Check out a drive-in comedy show. Celebrate the Year of the Ox. Tune into a Black History Month celebration. Sip martinis with Nick and Nora. Peep some options for poon choi and heart-shaped pizzas for the holday weekend.
Judas and the Black Messiah
Cinelounge Drive-In
1625 N. Las Palmas Blvd., Hollywood
Writer-director Shaka King brings the story of Fred Hampton, the Black Panther party chairman who was betrayed by an FBI informant, to the big screen. The cast includes Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Martin Sheen, Dominique Fishback and Ashton Sanders.
COST: Tickets start at $29.99; MORE INFO
The Sweded Festival for Creative Re-creations
The Sweded Film Fest features classic movies remade by amateurs who replace A-list stars and CGI with whatever they have at home. The finalists include "Sweded" versions of Die Hard, Escape from New York, No Country for Old Men, Dune and Stop Making Sense. The screening also features entrants from past festivals. A portion of ticket sales goes to theaters that have been affected by pandemic closures.
COST: $3.99 per ticket; MORE INFO
Douglas J. Cuomo's Seven Limbs
CAP UCLA presents a performance of Cuomo's new composition with Nels Cline and the Aizuri Quartet. The work is a "ritual in seven movements" based on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of purification. Cline plays a largely improvised guitar set while Aizuri's music will be entirely notated. The video will be available through Feb. 21.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema: Sun Children
The UCLA Film & Television Archive presents Iran's official selection for this year's Oscars. Follow the story of 12-year-old Ali and his three friends who work hard to survive and support their families via legal and illegal means. Once the screening starts, you have a week to finish the film. This program includes an exclusive conversation with director Majid Majidi.
COST: $10; MORE INFO
Magic Asphalt Comedy Show
The Magic Castle
7001 Franklin Ave., Hollywood
Comedy under the stars returns this Valentine's weekend for one show on Friday and two on Saturday. General admission entry includes one car, a 4-oz box of See's candies, hand clappers and the Magic Castle Board Game. The lineup changes for each show. Justin Martindale, Iliza Shlesinger, Allison Leber and Craig Conant are confirmed for Friday night. This show is 21+.
COST: Tickets start at $145 per car; MORE INFO
Lovers Rock
Grand Park celebrates the "month of love" with a virtual experience that incorporates food and music. Angela Means Kaaya, owner of Jackfruit Cafe, walks viewers through a healthy vegan Valentine's Day meal tutorial while five L.A.-based music curators -- Novena Carmél, Christian Morales, DJ Rashida, DJ Hoseh and Storm the DJ -- create reggae, dub, ska and dancehall playlists. Watch on-demand streaming on YouTube, Mixcloud, Spotify and Grandparkla.org.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Cocktail Hour: Valentine Martinis with Nick & Nora
The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles holds a virtual Valentine's Day martini cocktail hour with the 1930s husband-and-wife detective team Nick and Nora Charles of The Thin Man. They'll walk viewers through four martini recipes, sharing stories and tips along the way. Three of the martinis are from classic cocktail books and the fourth is a modern version. Ingredients can be found on the ADSLA's website.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Year of the Ox
Santa Monica Place
395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica
If you want to celebrate the Lunar New Year in a safe and physically distanced way, head to the Santa Monica shopping mall to pick up New Year craft kits for the kids as well as red envelopes with special deals from participating shops and restaurants. Guests can also make their wishes for the upcoming year.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Handcrafting! Galette: Rustic Valentine Tarts
The Arboretum presents an online workshop with food preservationist Brie Wakeland, who teaches you how to make a decadent galette. These French tarts can be made with either sweet or savory fillings. The class will take attendees through the process of creating a butternut squash and goat cheese galette as well as a sweet caramelized apple galette. An ingredients and materials list will be sent out before the class. The Zoom link will be sent to registered participants 24 hours before the class.
COST: $25; MORE INFO
Golden Dragon Parade
The 122nd annual Golden Dragon Parade takes place virtually on Facebook this year instead of in-person in Chinatown. Grab some takeout and celebrate the Lunar New Year as the Chinese Chamber of Commerce showcases music, dance, food and pop culture interspersed with the stories of Chinese Americans.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Unboxed
The festival of designer toys and collectibles, curated by designer Kevin Poon, streams via the NTWRK app. The weekend features content from more than 30 creators and brands (Kaikai Kiki, Takashi Murakami and Friends With You), live panel discussions, close-up looks at bespoke toys and artist collaborations. You'll need to download the app to view the festival.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
I Choose You
DTLA Proud and drag artist Miss Shu Mai host performances from prominent queer voices along with a panel discussion about the nonprofit organization's documentary, Proud In A Pandemic. Performers include DJ Rubella Spreads, Meatball (drag queen), Johnny Gentleman (drag king), film composer Josh Bartley and singer Drew Arriola. Before the discussion, DTLA Proud releases an exclusive sneak peek from the film. The festivities will be streamed live on Princess Party's Twitch Channel and viewers have the opportunity to donate online at dtlaproud.org/donate. All donations of $50 or more will receive a Proud Box of goodies. All donations will be matched up to $15,000 by Tito's Handmade Vodka.
COST: FREE, but donations encouraged; MORE INFO
Yeek, Jay Som and Ginger Root
The multimedia company and record label 88Rising has long championed Asian and Asian American musicians and artists, and for Lunar New Year, it teams with Johnnie Walker for an online celebration. The event streams on YouTube and supports the nonprofit Asian American Advancing Justice. They've also developed a Lunar New Year Cocktail Courier kit (from $74.99) that includes ingredients to make a Gold Moon Highball (with Johnnie Walker Black) and a special crewneck sweatshirt.
COST: FREE concert, but donations encouraged; MORE INFO
Colonialism is Terrible, But Pho is Delicious
Anaheim's Chance Theater teams with the Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley to produce a staged, livestreamed reading of Dustin Chinn's play. Directed by Oanh Nguyen, the dark comedy is inspired by two viral incidents around cultural appropriation and food, spanning centuries and cultures. It starts in Hanoi then travels to Ho Chi Minh City and comes crashing down in Brooklyn.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Introduction to Birding
Get to know the birds in your Southern California neighborhood during this online workshop from the California Botanic Garden. Tina Stoner shares the tools of the trade (binoculars and field guides), proper record-keeping and how to ID birds. This class takes place virtually via Zoom.
COST: $20 - $25; MORE INFO
Preserving Honor & Excellence
In honor of Black History Month, Forest Lawn hosts a virtual presentation of inspirational music, dance and readings. Vocal tributes salute Nina Simone, Big Mama Thornton and Black opera stars. Listen to excerpts from Porgy & Bess, The Wiz and The Color Purple. Michael Ellington hosts while pastors Jean Burch and Geremy Dixon offer spiritual reflections and keynotes. Watch on Facebook.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Devendra Banhart: The Grief I Have Caused You
Nicodim Gallery
1700 S. Santa Fe Avenue, #160, downtown L.A.
The musician has his first first solo art exhibition in Los Angeles, a survey of recent paintings and drawings. Banhart's works with their abstract forms ruminate on the human condition in a perennial state of suffering. Reserve a 50-minute solo appointment slot to view the show.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Dashboard Confessional: Lonely Hearts & Lovers' Valentine's Day Stream
Here's an emo way to celebrate the holiday. Join in a virtual concert by singer/guitarist Chris Carrabba. The show marks his first performance since a serious motorcycle accident last June. The stream features a never before seen version of Dashboard Confessional performing a 19-song set pulled from the band's extensive catalog, recently filmed in Nashville's Riverside Revival Church.
COST: $15; MORE INFO
Wolfwalkers + Live Q&A
The American Cinematheque features a discussion between filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and the directors of the animated feature Wolfwalkers, Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. Their film follows a young hunter who discovers a tribe that can turn themselves into wolves. The film is available to watch now on Apple TV+.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
On the Rocks + Q&A
The American Cinematheque also presents a discussion on Sofia Coppola's latest film with the director and actors Rashida Jones and Marlon Wayans. In the film, a woman enlists her playboy father (Bill Murray) to help her find out if her husband is cheating on her.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Lapkus and Tompkins: Palentine's Day
Comics Lauren Lapkus and Paul F. Tompkins perform a two-person improv set for Val- pal- or gal-entine's day fun. For a ticket add-on, send a DynaGram -- a short message to your sweetheart or friend that will play in the preshow. Ticketholders have access to the livestream for a week after the show.
COST: $5 - $10 tickets for the show, $5 DynaGram add-on; MORE INFO
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel
Out this week on Netflix is a docuseries that focuses on the disappearance of Elisa Lam from The Cecil Hotel in downtown L.A in 2013. From the creator of The Ted Bundy Tapes, the four-episode series takes a deep dive into the infamous hotel and its sordid history. (Although the hotel rebranded as The Stay on Main in 2011, in Angelenos' memories, it will always be The Cecil.)
Who doesn't miss going out to eat or stopping by a bar for a drink? Here are a few options from restaurants and bars as we work our way back toward normal.
