Kirsten Dunst got a restraining order against a French stalker who has sold his home and crossed the ocean more than five times in the hopes of seeing her. more ›

Francophiles, mark your calendars as "très occupé" on 9/29, 9/30 and 10/1. The third annual OohLaL.A. Festival hosts its diverse French music extravaganza at the El Rey Theatre for three nights of la musique spectaculaire. more ›

Today's video lunch beckons yet another wave of nostalgia via the show's intro. Based off of the popular children's book series by Ludwig Bemelmans, the television series originally aired on the Family Channel in 1993. Not ringing a bell? How about this snippet from the intro of each book: "In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..." Recalling her adventures yet? more ›

Our favorite depression-era glamour outlaws are further romanticized in this double French treatement by storied singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg and bombshell of the universe Brigitte Bardot. Written by Gainsbourg, who would have been 83-years-old today, today's video lunch is the 1968 single "Bonnie and Clyde" based on a poem written by Bonnie Parker a few weeks before the criminal pair's dramatic ambush finale. more ›

It's like Sunday - silent, gray and cold. Dash the December doldrums with a colorful change of pace! The UCLA Film & Television Archives kicks off its Les Illusionistes: A Celebration of French Animation series Friday with jazz-inspired The Triplets of Belleville, paired with a preview of L'Illusioniste, the latest from Triplets director Sylvain Chomet. Mia et Le Migou is a charming rainforest adventure, while Kirikou and The Wild Beasts builds off of West African mythology. If that isn't enough Bruin Franimation, the Hammer also sponsors its own free screening of the medieval-tapestry tale Azur and Asmar on Sunday. more ›

Look to the skies! The flying saucers will always be there! Not even your local cinematheque is safe when evil extraterrestrials & suave spacemen invade Santa Monica. Should our valiant heroes survive these "Far Out" encounters, they must still contend with a Martian militia, led by none other than our governor himself! I heard it through my magick Tesla Coil! more ›

With all the buzz surrounding restaurant newcomers Anisette and Comme Ca, another elegant French bistro has quietly slipped under the foodie radar: The Hall at Palihouse. This serene, casual, but sophisticated space within the "extended-stay" hotel has recently changed chefs: Anisette's former chef de cuisine, Brendan Collins, has taken over from Stephanie O'Mary, and in doing so has invigorated the traditional French bistro menu with more exotic Mediterranean influences. more ›

Last month, on the same night that Rilo Kiley (MySpace) headlined at the Greek Theatre, another local band, Midnight Movies (MySpace), performed at Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake as part of Club NME (MySpace)'s weekly show. more ›

Alain Giraud is a charismatic guy. He is the picture of a merry chef, walking through his restaurant in his whites, with a warm smile, raking his fingers through a pristine silver hairdo that only a Frenchman can pull off. And even when he whispered (politely) to me, “Madame, please don’t take pictures of the restaurant”, I could not help but smile and say, alright then. He is just that, how do you say… geniale. more ›

Photo by puck90 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. more ›

Sometimes it seems like the only people who actually eat at Taix are the musicians. Taix is kind enough to actually give the performing bands drink and meal tickets. I've never even eaten in the restaurant itself, but I've spent a lot of time in the homey wine bar, where I can listen to local bands while I dine. Whenever I cozy up in the warm brick-interior listening to the edgy jazz, I wonder... more ›

Though it might be tempting to stay home tomorrow night and embrace the melancholy void left by The Sopranos, I’d like to suggest an alternative that’ll at least get you out of the house. A little more than a year after playing a hypnotic set at the Hotel Cafe, Israeli-born French chanteuse Keren Ann will be performing Sunday evening at the Troubadour. Though initially known for her gorgeous, laid-back French songs, her last three... more ›

Venerable French magazine Cahiers du cinema (yup, it's still in existence) today launched its first English language edition, which will be available both in print and online for an annual fee. For $45, English-language readers will now be able to subscribe to a year's worth of the magazine (11 regular issues + 1 special issue). Cahiers will also offer free online supplements. Currently featured on the publication's Web site is a diary about the making... more ›