Mid-Evening Madness at the Egyptian

The American Cinematheque is throwing a massive scavenger hunt on Saturday, May 10, followed by a screening of early 1980s cult fave "Midnight Madness." The movie takes place in and around Los Angeles.

What?! You've never heard of "Midnight Madness"? Did you not have HBO in the early 1980s? The pay channel ran the sprokets off this movie.

"Midnight Madness" wound up -- as much as "The Amazing Race" -- being the inspiration for my 2003 race and 2004 race around Los Angeles. In the movie, teams hit spots all over L.A. -- including the old Pabst brewery, the old Johnie's on Wilshire, and the Bonaventure -- in one big overnight race.

The Cinematheque will be throwing its own race (run by The Go Game on Saturday, May 10, from 3:45 to 6 p.m. After a dinner break, winners will be announced, and the movie unspooled. Here are the details:

The American Cinematheque partners with The Go Game for a movie-scavenger
hunt combo! This fast-paced, high-tech, real-life adventure game is like nothing you've ever experienced. Solve clues and perform challenges as you scramble around Hollywood Boulevard for fun and prizes. Dinner break after the game and then the winners will be determined (7:30 - 8:00 PM) in front of the live audience, before the screening of MIDNIGHT MADNESS (details below). Play the game with MIDNIGHT MADNESS director David Wechter.

Movie and scavenger hunt are $32; $28 for members. Regular ticket prices apply for just the movie -- which, by the way, is Michael J. Fox's cinematic debut.

Los Angeles Cameo: Metblogs L.A.'s "L.A. Plays Itself" Series

Metblogs L.A. is chronicling some of the better-known films in which Los Angeles is front and center.

Like the unreleased Thom Andersen movie chronicling L.A.'s role in film, the Metblogs L.A. series is titled "L.A. Plays Itself." Among the features that Metblogs has already chronicled:

Riot On The Sunset Strip
Repo Man
The Limey
Blue Thunder
Barton Fink
Midnight Madness
Crash
(500) Days of Summer
Mildred Pierce
Speed
The Omega Man
Magnolia
Volcano
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Blade Runner
Swingers
Valley of the Dolls & Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls
LA Confidential
Double Indemnity
It’s A Bikini World
Earth Girls Are Easy
Valley Girl
The Big Lebowski

As you know, I've always been partial to "Midnight Madness" -- which, of course, inspired our Mike's Birthday Race and sequel Mike and Maria's Halloween Housewarming Race.

Of course, this is just a sprinkling of the movies that have featured Los Angeles over the years. Any thoughts on other movies Metblogs should include?



Above, a clip from "Los Angeles Plays Itself," focusing on the frequent use of downtown's historic Bradbury Building. And below, the use of iconic Los Angeles residences in film.

Four L.A. Things: Mike

Both Sha in LA and Celia tagged us with the "Four L.A. Things" meme going around, so I enlisted Maria to do her own (see below) and went to work. It took longer than I thought -- and I'm still not sure I've thought through all of my answers enough. But here you go:

Four Jobs I’ve Had In My Life in LA:
TV editor, Variety
Reporter and later L.A. bureau chief (for a month!), Electronic Media
(that's it -- just two, unless you count my KCSN gig, which isn't for pay, or some freelance I've done)

Four Movies About LA I Could Watch Over And Over:
Midnight Madness (yeah! by far my #1 choice!)
Swingers (came out soon after I moved to L.A.; could totally relate)
Volcano (another cheesy choice, but I got a kick out of the fact that it (a) took place across the street from where I work and (b) it just completely and optimistically made up a Metro subway line -- what, did Villaraigosa write this?)
Chinatown (to redeem "Midnight Madness" and "Volcano" on the list)

Four Places I’ve Lived All Over L.A. (With Food Memories From Each):
Glendale -- Tres leches cake at Portos
Los Feliz -- Yuca's carnitas tacos
West Hollywood -- the thin crust BBQ chicken pizza at Basix
Rancho Park -- the greasy air that smacks you when you enter the Apple Pan

Four LA-Themed Shows I Love(d) To Watch:
Three's Company
Entourage
Beverly Hills, 90210
It's Like, You Know

Four Places I Would Vacation At In LA:
Downtown's Checkers hotel (where we stayed the night of our wedding)
Santa Monica's Casa del Mar (not technically LA, I know... but humor me)
Downtown Standard
Pasadena's Ritz-Carlton Huntington (again, not LA -- and since I'm not a KTLA anchor, I'd have to pay...)

Four LA-Based Websites I Visit Daily:
losanjealous
Fishbowl LA
LA Observed
LAVoice.org

Four Of My Favorite Foods Found In LA:
Ahi Tuna Burger at M Cafe de Chaya
The aforementioned carnitas taco at Yuca's
Behgan Bertha at Electric Lotus
lychee ice cream at Fosselman's

Four Places In LA I Would Rather Be Right Now:
Anywhere, with Maria and Blogger Baby
Sipping wine at Vinoteca Farfalla with Maria
Getting lost for hours in the stacks at Amoeba
Driving in a portion of town I've never been to and discovering something new.

Tagged:
Darleene
Mitch
Anyone at Big Action

Bad Movies I'm Obsessed With
As my interest in the history of Los Angeles has grown in recent years, particularly the pop culture of L.A.--its old landmarks, stores, restaurants and other haunts--I've thought of the 1980 movie "Midnight Madness." That pic--Disney's second-ever PG-rated movie, after "The Black Hole"-- revolved around teams of college kids racing throughout town overnight in an "Amazing Race"-style game.
Anyone who had HBO in the early 1980s remembers the movie well; the pay cable channel ran it endlessly. The movie, notable for the big screen debuts of Michael J. Fox and Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens, follows the exploits of five teams assembled by eccentric college student Leon, who has concocted "The Great Allnighter," a scavenger hunt around Los Angeles. The teams were divided by color: The good guys who play fair (yellow), the cheaters led by Stephen Furst (blue), the nerds led by "Grease's" Eddie Deezen (white), the sorority sisters (red) and the beer-loving jocks (green).
Teams were given clues to solve, which led them to various L.A. destinations (such as LAX or the Griffith Obervatory), where they then had to find the next clue.
It was glorious early 80s fluff, in the same vein as "Xanadu" or anything else from that era. And, after months of half-heartedly looking for it in video stores, I discovered online that it was available on DVD! I ordered it and finally watched it last Thursday, when I was home sick.
It didn't disappoint. Even though it's been probably 15 years since I last saw it, I remembered many of the key scenes. (And it turns out I'm not the only one.)

Now, for something truly fascinating: A group of Microsoft employees, led by one former Floridian who was inspired by "Midnight Madness," have been conducting their own elaborate races for the past decade. Looking at their official website ("Game Control"), this isn't child's play. Billed "The Game," these amazing extravagant, big-budget, 24-hour annual affairs. Check out the Rolling Stone article [here]. (Scroll down.)

