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Downtown Vid Pick: "Progress"

 

Progress (2011) Booker T. Jones /  Directed by Aaron Hymes

Pop & Hiss takes a look at Booker T. Jones clip for "Progress." Set in Downtown L.A.. the video doesn't stray from downtown expect for few moments in Long Beach. "Hymes said 90% of the clip is Los Angeles. The neighborhood is still one marked by contrasts, at least on the surface, as upper-class lofts sit adjacent to Skid Row" writes Todd Martens at the LAT music blog.

Downtown Vid Pick: "The Music Box"

 

The Music Box (1932) Directed by James Parrott

It's Stan Laurel's birthday, so let's wander into Silverlake where Stan and Ollie delivered a music box piano.  For those who are purists, here is the full black and white version of The Music Box.

The short film has made 923 / 935 Vendome St, near Del Monte, a beloved film location after being "rediscovered" in the late 80s.  Now the stairway has an official sign from the City of Los Angeles; Eat your heart out, Conan.

Downtown Vid Pick: "Paper Bag"

 

Paper Bag (2000) Fiona Apple  / Directed by  Paul Thomas Anderson

The former Fred Harvey Restaurant at Union Station is the location being  chatted up at L.A. Observed. Clearly  a worthy candidate for a Downtown Vid Pick selection.

Downtown Vid Pick: "The Kid"

 

The Kid (1921) Directed by Charlie Chaplin.

Today is Charlie Chaplin's birthday, so its appropriate to dust off one of my favorite downtown film locations; 1921's "The Kid" with Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan. The climatic chase and rescue was filmed around Olvera Street, nine years before it was cleaned up for tourism.

In a brief 1964 interview with cinematographer Roland Totheroh, who did most of Chaplin's films, recalls filming "The Kid" on downtown rooftops and the "Mexican" alley. Totheroh adds "Nothin' on it but the backs of some old buildings." The final scene was filmed at what is now the front of Casa California (de Sousa) and Casa Flores Imports.

The footage makes it understandable why city fathers and Christine Sterling were determined to clean up the birthplace of the city of Los Angeles by the 1930s. It was the perfect location for any slient film needing slums.

Charlie Chaplin was born in London 122 years ago today, on April 16, 1889. It is the 90th year of Coogan as "The Kid" and Chaplin as "A Tramp" tugging tears out of your eyes.

SIDE NOTE: Up the street from this location, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held today for LA Plaza de Cultural y Artes, the city’s first permanent Mexican-American cultural center.

Source includes Chaplin Film Locations: Then & Now.

Downtown Vid Pick: "Interstate Love Song"

 

Interstate Love Song (1994) Stone Temple Pilots  / Directed by Kevin Kerslake

Stone Temple Pilot's "Interstate Love Song" is one of those cases of "Hey, I don't recall that being filmed Downtown."  This may or may not be an accidental nod to the Historic Core being a location for many silent films.

ADD SILENT: In honor of April Fools' Day, YouTube is celebrating its 100th birthday today by digging into the archives for classics like the slient viral hit 'Flugelhorn Feline.'

Downtown Vid Pick: 'Blood and Glory'

 

Blood and Glory (2011) Midnight Radio /  Directed by Dalit Diva

The Museum of Neon Art is the backdrop for “Blood and Glory,” a new single by Midnight Radio, an indie band who have performed at the treasured neon museum during Art Walk.

The song and location was a good pick. It almost comes across as MONA's goodbye note to Downtown Los Angeles.

Lead singer Dalit Diva (Thenmozhi Soundararajan) comes out of USC, and directed the Bolly-Noir music vid. The lyrics, subtitled in Hindi and English, help move you through a song about moving forward after a relationship: "I want more. I want more. I want love. That's the point."

You can almost hear Downtown Los Angeles, a long-time partner to MONA, say "Ouch."

MONA just signed a 15 year lease with the City of Glendale and expected to inhabit new space in spring of 2012. “Glendale is rapidly becoming the regional leader in arts development,” brayed Glendale Councilmember John Drayman in a press release about the lease and move.

