Streaming: Movies to Celebrate Pride Month

With protest comes pride. The L.A. Pride Parade and Festival has been revived to express solidarity with the African-American community following the death of George Floyd. Los Angeles Pride had cancelled the parade due to concerns about COVID-19 and a potential lack of social distancing, but now says they will protest June 14 in Hollywood where the first permitted Pride Parade took place. Face coverings, of course, are recommended. In the meantime, you can commemorate the hard-fought progress that has been made from your own home by streaming any of the following films as we recognize LGBTQ Pride Month.

Moonlight

Streaming on: Netflix

This Oscar-winning drama follows a young man named Chiron from his impoverished childhood to adulthood as he grapples with his sexual identity as well as the consequences of poverty and abuse. All the while he strives to escape a life that appears unavoidable. In addition to winning Best Picture, the film’s director, Barry Jenkins, claimed the screenwriting Oscar while Mahershala Ali was named Best Supporting Actor.

Philadelphia

Streaming on: Netflix

Jonathan Demme’s 1993 drama threw a high-wattage spotlight on the AIDS crisis, earning acclaim and $200 million worldwide. In doing so, it brought the plight of the LGBTQ community into the mainstream like no film before it. Tom Hanks won the Oscar for his portrayal of a lawyer fired from his powerhouse law firm because they realized he was HIV-positive. Denzel Washington is the homophobic lawyer who takes on the David v. Goliath case.

Carol

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

Legendary writer Patricia Highsmith, who penned the psychological thrillers The Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train, also authored The Price of Salt in 1952, adapted decades later by filmmaker Todd Haynes. Cate Blanchett stars as a wealthy woman in a grim, loveless marriage who begins an affair with a young shopgirl (Rooney Mara). Lust, love and loss ensue.

Brokeback Mountain

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Focus/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock (5884718b)

Streaming on: Hulu

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal star as Wyoming cowboys in the 1960s who fall in love only to discover they can’t ever quit each other — even as the decades wear on and their marriages to Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway crumble. A trailblazer, even though it is only 15 years old, Ang Lee’s tender, thoughtful drama was nominated for multiple Oscars and won for director and screenplay. Controversially and inexplicably, it wasn’t named Best Picture.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Streaming on: Hulu

John Cameron Mitchell directed, adapted and starred in this poignant 2001 film based on the 1998 stage musical he co-wrote. It follows transgender rock singer Hedwig (Mitchell) on a quest to track down the former lover who stole her music and became a star.

Bound

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

Before they entered The Matrix, the Wachowski siblings wrote and directed this sultry, noirish thriller about lovers (Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon) who conspire to rip off the mob. Twisty, exciting and crammed with style, it rivets with the same sleek, storytelling energy as that aforementioned Keanu Reeves-led science-fiction saga.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

The movie is named for the bus that drag queen Anthony (Hugo Weaving) uses to transport himself — as well as young drag queen Adam (Guy Pearce) and transsexual Bernadette (Terence Stamp) — across the less-than-welcoming Australian outback for a gig at a casino in a remote town. Released in 1994, the film was a sleeper smash, helping to introduce international audiences to positive LGBTQ characters.

Milk

Streaming on: Hulu

Sean Penn is electrifying as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in America. In 1977, Milk won a seat on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors — only to be slain a year later. Wisely, the drama, directed by Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho), does not dwell on the murder, choosing instead to chronicle the years of tumult and tenacity that ultimately led Milk to emerge as a national icon for equality.

Beginners

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

Ewan McGregor stars as a man whose father (Christopher Plummer) comes out during the last year of his life. The revelation strengthens the bond between the men, who were never close, as the son reflects on his own childhood, relationships and his father’s closeted past. Plummer won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. In addition to Plummer and McGregor, Mike Mills’s tender, affecting film also features a talking (with subtitles) Jack Russell terrier.

