Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Sunday, February 27, 2011

Just in time for the Oscars, check out who wore what, not on the red carpet, but in the nominated films at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's 19th annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibit. The institute's collection holds more than 12,000 costumes, accessories and textiles from the history of film and theater, from the 18th century onward, and this year's Academy Award showcase features actual outfits worn onscreen in The King's Speech, True Grit, Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are All Right, The Tempest and many more films of 2010, plus a tribute to last year's Academy Award winner for Best Costume, The Young Victoria. It's almost like meeting the stars themselves, just without the paparazzi or restraining orders. Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, 919 S. Grand Ave., dwntwn.; Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; thru April 30 (closed April 22-25); free. (213) 623-5821, FIDMmuseum.org. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, February 25, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 10:40 PM, ,

Anthony Bourdain Friday, February 18, 2011

Where in the world is Anthony Bourdain? Not in Osaka eating octopus balls, not in Shanghai devouring xiao long bao, not in Argentina feasting on blood sausage sandwiches. This weekend the host of Travel Channel's popular culinary travelogue No Reservations is right here in the Southland, preaching the good news about food. Inspired by his latest book Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, Bourdain expounds on the culture of cooking, from the globalization of ethnic cuisines to the phenomenon of the celebrity chef. Expect bluntness: This is a guy who once called Prague "The Land That Vegetables Forgot." Q&A follows the talk. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 12700 Center Court Drive South, Cerritos; Fri., Feb. 18, 8 p.m.; $60, $75, $90. (562) 467-8818, cerritoscenter.com. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, February 18, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 8:06 PM, ,

Hearts Aflame Monday, February 14, 2011

My, oh my, how times have changed. Used to be you had to hand-write an epic poem of devotion just to get invited to a lady's parlor. Now a late-night SMS text message is all it takes to score. The history of the love note is laid bare in "Hearts Aflame: An Evening of Love Letters, From 11th-Century Missives to 21st-Century E-mails," presented by WordTheatre Lit by Lulu. This Valentine's Day edition of the actors-reading-authors series includes performances by Cassidy Freeman (Smallville's Tess Mercer), Christina Pickles (St. Elsewhere's nurse Helen Rosenthal), Edi Gathegi (Twilight's Laurent), Ian Hart (Harry Potter's Professor Quirrell), Jason Ritter (Joan of Arcadia's Kevin Girardi), Jere Burns (Dear John's Kirk Morris) and Sean Young (Blade Runner's replicant Rachael). Listen and learn, kids. M Bar, 1253 Vine St. Hlywd.; Mon., Feb. 14, 8 p.m.; $35, plus $10 food minimum. (323) 856-0036, wordtheatre.com. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, February 11, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 12:58 PM, ,

Sriracha Friday, February 11, 2011

Some like it hot, and some like it even hotter, and that's when you reach for the sriracha. More informally known as "rooster sauce," this ubiquitous Asian hot sauce is the sine qua non of condiments. As beloved among aficionados as Tabasco, Tapatio and Texas Pete are, sriracha has a cult all its own. One man preaching the gospel is Randy Clemens, author of The Sriracha Cookbook, a just-published directory of recipes exploring sriracha's Thai origins and its modern-day applications. Clemens explains it all in "Sriracha: The Story Behind the Addictively Spicy Rooster Sauce," a Central Library lecture presented by the Culinary Historians of California, who may or may not want to admit that it's also commonly referred to as "hot cock." Los Angeles Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., dwntwn.; Sat., Feb. 12, 10:30 a.m.; free. (213) 228-7000. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, February 11, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 9:43 PM, ,

Deadly Prey Sunday, February 6, 2011

You bet everything is terrible, so join in on the misery at Everything Is Terrible's "Everything Is Festival," where the best of the worst in film/video gets the public screening it so richly doesn't deserve. The feature film this time is 1987's Deadly Prey, a plot-mismanaged hybrid of Battle Royale and Rambo, about a mercenary training facility in the habit of kidnapping civilians to use as human targets. But when they pick up mulleted ex-mercenary Mike Danton, the hunters become the hunted and the bloodbath is on! Demises include knifings, spearings, impalings, and bludgeoning via one's own severed arm. Preceding the movie: "Schrab & Harmon's Found Crap III," an essential collection of serendipitous awfulness. Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A.; Tues., Feb. 8, 8 p.m.; $10. (323) 655-2510. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, February 4, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 4:20 PM, ,

Chinese New Year Festival Thursday, February 3, 2011

If 2011 hasn't gotten off to the awesome start you'd hoped for, try again by celebrating 4709, the Chinese New Year commencing on February 3. The 112th Annual Golden Dragon Parade serves as the centerpiece to Chinatown's Chinese New Year Festival, the Downtown L.A.-adjacent community's annual New Year's celebration complete with floats, marching bands, and dignitaries in cars, traveling along a parade route viewable from both Broadway and Hill streets (Sat., 1 p.m.). The fanfare goes on all weekend, including lion dancers, acrobats, contortionists, and performance troupes in Chinatown's Central Plaza; vendors selling original art, fashion, gifts, toys, and home accessories at the L.A. Craft Experience in the West Plaza, along with cultural workshops for adults and kids and a Ping Pong tournament; plus the "The Great Chinatown Hunt," a clue-solving scavenger hunt organized by Race/LA (info at racela.com), the Firecracker 5K/10K Walk/Run (register at firecracker10k.org), and food trucks galore. Central and West Plazas in Chinatown, near 947 N. Broadway, L.A.; Sat., Feb. 5, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 6, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; free. Full schedule at chinatownla.com. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, February 4, 2011.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 11:17 PM, ,