So, the fates were kind to Bubba and me this past weekend. We had to pick up a few things, so we headed out to the Hollywood and Highland Mall. Located at the corners of Hollywood and Highland (duh) Avenues, it's in tourist Hollywood Central. I've been here all of 3 months, and even I know already, "Eh, we 'locals' wouldn't really want to hang out there. Too touristy." This is where you've got your Walk of Fame, your Kodak Theater (setting up for the Oscars a WEEK in advance, like it's a UN Global summit), and your gift shops hawking t-shirts, faux Oscars for things like, "Best Nephew," and fake drivers license mock-ups of your favorite trashy celebrity.
Then of course, you have Grauman's Chinese Theater. I'd sort of been there a couple of times, already. I mean hey, you gotta look at the cement hand and foot prints if you're there. I think Bubba and I went once, then once again when her sister was in town. Both times, what cracked me up is how absolutely MINISCULE the vast majority of the starlets' shoes/feet were. It's particular funny to me, because I have ill-formed clown feet, and I can only imagine what my cement mold would look like. I also cracked up at some of the cement pairings. Like the old Sesame Street (if it was Electric Co. or a different kids show, cut me some slack) song, "Which of these things just doesn't belong here?" You'd see, I don't know, Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, Liz Taylor, and then like, Jim Carrey. Not to sweat him, but you're going from like, Dirty Harry, to Don Corleone, to Cleopatra, to Ace Ventura.
So, I'd seen the foot and hoof (Trigger) prints and all, but hadn't seen a film there. Didn't even think about it. Assumed it was like the multi-plex annex next door which we'd already seen, complete with stadium seating, perfect site lines, and a Big Gulp cup-holder. Upon finishing up our shopping, Bubba said, "what's playing at the theater (the multi-plex)?" Turns out "Hannibal" was playing, which we'd wanted to see, starting like right that minute. We give the usher our tickets and he's like, "No, you have to go next door. Down the escalator and outside." Annoyed, because we're already 8 minutes into trailers, we shuffle down the escalator, into the bus loads of tourists outside Grauman's, all taking the EXACT same pictures, that have been taken exactly the same way every day for exactly the last 60 years.
We finally get inside the actual theater and much to my surprise, it is phe-NOMENAL. Just fantastic. Huge lobby. Huge theater. Huge screen. Huge sound. Huge popcorn too. A perfect blend of old-time Hollywood movie showmanship and presentation, but with all of the modern conveniences. Even the bathrooms were great. I don't notice bathrooms in movie theaters, but I have to give this one props. My only regret is that we weren't watching some dope sci-fi movie or battle epic, to really get to appreciate the sense stimulating capabilities of this place.
Early on in my L.A. tenure, I'd noted how for as vast and significant a city this is, it's significantly lacking in concrete historical landmarks and such. Hell, I heard on the radio that in Venice Beach, a battle is builiding because they want to tear down the legendary Zephyr skate shop or something in favor of some condos. Because there's so few places people seem to genuinely care about, this is getting attention akin to the way New Yorkers petitioned for The Plaza recently, or the way so many people go nuts when they talk about renovating Yankee Stadium. So maybe that's why I was so floored by Grauman's? I mean, I think it has been the first and only MAN-MADE place to really live up to the hype for me. (I qualify it with "man-made" because I think the natural splendor actually MORE than lives up to the hype).
When you get down to it, I shouldn't be so fixated on this concept of "legitimate landmarks." I lived either in, or within 45 minutes of NYC for probably 26 out of my 36 years, with this motherlode of great architecture and whatnot. In that time, I went to the Empire State Building once, NEVER went to the WTC, the Statue of Liberty once on a school field trip, and so on. Maybe by virtue of NOT having so many things around, I WON'T now take them for granted, and I'll be able to appreciate things better?? Ahh, I'm over thinking this. The Grauman's Chinese Theater is an excellent place to see a movie. If you ever come to Los Angeles, I highly recommend it. Done and done.
Then of course, you have Grauman's Chinese Theater. I'd sort of been there a couple of times, already. I mean hey, you gotta look at the cement hand and foot prints if you're there. I think Bubba and I went once, then once again when her sister was in town. Both times, what cracked me up is how absolutely MINISCULE the vast majority of the starlets' shoes/feet were. It's particular funny to me, because I have ill-formed clown feet, and I can only imagine what my cement mold would look like. I also cracked up at some of the cement pairings. Like the old Sesame Street (if it was Electric Co. or a different kids show, cut me some slack) song, "Which of these things just doesn't belong here?" You'd see, I don't know, Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, Liz Taylor, and then like, Jim Carrey. Not to sweat him, but you're going from like, Dirty Harry, to Don Corleone, to Cleopatra, to Ace Ventura.
So, I'd seen the foot and hoof (Trigger) prints and all, but hadn't seen a film there. Didn't even think about it. Assumed it was like the multi-plex annex next door which we'd already seen, complete with stadium seating, perfect site lines, and a Big Gulp cup-holder. Upon finishing up our shopping, Bubba said, "what's playing at the theater (the multi-plex)?" Turns out "Hannibal" was playing, which we'd wanted to see, starting like right that minute. We give the usher our tickets and he's like, "No, you have to go next door. Down the escalator and outside." Annoyed, because we're already 8 minutes into trailers, we shuffle down the escalator, into the bus loads of tourists outside Grauman's, all taking the EXACT same pictures, that have been taken exactly the same way every day for exactly the last 60 years.
We finally get inside the actual theater and much to my surprise, it is phe-NOMENAL. Just fantastic. Huge lobby. Huge theater. Huge screen. Huge sound. Huge popcorn too. A perfect blend of old-time Hollywood movie showmanship and presentation, but with all of the modern conveniences. Even the bathrooms were great. I don't notice bathrooms in movie theaters, but I have to give this one props. My only regret is that we weren't watching some dope sci-fi movie or battle epic, to really get to appreciate the sense stimulating capabilities of this place.
Early on in my L.A. tenure, I'd noted how for as vast and significant a city this is, it's significantly lacking in concrete historical landmarks and such. Hell, I heard on the radio that in Venice Beach, a battle is builiding because they want to tear down the legendary Zephyr skate shop or something in favor of some condos. Because there's so few places people seem to genuinely care about, this is getting attention akin to the way New Yorkers petitioned for The Plaza recently, or the way so many people go nuts when they talk about renovating Yankee Stadium. So maybe that's why I was so floored by Grauman's? I mean, I think it has been the first and only MAN-MADE place to really live up to the hype for me. (I qualify it with "man-made" because I think the natural splendor actually MORE than lives up to the hype).
When you get down to it, I shouldn't be so fixated on this concept of "legitimate landmarks." I lived either in, or within 45 minutes of NYC for probably 26 out of my 36 years, with this motherlode of great architecture and whatnot. In that time, I went to the Empire State Building once, NEVER went to the WTC, the Statue of Liberty once on a school field trip, and so on. Maybe by virtue of NOT having so many things around, I WON'T now take them for granted, and I'll be able to appreciate things better?? Ahh, I'm over thinking this. The Grauman's Chinese Theater is an excellent place to see a movie. If you ever come to Los Angeles, I highly recommend it. Done and done.
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