Monday, July 31, 2006

HAL would have been a lot funnier if he took up drinking.

It’s already ancient history in the blogodome, but I had a chance to check out Synchronize at Cinespace last Wednesday, but first, a quick update on our neighbors, the Liberty Grill. It would seem as if they have just received a literal truckload of Jack Daniel’s, or as Tennessee locals call it, Tennessee Milk.* Needless to say, this Hungry? editor has not been happier since his Special K Promise Pen arrived last month.

Synchronize is a monthly event at Hollywood club-come-movie-house Cinespace where sort-of-classic films play while DJ Thomas Golubic spins a live reinterpretation of the film’s soundtrack. Last month they wowed me with a slick reinterpretation of Taxi Driver—mostly hip-hop and trip-hop spins on the film’s jazzy soundtrack. I was hopelessly (and geekily) elated when they announced that the next Synchronized film would be Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Once again, the show was fantastic. The DJ showed amazing restraint and did not try to compete with Kubrick’s lush direction, but rather, actually complemented it. If you like movies and you like mashups, you’ll dig their next show. The low-rez samples on their Myspace just don’t do it justice.

The food at Cinespace is sort of pricey standard upscale club fare (classy pizza, salad, mini-burgers, mac ‘n’ cheese, etc.). If you’re sitting for the movie they will want you to order a meal (sort of a dinner-theater thing, I guess). Either bring someone along with the scrills to buy a meal or order a couple drinks and an appetizer. The waitresses here are incredibly friendly, but no one likes a mooch. If you get there early I would check out the hotdog spot around the corner on Ivar. I’m pretty sure it’s the same one from the Crow. You must get there before the show as this place closes up early.

I’m told that after the film the club usually reverts back to a more traditional (though always cool) atmosphere with live DJ audio/visual sets, dancing, and bands, but, alas, I have not yet seen this as my roommate, and sole means of transport, has had to work early every Thursday morning for the past couple months. Be sure to thank the Getty Trust for this.

Cinespace is located at 6356 Hollywdood Blvd., Hollywood, CA and can be reached at (323) 817-3456 or on their Myspace. Synchronize occurs the last Wednesday of every month. Next up: Lode Runner. Jack Daniel’s is always an excellent beverage, though it is not recommended while operating heavy machinery like, say, the governorship of Texas.

(*Editor’s Note: The author has never been to, nor has ever met anyone from, Tennessee. This statement implies no ill will towards those from Tennessee or those of Tennessee-an herriage, and the author acknowledges that he has no knowledge of whether locals actually call Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey “Tennessee Milk”. Though it would be pretty funny if they did.)