Volume 1 Issue 4

On the Fast Track with L.A. Derby Dolls Co-FounderRebecca "Demolicious" Ninburg

Fall Film Guide NFL Kickoff 1992Gear

Tune into Our SeasonPremiere Picks

TV PREVIEW

New Thrills and ChillsKNOTT'S SCARY FARM

SEPTEMBER 2014

18

8

L.A. DERBY DOLLS

FILM8 FALL FILM GUIDE12 FILM REVIEW 14 FALL TV PREVIEW

MUSIC16 Q&A WITH ALEX GONZÁLEZ OF MANÁ

AND DE LA TIERRA

CULTURE24 FASHION: ROLLER DIVA30 KNOTT’S SCARY FARM 201432 FOOD: CAFE DEL REY33 FASHION: 1992GEAR34 PHOTO: CHRIS BOWMAN OF YER CHEAT’N

HEART TATTOO

SPORTS18 L.A. DERBY DOLLS COVER FEATURE 22 NFL PREVIEW

EDITORIAL6 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 36 STAFF PICKS

Cover Photo: Rafael OrellanaMakeup: Marina Mestaz andPriscilla De GuzmanHair: Marina Mestaz andCindy Sattanni

4 | | LOL-LA.COM | SEPTEMBER•2014

CONTENTS

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JG8400-21 American Designed Custom ChronographWatch the Connor De Phillippi Story at JorgGray.com

Turn! Turn! Turn!Although our leaves don’t change color as dramatically as they do in other parts

of the country, autumn is still a time of excitement here in Los Angeles. It’s theseason for new beginnings as school is back in session, refreshing the wardrobewith some light sweaters for cool mornings and evenings and perhaps cleansingthe system for the massive amounts of food to be had during Thanksgiving and theholiday season to come.

Fall also brings a TV lineup full of new shows and beloved characters, whichis why our television columnist, Mark Mikhail, took it upon himself to narrowdown the field to eight must-watch programs you need to set your DVR for imme-diately. Although music is my first love I’m also a huge movie buff, and now is thetime when studios start releasing their Academy Award hopefuls. From insightful

indies and WWII epics to sci-fi spectaculars andfantasy adventures, I go over the season’s brightestin our Fall Film Preview.

September means football for many sportsfans, and we’ve got you covered with our 2014NFL Guide. Since we don’t have a professionalteam and not everyone wants to spend their hard-earned cash to see collegiate athletes go at it at theColiseum and Rose Bowl or lounge on the couchand watch football on TV, many Angelenos relishbeing part of the action at an L.A. Derby Dollgame.

Founded almost 11 years ago by Rebecca “De-molicious” Ninburg and Wendy “Thora Zeen”Templeton, the Derby Dolls are SoCal’s premiereall-female, banked track roller derby league andwere the perfect cover girls for this month’s issue.Their story fully embodies the DIY ethos that

shines in so many Angelenos, they are an entirely volunteer-run organization and,even though they are completely brutal to one another’s bodies on the track, theyhave created a unique, nurturing community that immediately welcomes you in,even if you don’t have on a pair of roller skates.

The classy determination exhibited by my fellow Orange County girl Demoli-cious and all of the Dolls, both on and off the track, remind me that to everythingthere is a season – and a reason – for Living Out Loud.

Yuri [email protected]

Editor-in-ChiefYuri Shimoda

[email protected]

Creative Director/Art DirectorOliver Nowlin

[email protected]

Photo TechniciansRafael Orellana, Jose Garibay

Staff Reporters Ramon Aviles, Dougal Brownlie, Brenda Cam-beros, Humberto Capiro, Erica Carter, Dillon

Cooper, Dash Finley, Chris Gabourel, Anne Hart-ley, Elisa Hernandez, Sabina Ibarra, Jocelyn James,Nichole Jones, Ariel Kashanchi, Pablo Lopez,Laramie Martinez, Patrick Meissner, Mark

Mikhail, Edison Milan, Daizy Neri, Ariel Paredes,Gabriel Preciado, Francisco Reyes, Aiden Simko,Evan Solano, David Tobin, Taylor Wong, Lupita

Woo, Paul Zahn

Staff PhotographersRamon Aviles, Dougal Brownlie, Andrew Carrillo,Jose Garibay, Jocelyn James, Pablo Lopez, OliverNowlin, Rafael Orellana, Gabriel Preciado, Ruben

Rojas, David Tobin, Taylor Wong

Advertising Inquiries [email protected]

PublisherMarvin [email protected]

TranslatorEdison Millan

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SEPTEMBER 2014 — VOLUME 1 — ISSUE 4

EditorLetter FROM THE

Rebecca “Demolicious” Ninburg(Rafael Orellana/Living Out Loud LA)

Top row: Erikka “Purrfect” Valdez, Ane “Gori Spelling” Jens, Ashley “Whip N’ Ash” Hobbs Bottom row: Num “Nhung Chux” Mond, Yuri Shimoda (Rafael Orellana/Living Out Loud LA)


@_lolmag

FILM

Labor Day has barely passed, but with fall fes-tivals on the horizon it’s already time for cine-mas to bid adieu to summer blockbusters and

usher in “more serious” fare. While Richard Lin-klater's Boyhood and Wes Anderson’s The Grand Bu-dapest Hotel having generated Academy Award buzzalready this year, autumn is this season when studiosbegin to bring out their hopefuls before really hittingus with their top contenders in winter. Here are someof the films that stand out from the pack.

Sept. 5The Longest Week – This feature-length debut from NewYork writer-director Peter Glanz centers around the over-privileged and aimless Conrad Valmont (Jason Bate-men), who moves in with his best friend Dylan (Billy

Crudup) when he’s evicted and disinherited. In returnConrad ends up sleeping with Dylan’s girlfriend (OliviaWilde).Also in theaters: Frontera; The Identical; Innocence

Sept. 12 The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby –Aside from im-mediately getting the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” stuck inmy head, Ned Benson’s cinematic debut tells both sidesof the love story between the titular Eleanor (JessicaChastain) and Conor (James McAvoy). Both leads arefantastic in every role they assume, which makes this amust-see. Viola Davis, Bill Hader and William Hurt alsostar.The Drop – Earlier this year, Tom Hardy gave an incred-ible performance in Locke, which he acted in completelysolo. Hardy actually gets to play off other actors inMichaël Roskam’s adaptation of a Dennis Lehane shortstory. Those other thespians include Noomi Rapace andJames Gandolfini in the final role before his death.Also in theaters: Atlas Shrugged Part III; Dolphin Tale2; Finding Fanny; My Old Lady (out Sept. 10); No GoodDeed; Search Party; The Skelton Twins; This Is Where ILeave You

Sept. 19 Tracks – Not to be confused with Wild (see Dec. 5),which also details a woman’s land trek, John Curran’sTracks details Robyn Davidson’s nine-month journeyacross the Australian desert. Mia Wasikowska is David-

son, while “Girls”’ Adam Driverplays the National Geographicphotographer who documentedthe trip, Rick Smolan.The Zero Theorem – ChristophWaltz stars in Terry Gilliam’s firstfeature since the incredibly bizarre(even for Gilliam) The Imaginar-ium of Doctor Parnassus (2009).Qohen Leth (Waltz) is a reclusivecomputer hacker trying to create aformula to find the meaning oflife. The film also features TildaSwinton, Rupert Friend, DavidThewlis and Matt Damon. Also in theaters: The Guest(Sept. 17); Hector and the Searchfor Happiness; The Maze Runner;Pride; Tusk; A Walk Among theTombstones; Wheels

