directed by Drew Barrymore (2009)

Look, there’s nothing extraordinary about the roller derby fluff that is Whip It, but it’s so endearing and uses the many sports movie cliches to its advantage that I found myself (surprisingly) completely enjoying it. After all, sometimes you just want a cliched feel-good movie that delivers exactly you what you expect. Unfortunately, most movies of this nature (think The Blind Side) are terrible and unwatchable – so I guess the fact that Whip It manages to be such a pleasant, easy movie is, in its own way, quite extraordinary.

The cast is good: you can’t go wrong with a bitchy Juliette Lewis nor a handsome Andrew Wilson, and Kristen Wiig is charming as usual. Strangely, as with any movie she’s behind, Drew Barrymore’s performance is off (though not as bad as the cellar door scene in Donnie Darko) – but she deserves credit for her easy-going direction; Marcia Gay Harden, in a role that could have been shrewish and dis-likable, is as complex as the movie can handle as a beauty-contest-loving mother.

Definitely worth a rent for those of us that enjoy a girly teen romp where the teenage girls are neither movie style skanks nor bumbling, giggly idiots; I’m bummed so few teenage girls went to the theaters to to catch this one.

Click here for the rest of Whip It

by The Bangles (1987) and Simon & Garfunkel (1968)

As the last flurries of one of the biggest snow storms in city history go floating past my window, I feel compelled to listen to (and recommend) a winter-time song, possibly my favorite winter-time song: Hazy Shade of Winter, which, as a maniac fanatic of the Bangles, was first introduced to me when it appeared on the Less Than Zero soundtrack.

But more than that, this song holds a memory from my school days. I was the new-ish kid in school and the talent show was approaching. The most popular girls with the biggest bangs (Holly and Molly) needed one last person to round out the lip-syncing magic they were to unveil at the sixth grade class talent show. They cornered me in the bathroom and asked/insisted I play the part of Michael or as they called her “the ugly one”. Naturally I complied and someplace in the depths of my parents house, a VHS tape of the mediocre results just might still exist.

An older and wiser me discovered that the song was originally performed by Simon & Garfunkel with a softer touch.

Lace and Bell Shapes for Fall

Though Erdem has been around for a few years and the collections have been consistently nice (as I look back into the archives), it’s only recently that the line made a huge bleep on my radar. I’ve looked and re-looked at his Fall 10 collection over and over finding more to love each time: with florals, body flattering shapes, and lace the clothes are pretty and feminine without being gloopy and rote; I love the voluminous puff sleeves and bell skirts as well as that dreamy grey lace.

One of designer Erdem Moralioglu’s inspirations was one of Jim’s favorite films, Picnic at Hanging Rock which friend Ashleigh posted stills of a while back on RC.

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4655 Hollywood Blvd

It was a couple days into my LA trip before I had a truly notable meal. After a long and impossible wait among underage drinkers at Alegria, we left in defeat and moseyed on over to Umami Burger, the home of burgers with a unique flavor that’s a little hard to describe but wildly yummy and memorable. Not surprisingly, I’ve learned that flavor is called “umami”.

Umami is the fifth basic taste that was discovered by the premiere chef in France of the late 1800’s Auguste Escoffier. Here is an NPR story all about it.

But back to the burger joint in Los Feliz: it’s delicious. My Socal was perfect with its lettuce, oven dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, “spread” and cheese and my tempura onion rings were crispy and addictive. The meal was filling and the spot boasts an excellent beer menu and a heated outdoor dining area. The only problem? the hostess was a complete eye-rolling witch. Really weird and uncalled for, right? Good thing there was great food to make up for it.

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5702 York Blvd, Los Angeles

In a town rife with nondescript strip malls, Galco’s Soda Pop Stop is amongst the most nondescript and strip mally. Its bare bones appearance would never necessarily compel a visitor or local to stop by unless they had inside knowledge that this place is completely awesome (I owe this insight to my friend Shaun and this week’s book pick, LA Bizarro). The soda pop super store has been family owned and operated for over a hundred years: a wild achievement in our world of chain super-stores.

Inside you can find almost every kind of soda pop known to man. Jim guzzled a molasses Root Beer from Rhode Island while Laura and I found bliss in a cucumber soda that the owner told us would change our lives. Not surprisingly, the beer selection is also impressive and they boast quite an array of olde timey candies. Jim dared the Idaho Spud (a coconut and chocolate covered grayish marshmallow that tastes better than I just described it). I was thrilled by a plastic-wrapped tube of just the innards of my beloved Butterfinger as well as the famed (at least in my home) Cup of Gold, a coconut/chocolate cup filled with gooey marshmallow creme: the one thing my mom craved while pregnant with me.

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On Sale March 7th

While my personal list of must-haves from the Gaultier Target collection arriving in stores this Sunday might not be quite as long as some other designer collaborators (Rodarte, Tracy Feith, Anna Sui), there’s still plenty to get excited about starting with that bright yellow dress that will have me up first thing in the morning shopping online. Also like the sailor stripe, but wish there were more of his signature stripes sprinkled throughout the tattoo prints (never my favorite), lovely painted florals, and chic leather. I do hope the fingerless gloves are for sale and not just styling extras.

Click here for the rest of Gaultier for Target

Astrology Songs

The astrological interpretations of one Harvey Sid Fisher are another spectacular find courtesy of the guys over at The Found Footage Festival. A public access artist extraordinaire, Fisher, clad in a tuxedo, captured his collection of 12 zodiac songs (just try to get “Talkin’ bout the Taurus, talkin’ ’bout the bully bull bull” out of your head once it gets inside) back in 1989, setting each to an amazing interpretive dance.

So do enjoy and make sure to check out the compilations of The Found Footage Festival available on DVD (which we just picked up at Amoeba) for more gems, many of which have (or soon will) appear on this very blog.

Click here for the rest of Harvey Sid Fisher