Lindsay

January 17, 2020January 17, 2020

Candace’s Rental from “You”

Though Anavrin was by far my favorite locale from the second season of the Netflix series You, I was also pretty darn smitten with the charming Victorian that Candace Stone (Ambyr Childers) rented during her stay in Los Angeles while posing as Amy Adam. I was struck by the picturesque property as soon as it came onscreen in episode 6, “Farewell, My Bunny,” and though its appearance was all-too-brief, it stuck with me. I set out to find it just as soon as the closing credits began to roll and, thankfully, it was not a long hunt. Global Film Locations pinpointed the home right where I thought it would be – in the heart of Angelino Heights, the Echo Park neighborhood that boasts the largest concentration of Victorian homes in Los Angeles. So I ran right out there while in the area a few weeks back. (I would be completely remiss if I did not note here that Ambyr Childers is the first wife of Randall Emmett, Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent’s fiancé. Let that sink in for a minute!)

[ad]

Known as the Collins Residence in real life, the stunning Eastlake-style property was originally built in 1888 for Santa Fe Railroad agent Michael T. Collins.

Per Flickr member Michael Locke, the pad was initially located on Whittier Boulevard, but was moved to its current home at 890-892 West Kensington Road in 1987.

Despite that unique provenance and the fact that the place is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 266, I could find virtually no additional information about it online.

According to Redfin, the three-story residence boasts 1 bedroom (though I believe that to be incorrect), 2 baths, 2,272 square feet, and a 0.21-acre plot of land.

It is quite the quintessential historic Los Angeles home, so it is no surprise that it wound up as Candace’s rental on You.

In “Farewell, My Bunny,” Forty Quinn (James Scully) informs Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) that his ex, Candace, aka “Amy,” is leasing a home somewhere on Loma Vista Lane in Echo Park. Joe then searches the fictional “BnB” website for rentals on Loma Vista and comes across a listing for a “fully-furnished” “historic Victorian in Angelino Heights” with a private bathroom, balcony and “tee-pee access” (whatever that means).

Describing the pad as a “Gothic Barbie dreamhouse,” Joe surmises it must be the spot Candace leased.

He promptly breaks into the home later that night, toting a backpack filled with duct tape and rope, to presumably kill Candace. But the property’s owner, the Krav Maga-trained Superhost Rachel (Madeline Zima), thwarts his devious plan, knocking him out with a quick fist to the face and then hog-tieing him in her living room. In a thoroughly head-scratching move, though, she ultimately lets Joe go, believing his claim that Candace hired him to enact a “rape fantasy.”

I am fairly certain that the actual inside of the home was also utilized in the episode, though I could find no interior photographs with which to verify that.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Collins Residence, aka Candace’s rental from You, is located at 890-892 West Kensington Road in Echo Park. Several other homes in the neighborhood have also appeared onscreen – Jesse (John Stamos) and Becky’s (Lori Loughlin) honeymoon send-off from Full House can be found at 1320 Carroll Avenue, Oliver’s “San Francisco” house from A Lot Like Love is located at 1321 Carroll, the Sanders House at 1145 Carroll is where Ola Ray hid from zombies in Michael Jackson’s Thriller, 1329 Carroll portrayed the Halliwell sisters’ residence on Charmed, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) grew up at 1355 Carroll on Mad Men, and Holly’s (Amy Ryan) Nashua house from the “Employee Transfer” episode of The Office is at 1347 Kellam Avenue.

January 15, 2020January 16, 2020

Anavrin from “You”

I loved Season 1 of You, but Season 2 was even more gripping, engrossing and enjoyable! I think a large part of that had to do with Anavrin (pronounced “uh-nah-vrin”), the impossibly idyllic grocery store where Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) landed a job in episode 1, “A Fresh Start,” and worked throughout. The charming market is Season 2’s central locale, one that I wanted to fully immerse myself in. The place is so inviting, in fact, that I was convinced it was purely the stuff of a production designer’s imagination, a picturesque set created inside of a vacant warehouse solely for the show. So I was shocked to learn via a Backstage article that filming had actually taken place at a real downtown L.A. grocery store named Urban Radish! To the top of my To-Stalk List the market went and I headed right on over there while in the area the first week of January.

[ad]

Opened in summer 2013, Urban Radish is the brainchild of business partners Carol Paxton and Keri Aivazis. Housed in a former glass factory in downtown’s Arts District, the whimsical 8,200-square-foot market was designed by Creative Space and Linear City Development. The transformation from former warehouse to upscale grocery store took nine months and $1.7 million to complete.

And it was worth every penny!

Along with the typical grocery store trappings, the specialty market boasts a gourmet deli, onsite butcher (who makes all sausage offerings in-house!), outdoor grill and patio, wine alcove, and espresso bar.

I can’t think of a prettier place to shop!

That produce section, amirite?

It isn’t very hard to see how the place came to be chosen for You.

Of the market, Joe, dripping with sarcasm, says, “In Los Angeles, grocery stores aren’t just the place you buy carrots. They’re a pristine, non-GMO Disneyland. And king among these is Anavrin. Come for the spring lettuce mix, stay for the perfect life that could be yours if you just spend enough and quit gluten, you f*cking *sshole! And yeah, obviously Anavrin is – wait for it – Nirvana spelled backwards.”

Joe might not have been able to hide his disdain for the shop, but I, understandably, fell in love with it upon sight.

Urban Radish was dressed pretty significantly for the You shoot. Per Google Street View imagery, the outside of the market was light gray up until March 2019, smack dab in the middle of the filming of the show’s second season. So it appears that the royal blue paint that now graces the exterior was a production decision that the owners chose to leave intact after the shoot wrapped. A pergola-shaded patio draped with flowers was also added to the premises . . .

. . . as was a florist stand. Sadly, both of those elements were dismantled when filming concluded.