With Oscarin Their Eyes

By Yuri ShimodaFall Film Preview

Sept. 5

Sept. 12

Sept. 19

James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby(Sarah Shatz/The Weinstein Company)


Sept. 26 Jimi: All Is By My Side – John Ridley, who won theOscar for adapting 12 Years a Slave, directs André Ben-jamin (aka André 3000 of OutKast) as Jimi Hendrix onthe cusp of fame.The Two Faces of January – Hossein Amini, whoadapted James Sallis' Drive, makes his directorial debutwith this take on the Patricia Highsmith novel. The psy-chological thriller stars Viggo Mortensen and KirstenDunst as an American couple who encounter a con man(Oscar Isaac) while visiting Greece. The three becomeentangled in a web of crime, intrigue and murder.Also in theaters: The Boxtrolls; The Equalizer; GoodPeople; Laggies

Oct. 3Gone Girl – Last time my sister came to visit I startedreading her copy of Gillian Flynn’s bestselling suspensenovel, but then she took it with her when she went homeand I never found out what the heck happened AmyDunne! She better remember to bring it next time shecomes over because I’ve never missed seeing a DavidFincher film in the theaters. Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pikeand Neil Patrick Harris star.Men, Women & Children – The latest from Jason Reit-man deals with – you guessed it – men, women and chil-dren. Based on Chad Kultgen’s novel about the sexualpressures of junior-high students and their parents in thisage of total immersion in the internet and online socialmedia. The cast includes Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner,Ansel Elgort and Judy Greer. It is going to be interestingto see which spouse, Affleck (see above) or Garner,comes out on top of the box office this weekend.Also in theaters: Annabelle; The Good Lie; The Hero ofColor City; Left Behind

Oct. 10 The Judge –When hotshot defense lawyer Hank Palmer(Robert Downey Jr.) returns home, he’s faced with themost difficult challenge of his life. Not only does he haveto represent his estranged, judge father (Robert Duvall)in a murder trial, he has to mend their relationship aswell. The strong cast also includes Vera Farmiga, VincentD'Onofrio and Billy Bob Thornton.Also in theaters: Addicted; Alexander and the Terrible,Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; Automata; CatchHell; Kill the Messenger; One Chance; Whiplash

Oct. 17Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) –

Michael Keaton is simply breathtaking as he takes a jabat his Batman legacy in Alejandro González Iñárritu’sdark comedy about a struggling actor in the throes ofmounting a Broadway play. Equally great in their rolesare Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Risebor-ough, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts.Fury – I’m not the biggest fan of war movies, but the ac-tion sequences and daring realism of David Ayer’s (Endof Watch) WWII drama seem to promise something of adifferent ilk. Brad Pitt leads a cast that’s rounded out byMichael Peña, Scott Eastwood, Logan Lerman and ShiaLaBeouf.Young Ones – Sometimes I wonder if Michael Shannoncan do wrong, he’s just so good in every role he assumes.Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult also star in this sci-fiwestern from Jake Paltrow.Also in theaters: The Best of Me; Camp X-Ray; DearWhite People; Dracula Untold; Listen Up Philip; Rud-derless; The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Oct. 24St. Vincent – Let us all bow down to the comedic geniusthat is Bill Murray. Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts andChris O’Dowd also star in Theodore Melfi’s tale of ayoung boy who finds an unlikely mentor in Murray’s St.Vincent Van Nuys.Also in theaters: Ouija; Reach Me

Sept. 26

Oct. 3

Oct. 10

Oct. 17

Oct. 24

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Michael Keaton and Edward Norton in Birdman (Fox Searchlight)

FILM

Oct. 31 Nightcrawler – Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) issearching for where he fits in Los Angeles when hestumbles into the dangerous excitement of freelancecrime journalism. The directorial debut of screen-writer Dan Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy, The Fall),Nightcrawler also stars Bill Paxton, Rene Russo andRiz Ahmed.Horns – Daniel Radcliffe like we’ve never seen himbefore – delightfully devilish, with horns literallygrowing from his head – in Alexandre Aja’s adapta-tion of Joe Hill’s cult-favorite novel of the samename.Also in theaters: Before I Go to Sleep; The Book ofLife

Nov. 7 Interstellar – The brilliant Christopher Nolan takeson science fiction in this tale of a team of explorersventuring into a wormhole to surpass all previouslimitations on space travel and to ultimately save hu-manity. This followup to Matthew McConaughey’s

career-changing turns in Dallas Buyers Club and“True Detective” also stars Anne Hathaway, CaseyAffleck, Michael Caine and Jessica Chastain.Rosewater – The most-anticipated directorial debutof the season as far as I’m concerned is Jon Stewart’stake on Maziar Bahari’s 2011 memoir, Then TheyCame for Me, which details the journalist’s brutal118-day imprisonment by the Iranian government ashe was covering the country's election protests in2009. It’s clear from the trailer that not only doesGael García Bernal deliver a captivating portrayal ofBahari, but Stewart’s hiatus from “The Daily Show”last summer definitely paid off in spades.The Theory of Everything – Eddie Redmayne andFelicity Jones star in the story of how physicistStephen Hawking and Jane Wilde fell in love rightbefore he was diagnosed with ALS and as his careerbegan to take off.Also in theaters: Big Hero 6; Jessabelle; Open Win-dows

Nov. 14 Dumb and Dumber To –When I heard about this se-quel, I wondered, “Why? It’s been 20 years.” Then Iwatched the original again recently and changed mytune to “Why has it been 20 years?!” Lloyd (Jim Car-rey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels) embark on another ad-venture – again written and directed by the Farrellybrothers – but this time it’s to find one of their long-lost children. Foxcatcher – Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote)took home the Best Director Award from Cannes forthis dark yet true tale. Channing Tatum stars asOlympic wrestler Mark Schultz whose brother, DaveSchultz (Mark Ruffalo) – also an Olympic champion– was killed by the team’s paranoid schizophrenicsponsor, John du Pont (Steve Carell).Also in theaters: Beyond the Lights; Miss Meadows

Nov. 21The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 – It alwaysseems like The Hunger Games’ leading trio of Jen-nifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and LiamHemsworth have so much fun together on the films’press tours, which is such a striking difference to howsomber their characters’ lives are on screen. Thosewho haven't read the book finally get to find out whathappened to Katniss and Peeta after breaking out of

<<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Oct. 31

Nov. 7

Nov. 14

Nov. 21

Steve Carell and Channing Tatum in Foxcatcher(Scott Garfield/Sony Pictures Classics)

10 LOL-LA.COM SEPTEMBER•2014

the dome in Catching Fire. This time, Julianne Mooreis added into the mix.The Imitation Game – Benedict Cumberbatch asAlan Turing cracking the Enigma code during WorldWar II, a score composed by Alexandre Desplat andco-starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode –I’m in.Also in theaters: McFarland

Nov. 26 In theaters: Horrible Bosses 2; The Penguins ofMadagascar

Dec. 5 Wild – Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club, TheYoung Victoria) directs this Nick Hornby adaptationof Cheryl Strayed’s memoir detailing her solo, 1,100-mile hike from the Mojave Desert are of Californiathrough Oregon to the border of Washington State.Reese Witherspoon portrays Strayed as her experi-ences from this journey of self-discovery arrive onthe big screen.Also in theaters: The Pyramid

