This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which means tearjerker interviews on TV, terrifying images on loops, and "where were you when" conversations. And in L.A., it also means ramped up security -- but not because of any specific threat against the city. more ›

After nearly a decade, the sun has finally set on the Department of Homeland Security's rainbow of terror color-coded alert system. In the near future, terror as we've feared it will no longer be expressed in terms of the more shocking shades in the spectrum as the department's brand new National Terror Advisory System (NTAS) public guide (pdf) is introduced. more ›

The LAPD has announced the creation of new program called iWatch, something which LAPD Chief William Bratton calls the "21st century version of Neighborhood Watch." Basically, the program encourages residents to identify and report suspicious behaviors and activities that have been known to be used by terrorists. more ›

Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Concert, Belly Up Tavern 12/19/06 more ›

Ghostland Observatory @ Henry Fonda Jimmy Scott, Hello Stranger @ The Echo Carole King, James Taylor @ The Troubadour The Raspberries @ House of Blues Cake @ Orpheum Aimee Mann, Paul F. Tompkins, Grant-Lee Phillips, Morgan Murphy, Ben Gibbard @ El Rey Chimaira, Kataklysm, Terror, Divine Heresy @ Key Club Under the Influence of Giants, Maxine @ Malibu Inn Bullets & Octane, The Ringers @ The Roxy... more ›

Earlier today, GOD took the form of a crazy vagrant and helped us picket outside the Disney/ABC studios in Burbank. Shortly after signing in, he headed straight for the snack table, and with his giant Godly hand, slammed a fistful of Red Vines into his mouth. It looked as if he was eating a candy octopus -- its red tentacles dangling from his most holy hole -- and just when we thought his reign... more ›

The courts once again sided with the Bush administration in its warrantless spy tapping program. This time, the liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to rule against the government in its handling of the war on terror. Somewhere, Abbie Hoffman is crying. Following an incident at Cal State Fullerton, in which nooses appeared on a clothesline at an anti-hate rally, civil rights leaders are calling for a federal investigation. College officials quickly took... more ›

The state says the Mayor should get an automatic $8,283 salary increase retroactive to July 1. The mayor says not so fast: “With the City of Los Angeles facing a tough budget year, I do not believe now is the time for me to accept an automatic and retroactive pay raise. Being Mayor of Los Angeles is reward enough, and I’m committed to working twenty-four-seven to protect essential services.” (via a press release) The... more ›

The Los Angeles Michelin ratings are out! No three-star restaurants for LA, and many Angeleno foodies are already complaining about the non-starred status of places like Lucques, Grace, and JAR. They couldn't get Ackroyd? Meryl Streep will be playing Julia Child in the upcoming movie adaptation of the book "Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen." The sequel will be based on Carol Cooks Keller, hopefully. The kids over at... more ›

An area of Mexico larger than metro LA is almost completely underwater after two days of severe flooding. Granted, we're busy fighting a Global War on Terror and it's inconvenient to help our neighbors, not to mention our own domestic needs, but... it's probably worth knowing that 80 percent of Tabasco is underwater. More rain is on its way. Our fires were on front pages around the world. So how come when Mexico experiences... more ›

According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), unprovoked shark attacks have been growing steadily over the past century. This statistic is good enough reason for me to never go into the ocean higher than waist-deep, ever again. Ironic, for a person who moved from chilly Boston to sunny L.A. in order to live the breezy, beach-y life. But the kid in me that walked by the covers of Jaws 1-3 a few too... more ›

Kenneth Turan presents Never Coming to a Theater Near You 7pm @ Studio City Branch Library more ›

Photo by pd88 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr more ›

Yesterday we introduced a contest where several winners would receive two pairs of tickets to see the Robert Rodriguez zombie flick Planet Terror on Monday at the Mann's Chinese as part of Screamfest 07. Today we received word that each of the five winners will also win the Grindhouse Cherry action figure with removable leg/machine gun. Can you think of a better way to celebrate the ways of Rose Macgowan's character than through doll-play?... more ›

Consolation Prize of a Lifetime - Al Gore is a man of peace and gets the homepage of Apple.com all to himself -- should we expect the iAl to come out by the holidays? The Catalina Island Avalon city employee who beheaded a deer and left it in a soccer net is definitely not getting any peace prize. There was another suspicious package today left around City Hall, forcing street closures and the evacuation... more ›