ORANGE CRUSH WINS MIKE AND MARIA'S HALLOWEEN HOUSEWARMING RACE!

The Orange Crush group celebrates their big victory!


Eleven teams... 17 clues... 16 locations... 7 to 8 hours... too many miles to remember...

Teams embarked Saturday on an all-day race around Los Angeles organized by us, Mike and Maria's Halloween Housewarming Race.



Inspired by Emmy winning series "The Amazing Race" and obscure early 80s movie "Midnight Madness," the Halloween Housewarming Race was a sequel to last year's Birthday Race (which, you'll remember, Los Angeles magazine wrote about in its November 2003 issue). This time, the challenges were tougher -- and the teams were more determined to win.

They searched for obscure sodas at Galco's Soda Pop Stop in Highland Park. Purchased a loaf of pumpkin bread from the Cloistered Dominican Nuns of Hollywood's Monastery of the Angels. Ran to -- and got kicked out of -- the 101 Cafe. Scoured the floor of Amoeba Records, looking for obscure CDs. Found the Holmby Hills putting green, and sank a few holes in one. Watched a homemade video at the Museum of TV and Radio. Searched for a green religious candle at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights. Rode the reborn Red Cars in San Pedro. Took a pit stop at the harbor's Ports O' Call Village.

After a break to catch their breath, eat and mingle with others, teams then overlooked the cliffs of Angel's Gate Park while finding the Korean Bell. Raced up to downtown's Felix Chevrolet. Made political signs and flashed them at oncoming traffic at the Sunset/Hollywood intersection. Dove into the pool on the roof of the downtown Standard. Took the elevator to the top floor of the Bonaventure. Crammed down an entire Spam Musubi at the Grand Central Market. Threw back a shot at a bar in Chinatown. And ran to the finish line at Philippe's the Original french dip restaurant.

Teams start the race at our house


Whew! The race began at 10:30, and the first team crossed the finish line at 5:26. (Winning team Orange Crush smoked the competish; last team finally arrived at 6:39.) Tired and sweaty, the teams celebrated ... and met surprise guests Chip and Kim McAllister, the winners of the most recent edition of CBS' "The Amazing Race."

Here's how the teams wound up, along with their arrival time at the finish line:
First Place: Orange Crush (Peter, Teresa, Matt, Christy, Eric, Yvette) 5:26 pm
Second Place: Hezekiah Walker and the 111th St. Gospel Singers (Tony, Becky, Jess, Jeff) 5:37 pm
Third Place: Team Anonymous (Shannon, Mark) 5:38 pm
Fourth Place: Team Northwestern: The Empire Strikes Back (Ann, Jason, Mark, Ally) 6:04 pm
Fifth Place: Pumpkin Pie (Louie, Tom, Karen, April) 6:13 pm
Sixth Place: The Not Models (Leslie, Paul, Dave, Rachel) 6:15 pm
Seventh Place: Team Doo (Hirsch, Lozano, Moore, Bromberg, Bromberg, Campana) 6:15 pm
Eighth Place: Three Blind Mice (April, Pauline, Jeremy) 6:28 pm
Ninth Place: Team Fury (Denise, Geoff, Alan, Rebecca, Betsy) 6:33 pm
Tenth Place: Charlie's Angels (Dave, Susanne, Margo, Melissa) time n/a -- skipped a stop
Eleventh Place: Invalids (Pang-ni, Ian) dropped out after the pit stop

Here's how the clues broke down:

CLUE #1-Handed out at our Glendale home
Glug, glug, glug. It’s gonna be a long day, and you’re gonna get thirsty. Head to the Soda Pop Stop, and grab bottles of Plantation Style Mint Julep, chocolate soda and Bubble Up. After checking out, you’ll be handed your next clue. Belch! [Teams had to find Galco's Soda Pop Stop in Highland Park, where owner John Nise was waiting with their next clues -- after they found those obscure sodas.]

CLUE #2-Handed out by Soda Pop Stop
How about something to go along with that soda… Purchase a loaf of pumpkin bread from the nuns at the Monastery of the Angels, then head to the 101 Coffee Shop, where our Clue Captain awaits. [Teams found the monastery, nestled in Hollywood, then raced to the 101 Coffee Shop... where clue captain Claire was eventually thrown out for disturbing the peace!]


CLUE #3-Handed out by Claire at the 101 Coffee Shop
Get your groove on. Drive on over to Amoeba Records and find our clue captains, Jason and Sherry (along with Jordan, our Littlest Clue Captain), who’ll hand you your next clue.

CLUE #4-Handed out by Jason and Sherry at Amoeba
ROADBLOCK
Pick one teammate to scour the floor of Amoeba, bringing back ONE of the following CDs:
James Otto, "Days of Our Lives"
Willie K, "The Uncle in Me"
Zuco 103, "Outro Lado"
Charles Webster, "Remixed on the 24th of July"
Velocity Girl, "Simpatico!"
Slicker, "We All Have a Plan"
Dave Pike, "Peligroso"
"Out of Order: Soundtrack to the Surfers’ Documentary"
Charles Joechlin, "The Jungle Book"
Subdudes, "Primitive Streak"
Faith and the Muse, "Burning Season"
Benny Benassi, "Hypnotica"
Gregory Isaacs, "Cool Ruler"
Franco Corelli, "The Unknown Recordings"
Truth Hurts, "Ready Now"
Here’s the catch: Once a team brings Jason and Sherry a CD, no one else can pick that particular title… but you won’t know which CDs have already been turned in until you bring it to them!
Once you turn in a CD that no one else has used, Jason and Sherry will give you your next clue.

CLUE#5-Handed out by Jason and Sherry at Amoeba
Aaron Spelling saved a bundle on his greenery, with this just steps from his front yard. It’s here that Aaron, Hugh and other Holmby area residents can practice sinking them like a world’s famous cat. Find our clue captains, Susanna and Todd, who will take you from there. [Teams had to figure out that they needed to get to the Holmby Hills putting green. Once there, they had to sink putts in two out of three holes. Teams later said this was the hardest of all the challenges -- although a few golfers on the teams had an easier time.]

CLUE #6-Handed out by Todd and Susanna at Holmby Hills putting green
It’s showtime! Race over to the Museum of TV & Radio, one of the coolest museums in all of L.A. (Why? Because it’s all about TV!) Find the box marked by our Race flag, where you’ll pick up your next clue.

CLUE #7- Found inside a box at the Museum of TV & Radio's downstairs lobby
Tell the fine Museum of TV & Radio employees that you’re here to screen some TV – including that classic episode of "The Mike & Maria Halloween Housewarming Race’s Next Clue."

