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DVD Tuesday: And the Winner Is...
Jeff Bridges will probably end up winning an Oscar for his role in Crazy Heart, but if he doesn't you can bank on Jeremy Renner taking home the statue for his performance in The Hurt Locker. In a just world, Peter Capaldi would be doing the same thing for his brilliant turn as Malcolm "Prince of Fucking Darkness" Tucker in In the Loop. The fact that he probably won't even be nominated is insane. Similarly, Sam Rockwell will likely be ignored for his (inter) stellar work in Moon. Hard to believe that The Simpsons has been on the air for twenty years. Even harder to believe when you consider that it hasn't been consistently funny in over a decade. The Brothers Bloom is exactly the kind of small, quirky film you should find on DVD. It came and went in the theaters, but features great work by Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody (LAist interview here).
The Hurt Locker
In the Loop
Moon
The Simpsons: The Complete Twentieth Season
Departures
The Brothers Bloom
8 1/2 (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
Fame
I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Halloween II (Unrated Director's Cut)
I saw Mancora, Big Fan and Downloading Nancy all at the Sundance Film Festival. Mancora was as sexy a movie as you'll ever see and featured an absolutely luscious performance by Elsa Pataky. Big Fan should have been a lot funnier than it was considering it starred the awesome Patton Oswalt (LAist interview here). To be honest, I left before it was over to go catch The Cove. Downloading Nancy was probably the most depressing film I've ever seen. It's about a suicidal woman who wants a man to sexually humiliate and ultimately kill her. Sounds like fun, right? Alexis Bledel is a fine actress who deserves better than Post Grad.
Mancora
Big Fan
Downloading Nancy
Post Grad
By the People: The Election of Barack Obama
The Burning Plain
Acting Shakespeare
Amreeka
A l'Aventure
Killer Biker Chicks
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Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out.
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First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings.
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It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning.
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L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.
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L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding.
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This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.