During the era of hyper-formulated pop music in the early 1980s, The Dream Syndicate emerged from Los Angeles as a sensation with their gritty, guitar-driven sound that relied heavily on feedback. How Did We Find Ourselves Here? chronicles the band's journey from their early beginnings, through conflicts with former friends, battles with major record labels, and disbandment, to their eventual reunion in 2012. Despite never achieving widespread commercial success, the band maintains a devoted fanbase and commands great respect from musicians around the globe for their significant influence.
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Venturing from Venice Beach to Watts, Varda looks at the murals of LA as backdrop to and mirror of the city’s many cultures. She casts a curious eye on graffiti and photorealism, roller disco & gang violence, evangelical Christians, Hare Krishnas, artists, angels and ordinary Angelenos.
Interviews from women involved in the 70's and 80's rock music industry. An examination of the people taking advantage of underage fans and calling for a "Me too" movement in the music world
A documentary film about the Afro-American Woodstock concert held in Los Angeles seven years after the Watts riots. Director Mel Stuart mixes footage from the concert with footage of the living conditions in the current-day Watts neighborhood.
A documentary film that highlights two street derived dance styles, Clowning and Krumping, that came out of the low income neighborhoods of L.A.. Director David LaChapelle interviews each dance crew about how their unique dances evolved. A new and positive activity away from the drugs, guns, and gangs that ruled their neighborhood. A raw film about a growing sub-culture movements in America.
A movie star helps a young singer-actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.
The bad boys of rock have celebrated a career that has seen them sell millions of albums and perform thousands of concerts. In Jan. 2014 Mötley Crüe held a press conference announcing their final tour ever, complete with a “cessation of touring” agreement prohibiting all future live engagements. The Final Tour ended up being comprised of 164 concerts over two years, all ending with a hometown gig at Los Angeles' Staples Center. This New Year’s Eve Celebration was filled with hits like Kickstart My Heart, Girls Girls Girls, Home Sweet Home and many more. Now, for only one night, this last ever performance event gives fans front row access. Catch the moments that were buzzed about, such as Tommy’s infamous “Crüecifly” drum roller coaster, and behind the scene moments that will now just be coming to light.
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen celebrate with friends, family and song.
In this television special, after wrapping up a concert tour and missing their flights home, The Pointer Sisters decide to spend a night on the town in Los Angeles.
"Twelve Years over Hollywood" comprises thousands of still photographs of the Hollywood sign taken from Golia's Los Angeles balcony over a twelve-year period. The resulting 35mm film captures the artist's personal documentation of his surroundings, condensing a vast temporal duration into a fleeting clip that serves as a metaphorical shorthand for broader experiences at the core of all art making.
"L.A. Restaurants" opens with a panned shot recorded while driving past Cole's P.E. Buffet in downtown Los Angeles, which was founded in 1908 and claims to be the oldest restaurant and bar in the city. In a manner reminiscent of the typological catalogues of gas stations and buildings on the Sunset Strip first explored in his seminal artist's books of the 1960s, Ruscha documents sixty-four restaurants emblematic of "Old Hollywood" across the LA region. This visual perambulation moves in a spiral formation, from the outer limits of the San Fernando Valley along Ventura Boulevard to the centrally located restaurants near Culver City.
Another nostalgic look at Southern California's past, particularly things and places in and around Los Angeles which no longer exist.
Sing! is a 2001 American short documentary film about the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, directed by Freida Lee Mock. How do squeaky-voiced 8 year olds become amazing singers? Sing! tells the story of how a community group, amid severe cutbacks in the arts, is able to develop a children's chorus that is one of the best in the country. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.
After accidentally witnessing a mafia hit in the Windy City, gal pals Connie and Carla skip town for L.A., where they go way undercover as singers working the city's dinner theater circuit ... disguised as drag queens. Now, it's not enough that they become big hits on the scene; things get extra-weird when Connie meets Jeff -- a guy she'd like to be a woman with.
A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.
A group of aspiring entertainers try to establish careers for themselves in the city of Los Angeles.
Southern California’s Coachella Valley, including the communities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, boasts hundreds of extraordinary midcentury modern homes, public buildings and commercial structures. Modern designers such as William F. Cody, Albert Frey, William Krisel, John Lautner, Richard Neutra, R.M. Schindler, Donald Wexler, E. Stewart Williams left their collective mark on this desert paradise. Desert Utopia: Mid-Century Architecture in Palm Springs traces the history of modern architecture in Palm Springs from the first bold forays into modernist design to the preservation challenges facing the region today. Director Jake Gorst’s film features rare archival images and footage as well as interviews with historians, homeowners and the architects who helped create this mecca of modernism.
Solo live concert recorded in Brussels, April 12, 1992. Tracks: 1) On A Wedding Anniversary 2) Lie Still, Sleep Becalmed 3) Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night 4) The Soul of Carmen Miranda 5) Cordoba 6) Ship Of Fools 7) Leaving It Up To You 8) The Ballad Of Cable Hogue 9) Chinese Envoy 10) Fear Is A Man's Best Friend 11) Dying On The Vine 12) Heartbreak Hotel 13) Paris 1919 14) (I Keep A) Close Watch 15) Hallelujah
The Los Angeles punk music scene circa 1980 is the focus of this film. With Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X.
Keith Hetherington and Dorothy Gardiner travel to a different and unannounced location of interest every week, the program here presents a "live," behind-the-scenes look at the shooting of the 1950 George Pal film "Destination Moon".
An ageing hard-living 1970s rock star decides to change his life when he discovers a 40-year-old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon.