The Los Angles Times recently ran a story on the Angelenofication of Vegas, at least in terms of nightlife. Citing branch offices of Forty Deuce, the Rainbow Bar & Grill and the Beauty Bar (hey guys, it's from New York, 'k?), with Avalon and the Spider Club on their way (we checked on Spider—it's not), it can certainly seem like we're Hollywood's back yard. So what's next?
1. The Beach renamed The Venice Beach
2. Big "Las Vegas" sign on Sunrise Mountain
3. Voodoo and Ghostbar pipe in authentic LA smog
4. Even more Pollo Locos and Fatburgers!
5. Seasons change to riots, earthquakes, mudslides and fires
Idle Surfing |
Odd websites are a dime a dozen, and odd online forums clock in at about a nickel. One that recently came to our attention is
www.HolyShnikes.com, where users are encouraged to add positive or negative comments to each other's posts. Type in "Vegas" and a meager four posts come up. Under "This Rocks," a happy tourist. Under "This Blows," a complaint about the heat, a wish for a Vegas-to-LA train, and a victim of a broken home who'll be passing through town. Surely, we can do better, people. Heck, Craig's List even has posts and poems about City Life's Josh Ellis at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
LOCAL CD |
Judies Pryde (3 stars)
Crazy Beauty
With vocals reminiscent of the Chili Pepper's Anthony Kiedis and lyrics that belie the band's youth, this quintet from Henderson has a surprisingly mature rock-funk sound. And, like every new, untested band, they've got T-shirts for sale at www.judiespryde.com.
DVDs |
At Last the 1948 Show (NR) (4 stars)
29.98
This vintage British comedy series laid the groundwork for the phenomenon that would become Monty Python's Traveling Circus. First aired in 1967, the offbeat sketch-comedy show not only starred wall-eyed actor Marty Feldman and Tim Brooke-Taylor, but also introduced John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle. Also newly available are rediscovered episodes of Do Not Adjust Your Set, another Python precursor, in which Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam began to make their comic presences felt. Very funny stuff, indeed.
Ghostbusters I, II (PG) (4 stars)
$19.94
Most of the credit for the success of Ghostbusters was attributed to the comic anarchy and irreverence of Saturday Night Live, SCTV and National Lampoon productions, which specialized in taking show-business archetypes and blowing pot smoke in their faces. But the hilarious action-comedy probably was influenced as much by Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein and the Three Stooges' Have Rocket, Will Travel. While the premises were identical—a bunch of goofballs tackle the unknown—the differences in budgets, special-effects, marketing and commercial expectations were enormous. The featurettes, deleted scenes and commentary included in this gift set aren't likely impress die-hard fans, but newcomers will welcome the repackaging and quality.
The Complete Thin Man Collection (NR) (5 stars)
$54.92
Fans of Mr. & Mrs. Smith and TV series Moonlighting should get this nostalgic seven-disc set of films adapted from Dashiell Hammett's classic mystery, The Thin Man. The glib, urbane crime-fighting team of Nick and Nora Charles never had to tear up a warehouse in pursuit of bad guys. Why soil one's white gloves with gunpowder residue when clever repartée can be every bit as effective as a bullet? There is a trove of bonus material, including featurettes on the stars, Robert Benchley comedy and music shorts, classic cartoons, a radio show with William Powell and Myrna Loy, and an episode of the TV adaptation, starring Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk.