HAPPY 98th Today is the 98th birthday of actor/singer Herb Jeffries. Although not widely recognized today (especially among non-black audiences, during his heyday in the 1930s and '40s he was an enormously popular singer and the first black actor to star in Westerns. I'd probably know nothing of him except for my tenure in the Black … Continue reading Happy birthday Bronze Buckeroo – Herb Jeffries turns 98 today.
Category: Uncategorized
Happy demotion day, Pluto – Pluto and other Trans-Neptunian Dwarf Planets in animation, games and TV
Today is the fifth anniversary of the demotion of Pluto from "planet" to "dwarf planet." PLUTO Pluto was first discovered in 1930. Part of the reason it was accepted as a planet was due to the fact that despite some behavior not fitting a proper planet it was assumed to be larger than Mercury unti … Continue reading Happy demotion day, Pluto – Pluto and other Trans-Neptunian Dwarf Planets in animation, games and TV
Share this:
3Ball Pursuit – An LA Weddo in King Kumbia’s Kourt
STUMBLING ONTO A SCENE Three years ago I went to a party in Echo Park at a friend's home near the New Hope Mission Methodist Church. I don't remember what my friends were playing but outside the downstairs neighbors were bumping some amazing dance music. It was a variety of Cumbia, which I've always loved … Continue reading 3Ball Pursuit – An LA Weddo in King Kumbia’s Kourt
Share this:
Tim Smooth, pioneering and influential New Orleans rapper, has passed away
Pioneering New Orleans rapper Tim Smooth died yesterday (Tuesday 26th 2011) at the young age of 39, after a long battle with cancer. Though not a household name outside of New Orleans and circles of New Orleans Rap fans, he was one of the undisputed pioneers in the city's scene. Like a hip-hop Zelig he … Continue reading Tim Smooth, pioneering and influential New Orleans rapper, has passed away
Share this:
Pendersleigh & Sons Cartographical Art Show – Opening Night
PENDERSLEIGH & SONS CARTOGRAPHY If you're a fan of the primitive, hand-drawn maps that I do for Eric's Blog, then set aside 25 June to come to my first art show at 1650 Gallery in Echo Park. They'll be displaying forty pieces and offering originals, reprints in various sizes, and taking new commissions (also in … Continue reading Pendersleigh & Sons Cartographical Art Show – Opening Night
Share this:
Happy Birthday, Tim Cappello (The Original Sexy Sax Man)
Tim (or Timmy) Cappello is heavily-muscled, oiled and pelvis-thrusting American saxophonist, whose saxual stylings can be heard on the Tina Turner tracks "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "One of the Living" from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, as well as his cover of "I Still Believe" from The Lost Boys. Cappello was born 3 May 1955 … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Tim Cappello (The Original Sexy Sax Man)
Share this:
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2011
I missed the opening date (Film Radar is my one source for all things cinematic happening in and around LA). Oh well, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival runs from April 28th till May 7th. The festival began in 1983 as the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival back when Asian-American Cinema was … Continue reading Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2011
Share this:
Pan-Asian Metropolis — Japan Film Festival Los Angeles
The Japan Film Festival Los Angeles gets underway today with screenings in Hollywood, Irvine and Little Tokyo and goes until April 17th. Directors Kinshiro Ogino, Katsuhito Kobayashi, Kenji Kobayashi, Lisa Takeba, Hidetaka Inazuka and producer Shoichi Kawahara are scheduled to appear at various events. Click here to check out the website for scheduling, tickets … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Japan Film Festival Los Angeles
Share this:
April Fools Flicks!
April Fools' Day (or All Fools' Day) is celebrated 1 April, as we all know. The earliest likely written reference is in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales back in 1392. In 1509, a French poet referred to a poisson d’avril, likely a reference to the holiday. John Aubrey's 1686 mention of "Fooles holy day" is the … Continue reading April Fools Flicks!
Share this:
Broadway 100 – Bringing Back Broadway’s Centennial Events
Los Angeles' Broadway Theater and Commercial District in the downtown Historic Core is the oldest historic theater district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Million Dollar Theater, Roxie Theater, Los Angeles Theater, Loew's State Theatre, Globe Theater, Tower Theater, Rialto Theater, Orpheum Theater and United Artists Theaters were mixed movie and vaudeville … Continue reading Broadway 100 – Bringing Back Broadway’s Centennial Events
Eric Brightwell 