April 30, 2020

Streaming: Stuck-at-home Thrillers

Locked doors are meant to keep bad things out. But what happens if the bad thing is already trapped inside with you? (Hence the iconic horror movie scene in which the imperiled teenage heroine is told the frightening phone calls are coming from “inside the house!”) So given the pandemic-induced lockdown, what better time to share a claustrophobic scare with fellow quarantined family members and self-isolating roommates? You may even find yourself relating to the characters in these confined thrillers as the walls start to close in on them.

Rear Window

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

This 1954 Hitchcock thriller about a bored, wheelchair-bound photographer who spies on his neighbors from his window — only to unwittingly witness a murder no one else believes happened — remains as relevant as ever. Why? Because voyeurism has yet to go out of style. What follows is a landmark exercise in cinematic suspense as the camera never leaves Stewart’s apartment, even as the suspected killer draws near. FOR AGES: 10 and up

Panic Room

Streaming on: Hulu, Amazon Prime

When three men break into her new Manhattan brownstone, a divorced woman (Jodie Foster) and her diabetic daughter (Kristen Stewart) flee to the home’s impenetrable vault-for-people only to learn that what the intruders want is hidden in the panic room. The harrowing cat-and-mouse game that follows is jammed with the anticipated twists and sudden reversals, but elevated by director David Fincher’s stylishly-clinical filmmaking. FOR AGES: 14 and up

10 Cloverfield Lane

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

After a woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) crashes her car, she wakes up in an underground shelter with two men, Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), who tell her she can’t leave because the world outside is under attack. But are her rescuers more dangerous than whatever threat might be lurking outside? Despite its title, the film works perfectly fine as a stand-alone nerve-jangler unrelated to other Cloverfield entries. FOR AGES: 12 and up

Get Out

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winner is primarily recognized for how skillfully it injects its satirical critique of race relations into a horror genre framework. But it is also a sharply-constructed thriller that finds its hero trapped in a house with smiling strangers who may mean him harm. Daniel Kaluuya stars as Chris, an African-American photographer who travels upstate to meet the parents of his white girlfriend (Allison Williams). Dread steadily escalates as the film recalls such unsettling classics as The Stepford Wives and Rosemary’s Baby. FOR AGES: 17 and up

The Invitation

Streaming on: Netflix, Amazon Prime

This acclaimed but underseen psychological drama stars Logan Marshall-Green as a man invited to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife. While some of the guests are familiar faces, others are not. And when he learns his ex may have joined a mysterious cult, an evening that starts out awkward and tense swiftly unravels into paranoia. Is there a sinister agenda at play? Or is his mental state the only thing that deserves to be questioned? FOR AGES: 17 and up

April 16, 2020

Streaming: Feel Good Movies

If you never saw Contagion, why start now? That’s like stopping to watch Jaws as your life raft springs a leak. Yet movies about viral pandemics — like the excellent but eerie Steven Soderbergh thriller as well as such lesser efforts as Outbreak and Pandemic — are topping digital movie charts, despite the reality, we’re living in. Our advice? Give your mind — and your stress level — some relief and seek out something upbeat and life-affirming. Any of these five films will do just fine in lifting your spirits.

Groundhog Day

Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube

Bill Murray is a weatherman trapped reliving the same day, again and again. Sort of like being locked down at home. Murray’s predicament generates raucous laughs, but by the end, both the character and the equally sarcastic movie are channeling Frank Capra, elevated by the big-hearted notion that a man can improve, even if it’s one day at a time. FOR AGES: 12 and up

Ratatouille

Streaming on: DisneyPlus

Remy is the best chef in Paris. Unfortunately, he’s also a rat. Enter Linguine, a garbage boy who is clueless at cooking. Working together — sort of Cyrano de Bergerac meets Anthony Bourdain — the new partners enjoy huge success until a food critic with his own issues turns up the heat. This undervalued Pixar movie is for anyone who’s ever been told they can’t realize their dreams just because of what they are or where they came from. FOR AGES: 6 and up