As for the single, Soundararajan––or Diva if you prefer––told Buzzline Bollywood: “It’s exciting to have been one of the first Indian artists to have a 3D video. At the time, I didn’t realize how historic it was, but as a desi woman who is a rock and roll artist and a 3D film director, it is inevitable that some records get broken.”

That's right. Records and hearts were made to be broken. Put on your 3D glasses and move on.

 

More Downtown Vid Picks: [view]

Big Burger 'Attacks' 5th

Julie Swayze continues debriefing Downtown L.A. from her outpost at Metropolis Books. Today she shares her photo of a Carl's Jr. commercial shoot on 5th.  A large burger is moving down the street shooting smaller burgers out of a cannon.  "We are under attack." Said Swayze.

Photo: Julie Swayze

Downtown Vid Pick: 2nd Street Tunnel

"The 2nd Street Tunnel in Los Angeles is probably the most recognizable city landmark most Americans have never heard of." Said WSJ auto columnist Dan Neil back when he wrote for the LA Times.  It's not just car commercials, or film and T.V in general.  Here are just three of the uncounted music videos that take advantage of light bouncing off the tunnel's shiny glazed tiles.

Grenade (2010) Bruno Mars /  Directed by Nabil (Elderkin)

Filmed in October 2010, Bruno Mars’ single “Grenade” is now No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Back then, the burden of Bruno Mars, aka Peter Hernandez, was pulling a piano through the tunnel.

We R Who We R  (2010) Ke$ha  Directed by Hype Williams

Also filmed in October, 2010, party girl Ke$ha brought drag racing and other random acts of music video imagery to the 2nd Street Tunnel.

 

It's My Life  (2000)  Bon Jovi  Directed by Wayne Isham.

This has been posted before, but if the 2nd Street Tunnel is featured . . . this video can't be left out. It travels all over Downtown L.A. after starting the Arts District and includes an empty warehouse (that is now SCI-Arc) and the go-to location; Santa Fe under the 4th Street Bridge.

 

Downtown Vid Pick: 'Walking in Los Angeles'

 

Walking in Los Angeles  (2009)  Kate Micucci  Directed by Raul B. Fernandez

The usually armed-with-ukulele Kate Micucci is known for a recurring role on "Scrubs." Also for her live comedy that is performance art with an aura of sincere sweetness . . .  while throwing you off with a look of confusion. The quirkiness is a bluff. She listens very closely and shares the same comic-DNA as the founders of Spinal Tap . .  smart and daring.

Yet, a real indie-singer softness comes through in a line from Walking in Los Angeles. It explains Downtown very simply: "I'm gonna wave hello to the friends I met. The city seems much smaller when you travel by the side of the street. Just watch for the borders."

Her lyrics can also be biting. Micucci performs regularly at Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre L.A., and with Riki Lindhome, is getting a following for Garfunkel and Oates,  their comic take on a folk singing duo. Thanks to songs like "Pregnant Woman Are Smug" and "Sex With Ducks,"  Last week, Micucci and Lindhome signed a deal with HBO to develop a pilot for Garfunkel and Oates.

Back to the music video . . . there is an urban texture of layers and style thanks to director Raul B. Fernandez, who said: "We shot on every format: my grandfather’s Bolex 16mm, a Canon Super8mm, over the shoulder VHS, and Sony EX HD with 35mm lenses."

 

 Other video clips in or about Downtown LA . . .mostly music, some history: Downtown Vid Pic

Downtown Vid Pick: 'LA NOIRE'

Arts District's 4th Street Bridge makes gamer lore (screen shot from L.A. Noire).

L.A. Noire is the Rockstar Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game that has teased gamers like a haughty femme fatale . . . .promising a good time without a real confession. Right now, there is only a promise of a Spring release date.

Based in 1947 Los Angeles, the clips and trailers show off the groundbreaking facial animation, and research of the genre that relies on location for mood. "There are countless nods to film noir if you're a true fan, and the game was inspired by a massive range of film and literature spreading across eras," says Rockstar's Brendan McNamara. "We were inspired by everything from the Naked City, which invented the police procedural, through to more obscure movies like Detour and more modern Noir like Chinatown or L.A. Confidential."

For our survey, you have to like this cameo of the 4th Street Bridge.