Even without all the bells and whistles, though, Urban Radish is pretty darn special and entirely recognizable.

Though I would have loved to see it in its dressed state.

While Urban Radish’s exterior was used extensively throughout Season 2, the interior only appeared in “A Fresh Start.” It is in the market’s actual produce section that Joe orchestrates a meet-cute with Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti). Love also shops there prior to making a meal for Joe later in the episode. As you can see in Yelp photos taken pre-2019, the shop’s signage was formerly very different, so it appears the chic reclaimed wood display boards that now adorn the walls were another production decision the owners chose to leave intact post-filming.

Urban Radish’s deli area also appeared in “A Fresh Start,” though it was modified a bit with the rear exit door and metal wall paneling covered over.

The bulk of the Anavrin scenes, though, were shot on a studio-built set. Yes, sadly, the magical light-filled new-age café, book alcove and kitchen, where most of the action took place, are not actual elements of Urban Radish.

While the market does have an open kitchen in real life, it is less central, situated off the wine aisle, and much smaller than its onscreen counterpart.

Considering its fabulously unique aesthetic, I am surprised that Urban Radish has not been featured in countless other productions, but I could find no record of any additional cinematic appearances.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: Urban Radish, aka Anavrin from You, is located at 661 Imperial Street in downtown Los Angeles. You can visit the market’s official website here.

January 13, 2020January 10, 2020

Blossom Restaurant from “The Morning Show”

I have had to venture out to downtown L.A. several times over the past few months due to some medical issues my dad is having (his main doctor is there). The silver lining during this stressful time (besides the fact that things seem to be progressing in the right direction for him now, knock on wood!) is that the Millennium Biltmore, the hotel we booked for each of our stays, is within walking distance to the vast majority of filming locations from The Morning Show! Needless to say, I did a lot of stalking while in town! One spot I stopped by on our most recent visit was Blossom restaurant, which masked as the New York deli where Claire Conway (Bel Powley) called Hannah Shoenfeld (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) to apologize in the freshman series’ Season 1 finale, titled “The Interview.”

[ad]

Blossom was founded by Vietnamese-born restaurateur Duc Pham in March 2006. Growing up in Anaheim (his family fled their native land following the war, which is a story in and of itself), Duc regularly helped his mom in the kitchen, where he learned how to prepare all of her favorite meals. Though a love of food and cooking was infused in him at a young age, his route to the restaurant industry was rather circuitous, with detours that included studying literature at Oxford and a brief foray into advertising. He ultimately left the business world in 2000 to help his sister establish a new eatery in Chinatown named Via Café. Six years later, he was ready to branch out on his own and opened Blossom.

For this new endeavor, Pham leased the street level corner unit of downtown L.A.’s Canadian Building, a 1904 structure that originally served as the local Canadian Consulate. Designed by the Parkinson & Bergstrom architecture firm, the property was abandoned in the 1960s and sat vacant for 15 years before being resurrected as a mixed-use residential complex. Prior to Blossom’s open, the corner space, which fronts Main and Winston Streets, housed an electronics store.

Directly involved with all aspects of his new eatery, Pham designed the contemporary interior himself, even going so far as to handcraft its wooden tables! Though Blossom was, unfortunately, closed when we showed up to stalk it, the inside was visible through the front windows and it is nothing short of charming. You can check out some photos of it here.

Popular from the get-go, the eatery soon underwent a series of expansions, a sister restaurant in Silver Lake was born, and Pham eventually took over Via Café, transforming it into his third Blossom location.

I first learned about the restaurant last May while poking around the area on Google Street View amid doing research for my post on the Western Union office from The Sting. I noticed Blossom, situated half a block away, immediately thanks to its decidedly New York feel. Figuring the place was a coffee shop, I made a mental note to stop by the next time I was in town. Further digging informed me Blossom was actually a full-service Vietnamese restaurant which intrigued me further. So when it popped up on The Morning Show a few months later, I recognized it straight away.

The blue street sign visible behind Claire in the scene was also a dead giveaway that the segment was shot in downtown L.A. and not NYC as purported on the show.

Blossom was dressed up a bit for the shoot, with large trees placed on either side of the front door. An enclosed area with sidewalk seating was also apparent in the scene. Though no longer intact, per Google Street View that patio was a real feature of the restaurant that has since, for whatever reason, been removed.

The Blossom space actually has quite the onscreen pedigree.

Paul Kimbrough (Max Kleven) lives in the Canadian Building and walks by the corner storefront in the Season 1 episode of Kojak titled “Requiem for a Cop,” which aired in 1973. At the time, the Blossom space was divided into two units, an eatery named The Red Apple and a jewelry repair store.

Though renumbered “3424,” the Blossom site appears twice in Devil in a Blue Dress – first in the 1995 drama’s opening sequence.

Later in the movie, Easy Rawlins (Denzel Washington) parks in front of the storefront while on his way to confront Joppy (Mel Winkler).

The locale portrays Waters & Sons Record Shop in an establishing shot of 1950’s Los Angeles in the 2004 biopic Ray. Look closely, though, and you’ll see that the image is actually re-used footage from Devil in a Blue Dress, interestingly enough.

In the 2009 dramedy (500) Days of Summer, Tom (Joseph Gordan-Levitt) lives in the Canadian Building, though the Blossom space is not seen.

And Blossom’s sister restaurant in Chinatown (the former Via Café space) has also appeared onscreen. It is there that Mia (Emma Stone) emails out invitations to her one-woman show in the 2016 musical La La Land.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Blossom restaurant, from “The Interview” episode of The Morning Show, is located at 426 South Main Street in downtown Los Angeles. You can visit the eatery’s official website here. The Western Union office from The Sting is right around the corner at 118 Winston Street. The Blossom outpost featured in La La Land can be found at 451 Gin Ling Way in Chinatown.

