Valley Times Collection/Los Angeles Public Library
For the past 17 years I’ve hosted an annual Christmas Movie Marathon party (full list of films here for those interested). It began as an intimate gathering of turtle doves in a narrow Crown Heights apartment, then graduated to something like an actual holiday party, before mutating briefly into “Carol-oke”, and finally emigrating to the California, where it settled into the form it now takes: a childrens’ party where we sometimes watch a movie afterward. There were many occasions where we could have let the tradition die, but, for one reason or another we didn’t, and now here we are: 17.
When I am befuddled by my children’s passions/interests, I often ask them: “what’s your favorite [X]”? I would like to ask myself that question now, as a way of interrogating this thing that has somehow become an essential aspect of myself and my writingoutput. So, Self: “What was your favorite Christmas movie marathon party (and why!)?”
(Terrible question; no wonder my kids don't answer it!) If I had to pick just one, it would have to be the first, which included several close friends, a quadruple-feature main event, and ran until 3 am. But then, unbeknownst to the other attendees who apparently all had other things to do, that session was supplemented with a Day 2 event, wherein I watched an additional three movies while “cleaning up.” (Day 1 was great; Day 2 was greater.) The point of Christmas Movie Marathon was notthe friends we made along the way, but the movies themselves. (SANTA WAS KRAMPUS ALL ALONG!!!)
Let me explain: Growing up in San Francisco, Christmas always felt like something that was happening somewhere else—right up to the point when How the Grinch Stole Christmas came on TV. That was the thing that somehow brought me into communion with the Real Christmas kids—the ones who lived in the Snowlands with the elves, penguins, reindeer, etc. All of that stuff was rooted in mythology, if not outright lies (penguins are birds, and birds aren’t real, as we know), but the feeling was intense, and I still get it when I put on Miracle on 34th St. or see the Macy’s Day Parade. It’s a feeling of deep communion. And although I suppose that might sound paltry or shallow versus, say, eating the body of Christ, all I can say to that is:Zuzu’s petals man. On the one hand, the mundane; on the other, the sublime.
My point, for the purposes of this newsletter, is that out here in the desert, you’ve got to make your own snow. And if movies aren’t your thing (erroneous), or if you need other things (wise), we’ve got plenty of other options for you this month — from caroling with a pop-up choir to grabbing Michelin-starred Chinese food in the San Gabriel Valley to attending a local variety show. So grab a thermos, swaddle up, and find the celebration that works for you!
Oh, and we’ve got an email address now: so send any upcoming event tips, tricks, and/or feedback to: Loose-Land@proton.me! Thanks in advance!
- Daniel Harmon
(License plate coverage at bottom, per youge!)
Cultural Happenings
Left to Right clockwise: Doug Aitken, Lightscape, Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena, Weirdo Night, Plant Material, Bistro Na’s: Ariel Ip/Bistro Na’s, Produce in the Park.
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Dec 1: Weirdo Night With Dynasty Handbag (Zebulon) In times like these, seeing art in community offers a much needed reprieve. Dynasty Handbag is a long-running variety show from legendary performance artist Jibz Cameron. So come laugh with others, have a drink, and embrace the singular weirdness of this city (also come early, as this show tends to sell out!). (BK)
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Dec 1 - 31: Strolling Victorian Carolers (Tam O’Shanter) If you skew Victorian in your Christmas taste (in which case, a tip of the bonnet to you), then it’s hard to think of a better place to celebrate than the Tam, which not only offers feasting fare year-round (prime rib, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, etc.), but also features a roving band of top-notch Carolers in December. If you haven’t made a reservation already, consider just sidling up to the bar. (DH)
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Dec 1-31: Bar Siesta (Silver Lake) A holiday trip to Spain is now within reach thanks to the recently opened jewel box of a restaurant, Bar Siesta. A collaboration between the wonderful folks behind Botanica and Siesta Co, the chic Bar Siesta is soon to be your new favorite spot on the east side for lovingly curated conservas, tapas, and sherry. Vamos!. (BK)
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Dec 2: An Evening with Cher (Saban Theater) If there’s anything more powerful than watching Cher in concert, it’s hearing Cher divulge intimate stories about her incredible life in a packed theater. The goddess of song will be turning back time and discussing her new memoir, of which the first part (yes there are two parts, it's a big life!) came out late November. With any luck, the second part will have a whole chapter dedicated to my favorite Cher Christmas tune. (MR)
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Dec 3 - 19: MoMA Contenders (Hammer Museum) If you are lacking the stamina to plan your own movie marathon, The Hammer has you covered. Every year The Hammer presents MoMA’s “Contenders” program, a look back at the 12 must-see films of the year. We can’t wait to watch and re-watch films like The Brutalist with an intro by Felicity Jones (Dec 3), Good One followed by a Q&A with my fellow Vassar grad India Donaldson (Dec 12), and the astounding Emilia Pérez, which includes a conversation with composers Clément Ducol and Camille (Dec 9), all on the big screen. (MR)
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Dec 5, 12, 19: Produce In The Park (St. James Park) For a few hours every Thursday, St James Park near USC transforms into a free farmers market thanks to the work of Mutual Aid LA Network and Food Forward. Pulling this food distribution operation off requires volunteers’ help to either caravan food to the park, distribute and cull the goods, package leftovers for community fridges, and take inedible food to various gardens for composting. This is a joyful and easy way to strengthen those mutual aid muscles, which will surely come in handy over the next four years. (BK)
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Dec 6: The Big Sing: A Pop-Up ChoirFor some people, singing in a big group in public sounds like their worst nightmare. Not for this former show choir graduate! Hosted by Harmonize, a community that programs pop-up choirs, vocal jams and more with the aim of getting people to participate in the act of singing together, the event is welcome to all levels. After seeing this video of people singing Chappell Roan wandering around a gymnasium in Bushwick, my expectations are very high. (MR)
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Dec 6: An Evening with Diane Warren featuring Armageddon (Academy Museum of Motion Pictures) Cher and Diane Warren in the same month! Los Angeles, you lucky duck. If you aren’t familiar with Diane Warren’s work - wait, scratch that - EVERYONE is familiar with Diane Warren’s work. Without this 15 times Oscar nom whose name is synonymous with the term “power ballad,” we wouldn’t have some of the world’s greatest karaoke songs such as “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Because You Loved Me” and (yep you guessed it), “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” which you can sing along to (quietly, to yourself!) at this screening of Armageddon. (MR)
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Dec 7: Christmas Tree Lane Lighting Ceremony (Altadena) There are lots of good options for Christmas lights/decorations across Los Angeles (I personally have a fondness for the themed community-wide decorations of Upper Hastings Ranch, which now have a sort of hang-dog look after decades of use), but one of the most impressive is the lighting ceremony at Christmas Tree Lane. You know the situation is legit because it’s indicated via highway signs. But word to the wise: show up for the lighting if you want the full experience; it’s not the same once commuters start rolling through. (DH)
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Dec 7: Incident Screening (Los Feliz 3) In Bill Morrison’s 30-minute documentary, a police shooting is reconstructed and explored entirely through the body cam footage from the officers involved. The final moments of Harith Agustus' life are starkly laid bare, but the film’s POV is powerfully grounded in the idea that “with the public’s access to this footage established, a shift in police behavior happens. The cops are all performing now” (The New Yorker). The documentary is free with RSVP and followed by a Q&A with director Bill Morrison and producer/Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jamie Kalven (known also to me as “Dad”). (BK)
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Dec 7th: WUTI presents All Happy Families (Los Feliz 3) Women Under the Influence is hands-down one of the best film programmers in the city and a longtime collaborator of mine. Co-presented with the American Cinematheque, this film takes on the subject of a family get-together gone awry (happy holidays everyone!). Stay afterward for a Q&A moderated by WUTI founder, Tabitha Denholm with director Haroula Rose and select cast/crew including executive producer Michael Shannon. (MR)
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Dec 13 & 14: Plant Material Winter Market (Plant Material Altadena) No, we are not sponsored by the Altadena tourism board, though it may appear that way! We just love any excuse to make the trek to the base of Angeles National Forest and feel like we’re leaving LA for a day. And during the Winter Market you’ll also be surrounded by all the cool plants, cooler vendors (like Knotwork LA ceramics and Berbo Studio to name a few), and general merriment — so don’t miss it! (MR)
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Dec 17: Doug Aiken Lightscape (Marciano Foundation) Contemporary artist Doug Aiken has a penchant for dystopia and layering mediums, and his newest work,Lightscape, doesn’t disappoint. It is a feature length film, large scale immersive installation, and a musical experience woven into a kaleidoscope of an experience that “depicts a world on the brink of self-destruction” (I Care If You Listen). It recently premiered at the LA Phil to a sold out show and thankfully is taking up residence at the Marciano Art Foundation into next year. (BK)
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Dec 25: Bistro Na (San Gabriel Valley) For a flight of festivity, head to Bistro Na’s, where everything is wondrous: there’s the sight of the grand dining room with the duets of red lanterns glowing above like soft moons, while you eat gently fried beech mushrooms (could it be both salad and bar snack?), the crispy shrimp, and roast duck — better than any versions you’ve known before — all of which you can enjoy beside glass pots of pink yuzu and grapefruit tea adorning tables like a scene from a Chirri and Chirra book. You can hide away in a private room with friends or take a seat at a large round table in the main space to peek at neighboring tables and plot what to order next time. (LL Contributor Erica Wrightson)
Plate of the Month: Vanity of Vanities Edition
1st: GCSTNZA 2nd: DENZELW 3rd: SHIVROY
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity [plates], sayeth the [me]”. - Ecclesiastes
Yea, all is vanity in this city of ours, but somehow, when it comes to license plates, modesty is still possible — especially (/ironically) when they celebrate celebrities. With a 7-character limit, there's no room for elaboration; the plate has to speak for itself. And there's humility in that reticence.
Would Shiv Roy be caught dead in a Toyota? No! (And fuck off, yeah?) George Constanza, if he were a car, would obviously be an ‘89 LeBaron. And Denzel Washington wouldn’t put a roof box on top of his car; his luggage travels by purebred luggage pelicans, as we all know! But these plates don’t care about any of that. They send quiet messages of unconditional support for the strangers that they love. That’s beautiful. And the less that a person requires such homage, the more beautiful the gesture becomes.
I would like to honor these plates accordingly. The trendier the icon, the less I esteem the plate; the fancier the car, the less impressed I am. (The SOORAVN minivan, which you might remember from August, is close to the Platonic ideal in this respect, though it’s perhaps a little too playful.) Anyway, congrats to GCSTNZA, this month’s winner for ‘umblest plate. May its reign be short and shrinkly.