If the department stores can put their Christmas merch out already, we can sure as hell start celebrating Halloween! Friday, October 12th Rosemary's Billygoat, who always put on a special-effects extravaganza along with some serious rocking, will be playing at The Haunt at the Northridge Fashion Center. There will also be three haunted houses and a Fall Festival. Rosemary's Billygoat plays at 9pm. The CIA (California Institute of Abnormal Arts) in North Hollywood's Fright Night... more ›

My high school drama club participated in our local haunted house, and we were merciless. One woman had to be taken away in an ambulance after an actor concealed in a hole in the ground grabbed her foot. So these things really freak me out. I don't believe in zombies and monsters, but I do believe in unpredictable aspiring actors. THE BIG ONES: Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights looked so intense I turned down an... more ›

We have a few pairs of tickets to a rare theatrical screening of the extended director’s cut of Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror at Screamfest 07 this Monday at Mann's Chinese. In many people's minds Planet Terror was the better of the two Grindhouse films that came through town as a double-feature. Not even Quentin could compete with the zombies vs the hot one-legged babe w/ machine gun attachment. That babe, by the way, one... more ›

As Halloween draws ever close, what better way to spend an evening than having the shit scared out of you in a movie theater? Screamfest, in my opinion the best horror film festival out there, begins tomorrow in Hollywood. Screenings on tap include George Romero's brand new Diary of the Dead, Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D, the director's cut of Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, 30 Days of Night and the terrifically spooky... more ›

Hide the knives, Joan Didion: the Santa Anas are coming! The Santa Anas are coming! The new assistant director over at the Los Angeles branch of the FBI has experience in the domestic terror, white-collar crime, and foreign relations divisions; he has also spent time in Mexico City as an FBI legal attache. This week's Sign of the Apocalypse: kids as young as thirteen and fourteen are now getting into the paparazzi business. We... more ›

On Friday night, Bill Maher spoke to Michael Scheuer, former head of the now defunct C.I.A. Bin Laden Unit and author of the upcoming book,Marching Toward Hell: America & Islam After Iraq. His previous book, Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror, was mentioned in one of Bin Laden's recent tapes mentioning that if the U.S. wanted to understand why the Iraq War is a losing war, then they need... more ›

The one and only Puck (1991-2007). You may think your family dog was the most badass ever, but no, mine was. In fifth grade, I returned home from a sleepover to find an absolutely psychotic bundle of black fur in our kitchen, barricaded in by a row of tall, heavy objects, such as hampers and unused nightstands, ripped-up and peed-on newspaper shreds at his feet and an old stuffed toy duck of my brother's... more ›

Today the worst president ever got to share his thoughts on the worst AG ever, and the lies seethed out like snakes from Medusa's slithery scalp. This morning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced that he will leave the Department of Justice after two and a half years of service to the department. Al Gonzales is a man of integrity, decency and principle, and I have reluctantly accepted his resignation with great appreciation for the... more ›

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

There is an unrelenting bleakness that inhabits every frame of Asger Leth’s Ghosts of Cite Soleil. As he notes in the film’s press materials, “Haiti has the third-highest rate of hunger in the world, behind only Somalia and Afghanistan. Its people have less access to clean water and sanitation than residents of Ethopia or Sierra Leone…life expectancy is lower in Haiti than in Sudan. By every measure, Haiti’s 8 million inhabitants are living in a state of prolonged and profound horror.” The only things that appear to be in abundance are heat and dust. more ›

LAist was comped front row seats by the Dodgers due to Malingering being struck by a foul ball last week, and she came back with some great photos, and earlier made fun of 4th of July on Venice Beach. But the biggest stories of the week was that the Mayor's Hot Tamale was revealed, and that a Kwik-E-Mart was erected in Burbank. Phillyist was busy doing the Fourth of July up right, exercising their... more ›

The path of terror and destruction heads to Los Angeles with a Dwarves show coming to Safari Sam's on July 20th. The Dwarves are a punk band going strong since the late 80's originating out of Chicago, who are legendary for their wild shows. If you go to a Dwarves show someone's wiener is coming out, and if you're in the front row... you're prolly going to get "involved". Blag Dahlia, the guy without bikini... more ›

I’ve had it with this Dodger’s team. more ›

Happy Father's Day! For those of you who have dads, are dads, or know dads, this one's for you, from all of us at the Gothamist network. more ›

I really, really, really liked Grindhouse for many reasons that I can probably only effectively communicate to you orally and/or non verbally. But this is the written word, so alas, I must force myself. Meanwhile, you will have to imagine my excited gesticulations. I do a lot of pointing, and thumbs up, and punching motions, karate kicks, Elvis arm moves, and touchdown dance type shit when I talk about Grindhouse. It’s that type of... more ›