Lindsay William-Ross

Starting tomorrow, DirecTV subscribers will be able to rent select titles at home just two months after the films make their theatrical debut. Not everyone is pleased with this new viewing option, including some big-name directors like James Cameron and Michael Bay, who say the offer will hurt ticket sales at a time when movie theatres are paying big bucks to upgrade to digital and 3D equipment, according to the AP. Cameron and Bay...

Photo by banspy via Flickr Authorities in the Santa Clarita Valley have arrested 31-year-old Beatriz Flores on suspicion of drug dealing and for using her teenage son as a heroin mule. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department explain that the arrest was made following a traffic stop, during which Flores and her two sons, ages 14 and 11, were present in the vehicle. Flores "admitted that she had [her 14-year-old son] put the drugs...

It's a busy night in Los Angeles, with plenty to see and do. You could pick up tickets to a mind-opening event put on by Mindshare LA, fire up some marshmallows and sing some songs in Franklin Canyon, see a Film Noir double feature, cheer on a local Top Chef Master, or get to know the art of Rome.

Another gloomy day at L.A. City Hall (Photo by houze via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr) Today Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa revealed his budget plan for the City of Los Angeles, and while it did not include layoffs, it did include furloughs. "In an effort to close a $457.5 million deficit, the mayor is calling for 26 furlough days for city workers who will not get cost-of-living raises as part of their contracts,...

Photo of the Five Guys in Valencia by R.E.˜ via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr The stage has already been set for an East Coast/West Coast battle of the burgers between upstart Five Guys and SoCal classic In-n-Out. But when we brought up the brewing rivalry, a third player, and the second to rep the local scene, was thrown in the mix: Fatburger. Well, score one more for Five Guys in that...

Intoximeter Alco-Sensor V Breathalyzer machines used to gauge blood alcohol levels by authorities in Ventura County appear to have a defect, which means that hundreds of drunken driving convictions could get thrown out based on inaccurate readings, reports the VC Star. The county owns 128 machines, the Intoximeter Alco-Sensor V, which cost about $4,800 apiece. The breathalyzer machines have shown what the Ventura County DA's office call "erratic results" for tests administered between January...

Sunday, Monday... Five of the cast members of the classic television series "Happy Days" are reuniting, but not on the small screen. Anson Williams, Don Most, Marion Ross, Erin Moran and the estate of Tom Bosley are together as part of a $40 million breach-of-contract lawsuit filed today in Los Angeles alleging the performers are "owed money for merchandise sales related to the comedy series," reports the Daily Breeze. Although the Garry Marshall-created series...

Photo by Lord Jim via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr An outbreak of tagging done recently at Metro's Little Tokyo Gold Line station appears to be linked to a graffiti exhibit running across the street at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. All of the tags were immediately painted over by Metro employees, according to LA Now. The Los Angeles Police Department say they have also been alerted about dozens of other tags...

Authorities in Anaheim are investigating two recent death threats against teen singer Rebecca Black, whose video "Friday" was a viral sensation, according to the OC Register. 13-year-old Black, who hails from Anaheim Hills, became the target of much critical and public scrutiny when her professionally-produced video soared to popularity. Sgt. Rick Martinez explains that the recent death threats came from people who dislike the video and "want it off the Internet." The young singer's...

One of the nation's premiere fundraising food events, Taste of the Nation, returns to Los Angeles on June 12th for a day of drinking and eating to benefit Share Our Strength, an organization whose motto is "No Kid Hungry." The event will take place once again in Media Park in Culver City, and guests will be able to sample food and drinks from some of the city's most beloved restaurants, chefs, bars, breweries, and...

This Taco Bell Cheesy Beef Melt has 88% beef, says the chain (Photo by Like_the_Grand_Canyon via Flickr) A class action lawsuit filed against Taco Bell asked the fast food chain "where's the beef?" and now that lawsuit has been dropped, reports MyFoxLA, after Taco Bell made alterations to their "marketing and product disclosure." At issue was the amount of beef in the beef mix they put in their various menu items; the suit alleged...

Orange County GOP leader Marilyn Davenport has made a more official and contrite apology for being the mastermind behind the "joke" e-mail she sent out containing a doctored family portrait of chimpanzees with President Obama as the baby. Though Davenport initially balked at criticism of her attempt at political humor, she told the OC Weekly yesterday that she needed to say sorry "with different words." During her interview with the Weekly, 74-year-old Davenport wearily...