Remembering a Valley Icon...Michael Hutchence

On this day in 1997, the world lost a magnetic entertainer. Before the Farriss brother, the string of hits (Never Tear Us Apart, I Need You Tonight, Devil Inside) and long before life got complicated, Michael Hutchence, lead singer of iconic 80s Australian band, INXS, called Studio City home and found his voice while attending North Hollywood High School. 

A portion of Michael's cremains are buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, across from the Warner Bros. Studio lot. 

8 Locations - 1 Glamorous Valley - 8 Totally Awesome Films! Movie Trivia From The (818)

As we all know, today's Valley Film Festival competitors are tomorrow's top Hollywood talent. In that spirit, here are a few not so well known facts about some top Hollywood films that were shot in (you guessed it), the 818.

1. 40 Year Old Virgin

The home of Andy Stitzer is located at 12012 Moorpark, just east of Laurel Canyon, in Studio City. (Andy no longer lives there, so please do not disturb the current occupants.)

2. Magnolia 

Named for the iconic boulevard that now defines North Hollywood, William H Macy declares his love for Brad the Barman at The Foxfire Room in Valley Village. 

3. Back to the Future  

Did you know that in the battle of the bands scene was filmed in the Burbank Community Center? In this Universal Studios classic (the whole trilogy was shot in the Valley), when Marty introduces The Pinheads, Huey Lewis actually plays the second judge from the left, and is the one who eventually says, "You're just too darn loud."

4. American Beauty

The Canoga Park branch of Carl’s Jr, 20105 Saticoy Street, at Winnetka Avenue, was transformed into ‘Mr Smiley’, where Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) gets a job serving up burgers – “I think you’ll remember me this time!” Fun Fact: Kevin Spacey graduated from Chatsworth High School, just a few miles north of Canoga Park. 

5. Superbad

Young genius? Depending on your opinion of the movie, but either way, Seth Rogen wrote the initial draft of the script when he was just 13, along with co-writer Evan Goldberg. Neither attend CSUN, in Northridge, where most of the film was shot. 

6. Boogie Nights

The Valley itself is the star of the film. Shot from Encino to Reseda to Van Nuys, and all points in between, this film is Paul Thomas Anderson’s homage to the porn industry. Yes, it's true, The Valley was the pioneering region for adult film production in the 1970s and grew to become home to a multi-billion dollar industry. According to the HBO series Pornucopia, at one time, nearly 90% of all legally distributed pornographic films made in the United States were filmed in or produced by studios based in the San Fernando Valley. You can find Vivid Entertainment, in the Cahuenga Pass, in Universal City. 

7. The Karate Kid

Produced by Columbia Pictures and Jerry Weintraub, this film was shot almost entirely on location in the San Fernando Valley. The film is set in a time when Asian immigration was dramatically changing the neighborhoods of LA (the Asian-American population in the US grew 70 percent in the 1980's). By making the hero of the Mr. Miyagi, a World War II veteran of Japanese descent who'd fought for the United States in the most decorated unit in the Army,  it suggests this influx could be a good thing for Los Angeles, that these newer Americans were every bit as patriotic as those who'd been here for generations.

8. It's a Wonderful Life

The town of Bedford Falls is actually Encino! When RKO sold their ranch in the 1950s, what was left of the Bailey's was subdivided into suburban homes. On the bright side, Balboa Park came out of the bulldozing. So, pack yourself a picnic and search for Zuzu's petals.

Contributed by Georgia Menides

Republic Pictures vs. French New Wave

Andre Bazin

Earlier this year, our fearless founder, Tracey, had the opportunity to meet icon Jean-Paul Belmondo at the L.A. Film Critics awards, and the seed for our 10th Anniversary theme was planted...50 years of French New Wave. Our desire to embody 1960's cool was reinforced by our move to our new venue, CAP Theatre, which already had its own 60's vibe. With Jean-Luc Godard scheduled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy next year, and the passing of New Wave director Claude Chabrol, one would think we were in sync with the cinematic universe. 

Le sigh.

Herbert Yates

2010 also happens to be the 75th Anniversary of Republic Pictures, an independent film production company, distributor, and studio in the heart of The Valley: Studio City! The studio closed its production unit in 1959, but its facilities are still in use today as the CBS Radford Studios. OK, so Republic was known for B-movies and westerns, but they did launch the careers of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry to name a few.

Herein lies our dilemma: Build on the idea we've had for 6+ months, or switch gears to honor a true local legend?

Chime in and let us know what you think.