Franklin Avenue

Weekend in Los Angeles
One of our lazier weekends here in quite some time. No Birthday Races to plan, no big family gatherings, no work-related events... just a regular weekend.

And yet, some moments to point out:

:: Maria and I saw American Splendor this weekend. Actually, check that. I saw 100% of "American Splendor" this weekend, while sleepy Maria caught about 50%.

Paul Giamatti, who plays cartoonist Harvey Pekar, truly animates this movie. Not an easy task, considering Pekar himself also appears throughout the movie as... Harvey Pekar. It's one of the many quirks in this film that seem off-putting at first, but then eventually work.

One of my favorite expressionless actresses, Hope Davis (c'mon! Have you ever seen her crack a smile in any film?) also stars. Coincidentally, Showtime this weekend aired the 1996 film "The Daytrippers," which also starred Davis, along with Stanley Tucci, Anne Meara, Parker Posey (steals the movie, as always) and Liev Shreiber. Not to get off on a tangent (too late, Mike), but "The Daytrippers" is truly a wonderful movie to catch by random on a Saturday morning. Slow, lazy, funny and smart.

Back to "American Splendor": Excellent movie experience -- save for the several Inappropriately Laughing Moviegoers who all decided to attend the same screening at the Vista. I mean, seriously. What's wrong with these people? One audience member in particular, sitting three seats down from me, kept giggling during the scenes in which Pekar was battling with cancer. Yeah, funny stuff.

Final note: I can't stress enough how great it is to see a movie at the Vista.

:: Horrible accident Saturday in the neighborhood. A vehicle (couldn't tell if it was a car or larger) driving on Los Feliz Blvd. above the 5 freeway somehow careened off the side of the bridge, landing smack dab on the freeway's southbound lane.

The vehicle tore part of the Los Feliz Blvd. bridge's railing along with it. I seriously doubt the car's driver and passengers (if any) could have survived this. Maria and I saw the commotion (fire trucks, ambulances, etc.) as we got on the 5 (the Los Feliz Blvd. northbound onramp is actually right before the bridge). We saw the activity below and wondered what was going on... and then looked up and saw the bridge's railing torn clear off. Horrible.

:: After watching Maria's sis Kat earn her yellow belt in Krav Maga (think karate, but with an Israeli spin) at the Chatsworth karate studio where she takes it, we headed over to Van Nuys to check out the newest L&L Drive Inn on the mainland.

That's right, ex-pat Hawaii folk... we can now get ono plate lunches in the Valley. Ahh, nothing says loads of carbs and calories like two scoops rice, macaroni salad and chicken katsu, BBQ beef or breaded mahi mahi. Da kine grinds!