As many of you know I recently located to the Los Angeles area, North Hollywood specifically. The other day we were walking around and we came across something that looked familiar.
Thats right. This amazing place, as seen on TCM, is right around the corner from my apartment. Oh Joy!! And, a block south of this, is another great rental place, Odyssey Video. Between the two of them, so far we've been able to find every title we've gone in for (got the Great Dictator
, Night Tide
, Keaton's The Camera Man, just to name a few). I'd like to see the Blockbuster across the street do that.
, Night Tide, Keaton's The Camera Man, just to name a few). I'd like to see the Blockbuster across the street do that.Blockbuster brings me to my point though. These two shops, Eddie Brandts since 1969, and Odyssey since the 80s, have character. They have great films on DVD and VHS. The people who own and work there know what you want when you say "its got that dude that was in that thing that one time", and can talk to you all day long about films, history, and give you pointers on your new neighborhood. These two shops, amazing and wonderful as they are, aren't doing so hot financially. Odyssey had to sell off alot of their inventory, and there's a "for lease" sign hanging over Eddie Brandts.
Inside Eddie Brandts
What can we do? Patronize your locally owned video stores. 10 to 1 odds says they're cheaper than Blockbuster, have a way more diverse selection, and actually know what they are talking about, instead of having to deal with the snot nosed teen army at corporate chains that don't know Valentino from a hole in the ground.
To me, the appeal of "200 copies of new releases" isnt all that appealing, because lets face it, most new movies are awful. Redbox's selection isn't very good (why is Kindergarten Cop a New Release??) And the folks at Blockbuster dont care, its a job and money to them. To the local shop, they opened that on their own because it's something they are passionate about and this particular breed has forgotten more film history than any of us will ever know. Its like our own personal Robert Osbornes right there in our neighborhoods, just waiting for questions.
So wherever you are, look up your local shops, dust off the VCR 
if you gotta (theres still something comforting about blowing into the tape and adjusting tracking, i must say) and go. Buy a poster, a soda, just let em know we havent forgotten who's there for us when we can't find an out of print silent film or want a movie that didn't come out in the past 15 years.
if you gotta (theres still something comforting about blowing into the tape and adjusting tracking, i must say) and go. Buy a poster, a soda, just let em know we havent forgotten who's there for us when we can't find an out of print silent film or want a movie that didn't come out in the past 15 years.Odyssey Video
4810 Vineland Ave
North Hollywood, CA 91601 34.1579 -118.3705
North Hollywood, CA 91601 34.1579 -118.3705
Eddie Brandts Saturday Matinee
5006 Vineland Ave
North Hollywood, CA 91601
http://www.ebsmvideo.com/
North Hollywood, CA 91601
http://www.ebsmvideo.com/
always knew she wanted to become an actress. At the age of 17 she entered an acting competition and while she thought she had failed, she was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Dramatic Theatre School, where Garbo had attended a few years prior.
. Unable to speak much english and unwilling to alter her appearance to match the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Ingrid was convinced this would be her only role and she would return to Sweden after filming.
, our star dressing-room suites were all occupied and we had to assign her a smaller suite. She went into ecstasies over it and said she had never had such a suite in her life... All of this is completely unaffected and completely unique and I should think would make a grand angle of approach to her publicity... so that her natural sweetness and consideration and conscientiousness become something of a legend... and is completely in keeping with the fresh and pure personality and appearance which caused me to sign her..." - 
in 1942. The movie won 3 academy awards and solidified Bergman's place in the A-list of the golden age of Hollywood.
to 
, all of Bergman's films were critically hailed. Even through an 8 year battle with cancer, she continued to work and never let on just how bad her condition was. Ingrid's last acting role was in the 1982 television miniseries "
," in which she portrayed Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, a role that won her both an Emmy and a Golden Globe. 
— André Maurois 
— Ernest Hemingway 
— Eric Linklater 
— Susan Ertz 
— Dorothy L. Sayers 
— Agatha Christie 
— Mary Webb 
over half of the top hits were war songs, like these, in 1917 when America declared war against Germany:
, they had 
, 
, and 
during the greatest generation gap before or since, this was the first time Ive noticed that pop culture beat out traditional media, and also the first time anti-war songs were heavy in the charts. Anti-war, but still about society at the time:
, Im going to rip you a new one in the near future for that ridiculous Casey Anthony song), a couple of rednecks singing about putting boots in asses, but no camaraderie, no chart toppers.. Where's the 
of my generation? The Cohans? The Andrews Sisters? Everyone wants to talk so much but seems no one is saying much of anything. And every day more freedoms get ripped from us and more tax dollars leave my pocket...
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
,
, 
, 
(Disturbia), 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, and The Women. Just to name a few from the past 5 years.
instead of 
107? If they had the choice to go see 
instead of 
? 
instead of 
? 