Dec. 12 Exodus: Gods and Kings – The decision to cast whiteactors in the lead roles (Christian Bale as Moses,Sigourney Weaver as Tuya,Joel Edgerton as Rhamses)has led to a very public outcryagainst this film, but man, it’simpossible to deny RidleyScott’s ability to create visu-ally engaging epics. Inherent Vice – This openingweekend, however, my moneyis going towards a ticket to seethe latest from Paul ThomasAnderson. An adaptation ofThomas Pynchon’s 2009novel of the same name, thefilm stars Joaquin Phoenix asdetective Larry “Doc”Sportello who is investigatingthe disappearance of his ex’scurrent boyfriend in 1970sLos Angeles. Josh Brolin,Reese Witherspoon, Owen

Wilson, Benicio Del Toro and Jena Malone also star.Also in theaters: Demonic

Dec. 17 The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies – As atotal Tolkien geek, I love The Lord of the Rings filmtrilogy so much that, although I’ve seen them all wellover 20 times each, any time I come across one ofthem playing on TV I have to sit and watch the entirething. While many were disappointed with the firsttwo adaptations of The Hobbit, I am quite fond ofthem, and Martin Freeman’s portrayal of Bilbo has alot to do with that fondness. I can’t wait to see PeterJackson’s final installment of this series.

Dec. 19Mr. Turner – Timothy Spall is such a great characteractor (Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter, WinstonChurchill in The King’s Speech, Beadle Bamford inSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street),and his winning the Best Actor award at Cannesspeaks for yet another dazzling performance. Thistime, in the lead role of the brilliant and eccentricBritish Romantic landscape painter J.M.W. Turner inwriter-director Mike Leigh’s latest. Also in theaters: Annie; Night at the Museum: Secretof the Tomb

Dec. 17

Dec. 19

Dec. 12

Nov. 26

Dec. 5

Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies (Warner Bros. Pictures)

SEPTEMBER•2014 | LOL-LA.COM | |11

One might think theater andfilm go hand in hand, butalthough the two mediums

share a great deal in common, his-tory has proven that what works inone discipline does not inherentlytranslate to the other. As the film di-rectorial debut of noted playwright IsraelHorovitz, My Old Lady must work dou-bly hard to justify itself on celluloid inthe face of its creator’s extensive theatri-cal background, as well as its own lim-ited, stage-like scope. The film follows Mathias Gold

(Kevin Kline), a depressed failed novel-ist who relocates from New York to Parisin order to inherit a large, expensiveapartment that was left to him by his es-tranged father. However, Mathias’ inten-tions to sell and liquidate the flat for aquick buck are dashed when he realizesthat his father had previously enteredinto an iron-clad contract known as a“viager” with Mathilde (Maggie Smith),a precocious old woman living down-stairs.French law dictates that once an

apartment is purchased in a viager set-tlement, it cannot change hands until theoriginal occupant passes away. Thus be-gins a tense waiting game, as the frus-trated Mathias tries to stay afloat whileliving upstairs from the very old crowdenying him his rightful fortune. Along the way, he meets Mathilde’s

snarky daughter Chloé (Kristin Scott

Thomas) and embarks on a heated, yetultimately good-humored little rivalrywith the tenants. As the matter pro-gresses, however, personal tensions boilover and secrets interlocking with Math-ias’ past come to the surface, all leadingto a surprisingly dramatic third act forwhat starts as an airy, if sophisticated,comedy. If the film feels a bit claustrophobic

at times, it’s probably due to directorHorovitz’s penchant for small, intimatefamily dramas, which are certainly bettersuited for the stage than the big screen.With that being said, he does at leastmake a valiant effort to expand the film'svisual pallet by taking the audience onregular walking tours of Paris’ vibrantstreets. Regardless, it’s clear that Horovitz’s

real skill is not in the cinematographicarena, but rather in directing actors. In-deed, Kline delivers one hell of a per-formance as the tortured, sardonicMathias. He plays equal parts vulnerableand cocky with the kind of self-assured-ness an actor can only gain after decadesof painstakingly honing his craft. In ad-dition, Smith gives a crackling, if famil-iar, performance as the droll matriarch,and Scott Thomas gives the somewhatthin role of Chloé a fierce internal life. These bright points aside, it must be

said that My Old Lady hits every tropeof the, shall we say, “serious” school offamily drama one typically sees in thedour, ivory-tower theatrics practiced by

Horovitz and other members of the NeilSimon academy. There are screamedrevelations of dark secrets, hyper-wordybarbed back and forths and, of course, asuicide attempt that all culminate in yetanother propagation of what the lateDavid Foster Wallace called the “GreatWhite Narcissist.” Mathias is the boo-boo blueblood inside every well-offplaywright: perfectly witty, grimlycharming and so born with, as Horovitzwrites, “a silver knife in his back.” Ifonly the writer could stop to find a littleempathy for the other characters in hisorbit rather than using them only as spar-ring partners to puff him up.Despite all this, the film must be

judged on its own merits, and with thatin mind, My Old Lady is largely a suc-cess. Good acting, good dialogue andgood pacing all around. Now if only thewriter could have stopped to find a littleempathy for the other characters circu-lating the orbit of his semi-autobio-graphic GWN rather than using themonly as sparring partners to puff up hiswounded, yet all consuming masculinity.

—By Dash Finley

3 StarsFilms are rated on a scale of 5 stars(must-see), 4 stars (exceptional), 3 stars(solid), 2 stars (average) and 1 star (un-worthy).

My Old Lady releases in select the-aters Sept. 10.

Kevin Kline and Maggie Smithin My Old Lady

PHOTO

: Cohen M

edia Group

My Old Lady

FILM REVIEW

Israel Horovitz’s Film Directorial Debut

12| | LOL-LA.COM | SEPTEMBER•2014

“Gotham” Premieres Sept. 22 at 8p.m. on FoxComic books and their adap-tations have been all the ragesince Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man hit theaters in the sum-mer of 2002. Almost 15years later, not only arecomic books still beingadapted, but they’re beingscheduled as theatrical re-leases six years from now. It seems only natural that

the medium would startspilling into TV; in fact, thereare two additional newcomic-book adaptationscoming out in the forms of“The Flash” (the CW) and“Constantine” (NBC),though “Gotham” seems tobe best slated for success.Featuring impressive visualsand a detailed knowledge ofthe canon, “Gotham” rideson the success of Christopher

Nolan’s The Dark Knighttrilogy without stepping onits toes. With a story de-scribed as a prequel toGotham’s superheroes andsupervillains, the show’scentral focus is Commis-sioner Gordon (Ben McKen-zie, “Southland” and “TheO.C.”) and his attempts atkeeping the city clean.

“Black-ish” Premieres Sept. 24 at 9:30p.m. on ABCJust the other day I was talk-ing with some friends whenthe question popped up:What ever happened to An-thony Anderson? Like a mes-sage from the universe, thenext day I saw a trailer forhis new show, “Black-ish.” Created by and starring

Anderson, “Black-ish” dealswith race and identity in a

way that hasn’t been donebefore on television. ThoughAnderson’s character isfirmly set in his own identityas a black man, he has trou-ble seeing eye to eye with hisfamily who are much moreeclectic in their cultural iden-tity. With a supporting castfeaturing Laurence Fish-

burne and Tracee Ellis Ross,this show’s concept and orig-inality alone are enough towarrant a watch.

