Donna in Hollywoodland

The blog from Los Angeles and Hollywood by Donna Grayson

Saturday, June 11, 2005


Silly Movie on a Saturday

I volunteered again at The Egyptian Theatre for the Marlon Brando weekend.
Tonight was "Apocalypse Now Redux" .
We had alot of really fun, interesting people come by to see the film. It was really fun to chat with them. Its great to talk to the Real Movie Lovers.
And as much as wanted to stay and see the movie, I know there was no way I could sit through something like that. I don't do well with war films, with lots of blood. I occasionally will see a war movie when it is getting really good reviews. But I have to be careful. They give me a headache and depress me. If there is alot of Blood, I get lightheaded, and need to fan myself with a piece of paper to keep from getting to whoozy. (During "Pulp Fiction" - the part with the needle - I almost passed out.)
Anyway tonight I was in the mood for something lighter, and happier.....

So I decided to walk up to Hollywood & Highland and see a current film. The Hollywood & Highland mall is going through some fixes. Looks like they are putting in escalators to take people from the sidewalk on Hollywood Blvd, straight up to the mall area.
Right now its all sectioned off, so I still had to use the teensy stairs all the way up. But soon the people on the street will have more reason to go up to the Mall.

While I was going into the mall, I heard a couple, maybe in their 40s, having an argument.
The woman looked very panicked, she was saying "I know what you want to do. You want to walk around and look at things. Well, I don't do the Mall thing. I won't do the Mall thing."
The man mumbled something.
The woman replied "NO, NO ... You aren't LISTENING to me ... I DO NOT do the MALL thing. AT ALL." she yelled, nearly hysterical, and pushing him away.

Well, I do The Mall Thing ... and I took some pictures of the Hollywood and Highland Mall :







Then I saw "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" .

I know many of you are thinking "You chose "Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy", for which you paid, over "Apocalypse Now Redux", which you could have seen for free ?!?!".
Well, yes, I did. And thats the end of that discussion.

I have wanted to see this movie since it first came out. It turned out to be exactly what I was in the mood for. I really like the silly off-beat humor.
I found it to be really cute and funny. Also, I am not familiar with the book. I had heard that many of the fans of the book were not happy with the movie. Since I do not
know anything about the book ... I guess I liked the movie just for what it was - very silly entertainment.

Besides, Sam Rockwell looked incredible with the long blond hair. Just like a rock 'n roller dude ... like the lead singer of a rock band... an early David Lee Roth type, only better.
And I have to admit, I love the long-haired rock n' roller dudes ... those are the ones that will get me in trouble. I don't know if Sam Rockwell grew his hair out, used extensions, or wore a wig - but whatever it was, he should keep it.
As far as I am concerned, Long-haired Rock n' Roll Dudes are hot ... and dangerous.



Spoiler Alert ..... Now was it my imagination ? Or did they not go back to get Zaphod Beeblebrox's (Sam Rockwell) second head ? They left it on another Planet. And the movie ended without it being retrieved. Maybe they mentioned that they were going back to get it .... Oh, I don't like it when they don't resolve plot points .... Or maybe, I just wanted one more scene with Sam Rockwell and His Hair in it.

And... I finally found a good seat at the Mann Chinese Six . If you read my previous postings, you would know that I hate this movie theatre for its curved screens.
Well, I was running late getting into the movie theatre. So after getting my cinnamon pretzel and Sprite, I sat where I never ever sit.
In the Last Row.
And you know what ? From the last row, you can't see the curve of the screen. Its a good spot.

After the movie, I stopped off in the Food Court and got something to go. Yes, Hollywood & Highland has a food court. Actually, I think it has 2 food courts.
The Food Court I went to .... at the movie theatres don't go out the front doors in the lobby. Instead, walk through the lobby to the doors just opposite the main doors, which are underneath the theatres. Once out these back doors, take a Right.... and you will see about six restaurants in a food court area with plenty of tables.
I got a healthy chicken kabob, with 5 side dishes of different salads.

When I got home, I looked all over the internet for a Wallpaper of Sam Rockwell with That Hair... and I couldn't find one anywhere.
I will keep looking. I want him on my Desktop.