CLUE#8-On the video
[Maria shot a video of me at Mariachi Plaza, which we gave to the fine folks at the TV museum. They installed it in their system, so teams arriving to watch TV in the museum's cubicles saw our clip! On the video, I give a brief history of the Boyle Heights area and tell them to race down to Mariachi Plaza -- where they must find a green religious candle. Once they do, race over to the Mariachi Plaza gazebo, where clue captains Anthony and Candice will hand out the next clue -- but only if they have the correct candle.]

CLUE#9-Handed out by Anthony and Candice at Mariachi Plaza
raceclue.blogspot.com [Teams had to figure out a way to read the website -- which provided a link to their next destination, the revived Red Car service in San Pedro. Most teams called up friends or family to check online. One team had brought along a computer with wi-fi capability.]

CLUE#10-Handed out by Maria at the first Red Car stop in San Pedro
You've reached the half-way point! Climb aboard the Red Car and ride to the Ports o’ Call Station. Once there, race on over to the Ports O’ Call Village for a richly deserved break. Find Mike, where he has set up the stop. You'll get a chance to rest, eat and mingle with other players. (A "mandatory pit stop," as they call it on "Amazing Race.") Last team to reach Mike may be eliminated.
IMPORTANT: Find Mike immediately to check in. Your time of arrival will determine the time you rejoin the race!

CLUE#11-Handed out by Mike and Maria (at first, and then by Pang-ni and Ian, who decided to leave the race but agreed to stay on as clue captains) at Ports O' Call
The heart and Seoul of San Pedro is this bell, a gift to Los Angeles to celebrate the 1976 bicentennial. Find Clue Captains Anthony and Candice at the bell, and they’ll hand you your next clue. [Teams had to find the Korean Bell in Angel's Gate Park]

CLUE #12-Handed out by Anthony and Candice at Korean Bell
Find this wonderful, wonderful cat. (Perhaps he’s driving a Malibu… or an Impala.) The receptionist should have your next clue. [Teams had to figure out we were referring to Felix Chevrolet.]

CLUE#13-Handed out by receptionist at Felix Chevrolet
DETOUR
‘Tis the season… for campaigning. Either (a) find yourself a sign from a real political campaign or (b) make one. Then head to the intersection of Hollywood and Sunset, where Clue Captain Melissa will be waiting. Start flashing your sign – once you get two honks out of passersby, you’ll receive your next clue.

CLUE#14-Handed out by Melissa at Sunset/Hollywood
ROADBLOCK
Splish, splash! For your second roadblock of the game, pick someone who… um, doesn’t mind getting wet. Find clue captain Kathy at the roof of the downtown Standard. [One member from each team had to jump into the Standard's pool -- and swim to the other side, grab a clue, and swim back.]

CLUE#15-Handed out by Kathy at Standard pool
Time for an homage to "Midnight Madness," the other inspiration for this race. That movie’s action wound up at downtown’s Bonaventure Hotel. Take the elevator up to the BonaVista lounge and grab a matchbook/napkin/whatever with its name on it… then head to Grand Central Market, where Clue Captains Damon and Rita will be waiting… with a special treat. [As the "special treat," one member from each team had to consume an entire Spam Musubi -- a delicacy in Hawaii, but daunting to first-timers. It's a huge slice of spam atop a mound of rice, wrapped in seaweed.]

CLUE#16-Handed out by Rita and Damon at the Grand Central
You’re in the homestretch! Get down to the Grand Star Bar. One brave team member must order the Mike & Maria shot. (Hell, all of you – sans DD, of course – can down one. What the hell. It’s a party after all.) [A "Mike and Maria shot" turned out to be a simple, pure shot of vodka. Some teams all drank, but most teams picked one member to down a shot.]

CLUE #17-From Grand Star Bar bartender
You did it! Get your asses down to Philippe’s the Original. First team to make it to the finish line wins the Mike and Maria Halloween Housewarming Race!

As the first team through, the dynamos of ORANGE CRUSH won gift cards to Borders Books & Music and Sephora, as well as CDs and DVDs from Rhino. Second place HEZEKIAH WALKER AND THE 111TH ST. GOSPEL SINGERS, who ran around all day in gaudy powder blue choir robes, were given "Amazing Race" t-shirts and hats.

SPECIAL THANKS to our Clue Captains: Claire, Jason and Sherry (with Jordan), Anthony and Candice (who did double duty!), Melissa and Jen, Pang-ni and Ian, Kathy, and Rita and Damon. Also to the clue stops that helped out. And a SUPER BIG THANKS to CBS' Lauri Metrose, who convinced Chip and Kim to come out and celebrate with the teams! (It goes without saying that Chip and Kim were awesome for coming out -- check out their website at www.chipandkim.tv.

And a shout-out to Chip and Kim, who took time out of their busy schedule to meet a group of rabid "Amazing Race" fans. They were genuine and down-to earth. (That's us above with Chip and Kim.)


Photos to come soon on the Mike and Maria's Halloween Housewarming Race companion website.

UPDATE: Read Team Anonymous member Shannon's account of the day -- along with some photos -- at her blog, We Live in LA!

15 Movies About Los Angeles That You Need to See

Well, now I've got quite a bit of work to do. My Variety colleague Pat Saperstein, of Eating LA fame, has put together a list of 15 movies about L.A. that capture a part of the city you might know about — and it's an excellent list. No "Chinatown" or "L.A. Confidential" here, as you know plenty about those worlds.

But I love this list, and I'm embarrassed that I haven't seen enough of them. This is amazing quarantine homework. The one I would have added, of course, is "Midnight Madness," which inspired my L.A. race, which then morphed into the The Great Los Angeles Walk!

Here are Pat's picks, and she elaborates about them here:

"The Exiles" (1961)
"Targets" (1967)
"Model Shop" (1969)
"The Outside Man" (1972)
"Shampoo" (1975)
"Up In Smoke" (1978)
"Killer of Sheep" (1979)
"Breathless" (1983)
"Repo Man" (1984)
"To Live and Die in L.A." (1985)
"Into the Night" (1985)
"Less Than Zero" (1987)
"Mi Vida Loca" (1993)
"Devil in a Blue Dress" (1995)
"The Kids Are Alright" (2010)

L.A. Plays Itself, And Plays Itself, And Plays Itself Again

A list of the top 25 L.A.-centric films of the past 25 years? And Midnight Madness wasn't among them? For shame.

Kidding aside, it is a pretty good list. The top 10:

1. L.A. Confidential (1997)
2. Boogie Nights (1997)
3. Jackie Brown (1997)
4. Boyz N the Hood (1991)
5. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
6. The Player (1992)
7. Clueless (1995)
8. Repo Man (1984)
9. Collateral (2004)
10. The Big Lebowski (1998)

That's a movie festival I wouldn't mind seeing.

Detour

"Amazing Race" season 6 winners Chip & Kim celebrate with us at the conclusion of last year's Mike & Maria's Halloween Housewarming Race

People have been asking us for the past two months about the third annual Mike & Maria race around Los Angeles.