Singin’ in the Rain

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

The quintessential Hollywood musical, this 1952 classic stars Gene Kelly as a silent film star making the career move into “talkies.” Together with a chorus girl (Debbie Reynolds) and a vaudeville pal (Donald O’Connor), they plot to make a masterpiece. Once you surrender to its old-school, all-ages charm, it’s impossible not to be won over by the performances and the iconic musical numbers, which still endure almost 70 years later. FOR AGES: 6 and up

The Princess Bride

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

Don’t expect the effects, violence and grit of today’s action-fantasy genre in this 1987 Rob Reiner comedy. A sly, self-aware fairy tale that favors humor and romance over battles and bloodshed, what distinguishes The Princess Bride is its utterly unique tone: whimsical, silly and warm, without a trace of mean-spiritedness. It’s framed as a bedtime story told to a child, but really, it’s a bedtime story being told to us. FOR AGES: 8 and up

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Streaming on: Netflix

Argue all you like about who the best movie Spider-Man is — Maguire? Garfield? Holland? — the best Spider-Man movie, period, is this 2018 animated Oscar-winner, in which a teenager named Miles Morales partners with Spider-heroes from alternate realities to save the multiverse and defeat the villain who killed his world’s Peter Parker. Bolstered by a sensational soundtrack, standout cast (including Nicolas Cage, Hailee Steinfeld and Mahershala Ali) and eye-popping animation, this thrilling, emotional adventure truly feels like a comic book sprung to life. FOR AGES: 9 and up

March 25, 2020March 25, 2020

Streaming: The 5 Best TV Shows You Should Finally Binge

The 5 Best TV Shows You Should Finally Binge

So much content, so little time. Until now. With social distancing giving everyone a lot more downtime at home, why not use it to binge a classic TV series you may have missed when it originally aired – or always wanted to revisit but never got around to? Thanks to the vast catalogs curated by the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and others, it’s almost certainly available to be streamed. And if you don’t have a favorite already in mind, here are five picks to consider.

The Sopranos

Streaming On: HBO GO, HBO NOW, Hulu, Amazon Prime

Like The Godfather, the time has been kind to David Chase’s mafioso drama about a New Jersey crime kingpin and his clan. Considered one of the finest television dramas in history – if not the finest – it’s powered by James Gandolfini‘s explosive performance as Tony Soprano, a mobster in crisis seeking therapy with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). What follows is a turbulent miracle of violence and recrimination punctuated by bursts of jet-black humor. FOR AGES: 18 and up

Lost

Streaming On: Hulu

To appreciate Lost, consider how far ahead of its time it was in 2004. Here was an expensive serialized thrill ride that inspired a rabid fandom, stoked pop culture debate, raced with cinematic action and veered wildly down avenues of science fiction and theology. It looked like nothing else on the air at the time – and now resembles much of what’s new to binge. The premise: after crash landing on a mysterious island, the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 encounter everything from polar bears and phantoms to mad scientists and time travel. For ages: 13 and up.

Futurama

Streaming On: Hulu

Just because this science-fiction spoof from Matt Groening never enjoyed the blockbuster success of his other animated creation, The Simpsons, doesn’t mean it lacks for witty, weird pleasures. Set in the year 3000, it follows the misadventures of a 20th-century slacker stranded out of time. Along the way, he encounters robots, floating heads, intelligent crustaceans and the one-eyed girl who steals his heart. FOR AGES: 12 and up

Curb your Enthusiasm

Streaming On: HBO NOW, HBO GO, Amazon Prime, Hulu

Considering Curb just wrapped it’s 10th (and one of its best) seasons, what better time to revisit the entire misanthropic catalog of awkward truths and cringing laughs? As a fictionalized version of himself, Seinfeld co-creator Larry David discovers social aggravation wherever he goes in his West Los Angeles neighborhood. And for fans of Seinfeld who missed it, Curb’s seventh season is as close to a proper Seinfeld reunion as you will ever see. FOR AGES: 18 and up

Mad Men

Streaming On: Netflix

Like The Sopranos, Mad Men follows an alpha male anti-hero in an existential crisis. But whereas that mob drama is as beefy and swaggering as Tony Soprano, this series set in 1960s New York is as sleek and inscrutable as its chain-smoking ad man, Don Draper (Jon Hamm). Despite its multitude of Emmys and place in pop culture, Mad Men was, relatively speaking, always a niche show, enjoying solid but unspectacular ratings. This means for many people, its immaculate style and shattering drama are yet to be discovered. FOR AGES: 14 and up

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020

Rodeo in the News: LABJ Ranks 5 Of Our Own Among Top Realtors in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles Business Journal released its annual list that ranks top agents in the Los Angeles Residential Real Estate Market. Five of Rodeo Realty’s own are featured on the list!

“For the agents who drive L.A.’s residential real estate market, the past year was defined by escalating growth, the rising presence of international buyers and record-breaking prices for luxe estates. The features that follow provide an in-depth look at the market’s key players and top sales as well as detailed data on the city’s leading brokers.” – Los Angeles Business Journal

Check out who is featured, below!

Congratulations to all, well deserved! See the rest of the list, HERE!

March 11, 2020

Out & About: Carpinteria

When a town calls itself the “home of the world’s safest beach,” you expect it to be laidback. And yes, Carpinteria – even the name soothes – offers no shortage of calm waters and peaceful strides along sandy shores. But the town, roughly 12 miles southeast of Santa Barbara, is also home to much more – from the Santa Barbara Polo Club to the seals and sea lions found nearby Carpinteria Bluffs. And if you have always wanted to know what the world’s largest vat of guacamole looks like, the California Avocado Festival happens every October. If waiting until autumn for guacamole isn’t for you, here are some other suggestions for how to spend a day or weekend exploring the sights and surf of Carpinteria. Safety is almost certainly guaranteed.

MORNING

Carpinteria State Beach

Although an ideal spot for camping and swimming, the real draw of this mile-long state beach is the seafaring animals who call it home. In addition to the sea lions and seals – and possibly a passing whale – there are tidepools filled with starfish, crabs, snails, octopi and sea urchins, among others. One note if you’re thinking about tagging along with a four-legged friend: dogs are not allowed on the beach, but they are permitted in the picnic area.

Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary

While spotting birds and other wildlife, follow the hiking trails to the open park space with its stunning views north to the Santa Ynez Mountains and south to the Channel Islands. From here, you can look down on the Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary, the habitat for almost 100 adult seals who birth their pups on the shoreline. The sanctuary is a protected space and off-limits to people. But from above, you can quietly observe. Remember to bring binoculars.

Tar Pits Beach

Less than a mile from the seal sanctuary, you can find this aptly-named slice of shoreline. Once mined for the asphalt that drains out from a natural lake, this area of Carpinteria State Beach has been transformed into a destination for both hikers and surfers.

Shop in downtown Carpinteria

After a morning wandering through nature, why not spend time exploring Linden Avenue, the shopping hub of downtown Carpinteria? Only a few blocks from the state beach, it’s lined with century-old palm trees and vintage shops. One tourist stop is Robitaille’s Candies, famed for its Presidential Mints (because they have been favorites of past American presidents). It also offers the opportunity to watch the candy makers at work thanks to a glassed-in kitchen.

AFTERNOON

Stop for a Bite

If you feel like having lunch after a morning spent hiking and shopping, Linden Avenue has plenty of options, including this 50-year-old hamburger stand. The Spot does serve a range of menu options – from a shrimp burrito to clam chowder – but really, it’s about the classic, no-frills burger, as simple as beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and Thousand Island dressing.

