Somewhere over the rainbow at The Wizard of Oz is playing. / Photo by Яick Harris via flickr. TEEVEE LIVE Last we checked there were tickets still available for an evening with the cast and crew of FX’s Damages. Scheduled to appear are Noah Bean, Rose Byrne, Glenn Close, Ted Danson, Tate Donovan, Anastasia Griffith, Željko Ivanek, Glenn Kessler (CoCreator/Executive Producer/Writer), Todd A. Kessler (CoCreator/Executive Producer/Writer), and Daniel Zelman (CoCreator/Executive Producer/Writer. 7 pm //......

Paolo Davanzo is an enthusiastic, avuncular man whose passion for filmmaking and education has resonated for half a decade from a brick building on the corner of Sunset and Alvarado. He’s like an Eastside Willy Wonka minus the creepiness. His factory isn’t churning out chocolates, but instead for the past five years, he’s been helping people from all walks of life make cinematic confections at the Echo Park Film Center (EPFC). EPFC is a......

Rumour has it that the latest chapter in the Harry Potter saga, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," goes on sale Saturday, July 16th. We wonder if the release date for the new flick "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was deliberately set to coincide with this most auspicious date. This LAist just realized that the media and hoopla that's developed around Harry Potter perfectly matches the mania depicted in the "Charlie" book and......

THURSDAY • The Eels are at Avalon tonight with Strings at 8 PM. Tickets are $25. • The Knitting Factory Front Room hosts a benefit for the Peer Education Program of Los Angeles, featuring Wires On Fire, Jim Brown (Bluebird), Terrors, Energy Club, Darren Weiss (Wires on Fire/Belladonna) and The Naturals. The show starts at 8 PM; tickets are $10. • Doors open at 7:30 PM for Frankie and Tommy's Social Club at the......

Last night we were among the fortunate attendees at the sold-out Writers Block event featuring Leonard Nimoy interviewing Gene Wilder, a strange but wonderful wrinkle in the pop culture universe. Nimoy, who directed Wilder in 1990's Funny About Love, got Wilder to tell some great stories, a few of which are in his new memoir Kiss Me Like a Stranger. Our favorite: Gene Wilder got the script for Willy Wonka and told the director......

It's a banner day for LA bookworms. There are lots of readings scheduled all over town: • 12:30 pm : Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman Thursday, April 14 at 12:30 Dutton's Beverly Hills holds a lunchtime event for Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman who will sign their latest book about Manhattan socialite-Cinderellas "Wolves in Chic Clothing." • 7:00 pm : Tony Kienitz Thursday, April 14, 2005 7:00 PM at Vroman's Pasadena Tony Kienitz discusses......

As Willy Wonka might have said at some point throughout the course of his fictitious life, "A town without an exceptional toy store is a town that has yet to be exceptional." Ain't that the truth, Willy me' boy. And such seems to be the case here in Los Angeles where few entrepreneurs believe that there is a difference between "a toy store" and "a good toy store" which has been illustrated by the......