January 10, 2020January 3, 2020

Ugo Café from “The Morning Show”

The Season 1 finale of The Morning Show might have been one of the finest hours of television ever created! It left me equal parts heartbroken, disgusted, and hopeful, with the last few minutes propelling me out of my seat, literally jumping for joy and teeming with spit and vinegar, ready to take on the world! It was a whirlwind of emotion, to say the least. I was also ecstatic to see Ugo café, yet another location I previously stalked, pop up onscreen. I learned of the DTLA eatery’s use on the freshman Apple TV+ series a while back thanks to an anonymous reader who works in the area and witnessed the filming. So I, of course, had to pop by while in town for a doctor appointment for my dad shortly before Thanksgiving.

[ad]

Ugo is a relative newcomer to the DTLA restaurant scene.

The charming coffee shop opened in early 2016 in a West 6th Street space that formerly housed a casual diner named Bruno Cafe.

Its sister eatery in Culver City has been an area staple since 2006, though. Per Ugo’s website, that location is “the only Italian restaurant on the westside of Los Angeles that is VPN certified for authentic Neapolitan pizza.” For those not well-versed in all things Neapolitan, such certification has only been granted to 94 spots in the entire U.S. and guarantees the pizza offerings are “prepared and served according to traditional standards with authentic ingredients. The same way the first pizza was created hundreds of years ago in Naples, Italy.”

The DTLA outpost offers Italian-inspired bites, including fresh-baked pastries, paninis made in-house, salads, pasta (they even have gluten-free noodles!), pizza, soups, coffees, teas, and homemade gelato, which is crafted daily on the premises.

Though I only popped by for a quick looksie and did not get to sample any of the fare, Ugo is an adorable little spot that seems a perfect addition to the neighborhood. Just steps from several hotels, including the Millennium Biltmore, Hilton Checkers, and Westin Bonaventure, not to mention countless office buildings, it makes for an inviting pit stop. And it does have a very New York feel to it, so it is no surprise that it wound up on the NYC-set The Morning Show.

It is at Ugo that Chip Black (Mark Duplass) brings his assistant, Rena (Victoria Tate), in on the plan to stage a secret on-air interview with Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) in the series’ finale, titled “The Interview.” Only the exterior of the restaurant is featured onscreen, though the interior is quite visible through the windows behind Chip and Rena throughout the segment.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Ugo popped up onscreen again in other productions in the months to come. Who knows, it may even feature in the second season of The Morning Show, which, thank goodness, has been given the green light!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Ugo, from “The Interview” episode of The Morning Show, is located at 502 West 6th Street in downtown Los Angeles. You can visit the eatery’s official website here.

January 8, 2020December 31, 2019

Alex Theatre from “You”

The Grim Cheaper and I spent the days after Christmas in full vacation mode – sleeping in late, staying in our pajamas until all hours, and binging countless movies and TV shows, including the second season of Netflix’s You, which, I have to say, I enjoyed even more than the first. Well, up until the abysmal finale that is. The episode seemed to drag on forever and WTH was that ending, amirite? The rest of the episodes, though, were nothing if not engrossing! I especially loved that the production was relocated from New York to L.A. for Season 2. I was thrilled to recognize several spots that I’ve already blogged about including Home restaurant, where Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) spied on Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) lunching with her friends in “Just the Tip,” and the now-defunct Daily Dose Café, where Joe escaped from Candace Stone (Ambyr Childers) in “A Fresh Start.” Another familiar spot featured was Alex Theatre, a historic Glendale venue that I stalked back in 2010 after it made an appearance on Glee, but somehow never blogged about. So here goes!

[ad]

Originally known as “Alexander Theatre,” the imposing arena was commissioned by West Coast Theatres chain owner C. L. Langley and named in honor of his son.

The Classic Revival-style property, which boasts Greek and Egyptian influences (and, in fact, with its large forecourt and columns reminds me quite a bit of Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre), was designed by Arthur G. Lindley and Charles R. Selkirk. Opened in 1925, the site initially served as a vaudeville venue and movie house, but it wasn’t long before the nearby studios took notice and began utilizing the space for premieres and screenings.

The Alexander underwent an interesting facelift of sorts in 1940 thanks to architect S. Charles Lee, who was also responsible for the Los Angeles Theatre, Temple Israel of Hollywood, and the Max Factor Building. Though the structure’s original façade and forecourt were left intact during the reno . . .

. . . a 100-foot tower, large marquee and ticket booth, all Moderne in style, were installed in front of them, essentially blocking the initial architecture from view. The space was also redubbed the “Alex Theatre” at that time. Thankfully, the venue’s grand interior was largely untouched and looks just as beautiful today as it did when the site originally opened. Of its unique aesthetic, the Alex’s website states, “The auditorium was designed as an ‘atmospherium’ with an open-air illusion enhanced by the stage-set wall encircling the room, creating the feeling of being enclosed in an ancient garden. The Alex is one of the few atmospheric theatres constructed in Southern California and one of only a handful that still remain.” You can check out some photos of the interior here.

Unfortunately, the Alex suffered from a lack of patronage in the ‘80s and shut its doors. It was finally rescued in 1992 by the Glendale Redevelopment Agency, who poured $6.2 million into a massive revitalization project. It then re-opened to much fanfare on December 31st, 1993. Today, the 1,413-seat venue serves as a live performance space and is one of the area’s most popular spots for comedy shows, theatre events, and, of course, filming.

In the Season 2 episode of You titled “Have a Good Wellkend, Joe!”, Delilah Alves (Carmela Zumbado) confronts her younger sister, Ellie (Jenna Ortega), over some stolen photographs outside of the Alex.

You is hardly the only production to make use of the venue. Back in 1999, Mandy Moore shot her “Walk Me Home” music video at the site.

The pop star even sang a few vocals propped atop the Alex’s marquee, though I think those segments may have been lensed on a studio-built set replica.