“Boardwalk Empire” Returns Sept. 7 at 9 p.m.on HBOProduced by Martin Scorsese

and created by Terence Win-ter (writer of Scorsese’s TheWolf of Wall Street), “Board-walk Empire” is entering itsfifth and final season.Though often misrepresentedas a gangster show about vi-olence and grudges, “Board-walk” is deceivinglycom plex and increasingly

political innature. Sure, it

features ele-ments of vio-lence andrevenge andall thosejuicy tropeswe’ve cometo expectfrom gang-ster produc-

tions (particularly those ofMr. Scorsese), but those aremerely bridging points be-tween the show’s ambitiousscope. Featuring impressiveperformances from SteveBuscemi and Kelly Macdon-ald, among others, “Board-walk” is set to go out with abang.

Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue in "Gotham"

Autumn is just around the corner, which means TVnetworks have a whole crop of programming,both new and old, to satisfy your viewing needs.

Below is a list of shows from the upcoming fall seasonthat merit your interest.

Fall Shows Are Coming...TELEVISION



The Book of Life's director Jorge Gutierrez

“Key and Peele” Returns Sept. 24 at 10:30 p.m. onComedy CentralKeegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peeleworked together on “MADtv” long be-fore joining comedic forces to create theshow of their namesakes. Though theydidn’t quite hit the nail on the head on“MADtv,” “Key and Peele” showcasesthe duo’s comedic strengths both infront of the camera and behind it. Withsketches ranging in subject matter fromrace and politics to pop culture andsheer absurdity, there is something foreveryone to like. The show’s pilot earned Comedy

Central its highest ratings for a premieresince 2009 and has even gained thepraise of our own President, BarackObama, himself the subject of more thanone sketch. This series comes with thefederal seal of approval and is all butguaranteed to be one of the funniestshows this season.

“How To Get Away With Murder”Premieres Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. on ABCI’m not entirely sure how, but “Grey’sAnatomy” is entering its 11th seasonand doesn’t seem to be slowing down.With “Grey’s” and “Scandal” still run-ning strong, it’s a wonder that creatorShonda Rhimes has to time to do any-thing else, let alone conjuring up awhole other series. Yet, here we are, and the new show

in question is quite intriguing. It followsa law professor specializing in the deathpenalty, who along with her students,somehow find themselves involved in amurder plot. Using only the law andtheir wits, together they must lawyertheir way out of guilt. The premise is interesting, and the

title is gimmicky enough that it deservesat least one viewing. Add AcademyAward-nominated Viola Davis as thelead, and you’ve got one hell of an ideawith plenty of potential.

“Homeland” Returns Oct. 5 at 9 p.m. on Showtime“Homeland” begins its fourth seasonwith more curiosity than any of its pre-vious beginnings. After sweeping theEmmys in its first season, taking home

Best Lead Actor and Lead Actress in aDrama Series as well as Best Drama Se-ries and Outstanding Writing for aDrama Series, “Homeland” took a sig-nificant dip in quality and realism withits second season. Responding to critical backlash, the

showrunners – previously known fortheir hit show “24” – responded with anoted increase in effort and thoughtful-ness, if not completely successful in itsattempt at higher quality. It could be thecase that this show was doomed to de-teriorate after its stellar beginning, butfollowing last season’s finale, in whichone of its central characters was killedoff, one can only hope that a fresh be-

ginning will jumpstart the narrative andreturn the show to its former glory.

“Mulaney” Premieres Oct. 5 at 9:30 p.m. on FoxIt seems like every up-and-coming co-median reaches a point in his or her ca-reer when he or she is given a TV show.Though “Seinfeld” is the obvious exam-ple, many others have tried and foundgreat success doing this, such as DrewCarey, Tim Allen, Louis CK (twice) andmany others. John Mulaney is the latest standup to

get the sitcom treatment, playing a fic-tionalized version of himself as a come-dian in NYC trying to make it big, withor without the help of his crazy neigh-

bors. Though his surge in popularitygives credence to him having his ownshow, the generic premise leaves somebig, gaping shoes to fill. Hopefully hecan live up to it and set himself apart.

"The Affair” Premieres Oct. 12 at 10 p.m. on Show-timeOne of this season’s more interestingconcepts comes from Showtime’s newseries “The Affair.” The show followshow cheating can affect a relationship,documenting both perspectives of thecheaters and those who are cheated on,as well as their dishes on the side.

It seems like TV has an overabun-dance of infidelity and tarnished ro-mances, though this show looks like itmight actually have something to say byexploring the often-complicated psy-chology of going astray. Led by talentedactors in Dominic West, best known forhis role on “The Wire,” and Ruth Wilsonof “Luther,” this show stands a goodchance of being informative as well asentertaining.

Well, folks, that’s it for our guide to thefall season. hopefully this year’s cropwill be enough to satisfy us ’til summer.Until then, happy viewing.

—By Mark Mikhail

(1) “How To Get Away With Murder”

(2) “Homeland” (3) “Key and Peele”

1 2

3

Alex González has always been a fan of music, es-pecially instruments. He found his true calling atage 5: drumming.

González, who is half Cuban and half Colombian, isnicknamed El Animal (the Animal), which is rather repre-sentative of him because he goes all out on stage when per-forming live. For many years, he has been the drummer ofSpanish rock sensation Maná and is also now part of De LaTierra, a relatively new metal group that also includes An-drés Giménez (A.N.I.M.A.L), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura)and Sr. Flavio (Los Fabulosos Cadillacs).During an exclusive interview with the Miami-based

musician, González spoke about the metal supergroup, their2015 tour and even touched on Maná.

Living Out Loud: De La Tierra’s self-titled album hasbeen out for almost a year. How has its reception beenso far, and how’s the evolution of the group comingalong?Alex González: So far it’s been really cool. Even thoughall four of us come from important bands, we see ourselvesas a brand new band starting from zero. We have to workour way up the ladder. We’ve done very few shows, andthat’s not because we don’t want to play. Our schedules arejust very difficult to work around. We knew that was alwaysgoing to be a challenge, but the fact that we can now cometo the U.S. and do shows for the first time is amazing.

LOL: What can you share about next year’s tour?AG: The idea is to come [to the states] next year, and domore shows in other cities. So far all the critics and com-ments we've received from around the world have been pos-itive. We're surprised how well the band has been embracedby so many people – not just Latinos but different marketsin the U.S.

LOL: Discuss the lyrics for the track “San Asesino.”AG: “San Asesino” is a song written by Andreas Kisser.More than anything it is a criticism of certain things thathave happened in the past and also that are going on withreligion. We try to touch on social subjects without offend-ing anybody. It’s important to talk about social issues andthings that are going on in the world and put them out therein the open.

LOL: What does the city of Los Angeles mean to you?AG: It’s awesome to see how all of California embracesSpanish rock. L.A. is a melting pot for rock music and allof the genres of rock, from metal to punk to alternative –

everything, all styles. L.A. is the mecca. Everything thathappens there spreads like wildfire throughout the U.S. Ionly have great comments about Los Angeles. It’s a city thatjust loves rock ’n’ roll. The Latino community is alwaysvery supportive. If you look at the history of metal music,they’re one of the most loyal fan bases ever.

LOL: Advice for a young artist who might want to followin your footsteps? AG: If you have a dream, pursue it. Don’t let anybody tellyou that you cannot do it. Don’t let any of the haters or anyof the negative people affect you; it’s only words … What-ever you want to do in life, just do your best and [try] yourhardest to be as good as possible. Don’t compete with oth-ers, compete with yourself. Surround yourself with goodpeople and people that believe in you. Sooner or later you’llachieve your dreams. It’s a lot of work, but the payoff isfantastic.

