
LOUDNESS: In addition to "It Might Get Loud" there was the loud (and now lucrative) sequel of "Transformers" to transfix festivalgoers' eyes and ears. And at the Ford Amphitheatre, "Soul Power" served up some soul-shaking sounds in its tale of the superstar R&B concert that took place at the time of the 1974 Zaire Ali-Foreman fight (yes, Ali was one recurring theme of this year's fest).
LIVELY LOUNGE: The Zone Perfect lounge was the central meeting/partying point during
this year's LAFF. Loved the interactive word wall and painting area. On one especially lively night, actress/comedienne Charlyne Yi showed she is a musician too (one with many rough yet endearing edges) as she rocked the lounge with her eclectic duo Glass Beef. Matt Nathanson also rocked the Lounge, on the final evening, as part of a special VH1 Save the Music night.
LLYN's LORE: at a Reel Talk event held poolside at the W Hotel (the first of 3 such panels over 3 consecutive days), lore about days of yore came forth from artist Llyn Foulkes, who was perhaps the most passionate of the panelists at this panel on art and design in film. He talked of a pivotal point in his art career when, instead of selling out like some others did, he took a different, less-lucrative road in order to keep true to his art - and heart. Was there a tinge of regret in his voice, or was it pride in pursuing the path he ultimately forged over the path of easy money? Hard to tell, but moments like that kept the panel in high thought-provoking gear, and proved that drama is not just found in the films of a festival.
LAFF's LEADING LIST: Leaving LAFF leads some to ask, "what were LAFF's hottest films?" Hard to decide, but here is The LA Report's Excellent Eight: Paper Man, Paper Heart, Cold Souls, Soul Power, No Impact Man, When You're Strange, It Might Get Loud, Facing Ali. These got the most buzz and crowds. However, there were dozens more movies just as heartfelt at the fest and, with time, may garner just as much attention.
All in all, LAFF 2009 was a well-run and supremely entertaining film festival, and we highly recommend you attend LAFF 2010 next summer. (Our one suggestion for timely retro programming next year: a screening of "2010", the sequel to "2001"; while it may not enjoy the classic status of the original, it's still a stellar film!)
Showing posts with label best of 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best of 2009. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
MAY 28-29: MELANIE SEGAL'S CELEBRITY GIFT & CHARITY HOUSE RETURNS IN CELEBRATION OF 2009 MTV MOVIE AWARDS
by Don Rose
Melanie Segal’s 5th Annual Celebrity Gift & Charity House will once again celebrate the MTV Movie Awards, and is set to take place on May 28th and May 29th, 2009. This is not just another gift lounge. Melanie's events are well-known for reaching out to charity organizations, and her 2009 MTV Movie Awards House will continue the tradition: in honor of each celebrity who attends, the lounge is donating 100 meals to LA’s needy. Her last event fed 70,000 people thanks to the support of celebrities! For her upcoming 2-day event, celebs will also be asked to sign an arcade game that will be auctioned off for charity.
In return for their presence to support this cause, guests will receive the latest in electronics, jeans and apparel, pet products, bathing suits and jewelry. In addition, Christy’s Hats, Primp Clothing, Vera Wang and Cosabella will be there for guests to enjoy. There also promises to be lots of gifts for men, as well as a Cigar Bar, wine, Wonka Candy, Baskin Robbins ice cream, luxury vacation stays, skincare, massages, manicures, pedicures, eye-lash extensions, glitter & henna tattoos and much more.
According to Ms. Segal, the venue is a gorgeous, private Chateau just steps away from the famed Chateau Marmont -- a 4-story Spanish Castle that will captivate celebrity guests with its handmade custom furniture, 20 foot hand carved ceilings, elevator, spa, billiard room, glass fire pit, relaxation room, 18-seat dining room table, chef's kitchen, and its very own bell tower!
There is much buzz about this event, which is slated to be Melanie's best to date. Stay tuned to The LA Report for more details.
May 28-29, 2009: Melanie Segal’s 5th Annual Celebrity Gift & Charity House. Hollywood, CA. PR contact: Melanie Segal, Platinum Publicity. www.platinumpublicity.com. A TLR Featured Event.
Melanie Segal’s 5th Annual Celebrity Gift & Charity House will once again celebrate the MTV Movie Awards, and is set to take place on May 28th and May 29th, 2009. This is not just another gift lounge. Melanie's events are well-known for reaching out to charity organizations, and her 2009 MTV Movie Awards House will continue the tradition: in honor of each celebrity who attends, the lounge is donating 100 meals to LA’s needy. Her last event fed 70,000 people thanks to the support of celebrities! For her upcoming 2-day event, celebs will also be asked to sign an arcade game that will be auctioned off for charity.