The answer: It's coming. But we've hit a little roadblock (to use the venacular of Franklin Avenue's patron reality show, "The Amazing Race"): Blogger Baby, a.k.a. Evan.

We'd originally scheduled the third edition of our race on Nov. 5. But as the date approached, we realized we just didn't have enough time to plan for the big day.

Modeled after both "The Amazing Race" and the cult 1980 movie "Midnight Madness," it takes quite a bit of time, effort and planning to pull off our race... and with baby in tow, those are luxuries we just don't have at the moment.

Still, the race will return next spring, bigger, better and tougher than ever. In the meantime, a few more shots from Races 1 and 2:


Teams grab their first envelopes at the start of last year's race


Team "Not Models" near Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights (Race 2)


With special guest Phil Keoghan (from 2003's Race 1)

The Amazing Swipe

Dude! They stole our idea!

OK, so we were inspired ourselves by the cheesy early 80s movie "Midnight Madness," as well as Franklin Avenue's Patron Reality Show, CBS' "The Amazing Race."

But methinks the folks behind something held last weekend called "Race/LA" may have gotten a few ideas from Mike's Birthday Race 2003 and Mike & Maria's Halloween Housewarming Race 2004.

The L.A. Times' Calendar section has a rather lengthy write up about the rival Los Angeles-centric race, which was held last weekend.

Dreamed up by "42-year-old graphic designer John Hennessy," the race hit several spots we covered last year in Mike's Birthday Race: The La Brea Tar Pits. Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

And holy crap. This race sent their teams to ride the Travel Town train in Griffith Park.

Not only did we kick off our 2003 competition there, but it was highlighted -- complete with photos -- in the November 2003 Los Angeles magazine article about Mike's Birthday Race!

In other words, mealsothinks the Race/LA peeps stumbled upon that story last year.

Meanwhile, the similarities continued this year. We forced teams to down an entire Spam Musubi at the Grand Central Market. They had teams pick up chilies at the market.

Their race hit 17 stops -- just like our two races. But theirs only took teams 35 miles around L.A. Our race, in comparison, this year spanned all the way out to San Pedro, with racers clocking at least 77 miles. Oh, it's ON, baby!

Even the prizes were similar: Last time out we gave out Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf gift cards, among other prizes; this year, Borders' gift certificates were included. What did "Race/LA" give out? "Credits at Borders and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf."

Am I jealous of the LATimes coverage?

OK, you got me. Although, like I mentioned, Los Angeles magazine did a nice profile of last year's race.

If it's any consolation, the Birthday and Halloween/Housewarming Races got the support of "The Amazing Race" itself, and "TAR5" winners Chip and Kim McAllister even made an appearance at our after party. (Host Phil Keoghan made it to our 2003 race.)

Whatchoo got, Race/LA? Hmm? (Although, I gotta give them credit -- they charged their participants. I guess we're either more altruistic, just stupid!)

Check out full coverage of Mike & Maria's Halloween Housewarming Race here, including the latest photos.

And yes, in case you were wondering, the original Mike & Maria race returns for a third edition next year! (Hey, that's what babysitters are for!)

Mike's Birthday Race 2003

McTEAM WINS THE FIRST-EVER MIKE'S BIRTHDAY RACE!

Eight teams... 16 clues... 12 locations... 77 miles...

Teams embarked Saturday on an all-day race around Los Angeles organized by Maria and me (Mike) and inspired by TV show "The Amazing Race" and early 80s cheesy movie "Midnight Madness."

They rode the train around Travel Town. They climbed the rock wall or rode the high wire bike at the California Science Center. They found a book at the Central Library. They made it to the roof of the downtown Standard hotel. Sampled wines at the San Antonio Winery. Met a street musician at the La Brea Tar Pits. Took a pit stop at El Cholo. Sang karaoke in Koreatown. Visited the Museum of TV and Radio. Found Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Jr.s' gravesite at Hollywood Forever. Crashed the Farmers' Market. Made it to Hollywood and Highland. Took the Metro to the Pantages Theater. Found Buster Keaton's star on the Walk of Fame. Phoned Mike's parents in Oklahoma City.

And finally, made it to Michael's Room bar in Los Feliz.

All told, the race took about 7 hours. Tired and sweaty, the teams toasted Mike's 30th birthday... and surprise guest Phil Keoghan (host of the CBS reality show "The Amazing Race").

UPDATE! First photos are online -- The Juice team member Travis has posted an excellent album of shots from the race here. More pix to come! Thanks, Travis! And anyone else who has shots, please email them in!

Here's how the teams wound up:

First Place: McTeam (Jess, Jeff, Tony, Becky, Pang-Ni)
Second Place: The Juice (Travis, Lance, Emmie)
Third Place: Team Northwestern (Marc, Ann, Aaron, Taskuo)
Fourth Place: Team Twentysomething (Geoff, Amanda, Lisa, Helen, Denise)
Fifth Place: The A-Team (Andrea, Yvette, Louie, Tom)
Sixth Place: Team Adobo (Jason, Mark, Peachy, Aris, Catalin)
Seventh Place: Hacks and Flacks (Matt, Paul, Keith, Leslie)
Eighth Place: Team Goose (Todd, Susanna)

Check out the official Mike's Birthday Race website to find the race was planned out, including where the clues were handed out (and who handed them out), what the clues said -- and where teams were sent.

This month's copy of Los Angeles Magazine boasts a feature on the 25 greatest movies about Los Angeles. No surprise: Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" lands at No. 1. "Sunset Boulevard" is No. 2, while "Blade Runner" is No. 3.
A couple of interesting choices here: Steve Martin's "Bowfinger," a good movie, is ranked (No. 23) rather than what could have been his obvious entry, the less solid but still entertaining "L.A. Story." Perhaps the film's "weather's always good--people drive everywhere--earthquakes are a part of life" jokes are just too obvious. Los Angeles magazine editor Kit Rachlin points out in his opening letter that the list wrongfully misses "Clueless," and I have to agree. Much more than any cheesy "Beverly Hills 90210" episode, "Clueless" was a smart snapshot of young people in mid-1990s Los Angeles, just as "Valley Girl" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (two more missing movies--apparently the magazine wasn't thinking valley) were more than ten years earlier.
Of course, I say they forgot one more: "Midnight Madness." If you don't remember this movie, than you weren't spending the early 1980s watching HBO, which played this movie almost every day at one point. A young Michael J. Fox had a role, but the star of the movie was really Los Angeles. Mastermind Leon spearheaded an all-night scavenger hunt called "The Great Allnighter" (shades of "The Amazing Race"?). The five teams--nerds, meatheads, sorority sisters, good guys and cheaters--were given clues to solve, leading them to the next clue site hidden in the city. I've wanted to revisit this cheesy LA flick for years, but it's just not seen on TV anymore. That's too bad. It was awe-some. But just in case, TiVo has it programmed in its wishlist.