LOL: Anything cooking up with Maná?AG: Yeah, man. Right now we are in Miami recording thenew Maná record. We started it in the beginning of July inL.A., did the drums in a week and then flew out here toMiami. We started guitars and Fher [Olvera] recently startedsinging the new tracks. The idea is to have a new single formid/late September, and if all goes well, there should be anew Maná album out there at the end of November. And theidea is to start touring February 2015.

—Marvin Vasquez For more information, visit delatierramusic.com.

Animal! Animal!

MUSIC

ALEX GONZÁLEZ of Maná and De La Tierra


Roller Derby Por Vida!

L.A. Derby DollsBy Brenda Camberos

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SPORTS

L.A. Derby Dolls

Los Angeles’ Doll Factory is the place where Southern Cal-ifornia’s premiere all-female, banked track roller derbyleague resides. The ladies that come to the derby have day

jobs as businesswomen, students, mothers, etc., but once they walkin the doll house, they become whomever they want to be.

Living Out Loud met up with the skaters and their fearlessleader, Rebecca “Demolicious” Ninburg, to get an exclusive, be-hind-the-scenes look into the world of the L.A. Derby Dolls, thefiercest girls in Southern Cali. “I had no background in this business. I’m from Anaheim, fuck-

ing Disneyland,” laughs Demo, who along with longtime friendWendy Templeton (aka Thora Zeen) founded Los Angeles’ rollerderby league in October 2003. “I was looking for something outside work that would have a

greater impact,” recalls the former sculptor. “I was with Wendyand noticed she had roller derby brand skates in her car. I told herI was looking for a school to join, but she jumped in and said shehad wanted to start a league for a few years now. That was it, a nobrainer!” Her fear of having little or no knowledge of how to begin a

league and making it all happen became the pair’s strength and thedrive that led them to create what the community of women skaterscalls their “safe haven.”“I was aware that my naiveté was my strongest asset. I can’t

recall how many times I started something and then it’s too much,it’s too hard, I’m too afraid – all my fears were hovering. Then Ithought, what would my life be like if I didn’t have that fear, if Ijust did it.’ That is where the vision came to be. We simply thought,'what do we have to lose?’” So the journey began, and they embodied the do-it-yourself

ethos of modern roller derby, as resurrected in Austin, Texas in2000. The L.A. Derby Dolls slowly but surely became an entirelyvolunteer-run organization, which relies on the support of their fansand community.“It started growing pretty fast. Within a couple of months we

had about 40 women that were committed, they were training us.It became this space where we could really be tough, strong, wearmakeup or not, it didn’t matter. We were here to bring back thesport that began in the ’70s and suddenly disappeared,” says Demowith an air of nostalgia. “This has been my life for 11 years, andthere’s a comfort level here of exploring what there is to being awoman; it’s not limited to what society thinks a woman should be.It is more about what is my humanness, and how can I really ex-plore that? You want to paint a black eye on your face for thegame? Fine. You want to wear rainbow socks up to your thighs?Cool. This is an expressive, artistic space as much as it is a sport.”

Pushing Each Other On and Off the TrackThe Doll Factory has really become a place where women supporteach other both inside and outside of the rink. Leave your judg-ments and troubles at the door because you have a game to play.“The girls really push each other in a lot of ways, even in their

personal lives. This is an empowerment and energy zone;it’s our clubhouse. We even have kids skate here [the LosAngeles Junior Derby Dolls]. Can you imagine whatyour life would be like if your mom had taken you to aplace like this when you were little,” Demo asks. “Itseems really scary, but the injury rate is low. It’s like soc-cer or any other sport. Also, this is not about trying to fita mold. It is about every person, body type and stylebeing useful here, and it should be celebrated. Everythingelse you leave at the door.”

Not Your Everyday Los AngelesOf course there are people out there with negative per-ceptions of Los Angeles that feel like it’s a materialistic,image-focused, fake and cold place, but don’t mentionthat to Demolicious or the Derby Dolls because theydon’t buy it. “I love my Los Angeles. This is our Los Angeles,

and we’ve made it what we want. We’re not sub-scribing to a specific way of being,” exclaims the head of the league with conviction. “People here are going to be inspiring, they will encourage you and accept that every-one has their own path, their own time and their own speed. We want to elevate all women athletes, that is our ultimate goal. This is the L.A. we know.”

Derby Por Vida Whether your goal is getting fit, joininga super cool group of girls or findingyourself, the women all agree that “Derby is Por Vida.”How do you become a Derby

Doll? The first step is checking outDerby Por Vida, the program that will get you rolling on both the banked and flat track. Anyone can join because

there are both co-ed and women’s-only classes avail–able throughout the week. Ashley Hobbs (aka Whip N’ Ash) of the Tough Cookies got her ‘skate or die’ started there.“I had two co-workers who

started in the Derby Por Vida program, which is basic training,

Roller Derby 101. When I came in I was literally startingfrom scratch; I didn’t know what it was about. I was in-terested because working out on roller skates soundedfun. Had I seen a game beforehand, I probably wouldhave changed my mind,” admits No. 562 with a shychuckle. “I would come and take two-hour classes andfell in love with it, so I decided to try out for Fresh Meatin 2011. I was in it for almost a year then after we had

tryouts and I got bumped up.” What fuels Whip N’ Ash’s passionfor skating in the rink? “I get a huge adrenaline rush knowing that it was intense andI kicked ass,” she exclaims. “Ofcourse, being surrounded by a bunch of awesome women who

are so strong is great. It’s also a personal accomplishment just knowing I went out there, it wasintense and I did that!”

So, now are you hungryfor some “Fresh Meat”? For

those who are serious aboutbeing a bonafide Derby Doll, listen closely. The next step after Derby Por Vida is becoming part of the Fresh Meat. Each season, some people retire, some move on to other things or get in

jured. That’s when each team turns to the pool of new skaters, called Fresh Meat. From there, they go on to sub-pool

which means they can be drafted for a home team. The program is open to women 18 and over and consists of practices on Sundays and Tuesdays as

well as regular volunteer work within the league.

The Safe ZoneNum Mond (AKA Nhung Chux) is one of the younger and newer players in the league.Although she has a background in martial arts, this full-contact sport has given her more than just physical endurance and newathletic skills. She was looking for a com–munity, a place to belong. “I’m in the sub pool team, that’s a pool

SPORTS

20

Esteban Calderon


of girls that are eligible to be drafted on a team,” saysNo. 101, who is also fierce at kick-boxing and Brazilianjiujitsu. “With our banked track, a girl my size [She’svery petite.] can use the law of physics to take out girlsthat may be double my size or even stronger. I foundroller derby flipping though a magazine. I went to a localorientation and signed up that night.” “I’ve never come across a group of females that are

so welcoming. When I walk though the door, it doesn’tmatter how I dress, what kind of music I listen to, if Ihave tattoos or not, if my hair is long or short, if I chooseto wear makeup or not, they talk to me like anyone. Atmost places youwork, you find agroup of girls thatare cliquish, likein high school.That doesn’t existhere. I’ve neverwalked into [theDoll Factory] andfelt like I as alone.Here, I feel safe,”says No. 101 can-didly. The bottom

line is that theDerby Dolls arefor every girl andany girl. All walksof life are wel-comed into thisleague with onepurpose: to builda community thatempowers eachperson to exploretheir individuality, find the best in themselves and havefun doing it. The tough sport, which requires high-speedskating and aggressive playing, has brought together astrong community of over 150 dolls and counting.Ane Jens (aka Gori Spelling) has been playing with

the Derby Dolls since 2006. She is on last year’s winningteam, Tough Cookies, and is one of the league’s premierejammers/blockers. “I was looking for something athletic to do. I hated

going to the gym, and someone mentioned roller derby.I had no idea what it was because I hadn’t watched it ontelevision or anything, so I Googled it and found the L.A.Derby Dolls, watched some videos online and washooked,” she remembers.