Friday, June 10, 2005


Streetcar Named Desire

After work today I went over to The Egyptian Theatre to do a volunteer shift.
The movie was "A Streetcar Named Desire" , starring Marlon Brando .
I don't think I have ever seen this on the big screen before, only on late night television.

Back in his day, Marlon Brando was definitely one handsome man. But, I'm sorry .. when he opened his mouth, his voice was terrible.
I don't know if thats his real voice, or if it was the voice for the character. But my first thought was "Oh, thats just not right."
I have always heard people say how sexy Marlon Brando was in Streetcar Named Desire.
And yes, it is true ... if you turn the sound off.
These days, I don't think the public or the "powers that be" in the movie biz would be so unforgiving in regards to an actor and their voice.

I noticed the pretty gauze dresses that Blanche and Stella wore. A very cool idea for living in such a hot area. A simple full slip covered up by a sheer gauze dress. I really liked the style. But it gets to cold in Southern California, so the style won't work here.

The second movie of the double feature was "On the Waterfront" .
I had never seen it, and I really wanted to stay. But have you ever been so tired after work, that it was painful to stay awake ? Thats how I felt. And though I thought about staying, I decided it was best to go home, and not stay for the second movie of the double feature.


Thursday, June 09, 2005


Postcards, Postcards, Postcards



I am almost finished addressing all my postcards. Thats the reason I have been running late on the blog.
After I get home from work, I have to decide if I am going to do the postcards, or do the blogging.
It will be over soon... and life will be back to normal.
Now, back to Casting Director mailing labels....


Wednesday, June 08, 2005


Sucky Cat

So every morning, Cinnamon the cat waits by the couch. I get my newspaper and half-caf coffee and reading glasses.
And the minute I sit down, she jumps up on my lap.
Every morning we have a Kitty-Cat hugging session. For about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the mood of the Cat.
Then I read the paper and finish my coffee, before getting ready for work.

Well, this morning I am scratching Cinnamons ears. My arm was in front of her face. She puts her mouth on the side of my arm, like she
is going to bite me .... but instead she starts to suck.
She is sucking my arm while I scratch her ears.

Now, Cinnamon is not a kitten. She is about 9 years old. Maybe older.

I finally said to Cinnamon "Are you trying to give me a hicky ?"
She has regressed back to being a kitten.

Pictures of the spoiled cat ...




Oh, Cinnamon loves to have a tummy-rub





Sound asleep in the middle of the day ... isn't it nice ?





Cinnamon doesn't mind my stinky feet





Sometimes my stinky feet make a nice pillow for that afternoon nap





And of course, Cinnamon loves to have her chin scratched !


posted by Donna Grayson  # 7:09 PM (1) comments

Tuesday, June 07, 2005


Koo-Koo Roos

I drove back to Studio City, to try to deposit my checks in the ATM again. This time there are envelopes in the machine.
And this time, I took a bunch of envelopes and put them in the glove compartment of my car.

Then to conclude my exciting evening, I decide to splurge and eat out at Koo-Koo Roos .
I order a chicken breast, mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. And just then they put an entire container of fresh macaroni and cheese out ... so I got a small to go.

Once home, I was addressing postcards until my fingers were numb. There will be no fun nights out until I get all these postcards in the mail.





Fingers Falling Off...

At lunch , I stopped off and picked up the Post Cards I had ordered from New Image Graphics .
I will be sitting for the next week, and addressing them. My fingers will crunch up and feel like they are going to fall off.
I usually use the labels that L.A. Casting puts up on their website. I print them on regular paper, and use them to keep a record of who I mailed to.
The I cross- reference them with what been published in that weeks Backstage West .
That way I feel like I am cutting down on the amount that may get returned in the mail due to a bad address.


Sunday, June 05, 2005


Embarrassment on A Sunday

It was the kind of day I haven't had in a long time.... I stayed in my apartment until 5 pm. Reading the LA Times . Surfing around the Internet. General laziness. Yes, I missed Church for the second week in a row. But I was glad to get the day to relax.

First, I drove to Studio City . I have two checks to deposit in the bank. One from my filming of filming of the Michael Jackson Reenactment Trial . And another one from the rebate Verizon gave to me when I bought that new cell phone.

The closest bank branch to me is in Studio City. There are none in Hollywood. I opened this account when I lived in Redondo Beach, and I don't want to change it. So I put up with the inconvenience of having to drive a-ways to do my occasional banking.

I get to Studio City, and park my car. I go up to the ATM. I open the envelope slot ... and there are NO ENVELOPES !!!!
I start to have a hissy fit right there ... kicking the wall under the ATM machine. I am screaming at the machine "I drove all this way !!!"
I look inside the bank, and of course there is no one there to add envelopes.
I kick the wall some more, screaming obscenities. When it dawns on me that someone might see a crazy lady kicking the wall by the AMT machine. I look around, and am alittle embarrassed. My entire trip has been in vane.

I run to Sav-Ons and decide to do some shopping. I run into a fellow Egyptian Theatre volunteer, and we end up chatting. Turns out that she works a part time job in the area.

A few minutes later, I am shopping again ...um, for personal items. I won't elaborate, but its something Old People need to buy. For our Old People Problems.
And this person runs up to me to ask me about my filming of the Michael Jackson Reenactment Trial , and she wants to know all about it.
As I am chatting with her, I realize I am standing in front of a display of embarrassing items.
I kind of turn around to try to make it seem like I was looking at the aspirin on the other side of the aisle. But it is to late. I am embarrassed. Again.
Its never easy running into someone you know at the Pharmacy. Someone is bound to get embarrassed.

After I am done there, I decide to head over to the Hollywood and Highland Complex to see Monster In Law .
I have some time, so I dilly-dally around the lobby.







Its actually quite easy to take pictures there, I just look like one of the Tourists.

As I was standing in line at the concession stand, I hear a man who is alittle older than me, asking how does he get to the movie theatre. The girl behind the counter tells him to go up the stairs.
He repeats "I have to go up the stairs." sounding like this might be a difficult task for him - especially carrying his popcorn.
At no time does the concession stand clerk tell this man that there is an Elevator that he can take.

The Elevator at the Mann Theatres 6 is tucked far away in the corner,
on the right side as you walk away from the concession stand.
They won't tell you it is there, unless you ask if there is an elevator.
Thats how I found out it was there. After a few times of going up the stairs about ready to spill all my concession stand food, I asked if there was an Elevator - and they finally told me the secret, that yes, there was.
Whoever designed this theatre could not be bothered with adding an "Up" escalator.

Once inside the theatre, trying to find a place to sit where I couldn't see the curve of the screen was impossible. I ended up sitting far front, and dead center. But it didn't help. Whoever tested the screens when they were installing them ... well, I don't know where they could have sat where there was a good seat. And whoever thought about putting curved screens in such small theatres was just plain not thinking.

As you can tell, I really don't like the Mann Chinese 6 at all. This is the complex of 6 theatres in the mall, behind the actual Graumans Chinese Theatre - which is a beautiful theatre.

Other than my terrible surroundings... I really enjoyed Monster In Law. I wasn't sure when it first came out if I even wanted to see it.
All the politics over Jane Fonda , and Jennifer Lopez and her wearing of Fur .... not to mention Lopez's last few movies haven't been so great.
Well, I wasn't sure.... sometimes all the Hype gets to be to much, ya know...
But I am glad I went. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was really funny. And Jennifer Lopez was really wonderful in it. I am glad she and Ben Affleck broke up - she is doing such better movies now.

And I LOVED Jane Fonda . I wish more older actresses were like her. Willing to show her age. And show her wrinkles. She was really perfect in that role. I would love to see her get an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actress... I think she was great.
If you are over 40 - I really recommend that you see Jane Fonda in Monster in Law. She is a good example of how am older actress can still look older ... and not have to have everything pulled and tucked to be in a major Hollywood film. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if she had done some plastic surgery here and there ... she looks her age, and she looks great.



Archives

08/26/1990 - 09/02/1990   12/07/2003 - 12/14/2003   12/14/2003 - 12/21/2003   12/21/2003 - 12/28/2003   12/28/2003 - 01/04/2004   01/11/2004 - 01/18/2004   01/25/2004 - 02/01/2004   02/01/2004 - 02/08/2004   02/08/2004 - 02/15/2004   03/07/2004 - 03/14/2004   04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004   05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004   05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004   06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004   06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004   08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004   09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004   09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004   10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004   11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004   12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005   01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005   01/23/2005 - 01/30/2005   01/30/2005 - 02/06/2005   02/06/2005 - 02/13/2005   02/13/2005 - 02/20/2005   02/20/2005 - 02/27/2005   02/27/2005 - 03/06/2005   03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005   03/13/2005 - 03/20/2005   03/20/2005 - 03/27/2005   03/27/2005 - 04/03/2005   04/03/2005 - 04/10/2005   04/10/2005 - 04/17/2005   04/17/2005 - 04/24/2005   04/24/2005 - 05/01/2005   05/01/2005 - 05/08/2005   05/08/2005 - 05/15/2005   05/15/2005 - 05/22/2005   05/22/2005 - 05/29/2005   05/29/2005 - 06/05/2005   06/05/2005 - 06/12/2005   06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005   06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005   06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005   07/03/2005 - 07/10/2005   07/10/2005 - 07/17/2005   07/17/2005 - 07/24/2005   07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005   07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005   08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005   08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005   08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005   08/28/2005 - 09/04/2005   09/04/2005 - 09/11/2005   09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005   09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005   09/25/2005 - 10/02/2005   10/02/2005 - 10/09/2005   10/09/2005 - 10/16/2005   10/16/2005 - 10/23/2005   10/23/2005 - 10/30/2005   10/30/2005 - 11/06/2005   11/06/2005 - 11/13/2005   11/13/2005 - 11/20/2005   11/20/2005 - 11/27/2005   11/27/2005 - 12/04/2005   12/04/2005 - 12/11/2005   12/11/2005 - 12/18/2005   12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005   12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006   01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006   01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006   01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006   01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006   01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006   02/05/2006 - 02/12/2006   02/12/2006 - 02/19/2006   02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006   02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006   03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006   03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006   03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006   03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006   04/02/2006 - 04/09/2006   04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006   04/16/2006 - 04/23/2006   04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006   04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006   05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006   05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006   05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006   05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006   06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006   06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006   06/18/2006 - 06/25/2006   06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006   07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006   07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006   07/16/2006 - 07/23/2006   07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006   07/30/2006 - 08/06/2006   08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006   08/13/2006 - 08/20/2006   08/20/2006 - 08/27/2006   08/27/2006 - 09/03/2006   09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006   09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006   09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006   09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006   10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006   10/08/2006 - 10/15/2006   10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006   10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006   10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006   11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006   11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006   11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006   11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006   12/03/2006 - 12/10/2006   12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006   12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006   12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006   12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007   01/07/2007 - 01/14/2007   01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007   01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007   01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007   02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007   02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007   02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007   02/25/2007 - 03/04/2007   03/04/2007 - 03/11/2007   03/11/2007 - 03/18/2007   03/18/2007 - 03/25/2007   03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007   04/01/2007 - 04/08/2007   04/08/2007 - 04/15/2007   04/15/2007 - 04/22/2007   04/22/2007 - 04/29/2007   04/29/2007 - 05/06/2007   05/06/2007 - 05/13/2007   05/13/2007 - 05/20/2007   05/20/2007 - 05/27/2007   05/27/2007 - 06/03/2007   06/03/2007 - 06/10/2007   06/10/2007 - 06/17/2007   06/17/2007 - 06/24/2007   06/24/2007 - 07/01/2007   07/01/2007 - 07/08/2007   07/08/2007 - 07/15/2007   07/15/2007 - 07/22/2007   07/22/2007 - 07/29/2007   07/29/2007 - 08/05/2007   08/05/2007 - 08/12/2007   08/12/2007 - 08/19/2007   08/19/2007 - 08/26/2007   08/26/2007 - 09/02/2007   09/02/2007 - 09/09/2007   09/09/2007 - 09/16/2007   09/16/2007 - 09/23/2007   09/23/2007 - 09/30/2007   09/30/2007 - 10/07/2007   10/07/2007 - 10/14/2007   10/14/2007 - 10/21/2007   10/21/2007 - 10/28/2007   10/28/2007 - 11/04/2007  


DonnaGrayson.com Main Page
Donna's Music, Poetry, Acting Resume, and More ...

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?