In return for their presence to support this cause, guests will receive the latest in electronics, jeans and apparel, pet products, bathing suits and jewelry. In addition, Christy’s Hats, Primp Clothing, Vera Wang and Cosabella will be there for guests to enjoy. There also promises to be lots of gifts for men, as well as a Cigar Bar, wine, Wonka Candy, Baskin Robbins ice cream, luxury vacation stays, skincare, massages, manicures, pedicures, eye-lash extensions, glitter & henna tattoos and much more.
According to Ms. Segal, the venue is a gorgeous, private Chateau just steps away from the famed Chateau Marmont -- a 4-story Spanish Castle that will captivate celebrity guests with its handmade custom furniture, 20 foot hand carved ceilings, elevator, spa, billiard room, glass fire pit, relaxation room, 18-seat dining room table, chef's kitchen, and its very own bell tower!
There is much buzz about this event, which is slated to be Melanie's best to date. Stay tuned to The LA Report for more details.
May 28-29, 2009: Melanie Segal’s 5th Annual Celebrity Gift & Charity House. Hollywood, CA. PR contact: Melanie Segal, Platinum Publicity. www.platinumpublicity.com. A TLR Featured Event.
Monday, February 16, 2009
BUSH, CHENEY PHOTO AT OBAMA INAUGURATION: IS BUSH WATCHING TV DURING OBAMA SPEECH?
by Don Rose
Love this image from the Obama Inauguration. The last picture of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney together in power, or should I say having just lost it. The Dastardly Duo are seen here sitting behind Obama as the new President delivers his Inauguration Speech. I must say, Cheney in the wheelchair and black hat looks part Snidely Whiplash, part Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life, with a dash of Dr. Strangelove. Meanwhile, Bush is in typical W mode, looking impatient with pursed lips and... what the... is he watching television? In the middle of Obama's historic speech? Sure looks like he's holding a smartphone here. Maybe it's streaming CNN, so he can see what he can't see live, since he's seated BEHIND the new Prez. Okay, that makes sense. Or is he texting? "I cnt b leev hw long ths is takng. I think Dik's asleep. Wish i was". Or maybe W's just holding Obama's Blackberry for him (or should I say Barackberry)...
FYI, this closeup was captured after zooming in on a longshot GIGAPAN image that is created by integrating many photos of a scene into a zoomable panorama. Start long and wide, then zoom in again and again; each time the image refocuses into sharpness. Quite fun to fiddle with. There are other similar technologies that also let you combine many images into one megaphoto or metaphoto or gigaphoto (pick your prefix) that you can pan and zoom. Microsoft's Photosynth is one such technology. Photosynth transforms a set of 2D shots into a kind of 3D navigable image. Their "Obama moment" megaphoto of the Oath garnered lots of attention (I'm sure Chief Justice Roberts has played with it many times, to relive that magic moment he made so memorable).
Final note: after zooming in for an even closer look, it seems the W-smartphone-holding theory may have been a bit premature. He might just be clapping and the "phone" may be a trick of the light and angle and that water bottle behind W's gloves. Guess we'll never know.
Love this image from the Obama Inauguration. The last picture of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney together in power, or should I say having just lost it. The Dastardly Duo are seen here sitting behind Obama as the new President delivers his Inauguration Speech. I must say, Cheney in the wheelchair and black hat looks part Snidely Whiplash, part Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life, with a dash of Dr. Strangelove. Meanwhile, Bush is in typical W mode, looking impatient with pursed lips and... what the... is he watching television? In the middle of Obama's historic speech? Sure looks like he's holding a smartphone here. Maybe it's streaming CNN, so he can see what he can't see live, since he's seated BEHIND the new Prez. Okay, that makes sense. Or is he texting? "I cnt b leev hw long ths is takng. I think Dik's asleep. Wish i was". Or maybe W's just holding Obama's Blackberry for him (or should I say Barackberry)...
FYI, this closeup was captured after zooming in on a longshot GIGAPAN image that is created by integrating many photos of a scene into a zoomable panorama. Start long and wide, then zoom in again and again; each time the image refocuses into sharpness. Quite fun to fiddle with. There are other similar technologies that also let you combine many images into one megaphoto or metaphoto or gigaphoto (pick your prefix) that you can pan and zoom. Microsoft's Photosynth is one such technology. Photosynth transforms a set of 2D shots into a kind of 3D navigable image. Their "Obama moment" megaphoto of the Oath garnered lots of attention (I'm sure Chief Justice Roberts has played with it many times, to relive that magic moment he made so memorable).
