The Best Short Film

Jason Schwartzman Celebrates John Baldessari

Whoever wrote this short film/advertisement for the Pacific Standard Time exhibit is a  genius. There are three other videos linked below but this one is my favorite. I love the story and the acting. Every once in a while I come across a film that makes me say "Wow, I wish I had done that". I don't say this about every film that I think is great but about films that speak so loudly to me that I think about said film at least once a week. Here's a list of those films:

Gas Food Lodging by Allison Anders
Ghost World by Terry Zwigoff
American Splendor by Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Blue Valentine by Derek Cianfrance
And the above short film - I wish I knew who wrote/directed it

Watch these great short films/PST advertisements - these have been feeding my muse since I first set eyes on them a few months back.




Kiedis Celebrates Ruscha

I love this one because The RHCP are my all time favorite band (along with The Doors) - nothing says Los Angeles to me more than RHCP and The Doors. I made the decision to leave my beloved NY and move to LA based on how much I loved the album Californication. My decision process was "I will move to LA if I love every song on this album" I did and I moved. This video evokes the nostalgia I often feel being so far from home but also the love I have for my second home. I also relate to the feeling of words being art. I love to read and nothing is more fulfilling and powerful than when you open up your mind and heart to the power of letters and words.

Ice Cube Celebrates the Eames

 This one is great because it addresses my one problem with LA, self segregation. Prior to my moving here, my NY friends and family thought I was crazy. Why would I move to a place where there's no culture, no art? The problem with LA is that the city is so segregated that if you want culture and art you have to drive to get it.  I'm lucky that I live in the border of Venice/Marina del Rey so art, beach and culture are within walking distance. When I first moved here, I lived in Brentwood, one of the whitest places I've ever lived. I lived in a nice apartment complex where me and "the help" were the only people of color. After four years of living in Brentwood a mixed (African-American & white)  family move to the building - that was my first time since living here where I had neighbors of color. Then I moved to Culver City where there was a nice mix. New York is called a melting pot but I think Los Angeles has as many races and ethnicities  as NY. The problem with this place is that people tend to stay segregated in their neighborhoods. I think traffic is to blame because a successful weekend for me is one where I don't have to go farther than Venice or Culver City to get my errands or meetings done. I groan if I have to go east of Sepulveda for an event or social gathering but such is life in LA LA Land.  This video celebrates The Eames. I love the mid century architecture you find all over Los Angeles and The Eames House (case study #8) in Pacific Palisades is my dream home - it's a loft in the woods near the ocean and hiking trails. I love that this house built so long ago had sustainability in mind. The other message of this video - don't judge a book by it's cover - Ice Cube studied architectural drafting, awesome.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did and check out some of the PST exhibits making their rounds all over SoCal.