Willy Wonka and the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

"It's the most fun I've had in L.A."

That's what I'd heard. Of course I'm going to go in slightly skeptical and full of the highest hopes. I'd been pumped up to believe that evening movie screenings in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery were not only great, but a quintessential part of the Los Angeles experience.

I can now stand behind everything I'd heard and assure you that it is absolutely, 100%, positively true. If you get one Saturday in LA during the summer, and only one, this better be what's on your list to do.

Screenings in the cemetery are a fantastic way to spend a summer evening. Sure it sounds creepy (and it a little bit is) but as Megan put it as we were gallivanting through the gravestones - "It's kind of cool to be here and be really a live. You know? We're living in the moment with friends. we're not here for death. We're here for life." I might have paraphrased a bit - but that's the gist of what she was drunkenly rambling on about after the movie.

Yes, I said drunkenly. You see, it's not "public" in there so drinking.... TOTALLY ALLOWED.

Several bottle of wine, a shit-ton of snack, two bags of candy and a sushi platter later - we have a successful, drunk picnic in the cemetery for last night's movie: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. (No not the shitty one - the good one.)

Gates open at 7, so Nora, Kate, Mikey, Megan and I got there at about 5:30 to get in line. Kevin and Alex and Ashley soon joined us. Followed by Janove and Julie and Jordan. What a crowd! Apples to Apples passed the time (Kate and I are kindred Apples to Apples spirits)...and so did the wine. I was hammered before I even got through the gates into the cemetery.

500+ people crowded onto the lawn for one of the greatest cult movies ever. There was yelling. There was singing. There were snarky remarks. There was quotes. There was so much candy.

It was a ton of fun- but admittedly would have been less so had it not been for the amazing weather, great friends, and campy, fun movie.

From the Stadium to the Sea

No I didn't run the LA Marathon (for those of you that don't know "From the Stadium to the Sea" was the theme of this year's marathon). But the theme seemed to fit my weekend, as it started in Downtown, moved to the Pier, and ended back around Hollywood. Everything those marathon runners saw, I saw, and I had the added luxury of four wheels and air conditioning.

Saturday morning started with a trip to FIDM with Lesley to see the Oscar nominated costume display. Some were breath taking, some were amazing, some made us a squeal, and some were from Aliens in the Attic.

Lesley and I were like kids in a candy store with the costumes from An Education, Where the Wild Things Are ("Do you know how many hipsters would kill to steal that outfit?"), A Single Man ("They have the furry sweater!"), Inglourious Basterds ("Inglourious Basterds!"), and Julie and Julia ("Meryl wore that!").



This picture was from the exhibit several years ago, but since it's Helen Mirren, and she plays an intricate part in this blog post, I'll allow.



After playing over on Vermont for a bit, Lesley and I went to Santa Monica. She had never been on the pier, so we hit that up first. Kettle Corn! Cotton Candy! Rides! It's like a carnival, but better, because it's on water. Lesley and I joked about the pier being destroyed by a giant wave (as in a Roland Emmerich movie) and low and behold, go kicked off the beach. Not because of our off color jokes, but because a suspicious package was found on the pier. Cops were everywhere. We were instructed to go past the lifeguard tower. Dear lifeguard, if the pier was to explode in a gigantic terrorist attack, I highly doubt being on the OTHER side of your lifeguard tower would make the slightest difference in my chances of survival.

So we went to a British foods store. A logical move right? It is when you're with Palf.

Palf and I parted ways and I was joined by Kristen, Julie and Jeff. A bottle of wine and batch of margaritas later, we hopped into a cab for Bar Lubitsch. After my rave review of it, they had been wanting to try it. We got in and it was PACKED. Have no fear though, we found ourselves a nice pocket of space and proceeded to hang out and drink through the night. Kristen, Julie and nights out (or in!) are a perfect storm. Doesn't matter where we are, doesn't matter that someone in the bar had B.O. (okay, it a little bit did), we have a good time. Saturday was no exception.

We stumbled down Santa Monica to Jones for a post-drinking pizza with Banner. We scarfed a pizza of our own and downed half of Rebecca's. Success? I think so.

