Category Archives: Weezer

Take on Argyle

Or also known as my comments on a film from 3 years ago (yes, so recent!) with appeal to me, La La Land.

Back in 2015, I had the stunning experience of watching a movie, on a big screen, on the top of a theatre in Hollywood, set nearby, the famous Sunset Boulevard, starring Gloria Swanson. Watching that on an evening in October, with temperatures about 100 in the evening, was a surreal experience. My only visit to Los Angeles since then, I saw they were doing the same thing the week I was there, showing La La Land. Even though I looked a fair while before my visit, to see what options there were to repeat the experience, it was a total sell out!

Fortunately, yesterday morning, on a betting forum I visit, someone said that they were showing this movie on BBC 2 last night, so rather than just watching round 3 of the golf, I went over to the movie, to give it a try.

I’ll be quite honest, my main reason for wanting to watch it wasnt for the movie plot, it was for the location shots. And yes, there were any number of locations that I recognised from my trips to town. There was a musical number clearly filmed at the viewpoint above Hollywood that I went to on my first trip, in April 2015, though that was shot at night, and I saw it by day. My other obvious favourite was the shot of the murals at the top of Argyle Avenue, focusing on the Louise Brooks one, which I have walked past, or ridden past on a bus so many times before. And yes, if I stay up that way again on my intended visit to the city again next year, will do the same again. If not, I will probably just go up there once, anyway, as there is a fantastic Thai takeaway/restaurant nearby that I need to go to, just to see if one amazing old lady is still there, and still recognises me, which she did last time, after 3 years!

OK, the movie. Some of the dance numbers seemed a bit forced, but from the point of view of whether it fits in with the life of budding young actresses/musicians in La La Land, I suspect its probably pretty close. I wonder how she felt when Clara Johnson arrived in town in 1925, with ambitions to make it big herself? She never did of course, but seems to have had a pretty decent career dancing when the talking movies came in at least. Fine, I liked the way it all ended, I must admit. So overall, I enjoyed it, though probably more for the locations, than the story-line.

OK, video time. I was tempted to go with some Jazz, given thats what he played in the movies, but I havent a clue whats good, or bad. But equally, he was in an 80’s cover band, and this is a cover of one of those songs they played in the movie