Aaron Carter’s 2002 “Do You Remember” music video also took place at the venue.

In the Season 3 episode of Criminal Minds titled “3rd Life,” which aired in 2008, the Behavioral Analysis Unit investigated the case of two teens who went missing from the Alex.

The theatre popped up as the Buckeye Civic Auditorium, where the McKinley High glee club competed in the Western Ohio High School’s Show Choir Sectionals, in the Season 1 episode of Glee titled “Sectionals,” which aired in 2009.

Hugh Hefner (James Franco) hosted a screening of Deep Throat at the Alex in the 2013 biopic Lovelace.

Larry David (Larry David) and Jeff Greene’s (Jeff Garlin) Fatwa! musical is performed at the venue in the Season 9 finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm titled “Fatwa!”, which aired in 2017.

And Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) attended Dick Casablancas’ (Ryan Hansen) movie premiere at the Alex in the Season 4 episode of Veronica Mars titled “Chino and the Man,” which aired in 2019.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Alex Theatre, from the “Have a Good Wellkend, Joe!” episode of You, is located at 216 North Brand Boulevard in Glendale. You can visit the venue’s official website here.

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020

My Favorite Entertainment Finds of 2019

Happy New Year to all of my fellow stalkers! While most people are currently looking ahead, I’m spending today looking back – at my best entertainment finds of 2019. Read on for my favorite book, podcast, movie and television discoveries of the last year and where to find them. As my longtime readers know, I’m not really into music, so you won’t see any musical entries on this list, though I do have to say that I love Taylor Swift’s latest album. (Basic, I know.) And please keep in mind that these picks aren’t necessarily new, just new to me. So without further ado, I present my best of 2019! (*If you buy something through one of my Amazon links below, I may earn an affiliate commission.*)

[ad]

1. The West Wing (Netflix and Amazon) – I’ve professed my love for this series several times over the past year. The West Wing is honestly one of the best shows to ever grace the small screen! And yes, I know I’m seriously late to the game on this one! Though it debuted over a decade ago, the Grim Cheaper and I didn’t start watching until last January. We were hooked immediately and, while currently only about halfway through Season 5, not a single episode has yet to disappoint (except I’m still mourning Rob Lowe’s departure). As I said in this recent post, the show is so good I could cry! If you have never seen The West Wing, it’s not too late to get on the bandwagon!

Image result for the west wing

2. Fyre Fraud (Hulu) and FYRE: The Greatest Party that Never Happened (Netflix) – I’m putting these two together as the GC and I watched them back to back and found them equally fascinating, though I think the Netflix version gives a more thorough and balanced view of the total abomination that was 2017’s Fyre Festival. Both documentaries cover the outright duplicity of the faux fete’s founder, Billy McFarland, as well as the unfettered arrogance (or perhaps delusion) he still boasts to this day. Each makes for a fabulous watch – and, if nothing else, taught me that “Fyre” is actually pronounced “fire” not “fry,” as I’d been calling it since the scandal broke.

3. Instant Family (Amazon Prime and Hulu) – This heartwarming tale of a couple who become foster parents to three siblings will have you laughing, crying and maybe even contemplating adoption. It is my favorite feel-good comedy of the year! The fact that it is based upon the real-life experiences of director/screenwriter Sean Anders and his wife, Beth, only makes the story that much sweeter.

Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Gustavo Escobar, Isabela Merced, and Julianna Gamiz in Instant Family (2018)

4. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Amazon) – Of the many SAG screeners sent out last January, this was my favorite. The film (which I consider more of a comedy than drama) covers the true story of celebrity biographer Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) who, in a moment of financial desperation, turns to forging letters from famous writers and selling them to rare book dealers for cash. Over the course of three years, she creates more than 400 counterfeit epistles, so seemingly credible that, per a Town and Country article, “Two of them featured in The Letters of Noël Coward published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2007, over ten years after Israel pleaded guilty for her crimes.” Can You Ever Forgive Me? is not a discretionary tale or story of woe, but rather a fun look at a pretty major transgression. Lee sums up the feel of the narrative best when she rather gleefully announces towards the end of the film, “I can’t say that I regret any of my actions. In many ways, this has been the best time of my life.”

Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

5. Green Book (Amazon) – Another of last year’s SAG screeners, also based on a true story, this one about the unlikely friendship that blossoms between African American pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), the Italian bouncer he hires to be his driver during an 8-week concert tour at the end of 1962. Throughout their journey, the two teach each other valuable life lessons – such as tolerance, courage, letter-writing, proper diction, and that’s there nothing quite like a meal from KFC – and form a bond that lasts the rest of their lives. It is heartwarming, feel-good and uplifting – all of the things I hope for in a movie.

Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in Green Book (2018)

6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Amazon) – The GC and I watched this 2011 comedy on the recommendation of my mom earlier this year and couldn’t believe we hadn’t heard of it prior! Boasting an all-star cast, the film centers around a group of seven British sexagenarians who move to a retirement complex in India, the eponymous Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which winds up being a lot less appealing in real life than it seemed in the brochure. As they soon discover, though, while a bit rough around the edges, the ramshackle apartment house, as well as its inhabitants, are just exactly what they all need.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

7. Imposters (Netflix and Amazon) – Sadly, this series, about an unlikely trio seeking revenge on their con-woman ex, was canceled after only two seasons. The twenty episodes that did air, though, are fantastic! A bit campy, full of heart and wholeheartedly romp-y, the three main characters and their oddly loving relationships with each other are the show’s real draw, and the final episode only leaves you wanting more.

Imposters (2017)

8. Harlan Coben Mysteries (Amazon) – My grandma is an avid reader and regularly puts aside books she thinks I’ll enjoy, sending them to me every few months in bulk. Early last year, a box arrived chock full of Harlan Coben thrillers. I quickly dove in and found each one better than the last! Unable to be put down, gripping, and thoroughly unique, I kept expecting to come across a dud at some point, but if Harlan has written one I have yet to discover it. A few of my favorites include Six Years, Caught, Home, Run Away, Live Wire and No Second Chance.