'Hooked’ is the word many of the girls use in DerbyDolls, hooked on the alternative sport, the vibe, theadrenaline, the passion and, most of all, the communitythat has given them a sense of belonging to somethingbigger than themselves. “The athleticism of this league is really high, and it’s

challenging; I love that. I was also the kind of girl whodidn’t have any girlfriends, I just liked to hang out withthe guys. All of a sudden I joined derby and had 40 in-stant, really awesome girlfriends,” says No. 90210proudly. Erikka “Purrfect Valdez” is a sexy Latina who plays

for the Sirens andphysically ownsthe sport thatmany call a mixbetween hockeyand football. Hermother playedderby in the ’70s,and the fearlessfeline joined theleague to takewhat her motherstarted to the nextlevel and beyond. She explains

that, from outsideof the rink, thesport may lookintimidating, butonce you’re in it,there’s nothinglike it. “The good

thing is that all ofus train a lot, at

least two-to-three times a week. We know how to fall,we all wear guards, helmets, etc,” says No. 777, who isalso known for rocking rainbow-colored socks. “I dolove the adrenaline and the aggression. I love getting inthe rink and seeing the crowd cheering, but if I’m com-pletely honest, I love this sport because I’ve come acrossa group of females from various backgrounds, walks oflife and preferences that have come together for the loveof roller derby.”

The next L.A. Derby Dolls game is Sept. 6: Fight Crewvs Varsity Brawlers. For the full season schedule andmore information, visit derbydolls.com.

PHOTO: Marc Campos

Here in Los Angeles, the leaves aren’tturning and it’s still hot, but footballseason has come anyway. Whether you

want to see how your favorite team is looking orfind out which match ups are worth watching,Living Out Loud has you covered with a previewof the 2014 NFL season.

AFC NorthCincinnati Bengals – It looks as though the Bengalsare going to have a great defense this year with a lotof players returning from injuries and coming fromdraft picks. QB Andy Dalton’s performance is goingto determine if the team repeats in the most competi-tive division in the AFC.Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens need to improvetheir run game this season after being the third worstin the NFL. New addition WR Steve Smith is goingto be an excellent target for Joe Flacco. As for the de-fense, it’s a younger squad that has to learn quickly ifBaltimore wants to win the division. Cleveland Browns – The Browns had a pretty goodoffseason, picking up QB Johnny Manziel and JustinGilbert. Unfortunately, Johnny Football has not per-formed well in the preseason, and the Browns' starterQB Brian Hoyer hasn’t done much better.Pittsburgh Steelers – LB Ryan Shazier is starting forthe Steelers in order to give their defense a muchneeded boost. QB Ben Roethlisberger needs his O-lineto improve if he is going to be a presence in thepocket.

AFC SouthIndianapolis Colts – It’s going to be an easy divisionwin for the Colts, with Andrew Luck leading the of-fense and throwing to the now-healthy Reggie Wayne.Their running game and rush defense has to improvefrom last year if they want to be conference champs.Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jags are starting QBChad Henne instead of their third overall pick, BlakeBortles. It might not matter who is throwing, though,if no one in the receiving core can rise above and be-yond.Tennessee Titans – The Titans are hoping to keepJake Locker healthy and for Justin Hunter, whoshowed some promise last season, to have a breakoutseason. They are also attempting to run a 3-4 defense,but so far the change has proven difficult in the pre-season. Houston Texans – It’s all about J.J. Watt and Jade-veon Clowney. The Texans defense really has to per-form for there to be any hope of a winning season.

AFC EastBuffalo Bills – Here’s another situation of a poten-

2014 NFLPREVIEWBy Laramie Martinez

Time for the Snap

SPORTS

PHOTO

: Larry M

aurer

Seattle’s Russell Wilson


tially great WR, Sammy Watkins, but a relatively young QB, EJManuel. This team must look to their defense, which was secondin sacks, to carry them through this season. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill is going to play as best as hecan, but the real concern here is the O-line. They also hope thatsigning Knowshon Moreno will give their run game the boost itneeds. New England Patriots – It seems like the Patriots are always inthe running for a championship, and this year is no different.They have a lot of new additions to the team, most notably, a re-covered CB Darrelle Revis who will be a big help to their sec-ondary.New York Jets – Last year the Jets had some problems with theirpass defense, so they really need to pick it up if they want tocompete with the Pats this year. Although they have Eric Deckeras a pretty reliable WR, they are relying on the second-year QB,Geno Smith, to get the ball to him.

AFC WestDenver Broncos – The offseason and preseason were all aboutimproving the defense for Denver. With Peyton Manning at thehelm, you know the offense is going to be able to put up thepoints, but it’s just a matter of their improvements being enoughto win it all. Wes Welker, however, is suspended for the first fourgames of the season because of amphetamine use.Kansas City Chiefs – If you believe in momentum, then youbetter believe the Chiefs are going to have a rough year aftercoming back from some devastating losses at the end of last sea-son. There is hope in RB Jamaal Charles and new LB Dee Ford.San Diego Chargers – Here’s another team that had an Achilles’heel of a defense last year. It’s an area that new addition CBBrandon Flowers hopes to bolster, while the offense led by PhilipRivers continues to put points on the board.Oakland Raiders – Oakland’s offseason strategy doesn’t makeany sense. Head coach Dennis Allen appears to not be too con-cerned with improving a defense that came in 28th overall lastyear. They also seem to be putting a lot of hope in QB MattSchaub who is coming off of a disastrous year in Houston.

NFC NorthGreen Bay Packers – Julius Peppers and "Ha Ha" Clinton-Dixare hoping to lead a defense that struggled last year. On the otherside of the ball, a healthy Aaron Rodgers can cement this teamas the best in the division. Detroit Lions – Matthew Stafford is going to be under a lot ofpressure this year. With a new head coach and offensive coordi-nator, he is going to have to adjust quickly if he wants to leadthe team. He is getting some help from Reggie Bush and CalvinJohnson, but on defense, their secondary is still a big issue.Minnesota Vikings – Anthony Barr is expected to come up bigthis season while playing LB and coming up to rush in the nickelpackage. Matt Cassel is going to start at QB, but RB Adrian Pe-terson leads the offense with an excellent running game.Chicago Bears – The Bears need to improve their defense fromlast year. They have a solid offense with QB Jay Cutler, BrandonMarshall, Alshon Jeffery and RB Matt Forte all contributing, but

it seems like whatever defensive additions that were made off-season were also balanced by losses.

NFC SouthAtlanta Falcons – The Falcons have a little hope now that WRJulio Jones is back in business. They also have a new DT fromthe Dolphins (Paul Soliai), who should benefit a defense that wasless than impressive last year.Carolina Panthers – With the loss of Steve Smith, the Panthersare looking for QB Cam Newton to connect with rookie receiverKelvin Benjamin. On the defensive front, the secondary, whichperformed well last year, is forced to reconfigure itself after los-ing some key players.New Orleans Saints – The Saints are looking to their rookie WRBrandin Cooks and second-year Kenny Stills to connect with QBDrew Brees. They are also hoping SS Kenny Vaccaro can stayflexible and effective on defense.Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The good news is that RB Doug Mar-tin is back. The bad news is that QB Josh McCown had someproblems getting the offense going in the preseason opener.

