Tag Archives: Los Angeles

Handmade Hipsterism v. Glass-and-Steel Globalism

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I was wandering in the East 40s yesterday when I came across a hipster coffee joint. As I looked at the wooden sign in the window advertising their goods, I had to suppress a snicker: an unfinished wooden … Continue reading →

Posted in Art | Tagged Arts & Crafts movement, coffee houses, Frank Gehry, globalism, hipsters, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, neoliberalism, New York City, Peter Zumthor, Thom Mayne, Zaha Hadid | 7 Comments

Notes on “Cry Danger”

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: “Cry Danger,” the first film directed by Robert Parrish, may come closer to the wry, frugal tone of Dashiell Hammett than even Huston’s adaptation of “The Maltese Falcon,” which leans rather heavily — and quite successfully … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Performers | Tagged Bunker Hill, Cry Danger, Dick Powell, Film, Film Noir, Los Angeles, movies, Richard Erdman, Robert Parrish | Leave a comment

Art and Architecture Du Jour: The Broad Museum, Los Angeles

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Billionaire real estate developer and arts philanthropist Eli Broad has opened a new museum in downtown Los Angeles for his contemporary art collection. I got a chance to check it out on my Xmas vacation.

Posted in Architecture, Art | Tagged Bunker Hill, contemporary art, Eli Broad, Kara Walker, Los Angeles, The Broad Museum, Wexler's Deli | 4 Comments

Restore, Don’t Redesign, Pershing Square

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Today the L.A. City Council announced an international competition to redesign Pershing Square located in the heart of downtown. The existing design by AIA Gold Medal winner Ricardo Legorreta, which dates from 1994, has been widely hated for … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged John B. Parkinson, Los Angeles, parks, Pershing Square, Ricardo Legorreta, traditionalism, urbanism | 6 Comments

Art Du Jour: The Velveteria

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: When Sir Barken was recently in L.A. on a cultural tour for his daughter, we met up for a day so I could show them around downtown. Sure, LACMA and the Getty are fine, but the city has … Continue reading →

Posted in Art | Tagged America fuck yeah, black velvet paintings, Caren Anderson, Carl Baldwin, folk art, kitsch, Los Angeles, lowbrow, Velveteria | 7 Comments

Now Streaming on Netflix

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The documentary LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF, which I wrote about here, is now available on Netflix Instant.

Posted in Architecture, Movies | Tagged documentaries, Los Angeles | Leave a comment

Notes on “The Long Goodbye”

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: 1. What a wonderful book. A sprawling mini-epic with L.A. as a Potemkin paradise that, like “The Big Sleep,” is confusing as hell. More than a few times I stopped short to say, “Wait, how are these people … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies | Tagged Crime Fiction, Elliott Gould, Leigh Brackett, Los Angeles, neo-noir, Raymond Chandler, Robert Altman, William Faulkner | 12 Comments

Then and Now: Downtown L.A.

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The intersection of Hill and Third in downtown Los Angeles, 1919 v. 2014. The concrete structure on the left is the parking lot for the Grand Central Market. Click on the image to enlarge.

Posted in Architecture, History | Tagged Bunker Hill, Grand Central Market, Los Angeles, traditionalism, urbanism | 12 Comments

Belcampo Meat Co. at Grand Central Market

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: L.A.’s Grand Central Market has been undergoing a renaissance over the past few years. When a friend and I were there three years ago, the food offerings ranged from mediocre to lousy. While the middling places we ate … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and health, The Good Life, Travel | Tagged butcher, Grand Central Market, Los Angeles, meat | 13 Comments

Blowhard Esq.’s Tea Chronicles: Boxwood Cafe at The London West Hollywood

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ve probably developed a certain image in your mind of how I am in real life. No doubt you think of me as a mega-Alpha male not unlike a … Continue reading →