Final note: after zooming in for an even closer look, it seems the W-smartphone-holding theory may have been a bit premature. He might just be clapping and the "phone" may be a trick of the light and angle and that water bottle behind W's gloves. Guess we'll never know.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
TOP TWELVE THINGS THAT MAKE TWIISTUP TERRIFIC
by Don Rose
Today's Valentine's Day. It's also Tw+Two -- that is, two days since the terrific Twiistup (Episode 5) took place at Santa Monica's Hangar 8 space with roughly 1000 excited guests, the techtelligentsia of LA, the cyber cream of the crop enjoying top notch exhibit booths, food, drinks, games, networking and much more. So, I thought, why not combine the two themes? Here goes: a dozen reasons (think of them as a dozen virtual roses) why I love Twiistup:
1. Showoffs Shine - Twiistup, at its heart, is all about showing off the best new tech startups, many of which are based in the Los Angeles area. Wake up, Silicon Valley -- LA Alley has arrived big time. The LA tech scene is healthy and growing and may just overtake you. Some of the showoff startups that won praise at Twiistup 5 included: Scour (social search, where you get points for surfing that you can redeem for Visa giftcards, sweet!), Cogi (record phone conversations or use it for dictation, sounds like it could be a journo's dream), Chi.mp (free websites to organize your online social life), Socialsimple.com (also aims to org your soc life, see your social networks on one page, etc), Heavybagmedia.com (they held a cool SMS scavenger hunt where clues were texted to players' cellphones, which holds great promise for promoting businesses who have specials, can you imagine flashmobs suddenly swamping, say, Subway after getting texts for special deals?), Cybercoders.com (tech talent recruiters who place professionals in all sorts of tech jobs, they had a kind of cyberdome to hang out in at the show, and friendly founder Heidi is a joy to talk to), Fixya (largest online tech forum community, said their booth), Userplane (a showoff that has been there with a Twiistup booth since the early days, very friendly and helpful staff explaining their services - you may know them for their enhanced IM app) and many more. Even Jake Steinfeld was there (of "Body by Jake" fame, the guy who trained Spielberg) promoting his new book about business. For the full Showoffs list, go to http://www.twiistup.com/.
2. The amazing venue for Tw5 -- the huge hangar meant more room to roam; since these events are so awesomely cool they always attract a packed crowd, but this time everyone could luxuriate with space galore. Plenty of nearby parking too.
3. Twiistup founders Mike and Stephanie Macadaan -- two of the nicest people you will ever meet, who are always making sure their guests have a great time, always pick the coolest venues, and always select the most unique and exciting Showoffs at each event. They deserve huge kudos for taking Twiistup to greater and greater heights with each edition (Twiistup 1 was at Zanzibar in Santa Monica with a few hundred people, while Twiistup 5 had an astounding thousand).
4. Shira -- a wonderful MC, the hot host with the most: sharp, fun, generates buzz and excitement for whoever she is interviewing during the event. Shira: she rocks.
5. Twiistup.com -- an excellent website, with tons of info, and myriad ways to connect with folks and win valuable prizes before the actual event occurs; check it out and get social with the coolest tech minds around.
6. The networking -- you leave with pockets full of valuable business cards when you attend Twiistup. Even waiting in the (fast moving) line to get in you'll meet a dozen people you resonate with. The top talent of the LA tech scene always comes out for Twiistup in mass quantities.
7. Value -- Think about all they provide: Twiistup 5 had over a dozen showoffs to meet, 1000 top creative cybertechgeeks to socialize with, open bars (including ), cigars (see item 11 below), giveaways and raffles, food from Kogi BBQ, 5 full hours of fun, all for $75; quite the deal. Do the math: food and a few cocktails at any eatery worth its salt and pepper would set you back 75 smackers -- and get you lots less biz cards. (I also loved how the Tw5 bars had plenty of Honest Tea, one of The LA Report's favorite non-alcoholic drinks, in pomegranate and punch. No, I was not paid for that plug. Hansens' new line of natural energy drinks also pleased partygoers.) The best testament to Twiistup's bang for the buck can be found in the sales stats: 1000 people bought Tw5 tickets, with 300 more on a waiting list wishing they were in.