9. All Rise (CBS and Amazon) – The Fall 2019 television season brought with it a slew of fabulous new shows, five of which the GC and I absolutely adore. They’re all detailed below, starting with All Rise. At the center of the freshman CBS series is Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), a newly-minted Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. It’s impossible not to fall in love with the highly idealistic Her Honor and her unique methods of delivering justice, not to mention her madcap courtroom team. The show is funny, dramatic, thrilling, and utterly heartwarming all at once. And I simply love the fact that Lola is best friends with a man, prosecutor Mark Callan (Wilson Bethel), and that there are absolutely no romantic undertones. Lola is married, Mark has a girlfriend – the two are just simply BFFs. Men and women can just be friends (my best friend is a guy), but not onscreen typically. Lola and Mark’s relationship is a refreshing deviation from this norm.

All Rise (2019)

10. Prodigal Son (Fox and Amazon) – My darkest pick of the new fall shows, Prodigal Son follows Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne), the emotionally damaged offspring of an infamous serial killer. Employing his unique background and knowledge of the psychopathic mind, Bright consults for the NYPD as a profiler, which in turn helps him to heal his own deep wounds. The caveat? Sometimes he has to call upon his murderous father for insight. It’s gripping to say the least.

Michael Sheen and Tom Payne in Prodigal Son (2019)

11. Bluff City Law (NBC and Amazon) – Easily my fave of the Fall 2019 lineup, I am in shock that this one might not be given a second season! Get with the program, NBC! Literally! Chronicling a Memphis, Tennessee (aka “Bluff City”) family-run law firm specializing in civil rights cases, the series is a compellingly heartwarming legal drama unlike any I’ve ever seen. A true ensemble show chock full of kind, big-hearted characters fighting for the underdog, Bluff City Law is a regular tear-jerker – and Jimmy Smits, who plays patriarch Elijah Strait, has never been better!

Jimmy Smits and Caitlin McGee in Bluff City Law (2019)

12. The Unicorn (CBS and Amazon) – A bittersweet comedy – yes, comedy – about a widower who starts to move on with his life a year after his wife’s untimely passing thanks to some much-needed help from his zany group of friends. While it might not sound like the most humorous premise, the series, based upon the real-life experiences of creator Grady Cooper, is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Not to mention full of heart. I can’t get enough!

Walton Goggins in The Unicorn (2019)

13. The Morning Show (Apple TV+) – I’ve mentioned my obsession with this series a few times in recent months (here, here, here, here, here and here). Scathing reviews be damned, this is one of the best programs to ever hit the airwaves! Chronicling the fallout when one of the main hosts of a morning television news show is fired for sexual misconduct, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell are magic together and I canNOT wait for Season 2. And yes, it is definitely worth subscribing to Apple TV+ just for this series alone.

Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell in The Morning Show (2019)

14. Top of the Morning (Amazon) – I am currently knee-deep in Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV, the 2013 exposé The Morning Show is based upon, and it is just as engrossing as the series. Though published a full four years before Matt Lauer’s shocking firing, journalist Brian Stelter’s look at the behind-the-scenes goings-on at both Today and Good Morning America is still chock full of scandal, drama and titillating tidbits. It is one fabulous read!

15. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Amazon) – My vote for the best movie of 2019! Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film, a look at aging Hollywood star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), who happens to live next door to Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), and his loyal stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), in 1969 Hollywood, is nothing short of perfection! From the locations to the costumes to the script to the performances, this one is not to be missed!

16. To Live and Die in L.A. (all podcast platforms) – A journalist and a private investigator set out to find a missing person and wind up solving a murder. And I do mean solve! The two figure out the identity of the killer, pinpoint the exact site where the murder took place, and track the perpetrator’s movements in the hours that follow, even locating the exact dumpsters where evidence was trashed! It’s an incredible feat that makes for an incredible listen. Easily my vote for the best podcast of the year!

17. Origins (all podcast platforms) – On his aptly titled Origins podcast, journalist James Andrew Miller takes a deep dive into the origin stories of several popular entities including the ESPN network and University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban. While neither of those subjects is of particular interest to me, the fifth chapter of the show details the genesis of Sex and the City. In three elaborate episodes (as well as a bonus fourth which chronicles Sarah Jessica Parker’s vast business empire), Miller breaks the hit HBO series’ history down into delicious bites which I ate up with a spoon! Featuring interviews with SJP, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Michael Patrick King, Darren Star, and countless others, no topic is off-limits, not even the Kim Cattrall drama which is very candidly discussed! Origins is so well-executed, I have already book-marked the chapters on SNL and Curb Your Enthusiasm to listen to next.

18. Dateline (all podcast platforms) – For someone as obsessed with true crime as I am, it’s a shock that I have never watched Dateline. That’s a good thing, though, as the pivotal series has now been turned into a podcast, with current and classic episodes released almost daily, which means I have countless new-to-me cases to learn about! I’ve never been more entertained – or terrified (I mean, is there anything spookier than Keith Morrison’s narration?) – on my morning walks! The six-part spin-off podcast The Thing About Pam is a must-listen, as well.

Image result for dateline nbc podcast

19. Office Ladies (all podcast platforms) – Extra! Extra! The Office stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey (BFFs in real life) just launched a podcast breaking down the hit 2005 comedy series episode by episode with behind-the-scenes info, anecdotal tidbits and interviews galore! The show is incredibly well-done and chock full of the kind of intricate details I can’t get enough of! It is simply amazing just how much the two remember from their days on set – and I am here for all of it!

