Yeah, I read it 30 years ago when it came out. It's different than the movie (spoilers omitted), but worth reading, imo. Gary Wolf writes a bunch of weird stuff that I've liked, but he drives some people crazy.

New TV show

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mob_City

Just finished it - this is a must-read for anyone interested in this time period of LA. Can't rec strongly enough, so good.

by George Pendle

Re-reading City of Quartz and then I'll move on to Ecology of Fear.

CoQ is like the blueprint for LA history. Puts everything in the right perspective.

nevermind, wrong period

Wednesday night on TNT:

http://www.tntdrama.com/series/templ...te/?oid=350401

Really not living up to what I had hoped so far, despite being created by the best. Everyone loves Darabont,, but 1st 2 episodes are meh.

Prob will run it anyways since I love mob shows but I can almost guarantee it will be cancelled. It's certainly not better than Magic City and seems to have just missed the 'period piece' mid century tv/movie craze.

Best LA Novels:

http://www.laweekly.com/publicspecta...-novel-ever-is

thanks for link. good read. hadn't heard of many of the books. Less tha Zero seemed like the most popular book altho i'd never heard of it

just spent a week in LA. just love it...

don't laugh but i tried a columbo novels (yes, that columbo). really liked it and lots of LA content

My 4 best LA novels:

Less than Zero
Day of the Locust
Ask the Dust
Play it as it Lays

Reading Murder Rap about Biggie and 2pac murders

Reads like a James Ellroy novel about LAPD corruption and is a total page turner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy4xuhp0Khg

Venice of America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciEFI1JfuXM

Vintage San Fernando Valley (northern Los Angeles)

1920s los angeles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAUlD7-sIPM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpbBoybF43U Hollywoods 1920s

It may not seem possible but air quality was worse in the 1940s in Los Angeles than today.

yeah I heard that LA air quality was really bad in the 70s too

New James Ellroy just came out - Perfidia. It's book 1 in a new LA Quartet, presumably. Takes place prior to the original LA Quartet, and features many of the same characters.

Samuel Marlowe feature in LA Times:

http://graphics.latimes.com/finding-marlowe/

the acclaimed documentary "Los Angeles Plays Itself" has been re-released.

http://www.metacritic.com/movie/los-...s-plays-itself

from http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/10/58...igital-release :

Thom Anderson's 169-minute documentary about the City of Angels' complicated relationship with Hollywood is finally coming to digital platforms, according to IndieWire. Film distributor Cinema Guild announced its acquisition of Los Angeles Plays Itself yesterday on Twitter. Anderson's seminal treatise on Hollywood's favorite playground was never widely distributed in spite of positive reviews, which many suspect is due to its comprehensive use of footage from other films. But, that didn't stop the public from falling in love with Anderson's incisive criticism and call to better represent Los Angeles in its entirety. Indiewire writes that while an exact date has yet to be revealed, Cinema Guild expects the film to be released on DVD and video on demand systems in the fall

Elroy was getting interviewed on my local radio station today while I was out and about. Only heard a small part of the interview but made me wonder if I should check out some of his work. Not really a big fan of crime fiction though to be honest.

I've skipped way forward to Reading Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. Check out this page - no one knew all 3 were related.

Link to pic above

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6...4fe0171970b-pi

Oh, My!

the memoir Holy Land by DJ Waldie is excellent

This is a wonderful book -- a little bit unusual, but a fun read and thought provoking.

not the right era but i read excerpt of robert wagner's short book about 50's and 60's hollywood

very interesting and enjoyable... pretty short so maybe library borrow it... VFAir had pretty big excerpt. probably googlable

Yeah this thread invites anything Southern California

One of the best songs on Southern California ever, captures the feel and place of the area perfectly, especially for the 60's: