Wigs and gym shorts heavy, the 70s and 80s are in full force in HBO’s latest period drama. The television honcho unlocks and reimagines events of the Showtime Lakers in a land where Los Angeles glamour and glitz meet domination on the hardwood. HBO and HBO Max roll out episodes of original drama series Winning Time: the Rise of the Lakers Dynasty every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET and PT.
Super Bowl is about to score big in Los Angeles with these amazing events.
On Monday December 13th, I attended an HBO Originals screening of Music Box: Juice WRLD series documentary. Hosted at Neuehouse Hollywood, the screening was followed by a Q&A with director Tommy Oliver hosted by Michael Ealy.
The documentary was an intimate look at the life of Juice WRLD as he navigated newfound fame and riches. His artistry was unmatched. Producer Benny Blanco is featured in the documentary and talks about Juice WRLD’s talent, which was unlike any other artists he had worked with before.
Writing his own songs, Juice WRLD was able to record music within minutes of hearing a beat in the studio. He was able to view lyrics in his head before saying them out loud. Truly a gift. His music touched on anxiety, mental health, and addiction. Oftentimes his music alluded to the overall pain and loneliness he was experiencing in his real life.
Music was an outlet for him to express his feelings and be vulnerable. For him, he was expressing his most difficult feelings. His fans saw him as a relatable figure who allowed them to feel seen when listening to his music.
The documentary highlights the ups and downs of his short yet extremely successful career. Director Tommy Oliver tells the life and story of Juice WRLD leading up to his passing. Throughout the documentary you can see his joy being surrounded by his girlfriend whom he loved dearly, his excitement to make music, and his true enjoyment to give and create art to his fans.
You can stream HBO Original Music Box: Juice WRLD documentary on HBO Max starting December 16th.
“The Canvas: Los Angeles” premieres on Oct. 6, going inside the world of eight self-taught and self-made artisans who are inspired by their local SoCal communities.
From streetwear designer Chris “Spanto” Printup, the visionary behind the City of Champs collection, to L.A. teacher’s strike artist Ernesto Yerena, The Canvas tells the moving stories of Los Angeles residents who are looking to reclaim their community through art.
Plus, the Fuse/Fuse+ docuseries comes from the South Central-born director Calmatic, the auteur behind the Grammy-winning music video for Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” ft. Billy Ray Cyrus.
Each episode focuses on a different artist, ranging from the below:
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Calmatic, director (South Central)
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Raised in South Central, Los Angeles, Calmatic is a self-taught filmmaker who discovered his passion for telling stories at a young age. As a director, he strives to humanize others’ unique experiences without infusing them with negative stereotypes. He seeks to stretch the limits of his viewers’ reality while highlighting the beauty in the mundane. His creative curiosity has allowed him to solidify a place for himself in a constantly evolving industry.
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Ernesto Yerena, mixed-media artist (Boyle Heights)
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Ernesto Yerena Montejano was born in El Centro, CA, a mid-sized farming town bordering Mexicali, BC, MX. Fueled by his cross-national upbringing, his art practice reflects his observations of the views and interactions between the Mexican communities living on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Yerena shares narratives of his conflicts of identity that he feels are kindred to what many Chicanos of these communities experience.
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Mark “Peaced” Pangilian, photographer and creative director (East Hollywood/Echo Park/Silverlake)
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Mark “Peaced” Pangilinan is a photographer born in the Philippines and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Growing up all over Los Angeles – he spent time in East Hollywood, Silverlake, and Echo Park – heavily influenced his career and work. Mark’s photography encompasses fashion, music and documentary storytelling.
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Guadalupe Rosales, artist and educator (East Los Angeles)
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Guadalupe Rosales is a multidisciplinary artist and educator best known for her community-generated archival projects, “Veteranas and Rucas” and “Map Pointz.” The projects manifested in 2015 from the under/misrepresentation and historical erasure of Latin@/x communities in Southern California.
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Chris “Spanto” Printup, brand owner (Venice)
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Venice native and co-founder of streetwear label, BornxRaised, which launched in 2013 after Spanto was released from a year-long sentence in prison. The brand was literally born and raised from sketches he made on a manila folder he got from the commissary.
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Joshua Vides, reality to idea artist (Fairfax/Rancho Cucamonga/Rialto)
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Joshua Vides is a Southern California-based graphic designer, visual artist and a first-generation Guatemalan. Vides was born and raised in Rialto, CA but moved to Los Angeles early in life to pursue his career. His work defines the premise of pop art through immersive illustrations and a range of limited products.
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Estevan Oriol, photographer (Los Angeles)
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Estevan Oriol is an American of Mexican-Italian descent and photographer and music video director. His work, which encompasses the essence of Los Angeles, has been featured in magazines and reflects Los Angeles’ urban and gang culture. He’s also photographed many celebrities.
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Ann-Marie Hoang “MSTR OF DISGUISE,” wardrobe stylist (Gardena / Torrance / Hollywood)
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Ann-Marie Hoang is a wardrobe stylist and environmental vibe setter, also known as Mstr Of Disguise. Her style influence is on display in music videos including Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” & “Thank You, Next”, Drake “POPSTAR”, and YG “Loko.”
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Check out our exclusive clip from the series premiere, with Spanto opening up about why he considers himself a true artist.
“The Canvas: Los Angeles” airs Wednesdays on Fuse.
Victoria Leigh and Bridget McGarry both co-wrote and starred in the film Generation Wrecks.
Ash McNair and Enzo Cellucci co-wrote and directed the short film ‘Class.‘
Exact Publicity Agency, based in Los Angeles, produced the fabulous recent fashion extravaganza: the Noble X Addison Guerra Showcase. Based on the designs of Addison Guerra and Lazar Hayward’s Nobel, the invite-only, exclusive event, held at Los Angeles’ Sneakertopia, brought out celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, YouTubers, fashion insiders, and various entertainers to view the collections.
Nabil Elderkin is no stranger to being behind the camera. From directing music videos for Billie Eilish and Superbowl commercials for Morgan Freeman to capturing striking photos of Kid Cudi and Nelson Mandela, Nabil is the mastermind behind some of the most iconic visuals of the 2010s and now he’s taking his talents to film.
The American Dream has always been a tremendous influence on American crime films.
Take Out Girl is the new indie breakout film co-written by and starring Hedy Wong (“Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks,” Chinatown Squad), and directed by Hisonni Johnson (short “Red Hood It,” “Grayson: Earth One”). It recently won Best Indie Action Thriller at Film Threat Award This! And has raked up 14 wins since its premiere at Cinequest Film Festival in 2020. Now with a new home at 1091 Pictures, Take Out Girl is filled with drama, action, comedy, and romance, and is sure to be on everyone’s radar very soon.