Just Another Tuesday In Los Angeles

TV star? Check. Asshole paparazzi? Check. Random run-in with well known actor friend? Check. Just another Tuesday night in the tiny village that is Los Angeles.

In a fit of grown-up recklessness Teece, Tag and I decided to go see The Prestige last night. A movie? On a week night? Try to contain your shock.

Since Teece was stuck at work dealing with a last minute clusterfuck project, I volunteered to fetch Tag so she could finish up and go straight to the Arclight. Tag had never before experienced the Best* Movie Theater Ever, so we killed some time exploring all that the Arclight has to offer. We contemplated crashing the private party that had taken over the upstairs bar, but ultimately decided that Teece might be a smidge cranky if we abandoned her in favor of free booze. Loyal to a fault, we are.

Having successfully resisted the siren call of easily accessible and cost-free beverages, we  wandered back to the lobby and promptly ran into a former co-worker of mine who was also seeing The Prestige. When she admonished us to "hurry up" as she headed for the theater, Tag and I realized that the movie was slated to start shortly and there was still no sign of Teece.

Uh oh.

A quick call confirmed that she was just on her way out of her office. In North Hollywood. Crap. So, we agreed to leave her ticket at the Guest Services counter and pray for speedy traffic (at the end of rush hour on a Tuesday) and Tag & I headed into the theater to find our seats... directly in front of Former Co-worker and two rows in front of Eric McCormack. Apparently, he's good friends with the people sitting a few seats down from us.

Welcome to Los Angeles, Tag.

After managing to perform the nigh impossible task of getting from her desk in North Hollywood to the Arclight in under twenty minutes, Teece slid into her seat just as the lights were dimming during the final preview. Mental note: buy that girl a drink. We breathed a collective sigh of relief and settled in to watch what turned out to be a fantastic movie.

Dark. Twisted. Gorgeously designed & shot. The Prestige is Christopher Nolan & Christian Bale at their finest; I can't wait to see it again.

By the time the movie was over, the private event at the Arclight was in full swing and the lobby was swarmed with a mish mosh of chatting celebrities, mildly annoyed locals, and wide-eyed tourists. I remember thinking to myself that it was odd the paparazzi wasn't swarming the courtyard with so many picture-worthy faces inside.

Ten minutes later as I was about to start backing out of my parking spot, an enormous black pick-up truck screeched up behind me and the driver leaped out, camera in hand. He didn't even bother to turn off his headlights or close his door, simply flew down the stairs and started snapping pictures of whoever was trying to come up them, five other photogs hot on his heels.

I briefly considered getting out of my car and dragging the asshole paparazzo back up the stairs to move his truck. Then I considered "accidentally" ripping off his driver's side door as I backed out of my parking spot. Instead (in a decision that required GREAT maturity on my part), I finagled my car out of its spot with a textbook 46-point turn and drove down to report the guy to the manager of the parking structure.

Then I headed home, and promptly saw a well-known actor friend of mine walking down Cahuenga Blvd with his brother and sister-in-law. I flagged them down and pulled over to chat for a minute. Our conversation was cut short, however, by a photographer who spotted Actor Friend and dodged across four lanes of traffic to try to snap a picture of him leaning into my car (Scandalous!). Actor Friend grimaced and told me he'd call me later before grabbing the other two and diving into a nearby club. Have I mentioned how much I loathe the paparazzi? I took great pleasure in watching the bouncer convince the photog that following Actor Friend into the club would not be in his best interest.

Yep, just another Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

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There has been some debate on the award of the title "best" to the Arclight; some maintan that Austin's Alamo Drafthouse is, in fact, the best movie theater. Though I am intrigued by tales of the Drafthouse's themed events and Mystery Sinus Theater, I'm sticking with my hometown favorite for now.

Comments

[Tag]

Ah yes, great time indeed! If I wasn't so clueless I'm sure I'd be in awe of this town, instead I just really like it a lot. Fo sho.

I made the climb up to the H sign and realized, "shit, there are a lot of big houses and pools in that fenced in neighborhood below me."

Again, if I weren't so ignorant I'd be one of those wide-eyed tourist. Instead I'm just dumb enough that Clint Eastwood could buy me a cigar, I'd smoke with him, have a good conversation and say goodbye without even recognizing who I was talking to.

Eh, maybe its not that bad...lol!