Just going down the road....

Armed with my NFT guide to LA, I checked out the locale, Map 20 - Westwood. --------------------------------------------- The screenwriter teaching me on one of my courses was banging on about Juno, I heard a lot about the film and Diablo Cody has become a bit of a legend amongst writers (wannabee writers especially) as it's her first screenplay and she's getting nominated for everything Globes, probably the Oscar too! She's a damn good writer, check out her column in EW. Also there's an ex stripper on my course (Like Mz Cody's an ex stripper) who brought up Juno on Monday's class; so today on my day off, it seemed like a good idea to go check it out. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This being LA, your about as far from a movie house in any one place as you are from a rat in London. (Real close) I chose The Landmark at Westwood and W Pico, it didn't look that far on the map from my Westwood village base camp, so in the soaring LA sun, I set off - I put my left foot forward and began walking. I walked and I walked and then I walked some more. Before I even got to Santa Monica Blvd, I was fucking close to collapsing on all fours, no water, and I had no cash, only my credit card.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'd pass those Coffee Bean and Tea cafes, appearing like mirages in the desert, but it felt like cheating to stop, I would rest when I got to the movie theatre. Besides, how was this Alien meant to know you could buy coffee on your Visa card, no-one buys coffee with their Visa card in England, no-one buys anything for a couple of quid in England using their Visa card, it seems way too complicated and why risk identify fraud for a cup of cha? Water would be good, but I keep going, I must get W.Pico soon, I think, I pray. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm walking forever along a low hell of a road, a desert hell of architecture, well crawling along Westwood, it seemed like that to me. I was getting freaked, on the map it looks close, yet I felt like I was walking for days, I expected to hit Mexican customs anytime soon.

Why the hell did I leave the map back in the hotel?? Had I totally mis-read my trusted Not For Tourists guide to LA and right now, was I heading into some gang land hell hole? The sun rolled up its sleeves, this is Death Valley in a heatwave!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I crawled over Missouri Av, I asked some guy where W Pico was and he didn't understand my cockney accent, I kept heading south. Finally I gave in, I found a Diner, old school, the type of Diner English people think of when you say LA diner to them. The waitress kept giving me water, she knew I needed it. Where's W.Pico? Oh that's the just the next road ahead! ------------------------------------------------------- For the first time I appreciate the air conditioned sterility of the monolithic mall. Juno is a great film, a film that makes you like characters who you shouldn't like, ( Juno is a loud mouth, smart ass kid, who we fall in love with by the end of the film, the perfect yuppie wannabee parents we think we'd hate, we love by the end of the film) the best type of films and the best actors can have that power. I can't pull it up on anything, water tight, casting just right. Check this: http://content.foxsearchlight.com/videos/node/2450 Anyway, apart from learning Cody has written a brilliant film, today I understood why no -one walks in Los Angeles......