NFC EastPhiladelphia Eagles – If RB LeSean McCoy and QB Nick Folesdo anything nearly as well as they did last season, this should beanother division win for the Eagles. It’s really the defense that isgoing to determine how far this team will go. Washington Redskins – QB Robert Griffin III and WR DeSeanJackson can make for a serious threat, but it’s unsure if thecombo are enough to counter an iffy defensive game.New York Giants – QB Eli Manning cannot afford to have an-other season like last year, and neither can the O-line. If they canget their act together and the new recruits can help the defense,the Giants could be a threat to the division this year. But that’s awhole lot of ifs. Dallas Cowboys – Not a lot of positive things to say about theCowboys defense, but on the bright side WR Dez Bryant is al-ways a dominant presence and QB Tony Romo isn’t bad either.

NFC WestSan Francisco 49ers – The Niners have been in the running fora Super Bowl win for a couple of years now, but have failed tomake it to the big game. With QB Colin Kaepernick, WRMichael Crabtree and solid defense, this year might be their year.Arizona Cardinals – They have lost a lot of their defense, whichwas one of the best in the league last year. So they have to relymore on their offense, led by QB Carson Palmer and the receiv-ing core of Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown.St. Louis Rams – Losing Sam Bradford in the preseason was adevastating blow to the team. It is going to take a lot for them torecover from it. Seattle Seahawks – It seems as though all the doubts I hearabout this team – “it’s hard to repeat” or “something is boundto happen” – are almost superstitious. The truth of the matter isthat, right now, the Seahawks are the best team in the league. Anexcellent defense coupled with the amazing QB Russell Wilsonis a hard combination to beat this year.


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What You

Fear Is Here

Knott's Scary Farm

By Sabina Ibarra

30 | LOL-LA.COM |

CULTURE

Knott’s Scary Farm rings in the fall season by an-nouncing its maze docket for this year’s Hal-loween event live, and Living Out Loud was

there to get the scoop. At a special arena presentation, thecreative directors of the theme park’s annual traditionshared with the public just what they have in mind to testyour limits. Kicking off the show was a special appearance by the Mistress

of the Dark, Elvira, to celebrate that her show would return to thelineup of live entertainment. Well, dead-alive – as she performs withher brigade of the dead. “Elvira’s Big Top,” features her ghoulishcharms, iconic humor and sassiness in all her singing-and-dancingglory.As the fog continued to roll in, maze designers Timothy “Gus”

Krueger, Brooke Walters, Daniel Miller and Lara Hanneman, alongwith the help of the emcee Jeff Tucker, announced to their legion ofhaunt fanatics just what lies in store.

Returning MazesTrick or Treat – A haunt classic, where you’re invited to more tricksthan treats as the park’s resident monster tricksters show you the truemeaning of Halloween. Black Magic – One of last year’s most popular mazes, Houdini’sghost is brought back in a seance and materializes demonic illusionsas some of his most famous acts go horribly wrong. Forevermore – Walk through the gory crime scenes of a killer whohas based his murders on the tales of Edgar Allan Poe in perhaps oneof the most beautifully detailed mazes you’ll ever walk though. Thisone’s extra special for the horror-lit nerd crowd. “Every time we bring back a maze, we think, ‘how can we im-

prove this maze?’ We open up spaces that needed more room, and indoing that, it’s allowed us to create more of these serial killers murderscenes where you actually get to witness our Forevermore killer com-mitting a murder, which I’m really excited about,” shares Design Su-pervisor Brooke Walters. “I’ve added some really crazy art pieces tothe finale that kind of mirror back to ‘The Raven’ art piece (the girlstrapped to the wings). I took that and brought it to the finale.”When asked about what other Poe stories are incorporated into

the maze, Walters replies: “I spent hours and hours combing throughand picked what I felt were the most solid Edgar Allan Poe stories,not to say that next year we couldn't [choose more]. One thing I liketo do is give a maze two years and then, in the third year, give it toa different designer and see what they do. It’s amazing the changesthey’ll make and how much of a fresh face it will put on a returningmaze.”

The Gunslinger’s Grave – Follow in the footsteps of a gunslingeron the road of retribution. He’ll leave bodies and violence in hiswake.Dominion of the Damned – Wander in the lair of the immortal asthey invite you to be a part of the feast ... as well as their feast. Pinocchio Unstrung – Looks like someone’s mad they didn’t getturned into a real boy and has decided to commit all sorts of horrify-ing acts.

New MazesThe Tooth Fairy – Say “Ahh” as the tooth fairy drags you into anightmare dentistry full of blood and pain. Voodoo – Pick your own path in this winding maze that takes youthrough the mysterious swamps of New Orleans to uncover the su-pernatural rites and vengeance of Voodoo gods. “It’s been a dream of mine for years. I’ve spent a lot of my life

in Louisiana, and there’s just something so gritty, authentic andamazing about New Orleans. I always [wanted] to fill a maze full ofwater and build bridges over it – and we’ve done that,” gushes Wal-ters. “I have a pool in this maze, we have low lying fog, we’re gettingpreserved trees. It’s amazing.”Walters goes on to explain Voodoo’s storyline.“People have been toying with voodoo and the voodoo spirits,

and the gods are pissed off. So they’ve come down to reap theirvengeance on humanity in New Orleans,” she says. “You have zom-bies rising from the dead, exorcisms, human sacrifices, people beingturned into voodoo dolls or being buried alive, demons and we’rebuying a special stilt just so I can have a reverse-joint goat demon.” The creative team described all the new details in the returning

but revamped experience, Trapped: Lock and Key, in which guestscan sign their lives away and be put through some secret rooms withshocking tasks that will only stop being inflicted on you if you saythe safe word: ‘boysenberry.’ As that presentation concluded the whole arena was quarantined

by the military as they deemed the park “Infected” – a fun way toreveal the new interactive zombie-hunting event guests can sign upfor at this year’s haunt. Squad leaders lead guests on missions withspecial laser guns to take out the zombies in an immersive SpecialOps-esque activity. With all new thrills and daring experiences, the mother of all L.A.

haunts is bringing the scary back for another season of its signatureHalloween offerings.

Knott’s Scary Farm runs Sept. 25-27, Oct. 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, 22-26,29-31 and Nov. 1. For tickets and more information, visitknotts.com/what-s-new/knott-s-scary-farm.

| LOL-LA.COM | 31

Summer’s over, but we lucky Californians typicallyget to enjoy the beautiful sunshine year round. Theoption to partake of a delightful meal beachside or

with a great view of the marina definitely adds to our goodfortune. CAFÉ del REY provides the latter, with floor-to-wall windows framing the dockside’s yachts and boats, andeven has a little beach (Mother’s Beach) not too far downthe path. CAFÉ del REY’s proximity to the water makes ita hot spot for romantic dining and even a bottomless mi-mosa Sunday brunch, but what makes it a place you wantto visit time and time again is its thoughtfully put together,seasonal menu.Executive Chef Chuck Abair’s abundance of innovative

ideas is best likened to a budding artist who has just learnedthat there’s no end to the possibilities of creating somethingbased on pure inspiration. The menu, having recently beenupdated two weeks prior to my last visit, is, of course, heavyon the seafood. The unexpected pairings of ingredients iswhat keeps you from getting bored with say,crab cakes or a piece ofsalmon. The crab cakes,