Coronavirus Quarantine Family Movie Diary

Part of our new at-home tradition: Wednesday night family movie night! We actually kicked it off on Saturday, March 14, with "Knives Out," but then moved movie night to Wednesdays starting March 25. Here's a list of our ongoing picks:

2020

March 14: "Knives Out" (2019)

March 25: "Yesterday" (2019)

April 1: "Groundhog Day" (1993)

April 8: "Contact" (1997)

April 15: "That Thing You Do" (1996)

April 22: "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" (1989)

April 29: "The Bourne Identity" (2002)

May 6: "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" (1991)

May 13: "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004)

May 20: "Napoleon Dynamite" (2004)

May 27: "The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007)

June 3: "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009)

June 10: "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" (2006)

June 17: "Phineas & Ferb Movie: Candace Against the Universe" (2020)

June 24: "Apollo 13" (1995)

July 1: "Trolls World Tour" (2020)

July 8: "Hamilton" (2020)

July 15: "We Bare Bears: The Movie" (2020)

July 22: "The Great Muppet Caper" (1981)

July 25 (bonus, backyard movie at the Goldsmith house): "Once Upon a Deadpool" (2018)

July 29: No movie [preparing to vacate for termite fumigation. But continued our "Lost" (2004-2010) viewing]

Aug. 5: "Ocean's 11" (2001)

Aug. 12: "Top Gun" (1986)

Aug. 19: "Cast Away" (2000)

Aug. 26: "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006)

Aug. 29 (bonus, backyard movie at the Goldsmith house): "Bill & Ted Face The Music" (2020)

Sept. 2: "42" (2013) in memory of Chadwick Boseman

Sept. 9: No movie [Nathan's' Back to School night; "Lost" instead]

Sept. 16: "Missing Link" (2019)

Sept. 23: "Cool Runnings" (1993)

Sept. 30: No movie [attended Halloween drive-thru experience at King Gillette Ranch]

Oct. 7: "Hocus Pocus" (1993)

Oct. 14: "The Lion King" (2019)

Oct. 21: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1966) and "It's Magic, Charlie Brown" (1981)

Oct. 28: No movie [we attended "Stranger Things Drivethru" in Downtown LA. But caught up on the night's "The Amazing Race"]

Nov. 4: "The Rock" (1996) in memory of Sean Connery

Nov. 11: "Stand by Me" (1986) as approved by Jerry O'Connell

Nov. 18: "Weekend at Bernie's" (1989)

Nov. 25: "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" (1973), "The Mayflower Voyagers" from "This Is America, Charlie Brown" (1988), "Bob's Burgers" episode "Turkey In a Can" (2013)

Dec. 2: "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987)

Dec. 9: "Klaus" (2019)

Dec. 16: "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989)

 

Dec. 23: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965), "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown" (1992), "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown" (1986), "It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown" (1984)

Dec. 30: "Soul" (2020)

2021

Jan. 6, 2021: "Wonder Woman 84" (2020)

 

Jan. 13: "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002) 

Jan. 20: "The American President" (1995)

 

Jan. 27: "Speed" (1994)

Feb. 3: "Finding 'Ohana" (2021)

 

Feb. 10: "The Truman Show" (1998) 

Feb. 17: "The Three Amigos" (1986)

Feb. 24: "Billy Elliot" (2000)

Feb. 27 [bonus drive-in movie]: "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run" (2021)

March 3: "Flora & Ulysses" (2021)

March 10: "Space Camp" (1986)

March 17: [for Nathan's school work] "Flipped" (2010)

 

March 24: "The Terminal" (2004) 

March 31: "The Mighty Ducks" (1992)

April 6 (bonus movie night): "Forrest Gump" (1994)

April 7: "Over the Moon" (2020)

 

 

April 14: "Mission: Impossible" (1996)

April 21: "Godzilla vs. Kong" (2021)

 

 

April 28: "Yes Day" (2021)

May 5: "Mission: Impossible 2" (2000)

 

May 12: "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" (2021)

May 19: "Mission: Impossible III" (2006)

 

May 26: "Bowfinger" (1999)

June 2: "Clue" (1985)

June 9: "Space Jam" (1996)

 

June 16: "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" (2011) 

June 23: "In the Heights" (2021)

June 30: No movie [on vacation]

July 7: No movie [on vacation]

July 14: "Independence Day" (1996)

July 21: "Space Jam: A New Legacy" (2021)

 

July 28: "Jungle Cruise" (2021)

Aug. 4: "WarGames" (1983)

 

Aug. 11: No movie [Nathan's birthday]

 

Aug. 18: "La Bamba" (1987) 

Aug. 25: No movie [switching to Saturdays]

Sept. 4: "The Fast and the Furious" (2001)

Sept. 7: [bonus movie night, at an actual in-person theater for the first time since the pandemic!] "Shang-Chi" (2021)

Sept. 11: No movie [TV catch-up]

Sept. 18: No movie [Emmys weekend]

Sept. 25: "Parenthood" (1989)

Oct. 2: "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (1997)

Oct. 9: "Volcano" (1997)

Oct. 16: No movie [Mike in Chicago]

Oct. 23: "Casino Royale" (2006)

Oct. 30: [in theater] "Dune" (2021)

Nov. 6: [in theater] "Encanto" (2021)

Nov. 10: "What About Bob?" (1991)

Nov. 17: No movie

Nov. 24: [in Oklahoma] "Twister" (1996)

Nov. 27: [in theater] "Ghostbusters Afterlife" (2021)

 

Nov. 30: [Freeform drive-thru event, without Maria] "Home Alone" (1990)

 

Dec. 4: "Scrooged" (1988) 

Dec. 11: No movie [Marina Del Rey boat parade]

Dec. 18: "Unaccompanied Minors" (2006)

Dec. 25: No movie [Lakers game, Jackbox TV with the extended family]

Dec. 29: "8-Bit Christmas" (2021)

 

2022

 

Jan. 4, 2022: [in theater] "Sing 2" (2021) 

Jan. 8: "Mr. Popper's Penguins" (2011)

Jan. 15: "October Sky" (1999)

Jan. 22: "Tomorrowland" (2015)

Jan. 29: "Raya and the Last Dragon" (2021)

Feb. 5: "The Cable Guy" (1996)

Feb. 12: "King Richard" (2021)

Feb. 19: No movie [road trip to Los Gatos/San Jose/Santa Cruz]

Feb. 27: "Luca" (2021)

March 5: "Coda" (2021)

March 11: [special Friday in theater] "The Batman" (2022)

March 19: No movie

March 26: No movie

April 2: "Turning Red" (2022)

 

April 9: No movie [Mike moderating Paley Fest] 

April 16: [in Hawai'i!] "The Adam Project" (2022)

April 23: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003)

April 30: "Adventures in Babysitting" (1987)

May 7: No movie [Mike and Maria at John Mulaney show at the Hollywood Bowl]

May 13: [special Friday in theater]: "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (2022)

May 21: "Interstellar" (2014)

