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Los Angeles Plays Itself

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Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#81

Post by movetola »

maceo wrote: post #22

This is written by someone who has little knowledge of Los Angeles, especially east of Los Feliz. Her descriptions of downtown are outdated. Yes, Skid Row and the surrounding area still has the largest concentration of homeless people in the US. Just a block east of Skid Row is The Arts District, which is in terms of real estate prices, the hottest neighborhood in Los Angeles right now. It's where all the trendy cafe…

As a NYC resident, 1000 square foot studios made me both smile and cry a little.

Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#82

Post by 100k »

RichardCA wrote: post #31

The movie is absolutely worth watching, mainly due to sheer force of Thom Andersen's intellect. Unfortunately he misses a few things that the average HN reader might find obvious. For example he spends quite a bit of time talking about Blade Runner but seems completely flummoxed as far as understanding what the movie was about. It's available for streaming on Netflix instant. http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=7…

Oh, that is fantastic.

I saw it at a screening many years ago and was never able to see it again. The movie clips made releasing it too difficult.

I see now it was released in October 2014 -- ten years after it was finished!

Very worth watching, even if (like me) you've never been to LA.

Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#83

Post by bksenior »

beachstartup wrote: post #34
stephengillie wrote: post #11

It's amazing in a kinda-depressing way to think of LA as a "City without a name/face". It's really a melting pot in more ways than one. Are all of the landmarks there really so generic? Did the movie industry influence less-recognizable monuments and other features in the past? Or is it just that the city's culture lends itself to a "scrubbed" culture?

making LA sound terrible is an entire cottage industry and this is a prime example of some top notch product. the truth is a lot more boring. LA is a great major city to live/work in but an exceptionally shitty place to visit, unless you stay with knowledgeable locals. in that way, it's the opposite of SF and NY, tough places to live in but mind-blowing next-level kind of awesome places to visit.

Im born and raised in LA and now live here again, I found this article to be pro-LA in a way that ive almost never seen written. To your point once you "get" LA it's the most interesting diverse city that has ever existed, but like any great love it takes a little patience, a little trial by fire and ends with a huge reward.

This article made me so happy I almost teared up because I sometimes forget how engaged and comforting this city is.

Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#84

Post by arkem »

andyjdavis wrote: post #38
JoshTriplett wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on your sensibilities and what you're used to, but personally, I consider an hour exceptionally long. For me, it takes roughly 20 minutes to get into the nearest major metropolitan area by car, or 30 to an international airport. Almost anywhere we'd regularly travel to or run an errand to is within 5-10 minutes; more unusual destinations are within 15-20. An hour is what it would take to drive to the ocean or…

>There are people who commute for an hour, and who select a place to live knowing they'll have to commute for an hour, despite having options within 5-10 minutes. I can't even begin to fathom why someone would do that, and waste 10 hours of their life every week for years. I am from Perth, Australia and people voluntarily driving for upwards of 30 minutes each way is extremely common with 1 hour not being all that un…

As a Perthian living in LA I think it's interesting to note that Perth has about the same area as Greater LA (minus San Bernardino and Riverside counties) yet Perth has 1/9th of the population (2 million vs 18 million).

Commuting in LA is rougher than Perth due to the traffic but Perth's low density means that people often travel further to find the same variety of amenities.

Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#85

Post by laundrysheet »

maceo wrote: post #22

This is written by someone who has little knowledge of Los Angeles, especially east of Los Feliz. Her descriptions of downtown are outdated. Yes, Skid Row and the surrounding area still has the largest concentration of homeless people in the US. Just a block east of Skid Row is The Arts District, which is in terms of real estate prices, the hottest neighborhood in Los Angeles right now. It's where all the trendy cafe…

Downtown is slowly becoming the capital for creatives and tech as well. Not surprised if the Arts District takes the lead here.

Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#86

Post by rgbrenner »

andyjdavis wrote: post #38
JoshTriplett wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on your sensibilities and what you're used to, but personally, I consider an hour exceptionally long. For me, it takes roughly 20 minutes to get into the nearest major metropolitan area by car, or 30 to an international airport. Almost anywhere we'd regularly travel to or run an errand to is within 5-10 minutes; more unusual destinations are within 15-20. An hour is what it would take to drive to the ocean or…

>There are people who commute for an hour, and who select a place to live knowing they'll have to commute for an hour, despite having options within 5-10 minutes. I can't even begin to fathom why someone would do that, and waste 10 hours of their life every week for years. I am from Perth, Australia and people voluntarily driving for upwards of 30 minutes each way is extremely common with 1 hour not being all that un…

>I am from Perth, Australia and people voluntarily driving for upwards of 30 minutes each way is extremely common with 1 hour not being all that unusual

That's common in the US too... The average commute to work in the US is 25 minutes each way. And 1 in 12 people spend 1 hour or more each way.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/05/c...

Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#88

Post by nmcveity »

cf wrote: post #59
jedberg wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you remember the movie Independence Day? You know the part where the aliens are blowing up landmarks in cities. You probably remember the Empire State building and White House. Do you remember LA? It was the First Interstate tower (now called the US Bank Tower), a fairly unremarkable building downtown, other than the fact that it is the tallest building in California and tallest building west of the Mississippi. S…

I think the landmarks are just less well-known. Things like the Getty and Griffith Observatory. Others are generic, but instantly recognizable, like Venice boardwalk and the LA river.

Nothing generic about the Walt Disney Concert Hall either :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Walt_Disn...

But as you say: less well-known.

Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#89

Post by Tenoke »

idohealth wrote: post #74
Tenoke wrote: post #2

>She refers to their relationship as long-distance. It takes her an hour to get to where he lives, so she stays for three days at a time, then comes home for one or two. I assume this isn't a typical reaction? I live in London, and if it takes me an hour to get somewhere, I consider that fairly reasonable. Is it actually common for people over there to consider an hour journey as something extraordinary?

Ok, so are you going to spend an hour going somewhere? Are you going to go to work (1hr), go to drinks after work (1hr), and then go home (1hr)?? So you spend 3hrs a day just traveling, and you consider that ok?

Just because I find an hour journey fairly reasonable, it doesn't mean that every journey I make takes an hour.

Re: Los Angeles Plays Itself

#90

Post by lisper »

I vividly remember the first time I saw LA: it was 1982. I drove in from Santa Barbara, and when I got to Van Nuys I looked around and thought, what a horrible place, I'd hate to have to live here.

Six years later I was living in Glendale, and 22 years after that I left, having fallen deeply in love with LA. It's a terrific place, but it demands practice and patience. Finding the good parts of LA isn't easy. But once you find them, LA is deeply rewarding.

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