8. Fun -- yes, the fun factor was in full force, with Tw5's 80s theme, cool outfits, retro chairs to lounge in (remember those eggish roundish cushioned chairs from the 70s/80s?), chic geek heaven all around. And an essential element of Twiistup fun is the fact that you always get...
9. Surprises! -- like The Dating Game at Tw5. Who else but Twiistup would concoct the idea to have a fun version of this popular TV show where tech PR babe Heather Meeker had to select among three eligible techgeek bachelors. Again, the fun factor. I was humming the original TV theme by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass in my head. (Bet you never thought you'd get a Herb Alpert reference here. See? Surprises! And by the way, his music during one period sold more than the Beatles; wikipedia him. Bet you never saw wikipedia as a verb before. See? Surprises!) And you never know who will show up --- for example, a dead-ringer Bono double held court at a previous Twiistup and you'd absolutely swear the Irish U2 frontman was right there mingling amongst us mere mortals. See http://www.bonodouble.com/. His name's Pavel, but his body's Bono. Where else but Twiistup could you see a sight like that? (Fun fact: I actually worked with Pavel a few years ago, when a firm hired a dozen lookalikes for a party; his Bono rocked, as usual, while I got to channel Garth from Wayne's World; yep, blonde wig, black glasses, drumsticks and all. I might even send you a pic if you e-me...)
10. Giveaways -- Twiistup is superswagolicious, since showoffs like to shower guests with goodies -- some promotional, sure, but always creative. Scour even went so far as to staple dollar bills to the flyers they were handing out (a tad enticing in tough times, and a brilliant marketing ploy to lure Twiistuppers into grabbing a flyer -- hey, a buck ain't chopped liver, and it gets the point across that you do make dough using their social search service). The raffles by Showoffs were also stellar, including an XBOX by Socialsimple and a cool electric Trikke by Cogi. And there was a brand-new giveaway during this latest Twiistup... cigars! Yep, you could even get handrolled cigars outside by the heat lamps and enjoy some Puffy action for a while. (No, not P.Diddy. Come on. And no, no sight of President Clinton.)
11. Games - even before Twiistup took place, you could get some fun gaming action via Ringorang (www.ringorang.bom), which ran a trivia game that incorporated Twiistup people into the gameplay. At the actual event, you could partake in classic arcade games via Multicade (remember that 80's theme!) as well as more modern mayhem via a 3D shoot-em-up and, of course, the greatest gaming hit in recent memory, Guitar Hero.
12. The joy of anticipation -- for Twiistup 6. (They may have to hold it in the Superdome...)
Today's Valentine's Day. It's also Tw+Two -- that is, two days since the terrific Twiistup (Episode 5) took place at Santa Monica's Hangar 8 space with roughly 1000 excited guests, the techtelligentsia of LA, the cyber cream of the crop enjoying top notch exhibit booths, food, drinks, games, networking and much more. So, I thought, why not combine the two themes? Here goes: a dozen reasons (think of them as a dozen virtual roses) why I love Twiistup:
1. Showoffs Shine - Twiistup, at its heart, is all about showing off the best new tech startups, many of which are based in the Los Angeles area. Wake up, Silicon Valley -- LA Alley has arrived big time. The LA tech scene is healthy and growing and may just overtake you. Some of the showoff startups that won praise at Twiistup 5 included: Scour (social search, where you get points for surfing that you can redeem for Visa giftcards, sweet!), Cogi (record phone conversations or use it for dictation, sounds like it could be a journo's dream), Chi.mp (free websites to organize your online social life), Socialsimple.com (also aims to org your soc life, see your social networks on one page, etc), Heavybagmedia.com (they held a cool SMS scavenger hunt where clues were texted to players' cellphones, which holds great promise for promoting businesses who have specials, can you imagine flashmobs suddenly swamping, say, Subway after getting texts for special deals?), Cybercoders.com (tech talent recruiters who place professionals in all sorts of tech jobs, they had a kind of cyberdome to hang out in at the show, and friendly founder Heidi is a joy to talk to), Fixya (largest online tech forum community, said their booth), Userplane (a showoff that has been there with a Twiistup booth since the early days, very friendly and helpful staff explaining their services - you may know them for their enhanced IM app) and many more. Even Jake Steinfeld was there (of "Body by Jake" fame, the guy who trained Spielberg) promoting his new book about business. For the full Showoffs list, go to http://www.twiistup.com/.
2. The amazing venue for Tw5 -- the huge hangar meant more room to roam; since these events are so awesomely cool they always attract a packed crowd, but this time everyone could luxuriate with space galore. Plenty of nearby parking too.
3. Twiistup founders Mike and Stephanie Macadaan -- two of the nicest people you will ever meet, who are always making sure their guests have a great time, always pick the coolest venues, and always select the most unique and exciting Showoffs at each event. They deserve huge kudos for taking Twiistup to greater and greater heights with each edition (Twiistup 1 was at Zanzibar in Santa Monica with a few hundred people, while Twiistup 5 had an astounding thousand).
4. Shira -- a wonderful MC, the hot host with the most: sharp, fun, generates buzz and excitement for whoever she is interviewing during the event. Shira: she rocks.
5. Twiistup.com -- an excellent website, with tons of info, and myriad ways to connect with folks and win valuable prizes before the actual event occurs; check it out and get social with the coolest tech minds around.
6. The networking -- you leave with pockets full of valuable business cards when you attend Twiistup. Even waiting in the (fast moving) line to get in you'll meet a dozen people you resonate with. The top talent of the LA tech scene always comes out for Twiistup in mass quantities.
7. Value -- Think about all they provide: Twiistup 5 had over a dozen showoffs to meet, 1000 top creative cybertechgeeks to socialize with, open bars (including ), cigars (see item 11 below), giveaways and raffles, food from Kogi BBQ, 5 full hours of fun, all for $75; quite the deal. Do the math: food and a few cocktails at any eatery worth its salt and pepper would set you back 75 smackers -- and get you lots less biz cards. (I also loved how the Tw5 bars had plenty of Honest Tea, one of The LA Report's favorite non-alcoholic drinks, in pomegranate and punch. No, I was not paid for that plug. Hansens' new line of natural energy drinks also pleased partygoers.) The best testament to Twiistup's bang for the buck can be found in the sales stats: 1000 people bought Tw5 tickets, with 300 more on a waiting list wishing they were in.
8. Fun -- yes, the fun factor was in full force, with Tw5's 80s theme, cool outfits, retro chairs to lounge in (remember those eggish roundish cushioned chairs from the 70s/80s?), chic geek heaven all around. And an essential element of Twiistup fun is the fact that you always get...
9. Surprises! -- like The Dating Game at Tw5. Who else but Twiistup would concoct the idea to have a fun version of this popular TV show where tech PR babe Heather Meeker had to select among three eligible techgeek bachelors. Again, the fun factor. I was humming the original TV theme by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass in my head. (Bet you never thought you'd get a Herb Alpert reference here. See? Surprises! And by the way, his music during one period sold more than the Beatles; wikipedia him. Bet you never saw wikipedia as a verb before. See? Surprises!) And you never know who will show up --- for example, a dead-ringer Bono double held court at a previous Twiistup and you'd absolutely swear the Irish U2 frontman was right there mingling amongst us mere mortals. See http://www.bonodouble.com/. His name's Pavel, but his body's Bono. Where else but Twiistup could you see a sight like that? (Fun fact: I actually worked with Pavel a few years ago, when a firm hired a dozen lookalikes for a party; his Bono rocked, as usual, while I got to channel Garth from Wayne's World; yep, blonde wig, black glasses, drumsticks and all. I might even send you a pic if you e-me...)
10. Giveaways -- Twiistup is superswagolicious, since showoffs like to shower guests with goodies -- some promotional, sure, but always creative. Scour even went so far as to staple dollar bills to the flyers they were handing out (a tad enticing in tough times, and a brilliant marketing ploy to lure Twiistuppers into grabbing a flyer -- hey, a buck ain't chopped liver, and it gets the point across that you do make dough using their social search service). The raffles by Showoffs were also stellar, including an XBOX by Socialsimple and a cool electric Trikke by Cogi. And there was a brand-new giveaway during this latest Twiistup... cigars! Yep, you could even get handrolled cigars outside by the heat lamps and enjoy some Puffy action for a while. (No, not P.Diddy. Come on. And no, no sight of President Clinton.)
11. Games - even before Twiistup took place, you could get some fun gaming action via Ringorang (www.ringorang.bom), which ran a trivia game that incorporated Twiistup people into the gameplay. At the actual event, you could partake in classic arcade games via Multicade (remember that 80's theme!) as well as more modern mayhem via a 3D shoot-em-up and, of course, the greatest gaming hit in recent memory, Guitar Hero.
12. The joy of anticipation -- for Twiistup 6. (They may have to hold it in the Superdome...)
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