 

May 28: [in theater] "Top Gun: Maverick" (2022) 

June 5: [special Sunday movie night]: "Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers" (2022)

June 6: [bonus movie]: "Free Guy" (2021)

June 11: No movie [in Canada]

June 18: No regular movie, but Evan and I kicked off Season 3 of "For All Mankind"

June 21: [bonus movie night, in the theater] "Jurassic World Dominion" (2022)

June 25: "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995)

July 3: [postponed movie night from Saturday] "Father of the Bride" (1991)

July 5: [in theater] "Minions: The Rise of Gru" (2022)

July 6: [move to Wednesday for Evan's pick] "Apocalypse Now" (1979)

July 15: [bonus movie] "The Bob's Burgers Movie" (2022)

July 16: No movie, [Maria, Nathan and I saw "Dear Evan Hansen" at the Ahmanson for a matinee performance]

July 20: "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993)

July 30: "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986)

Aug. 2 [bonus movie theater screening]: "Easter Sunday" (2022)

Aug. 3: "Lightyear" (2022)

Aug. 13: [in theater] "Thor: Love and Thunder" (2022)

Aug. 20: "Field of Dreams" (1989)

Aug. 27: No movie [Violet Goldsmith's bat mitzvah]

Sept. 3: No movie [Mike covers the Creative Arts Emmys]

Sept. 4: [Sunday movie] "Rain Man" (1988)

Sept. 10: No movie [as Mike attends Emmy events]

Sept. 17: "Midnight Madness" (1980)

Sept. 24: [on location at Disneyland] "Under Wraps 2" (2022)

Sept. 25: [regular movie night moved to Sunday] "Vengeance" (2022)

Oct. 1: "The Final Countdown" (1980)

Oct. 8: "Armageddon" (1998)

Oct. 14 [moved to Friday this week]: "Everything Everywhere All At Once" (2022)

Oct. 22: "Hocus Pocus 2" (2022)

Oct. 29 [Mike and Maria out of town; kids only] "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988)

Nov. 5: No movie [Mike and Maria attended the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. But Nathan and Mike watched this on Saturday morning]: "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" (2022)

Nov. 12: No movie ["Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl" instead]

Nov. 19: No movie [recovering from the Great Los Angeles Walk]

Nov. 22 [in theater] "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (2022)

Nov. 26: "A Christmas Story Christmas" (2022)

Dec. 4 [moved to Sunday, as Mike was in Whistler on Saturday]: "Spirited" (2022)

 

Dec. 10: "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" (2022) 

Dec. 12: [screening at theater] "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022)

Dec. 17: No movie [dinner at Tam O'Shanter instead]

Dec. 24: No movie [Christmas Eve]

Dec. 31: No movie [in Cozumel, Mexico, for New Year's Eve]

2023

Jan. 7: No movie

Jan. 14: "Whiplash" (2014)

 

Jan. 21: "Devotion" (2022) 

Jan. 28: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)

Feb. 4: "American Graffiti" (1973)

Feb. 11: No movie [Mike flying home from Atlanta and the boys at Winter Formal]

Feb. 18: No movie [Mike covering DGA awards]

Feb. 25: "Good Will Hunting" (1997)

March 4: [in theater] "Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (2023)

 

March 11: No movie [Mike in Austin for SXSW]

 

March 18: "Real Genius" (1985) 

March 25: "Sully" (2016)

April 1: "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)

April 8: "Dumb and Dumber" (1994)

April 15: "Murder Mystery" (2019)

April 22: "Good Morning Vietnam" (1987)

April 29: [Evan, Nathan and Mike attend in-person FYC event at Hollywood Forever Cemetery] "Wednesday" (2022)

May 6: "Drumline" (2002)

May 14: [Sunday edition] "Air" (2023)

 

May 20: No movie [Boys at Universal Studios for Music in the Park] 

May 27: "Dead Poets Society" (1989)

June 3: No movie [Mike in Austin for ATX TV Festival]

June 10: [Evan and Nathan with grandma/grandpa] "Ponyo" 

June 17: "Boyhood" (2014)

June 24: No movie [Philippines/Japan trip]

 

July 1 [no movie, Philippines/Japan trip]

 

July 3: [bonus movie, in Manila theater, Mike and the boys] "Elemental" (2023)   

 

July 8: No movie [just returned from Philippines/Japan trip, instead watched first two episodes of "The Bear" Season 2] 

 

July 15: "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004) 

July 18: [bonus movie, in theatre] "Asteroid City" (2023)

July 22 No movie [Evan at sleepover. Finished "Daisy Jones & the Six"]

July 24: [bonus movie screening, in theater] "Haunted Mansion" (2023)

July 29 [no movie, Nathan off to camp]

August 5 [no movie, Nathan just returned from camp, switch to Sunday]

August 6: [bonus movie, in theater] "Princess Mononoke" (1997)

August 12: "Ace Ventura Pet Detective" (1994)

 

August 19: No movie [visiting the Uys]

August 26: "Happy Gilmore" (1996) [in memory of Bob Barker]

August 27: [bonus movie, in theater] "Oppenheimer" (2023)

September 2: No movie [in Solvang to celebrate Mike's 50th]

 

September 9: "Splash" (1984)

September 16: "Cinema Paradiso" (1988)

 

September 23: "The Big Lebowski"  (1998)

September 30: No movie [Mike in Atlanta for SCAD Animation Fest]

 

October 6: "The Soloist" (2009) 

October 14: No movie [Mike in New York for NY Comic-Con]

October 21: "Rocky" (1976)

 

October 24: [bonus movie, KCET screening for Mike and Evan] "The Holdovers" (2023)

October 28: No movie [Parents weekend at UCLA, dinner with Evan]

November 4: "The Wind Rises" (2013)

November 11: "Nyad" (2023)

 

November 16: [bonus movie, screening with Mike, Maria and Nathan] "Wish" (2023)

 

November 18: No movie [Great Los Angeles Walk] 

November 23: [bonus movie, SAG-AFTRA screening in theater] "Barbie" (2023)

November 24: [no movie, sushi at Kura and dropped Evan off at UCLA]

December 2: "The Santa Clause" (1994)

December 9: No movie [Visited Evan at UCLA]

 

December 16: No movie [Evan and Mike at SoFi Stadium for LA Bowl]

 

December 20: [bonus movie, in Oklahoma minus Maria] "Die Hard" (1988)

 

December 21: [bonus movie, in Oklahoma minus Maria] "The Blues Brothers" (1980)

December 23: No movie [Just returned from Oklahoma; Evan pre-birthday dinner at Palermo]

December 26: [bonus movie, minus Nathan] "American Fiction" (2023)

December 30: No movie [Evan had birthday sleepover]

December 31: [bonus movie, minus Nathan] "Hacksaw Ridge" (2016)

January 3: [bonus movie, in theater] "The Boy and the Heron" (2023)

January 6: No movie [Mike and Maria at Kevin Ryder/Merrin Dungey wedding reception]

January 13: No movie [Mike at Emmys 'The Evening Before' event]

January 14: [bonus movie] "My Cousin Vinny" (1992)

 

January 20: "Sing Street" (2016)

January 27: No movie [Nathan had winter formal]

 

February 3: "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010)

 

February 10: No movie [Mike and Maria at Langham Huntington]

February 17: No movie [San Francisco trip]

February 24: "The Debut" (2000)

March 2: "Next Goal Wins" (2023)

 

March 9: No movie [Mike at SXSW in Austin]

 

March 16: "Chicago" (2002)

March 23: "Bob Marley: One Love" (2024)

 

March 30: "Ford v Ferrari" (2019)

April 6: No movie [Mike had to cover "Saturday Night Live"]

 

April 13: "The Greatest Hits" (2024)

April 20: "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" (2021)  

April 27: No movie [Mike at AFI tribute to Nicole Kidman]

May 4: No movie [Mike, Maria and Evan at Hollywood Bowl for John Mulaney; Nathan at Six Flags Magic Mountain for Music in the Parks]

May 11: No movie [Mike flying to New York]

 

May 18: "The Sandlot" (1993)

May 25: "The Lion King" (1994) special 30th anniversary event at the Hollywood Bowl

June 1: "Stop Making Sense" (1984) [watched at Vidiots in Eagle Rock, celebrating its 1 year anniversary at the Eagle Theatre]

June 8: No movie [Mike in Banff]

June 15: "Hit Man" (2024)

June 22: "The Green Book" (2018)

June 29: [in theater] "Inside Out 2" (2024)

July 6: No movie [just returned from Long Beach overnight, instead watched episodes of "The Bear" Season 3] 

July 13: "Goodfellas" (1990)

 

July 20: "Office Space"  (1999)

July 27: No movie [Evan and Mike coming back from San Diego Comic-Con]

Aug. 3: No movie [Mike and Maria attend "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" tastemaker event]

Aug. 10: "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988)

Aug. 17: "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984)

Aug. 24 [in theater] "Deadpool & Wolverine" (2024)

Aug. 31: No movie [Kapena concert at the Waikiki Shell]

Sept. 7: "Catch Me If You Can" (2002)

 

September 14: "Manchester By the Sea" (2016) 

September 21: No movie [WAC bingo night]

September 28: "Xanadu" (1980)

October 5: No movie [ChainFest in downtown]

October 6: [bonus movie] "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999)

October 12: No movie [Nathan at homecoming, Mike and Maria at Billy Joel concert]

October 19: No movie [Mike in New York for NY Comic-Con]

October 23: [bonus movie, at AFI Fest opening night] "Music By John Williams"

(2024)

 

October 26: No movie [Maria and Mike anniversary dinner]

 

November 2: "The Big Short" (2015)

November 9: No movie [Grandma and Grandpa in town, dinner at UCLA]

November 16: "Emilia Peréz" (2024) [Mike and Maria only]

November 23: No movie [The Great Los Angeles Walk]

November 24: [bonus movie, Mike and Maria only] "Thelma" (2024)

November 25: [bonus movie premiere, Mike and Nathan only] "Moana 2" (2024)

November 30: No movie [holiday weekend]

December 7: "LA Confidential" (1997)

December 14: "Ray" (2004)

December 16: [bonus movie in theater, Mike, Evan, Nathan] "Mufasa: The Lion King' (2024)

December 19: [bonus] "A Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992)

December 21: "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006)

December 28 [bonus film, in theater] "Wicked - Part 1" (2024)

December 28: " Paddington" (2014)

2025

January 4: No movie [returning from Chicago]

January 11: "Paddington 2" (2017)

January 18: No movie [returning from a daytrip to Santa Barbara; dinner at UCLA]

January 19: [bonus movie, Mike and Maria only] "Sing Sing" (2024)

January 24: [bonus movie, Mike and Maria only] "A Real Pain" (2024)

January 25: [at Vidiots] "Best in Show" (2000)

February 1: "The Wild Robot" (2024)

February 8: [at the Saban Theatre] "Whiplash" (2014) live in concert

February 14: [at Vidiots, Mike and Maria only] "Party Girl" (1995)

February 15: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (2012)

 

February 21: [bonus, Mike and Maria only] "Anora" (2024) 

 

February 22: No movie [Jenny Cole's birthday party]

 

February 28: [Friday bonus, Mike and Nathan only] "Rushmore" (1998)

March 1: No movie [Mike covers SNL]

March 8: "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" (2020)

March 15: No movie [Mike in Amsterdam]

March 22: "Blade Runner" (1982)

March 29: "Hustle" (2022)

April 5: "Top Secret" (1984) in honor of Val Kilmer

April 12: "The Long Goodbye" (1973)

April 19: "Anchorman" (2004)

April 26: No movie [Eagle Rock Band pasta night]

May 3: No movie [Eagle Endeavors fundraiser]

May 10: No movie [Mike in NYC for the upfronts]

May 17: "The Wedding Singer" (1998)

May 19: [bonus film, in theater, Mike and Nathan only] "Lilo and Stitch" (2025)

May 24: "Conclave" (2024)

May 25: [bonus film, in theater, Mike and Evan only] "Sinners" (2025)

May 31: No movie [Mike in Austin for ATX TV Fest]

June 7: No movie [Preparing for Banff trip]

June 14: No movie [Blue Note Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl]

June 16: [bonus film, in theater, Mike, Evan and Nathan only] "Elio" (2025)

June 20: [movie night moved to Friday this week] "A Minecraft Movie" (2025)

June 25: [bonus film, in theater, Mike, Evan and Nathan only] "Jurassic World: Rebirth" (2025)

June 28: No movie [in Palm Springs for the Palm Spring Shorts Festival]

June 29: [bonus film, in theater, Mike and Evan only] "F1" (2025)

July 5: [at the Hollywood Bowl] "Jaws" (1975) accompanied by the LA Phil

 

 

July 12: "Blackkklansman" (2018)

July 19: [in theater] "Superman" (2025)

July 21: [bonus film, in theater, Mike, Evan and Nathan only] "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" (2025)

July 26: No movie [Mike, Evan and Nathan in San Diego for Comic-Con]

Aug. 2: "K-Pop Demon Hunters" (2025)

Aug. 9: "Lost In Translation" (2003)

 

Aug. 16: No movie

 

 

Aug. 23: "Clueless" (1995) 

 

Aug. 24: [bonus film, in theater] "Ponyo" (2008)

 

Aug. 30: No movie [Mike, Evan and Nathan saw "Weird Al" Yankovic at Kia Forum]

Sept. 1: [bonus film, Mike and Evan] "Weapons" (2025)

Sept. 6: "Grave of the Fireflies" (1988)

Sept. 13: No movie [Mike has "The Evening Before the Emmys" event]