Carpinteria Valley Museum of History

For those interested in more than what Carpinteria looks like now, this historical museum offers a detailed gaze into its past. Exhibits deal the three significant cultures that have called the area home over the centuries: the Chumash Indians, the Mexican and Spanish settlers, and the immigrant and American pioneers. Exhibits are open every afternoon Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club

Located on Foothill Road in Carpinteria, the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club has been described as the town’s best-kept secret. Starting in April and running through December, the public is invited to attend the polo game that happens every Sunday afternoon. You don’t have to be a club member. On Fridays, spectators can partake in Happy Hour in the grandstands.

Whale Watching

Nearly 30 different species of whales and dolphins travel through the Santa Barbara Channel every year, meaning there is never a bad time to go spotting one of these gentle marine giants. Long-running area tour companies include The Condor Express which carries as many as 120 passengers on its catamaran, and Sunset Kidd, which takes visitors sailing on a 41-foot yacht.

Summerland Winery

It wouldn’t be a California sojourn without wine tasting. And Carpinteria and the surrounding area do not disappoint. Located in the seaside town that bears its name, Summerland Winery provides a tasting room where you can sample its Central Coast collection. For dog lovers, the winery encourages you to bring your furry companion along to join the pack.

EVENING

Little Dom’s Seafood

Carpinteria isn’t as far from Los Feliz as you might think. Warner Ebbink and chef Brandon Boudet, who own and run Little Dom’s in Los Angeles, opened Little Dom’s Seafood in Carpinteria earlier this year. As you’d expect, the menu offers Italian seafood along with the coastal culinary vibe that comes with being this close to the Pacific.

The Alcazar Theatre

While it maintains its movie house façade, the Alcazar Theatre, which opened in 1928, has emerged as much more than a venue for films (although there are those – from current releases to such Hollywood classics as Singing in the Rain). A center of performing arts for Carpinteria, also stages concerts, live comedy, and live theatre, depending on the day or evening.

February 27, 2020February 28, 2020

Valley Weekend Events: February 29 – March 1

Conejo

Travel to Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, listen to a symphony of dreams or explore our changing world with award-winning filmmaker Andy Mann. Whether you’re in the mood for the classics or a hike into nature, there’s plenty going on this weekend in the Conejo Valley.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Nat Geo Live – Andy Mann: From Summit to Sea

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theater, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, CA

Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Andy Mann has documented our planet for more than a decade. A diver, arctic explorer and rock climber, Mann’s captivating images of our world and its wildlife as they experience rapid, disturbing upheavals have amassed him a following of more than 400,000 on Instagram. For ticket information, go HERE.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2020

New West Symphony presents: Dreams

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Dreams is part of a two-concert series remembering the Holocaust, showcasing music that acted as a beacon of hope during one of humanity’s darkest periods. Originally written for a children’s opera competition in 1938, Brundibár (Czech for “bumblebee”) was composed by Hans Krása in a concentration camp. The program also features Felix Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. For more details, go HERE.

STEAM Expo

Santa Susana High School, 3570 Cochran Street, Simi Valley, CA

STEAM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics” – all of which are ready to be explored at this fifth annual event. Expect more than 40 booths, which this year also includes a health fair. The event runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For details, go HERE.

SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2020

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live!

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theater, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, CA

Starring Daniel Tiger, O the Owl, Miss Elaina, Katerina Kittycat and Prince Wednesday, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live: Neighbor Day carries audience members of all ages along on an interactive journey to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe in this live production. Expect new songs as well as favorites from the animated series, which was inspired by Mister Rogers Neighborhood. For ticket information, go HERE.

Sunday Hike in Malibu

The Ranch at Solstice Canyon, 26025 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA

Pack a power bar and head for the hills. For professionals seeking a retreat from their urban lifestyle – if only for a few hours – this could prove a welcome escape to nature. This hike is led by fitness pros, so along with a little exercise, you might also pick up a tip or two for improved health and nutrition. For details, go HERE.

San Fernando Valley

Celebrate the life and legacy of Billie Holiday, take a little off the top for a good cause or check out a taping with Roseanne’s former sitcom family. Whether you’re in the mood for laughter or a new stage production, there’s plenty going on this weekend in the San Fernando Valley.