Sunday was just as successful, if not COMPLETELY different. Megan came to visit!



Megan, my oldest friend (as in, since 2nd grade, not age 102), is the assistant to journalist Annie Bardach, who is quite possibly THE go-to journalist on all things Cuba. Annie is a member of the Moron Society (a group of free-thinking, intelligent people [journalists, writers, directors, actors, politicians]) who get together to elect morons in society and discuss current events.



On Sunday, there was a Moron Society meeting at Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford's house. They live around the corner from me! Their neighbor is none other than Roland Emmerich, of aforementioned pier discussion.

Megan and I were honorary Moronettes and handled parking at the Hackford/Mirren estate. Afterwards we were invited to listen in on the meeting, which was incredible. These people are such intelligent speakers.

Mirren, or as Hackford calls her, Helly, was a sweetheart. So nice. She gave me a stack of ham, a bottle of wine and a cheery pie because "I could afford such a thing."



I feel like I should have more to say about this event, but I guess it's all just sinking in. They're wonderful people and it was exciting to be a part of it. Will anything come of it professionally? Probably not - but you never know!

It was a night out of a movie...

Cameron's 21st Birthday.

Definitely in the Top 5 Nights of My Life.

Eight of us caravan to LA to the house of a friend of Cameron's. Kid lives on the same street as Miley Cyrus and Steve Carell. There were paparazzi waiting outside Miley's and for a minute they thought we were someone. And we were.

We got into a limo outside Jordan's house. Booze was flowing. A bottle of Champagne and a bottle of Vodka later, we are all good and drunk.

We danced all over that limo.

Limo pulls up to the club and in hops Jessie. Jessie was the VIP coordinator of the club we were at. He was waiting for VIP guests in a black limo, and what a coincidence we were in a black limo.

Back in the limo, we take another lap around the block... with Jessie. We drink with him he texts the host at the club. He likes us, and wants to ring in Cameron's birthday right. So he scores us a VIP section. All 'cause he thought we were someone else. That's Hollywood luck if I've ever seen it.

So now 8 very drunk 21+ year olds enter the VIP section of this club.

8 Martinis.

8 Shots (Raspberry Lemon Drops... the shot was literally 3/4 of a scotch glass. More like 3 shots...)

8 more shots (Buttery Nipples...)

More Martinis...

We were a MESS. Dancing all over the place. Had so much fun.

Went to the bathroom, and Jessie rushed up to us.

"No, no, no you guys don't use that bathroom. You use the VIP bathroom. The password is Elizabeth"

Are you kidding me?! A VIP bathroom?

-Other highlights include: The napkins, which read "Do you like me? Check Yes__, No___, Maybe___. My Phone Number is ___________."

-Taking shots with Jessie and our waiter.

-Cameron's tour de puke outside the club.

-Playing on the jungle gym

-Bo, our limo driver (Props to Bo, he took good care of us)

-Inn n Out. So many fries.

The night ended good and proper, with Kristen vomiting on the side of my car. What a night.

It's technically Tuesday...

Forgive me.

Hollywood is so close I can touch it. Two months 'till the move.

Went to a salsa club in Santa Monica this weekend. Got drunk off one margarita (which was delicious). The joys of being a light weight. Tried to salsa dance, failed miserably.

I went with Julie, Kristen, Nora and Alison. All of which who were hit on by numerous latinos, and Lupe (a chubby bald guy with a beard and glasses, who Julie proceeded to call out [ten points for Julie]). It was fun.

"Tell Tale Heart" keeps getting closer and closer to shooting. I should get cracking on buying my stuff. It'll be easier to do once I know actor sizes for costuming, and visit the location which I should be doing tomorrow, er today.

It should look really good, I hope I'm right.

Spring Break is a couple days away, can't wait. I'm planning on locking myself in my room and writing, only coming out to pee and eat.

And meet up with a few friends in LA to discuss, you guessed it, movies.

Other than that, I'm the Daily Grill employee of the month for the month of March (heyo!).

Have a good week.