20. The Christmas Contract (Amazon) – I’ve never been into Hallmark (or Hallmark-y) Christmas movies as they’ve always seemed way too cheesy. But this year, the GC and I decided to give them a go. There were more than a few duds (like Holiday High School Reunion, which we somehow managed to watch all the way through), but some pleasantly surprised us. My favorite by far was Lifetime’s The Christmas Contract, the super cute tale of a lawyer, Jolie Guidry (Hilarie Burton), who hires her best friend’s brother, Jack Friedman (Robert Buckley), to come home with her for the holidays and pose as her boyfriend. Romance, of course, ensues, but it’s a fun, totally believable ride!

Robert Buckley and Hilarie Burton in The Christmas Contract (2018)

21. The Princess Switch (Netflix) – My other pick for best Hallmark-y Christmas movie is Netflix’s The Princess Switch, about a princess, Lady Margaret, and a baker, Stacy De Novo, both played by Vanessa Hudgens, who, upon discovering their uncanny resemblance to each other, decide to trade places, a la The Parent Trap, for a few days. Though I loved the story, the cute tale is worth watching for Lady Margaret’s wardrobe alone!

Vanessa Hudgens, Nick Sagar, and Sam Palladio in The Princess Switch (2018)

22. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (Amazon) – This mystery miniseries, based on one of my favorite books, was released in Europe in October 2018, but, maddeningly, we had to wait until last year to catch it stateside. Since it finally debuted in the U.S. in August, the GC and I have viewed it twice – and I even reread the novel! It’s that good! The ten-episode thriller, about the 1975 disappearance of a New Hampshire teen and the discovery of her body 33 years later on the grounds of a famous author’s house, will leave you guessing to the very end!

23. Origin (Amazon) – As a puzzle enthusiast, I am obviously a huge fan of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code book series, but somehow only discovered 2017’s Origin, the fifth in the franchise, last year. It was worth the wait, though. Not only is the tome thrilling and suspenseful, but Brown’s descriptions of the central locations had me wanting to book a flight to Spain, stat!

24. Dead to Me (Netflix) – Another unlikely premise for a comedy, the Netflix original series Dead to Me follows a widower named Jen Harding (Christina Applegate) who inadvertently and unknowingly befriends the woman who killed her husband via a hit-and-run, Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini). It’s both hilarious and suspenseful and, at ten episodes, perfect for a quick binge. The locations are absolutely stellar, as well – you can read about a few of them here, here, here, and here.

Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini in Dead to Me (2019)

25. Ingrid Goes West (Hulu and Amazon) – An interesting look at the perils of social media, this drama, about an impressionable young woman who stalks and befriends her favorite influencer, will make you think twice about buying into people’s online personas. Though quite the sad commentary on modern times, it’s a truly engaging story – one that will likely have you putting your phone down to invest in some real human interaction.

Elizabeth Olsen, Wyatt Russell, Aubrey Plaza, Billy Magnussen, and O'Shea Jackson Jr. in Ingrid Goes West (2017)

In case you missed last year’s post on my favorite entertainment finds of 2018, you can check it out here.

December 24, 2019December 24, 2019

Merry Christmas!

I would like to wish my fellow stalkers a very merry Christmas. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday with family and friends. I will be taking some time off to celebrate with my loved ones, but will be back in January. I also apologize for not having a new post up for a few days – my computer hit the fritz recently and is completely unusable. I type this from the Grim Cheaper’s laptop, which is a Mac, something I am definitely not accustomed to. Here’s hoping Santa brings me a new one so I can get back to regularly scheduled blogging! In the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

December 20, 2019December 20, 2019

The Tire House from “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday”

Today’s locale is becoming quite the prolific film star! I’ve blogged about the residence at 800 Adelaine Avenue in South Pasadena previously – twice, in fact. It first came on my radar thanks to its appearance in the 2008 comedy Bedtime Stories, as I chronicled here. Then, in 2015, I noticed it pop up in the pilot episode of the short-lived Fox series Grandfathered and dedicated another post to the place. Pretty thorough coverage, I know. But when I learned that it also cameoed in not one, but two Christmas-themed productions recently, I decided that yet another write-up was in order!

[ad]

The picturesque English Revival holds a pretty special place in my heart. I have it to thank for meeting and becoming friends with fellow stalker Owen. Way back on May 20th, 2009, I received an email from him asking for some assistance in tracking down the home belonging to Wendy (Courteney Cox) in Bedtime Stories. That email kicked off the first of many location hunts the two of us have embarked upon. Owen’s comment on my initial post about the place was quite prophetic. He wrote, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Did I say ‘Louis’? I mean ‘Lindsay.’” Oh, how right he was! The two of us became fast friends and remain so today, more than a decade later! The house has fared pretty well, too, cameo-wise.

As mentioned above, it was also featured in the Grandfathered pilot in which it portrayed the home of Jimmy Martino’s (John Stamos) ex, Sara (Paget Brewster). It only appeared in the one episode, though. Once the series got picked up, filming of Sara’s house scenes shifted to a different pad at 12660 Kling Street in Studio City.

Then, last week, while writing my post on the residence where Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) lived in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, I scanned through the 1988 sequel Big Top Pee-wee and the 2016 Netflix film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday to see if the same property was utilized in either. It wasn’t, but I was thrilled to see the Bedtime Stories house in the latter! Though it only popped up briefly, I recognized it immediately as the spot where Pee-wee released a tire from a trailer as part of his extensive morning routine at the beginning of the flick.