Sept. 20: [Mike and Nathan]: "The Sting" (1973) in memory of Robert Redford

Sept. 27: No movie [Mike and Evan in Chicago for Northwestern vs. UCLA football game]

Oct. 4: "Kiki's Delivery Service" (1989)

Oct. 6: [bonus film, in theater at Vidiots] "100 Meters" (2025)

Oct. 11: "High Fidelity" (2000)

Oct. 18: No movie [Mike and Evan attend UCLA-Maryland game at the Rose Bowl]

Oct. 20: [bonus film, in theater at Vidiots] "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain" (2025)

 

Oct. 25: No movie [Nathan has Homecoming Dance; Maria and Mike at Día De Los Muertos party]

Oct. 31: [bonus film, Mike and Maria at Walt Disney Concert Hall, with live organist] "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923)

Nov. 1: No movie [WAC bingo night] 

Nov. 8: [in theater at Vidiots] "The Breakfast Club" (1985)

Nov. 15: "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back!)" (1980)

Nov. 17: [bonus film in theater, Mike and Maria only] "Wicked For Good" (2025)

Nov. 22: No movie [The Great Los Angeles Walk 2025]

Nov. 29: "One Battle After Another" (2025)

Dec. 6: No movie [Dinner with Stu and Priscilla]

Dec. 13: [in theater, Mike, Evan and Nathan] "Rental Family" (2025)

Dec. 16: [bonus film, in memory of Rob Reiner] "When Harry Met Sally" (1989)

Dec. 20: "Trading Places" (1983)

Dec. 27: No movie [in San Francisco]

2026

Jan. 3: "Weathering With You" (2019)

Jan. 8: [bonus film, Mike and Nathan on Disney lot] "Disneyland Handcrafted" (2026)

Jan. 10: "Almost Famous" (2000)

Jan. 18: [movie night moved to Sunday, Mike and Nathan only] "Chinatown" (1974)

Jan. 24: [Mike and Maria only] "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" (2025)

Jan. 31: [Mike and Maria only] "Song Sung Blue" (2025)

Feb. 7: No movie [Mike covering DGA Awards, but Evan and Mike catch up on "Wonder Man"]

Feb. 14: [Mike and Maria only, at Vidiots] "Moulin Rouge!" (2001)

Feb. 15: [bonus film, Evan and Nathan only]: "Train to Busan" (2016)

Feb. 21: No movie [Mike and Evan at LAFC game]

Feb. 28: "Marty Supreme" (2025)

 

 

March 7: "Amadeus" (1984) 

March 14: "Blue Moon" (2025)

March 21: [in theater] "Project Hail Mary" (2026)

 

March 28: No movie [Evan's final day of spring break; dinner at Kings Hawaiian Bakery in Torrance] 

April 4: "Pump Up the Volume" (1990)

April 11: None [Nathan at Pali retreat; Maria and Mike dinner at Backbone. SNL viewing]

April 18: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004)

April 25: "Purple Rain" (1984)

May 2: No movie [Eagle Endeavors fundraiser]

May 9: No movie [Mike in NYC for upfronts]

May 16: "Remarkably Bright Creatures" (2026)

May 23: No movie [Mike and Maria watch "Four Seasons"]

May 30: [Mike and Maria only] "Miss You, Love You" (2026)

June 6: No movie [Mike, Maria and Evan at "Shrinking" table read event]

June 13 [Mike and Nathan only, in theater] "Toy Story 5"

June 20: No movie [Prepping to leave on trip]

June 27: No movie [Hong Kong/Vietnam trip]

July 4: No movie [Hong Kong Disneyland]

July 11: "Chungking Express" (1994)

July 18: "Backrooms" (2026)

July 23: [bonus film, in theater, Mike, Maria and Nathan only]: "The Odyssey" (2026)

July 31: No movie [Returning from Stanford and Nathan's jazz camp]

August 7: [bonus movie, in theatre, Mike, Evan and Nathan only] "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" (2026)

August 8: "The Mandalorian and Grogu" (2026)

August 15: No movie [St. Casimir's "An Evening with Mary" and Nathan's award]

August 23: [movie night moved to Sunday this week] "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)

August 29: No movie [Mike and Maria in Buellton; Kaena wine dinner]

Sept. 5: No movie [Northwestern crew gathering at Golden Road]

Sept. 8: [bonus movie, in theater, Mike and Maria only]: "Filipiñana" (2026)

Sept. 12: No movie [Mike and Nathan at Casiopea concert at the Wiltern]

Sept. 19: No movie [WAC Bingo Night]

Sept. 26: "Friday" (1995)

Oct. 3: No movie [Maria in Temecula]

Oct. 10: No movie [Mike in New York]

Oct. 17: [at the Million Dollar Theatre, Mike and Nathan only]: "The Shining" (1980)

Oct. 19: [bonus movie, at Netflix screening, Mike and Nathan only]: "In Waves" (2026)

Oct. 24: [Mike and Maria only]: "The Invite" (2026)

Oct. 31: [bonus film, Mike and Maria at Walt Disney Concert Hall, with live organist] "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1920)

Oct. 31: [Mike and Maria only]: "Michael" (2026)

To do: A Few Good Men, A Fish Called Wanda, About a Boy, Airport, Akeelah and the Bee, Angels in the Outfield, Awakenings, Babe, Backdraft, Better Off Dead, Billy Madison, BlackBerry, Booksmart, Brewster's Millions, Bring It On, Caddyshack, Can't Buy Me Love, Casablanca, City Slickers, Cloak and Dagger, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Coach Carter, Crocodile Dundee, Dave, Dazed and Confused, Deep Impact, The Departed, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Divergent, Dumb Money, Eddie the Eagle, Eighth Grade, Election, Empire of the Sun, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Fletch, Footloose, Go!, Gorillas in the Mist, The Great Outdoors, The Half of It, Heat, Hook, Jerry McGuire, LA Story, League of their Own, Legally Blonde, Lethal Weapon, Liar Liar, Lincoln, Little Voice, The Lost Boys, The Matrix, McFarland USA, Mean Girls, Minority Report, Moneyball, Mulan live action, Muppets Take Manhattan, Naked Gun, Neverending Story, North Face, Old School, The Outsiders, Pearl Harbor, Pitch Perfect, Platoon, Pleasantville, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, Rebel Without a Cause, The Rocketeer, Romeo & Juliet 1996, Roxanne, Rush Hour, Say Anything, Seabiscuit, Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Semi-Pro, 17 Again, The Sixth Sense, Smoke Signals, Sneakers, Some Kind of Wonderful, Spaceballs, Spinal Tap, Stand and Deliver, Stomp the Yard, Superbad, Superman 1977, Super Size Me, Teen Wolf, Three Men and a Baby, Tommyboy, Training Day, Tucker, Turner and Hooch, UHF, Uncle Buck, Wall Street, The Waterboy, Zoolander