Coming full circle, a few days before that discovery, I received a text from Owen informing me that he had attempted to write a comment on my original Bedtime Stories house post, but that my site wasn’t allowing it. (That’s an ongoing issue with old posts that the Grim Cheaper is trying to fix.) Because I knew he had been binging Christmas movies, I figured he was likely wanting to apprise me of the home’s Pee-wee’s Big Holiday cameo. But once the GC finally got comments on the post up and running, I was shocked that Owen was actually clueing me in on a different Yuletide-themed appearance! He wrote, “When I think of this house, I think of you, because our friendship had its genesis in the search for this location. For that reason, I thought I’d let you know that the house recently updated its filming location curriculum vitae, if you will. I saw it pop up again on the “Christmas Spirit” episode of 9-1-1, which aired on Dec. 2. They give the address as 2749 Elmer Ave. in North Hollywood in the episode . . . and then proceed to allow the ‘800’ house number near the front door to be visible five minutes later. You have to do better than that to fool a stalker!” Yeah, especially when it comes to such a well-known locale! In the “Christmas Spirit” episode, the pad is where a mom (Chrystee Pharris) collapses and 9-1-1 operator Maddie Kendall (Jennifer Love Hewitt) talks her young son, Leo (Seth Carr), through performing CPR until the paramedics arrive.

The residence is so idyllic and charming, it is not at all hard to see how it wound up onscreen in so many productions. Built in 1925, the pad has 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,165 square feet, a 0.23-acre lot, and a detached garage. It last sold in January 2004 for $652,500, but Zillow puts its worth at $1,555,821 today! So not only does the property have the ability to foster friendships, but it’s lucrative to boot!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Big THANK YOU to Owen for asking me to find this house back in 2009, informing me of its recent 9-1-1 appearance, and, most of all, ten years of friendship.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The “tire house” from Pee-wee’s Big Holiday is located at 800 Adelaine Avenue in South Pasadena.

December 18, 2019December 17, 2019

The Federal from “Four Christmases”

I tracked down today’s locale thanks to some very insider information. Back on December 19th, 2012, I wrote about the San Francisco pad that portrayed Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate’s (Reese Witherspoon) residence in Four Christmases. Just a few hours after hitting “publish,” I received an email from the production designer of the 2008 holiday romcom, Shepherd Frankel, who had this to say, “Wow – I loved reading your blog and seeing your detective work unfold. Truly amazing. So interesting to read for me and I actually designed the film!” His kind words just about made me fall over with excitement! Though I often contact crew members to inquire about locations, a production designer getting in touch with me was a first! Once I regained my composure, I wrote him back and, of course, asked for some help in IDing a few additional locations from the film, namely the restaurant where Brad’s firm’s holiday party was held. And Shepherd was happy to help! Though he did not remember the name of the eatery, he informed me that it was a former-bank-turned-restaurant in Long Beach. Using those search parameters, I quickly figured out that filming had taken place at The Madison at 102 Pine Avenue. Sadly, I also quickly figured out that the gastropub had recently closed. I added it to my To-Stalk List regardless, hoping it would reopen at some point, which, thankfully, it did as “The Federal” just months later, at which point I ran out to stalk it. Though I’ve briefly covered the place a couple of times before – first in my post about sister restaurant The Federal Bar in North Hollywood, then in My Guide to L.A. – Bars, and finally in a Scene it Before column for Los Angeles magazine – I figured this holiday season was the perfect time for a full-blown write-up.

[ad]

The 13-story, 146,000-square-foot building that houses The Federal was initially built in 1925 as the Long Beach headquarters of the Security Trust and Savings Bank of Los Angeles. The stately site was designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style by architects Aleck Curlett and Claud Beelman. (The latter also gave us The Mayfair Hotel from The Office, The Standard, Downtown L.A. from Fracture, and the California Bank Building from Girls Just Want to Have Fun.)

The towering structure, known today as the “Security Trust and Savings Bank Building” as well as “Security Pacific National Bank,” was originally comprised of offices on its upper levels and a grand 3-story, 8,925-square-foot bank space complete with a basement vault on its lower floors.

When Security Trust and Savings, which had been renamed Security Pacific Bank, moved out in 1991, the bank space sat vacant for a time before catching the eye of Terry Antonelli and Enzo DeMuro, the famed restauranteurs who in 1990 founded Long Beach staple L’Opera in another former bank building located right across the street. The duo decided to lease the site and worked their magic transforming it into upscale eatery The Madison, which opened its doors in May 1999. During the conversion, the room’s gorgeous beamed ceilings, which had incredibly been covered over to make way for an air conditioning system at some point, were once again unveiled.

Shortly after its debut, Los Angeles Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila wrote, “I’ve been to The Madison Restaurant & Bar, a posh new steakhouse, three times, and each time I’ve walked through the door, I’ve had to catch my breath because the size and grandeur of the rooms are overwhelming. Built in the days before ATMs, when banks functioned as secular cathedrals and women donned hat and gloves to do their banking, the former Security Bank is one of Long Beach’s stateliest historic buildings.” As you can see below, her words were not hyperbole. The space is nothing if not breathtaking!

The Madison enjoyed a nice long run, remaining in operation until September 2012, just a few months before I learned about it.

Shortly after its closure, Morgan Margolis, the nightlife impresario behind The Federal Bar in North Hollywood (and son of Mark Margolis, aka Mr. Shickadance, the landlord from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective), toured the space and decided to open a sister Federal location on the premises. The Federal Long Beach opened just a few months later. Thankfully, not much of the interior was altered in the changeover.

Still as grand as ever, the gorgeous eatery features 2 full bars, seating for 300 patrons, rich wood paneling, towering columns, an extensive menu of healthy and not-so-healthy comfort foods, and a speakeasy situated in the basement vault! Quite the unique atmosphere to grab a bite!

My photos truly don’t do the space justice. Unfortunately, the natural light beaming in through the windows wreaked havoc on most of the images I snapped while there, but at least they give you the gist of The Federal’s beauty.

It is at The Madison that the Rohlich and Tweel LLC 8th annual Christmas party is held in Four Christmases, during which Brad and Kate explain to Brad’s co-workers how they get out of spending the holidays with their families each year. (Their advice? Just lie and tell everyone you’re doing charity work. “You know, something like building houses in third world countries. Teaching English as a second language in Puerto Rico. Delousing orphans in Somalia. Helping Chinese kids capture lobsters – boil them, gut them, clean the weird stuff out of the middle. We find that the more details you give, kinda throws them off the scent.” After all, “You really can’t spell families without ‘lies.’”)

Though Shepherd and his team decked the restaurant out in Yuletide finery for the shoot, not much of the place was shown onscreen. But what was visible remains very recognizable.

We get a much better view of the restaurant via Dinner for Schmucks. In the 2010 comedy (and I use that term loosely), Tim (Paul Rudd) meets with some clients at The Madison and chaos quickly ensues thanks to the misguided efforts of uninvited guest Barry (Steve Carell). In looking at the screen capture as compared to my photograph below, you can see the changes made to the site before it re-opened as The Federal. For some inexplicable reason, a beam running across the vast dining area was installed which really cuts off the room in my opinion.

The main bar (on the left-hand side below) was also partially closed off and the beige upholstered booths swapped out for black leather versions. You can check out some more images of the interior of The Madison here. Oh, how I wish I could have seen it before it closed! Despite the unfortunate changes, The Federal is still a stunning place to grab a bite or cocktail when in Long Beach!

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: The Federal, aka the former The Madison from Four Christmases, is located at 102 Pine Avenue in Long Beach. You can visit the eatery’s official website here. L’Opera Restaurant, from Charmed, can be found right across the street at 101 Pine Avenue. You can visit that establishment’s website here.

December 13, 2019December 12, 2019

Bridges Auditorium from “The West Wing”

I am one of the few people in the world who did not watch The West Wing when it was on the air. And boy was I missing out! The Grim Cheaper and I started binging the series on a whim this past January and now can’t get enough! The show is so good, I could cry! It’s literally one of the best productions to ever grace television screens! Early in our binging, I, of course, went on a deep dive to unearth some of its locations and was thrilled to come across a 2012 Architectural Digest article that spelled out one locale in particular, stating “Because The West Wing had not yet acquired an East Room set in time, the series’ second-season Christmas episode, ‘Noël,’ featuring the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, was filmed in the lobby of Pomona College’s Bridges Auditorium, in Claremont, California.” Well, believe you me, the venue went straight to the top of my To-Stalk List and I headed out there way back in February, but I’ve held off on blogging about it as I figured it would make for an excellent holiday post.

[ad]

The Mabel Shaw Bridges Music Auditorium, as it is formally known, was commissioned by Appleton and Amelia Shaw Bridges in honor of their daughter, Mabel, who passed away while attending Pomona College in 1907.

Designed by San Diego-based architect William Templeton Johnson in the Northern Italian Renaissance style, the venue was constructed from 1930 to 1931 at a cost of $650,000.

Bridges Auditorium was dedicated on September 18th, 1931 and its inaugural concert season officially kicked off the following month, on October 27th, with a performance by Artur Rodziński and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, it has gone on to host a slew of celebrated personalities. Just a few of the luminaries who have set foot on its stage include Steve Martin, Muhammad Ali, Amelia Earhart, Benny Goodman, James Earl Jones, and Bono.

Sadly, the hall was closed when I visited, so I did not get to see the interior.

The exterior is pretty darn spectacular, though, with a towering arched overhang lined with grand columns and topped by a cathedral ceiling.

The auditorium itself, which you can see photos of here, boasts rich red carpeting, seating for 2,494 guests, and a magical ceiling mural spanning 22,000 square feet that was hand-painted by Giovanni Smeraldi, the famed artist who also adorned the ceilings of Doheny Memorial Library’s Los Angeles Times Reference Room, the Pasadena Main Branch of the Bank of the West, St. Vincent de Paul Church, and the Millennium Biltmore Hotel’s South Galleria. (The latter, coincidentally, is also a West Wing locale!)

It is Bridges Auditorium’s lobby that is its real claim to fame, though. Featuring a coffered ceiling, marble columns, and a grand staircase, the versatile space has appeared onscreen as everything from a courthouse to a college admissions office to the White House (twice!). You can take a look at the beautiful room here.

In The West Wing’s “Noël” episode, which aired in 2000, President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his senior staff attend a congressional Christmas party during which Yo-Yo Ma performs – and yes, the actual Yo-Yo Ma guest-starred! As mentioned above, the production team transformed Bridges’ lobby into the White House’s East Room for the shoot. Architectural Digest notes, “Although smaller than the actual East Room—the largest room in the White House, primarily used for entertaining—the space, says [production designer Kenneth] Hardy, had the right feeling. He and his production crew hung replica chandeliers and added chairs, flowers, and presidential portraits.” It was a lot of preparation for what essentially amounted to about two minutes of screen time, much of which was interspersed with flashbacks of Josh Lyman’s (Bradley Whitford) shooting from Season 1. Nevertheless, the space did look beautiful in the scene.

The Bridges Auditorium foyer also masked as the courthouse lobby where Hillary Whitney Essex (Barbara Hershey) collapsed in the 1988 drama Beaches.

It again portrayed the White House – this time its grand entry hall – in the 1993 comedy Dave.

And in the Season 3 episode of Gilmore Girls titled “Let the Games Begin,” which aired in 2002, the foyer masqueraded as the main administration building at Yale University, where Richard (Edward Herrmann) forced Rory (Alexis Bledel) into an impromptu interview with the Dean of Admissions.

The exterior of Bridges Auditorium also appeared briefly in the episode.

The theatre itself is where the body of a murdered ballerina is found in the Season 3 episode of Lucifer titled “Anything Pierce Can Do I Can Do Better,” which aired in 2018.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! Smile

Stalk It: Bridges Auditorium, from the “Noël” episode of The West Wing, is located at 450 North College Way, on the Pomona College campus, in Claremont.