Dungeness to beexact, are very light;with the familiarstringy texture you getupon cracking open acrab leg and pulling outthe fresh meat. Youwon’t find a heavy may-onnaise or eggy flavorhere, these crab cakestaste like the East Coast.Pair the Dungeness CrabCake with the foolproof Beet & Burrata Salad with a perkedup Jerez (sherry) vinaigrette, and your culinary fiesta is offto a delicious start. If crab is not your thing, you have to try the Truffle

Pizza. I had all three and didn’t feel bad about it, not evena little bit. The truffle pizza, just two bites in, already madeit on my list of best pizzas in Los Angeles … and that’s avery short list. For entrees, I loved that the Chef’s Selection is actually

“As the Sea Provides” and changes accordingly. Right nowthe sea loves Yellowtail and so does the kitchen, as ChefAbair adorns the fish with chanterelles, garbanzo beans anda house-made cake featuring freshly ground chickpea pow-der. The chick pea cake is a playful alternative to polenta,which unfortunately has been really over-featured on othermenus. Most of CAFÉ del REY's menu is very Mediterranean

inspired, as seen in the Barramundi with Brussels sprouts,tangerines, fennel and basil aioli. The Chicken Paillard fea-tured some of the most ambitious sides I’ve come across:figs, tomato and a lemon caper sauce. The figs probably

sound out of place, but they are seared hot tobring out the smoky, slightly sweet flavor.That balances out the saltiness of the capersand tomatoes; they go well with pretty mucheverything.

This was just the lunch menu that I ex-perienced, and brunch has even more op-tions like the Hamburger with Brie, thefamous crab cake (but this time sand-wiched in an English muffin) and choco-late cream pie with chocolate streusel.

You can even host a party dockside asCAFÉ del REY features a quaint privateroom with the same gorgeous view asthe rest of the restaurant. So, next time

you’re looking for a place that provides good food in agreat waterfront location, think of CAFÉ del REY.

CAFÉ del REY is located at 4451 Admiralty Way, MarinaDel Rey 90292. For more information, call (310) 823-6395or visit cafedelreymarina.com.

On the WaterfrontDining By the Sea at CAFÉ del REY

Dungeness Crab

Cake with corn p

uree

By Erica Carter

PHOTO

: CAFÉ del REY

FOOD


An image was uploaded on 1992Gear’s Instagram atroughly 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 that was captioned:“Join us tonight at @424onfairfax and be the first to

pick up our collection with @spitta_andretti [emojis] 7pm-10pm.” Sure enough, within an hour, the first few people werelined up outside the boutique. After the event on Fairfax Av-enue, the clothing line’s two founders took some time to speakabout their company.“This is homebase, Fairfax,” says Jaws Baca, one of the

two men behind 1992Gear, theclothing brand that has nimblybeen creating some fuss amongststreet-wear aficionados. Their shirts have appeared on

countless celebrities and onlinestores worldwide, from Australiato Japan – and all of this has hap-pened in under a year. “We aren’t even a year old,”

says Prince Dakkar, the com-pany's other co-founder, creativedirector and designer. “It’s ablessing. We didn’t really focuson the fame, glory, money andprestige. We just did what wedid, and everything kind of camenaturally.”1992Gear is an L.A.-based

company that has successfully cornered the market using aconspicuous style of art known as “logo flipping.” When asked what makes them who they are, Jaws ex-

plains, “It’s our timing and our look. We want to continue tokeep standing out with our own stuff and in our own lane,doing us.”

Although this is an L.A. based line, it was New York thatgave them their first well-deserved attention. “People thought we were from New York; we blew up in

New York. I’ve been trying to do my thing in L.A. for eightyears, and we blow up in New York before LA recognizeswho we are,” laughs Prince Dakkar. “[Angelenos] didn’t

know who we were until recently. Nobody knew who wasdoing this, and I’d rather be out of the spotlight. I rather it justbe [the brand] and have it be an idea for people to run with.”It’s their swagger and their ’90s mental archives that have

driven this race car so fast that it’s taken every checkered flagalong with the way over the past 10 months. Prince Dakkarexplains that these designs are from “years ago, and at onepoint in November we just did it.” Since November they’vedropped around 20 designs and have sold thousands of shirts

to a global market strictly onword of mouth.“We didn’t come up out here

on some social nepotism, we did-n’t know people, we didn’t getput on because of people,” sharesPrince Dakkar. “If [artists, celebrities] got the

gear, it was because they boughtit. It wasn’t because we gave it tothem,” adds Jaws.These designs don’t need ad-

vertisement mainly because thelogos that are flipped are fromwell-established companies thathave built a reputation for them-selves (good or bad). When asked how they’ve got-

ten to this point in under a year,Jaws explains, “Artists have definitely helped because theyrelate to our concepts, they take it up on their own and dowhat they do with it.” Prince Dakkar adds, “This wasn’t forced, we didn’t shove

it down people’s throats.” Buyers have related to them, the artists who wear their

clothing and with the art that’s displayed on their chests. Thissimple concept of art on wardrobe items has turned shirts intomore than just articles of clothing. They’ve become a messageto society.

—By Pablo LopezFor more information, visit 1992gear.com.

Wearable Art

Los Angeles’1992Gear

FASHION

Lil Debbie in 1992Gear



Ink MasterChris Bowman of Yer Cheat’n Heart Tattoo

Text & Photos By Taylor Wong

CULTURE


Los Angeles is home to many talented tattoo artists. One of thesemany talented artists, and my all-time favorite, is Chris Bowman ofYer Cheat’n Heart in Hermosa Beach. Bowman got his start in the

tattoo world on his son’s first birthday seven years ago. This first tattootook place on the couch in his living room in the form of the very popularMisfits Fiend Skull. Bowman shares that art comes naturally to him; hisfather was an artist.Bowman is talented in all forms of tattooing but specializes in Black

and Grey as well as American Traditional. Bowman also dabbles in Japan-ese Traditional but tries to focus on his two favorite styles. He has tattooedmost of Hermosa Beach, including Byron McMackin from Pennywise andTravis Walpole of Fortunate Youth. When asked if he has any crazy shop stories, Bowman responds with:

“Working in Hermosa Beach, it’s a given that things will get rowdy. Fromdrunk partygoers to the boys of Palmilla Restaurant coming through withan entourage of women to watch them get their tattoos. No particular storystands out that I’m really willing to share. Nonetheless, there is never adull moment that goes by at Yer Cheat’n Heart.”

Yer Cheat’n Heart Tattoo is located at 49 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach. Formore information, visit yercheatnheart.com.

Travis Walpole of Fortunate Youthgetting inked by Chris Bowman.

TATTOO PHOTO

S: Chris Bowman

“A bicycle because, as a tall person, the other two are ter-rifying.” —Gabriel P.

“None of the above. Rollerblades are my weapon ofchoice.” —Mark M.

“Roller skates all the way! They’re sexy and a classic.There should just be more roller skaters, period.”

—Brenda C.

“Bike for sure ... I like to go fast.” —David T.

“Bicycle, all day every day. I learned how to ride withouttraining wheels when I was 2 years old. To me, long ridesare a stress reliever.” —Rafael O.

“Rollerblades on the beach are the epitome of sunnyLos Angeles and the funnest way to get around.”

—Ariel K.

“I usually just walk, take buses or Uber, but growing upin the punk scene, skateboarding was always a big thing.Skate or die, RIP Jay Adams.” —Evan S.

“If I had to choose, I would say a bicycle. Although it’sbeen a minute since I was on one of them, lol, but don’tthey say you never forget how?” —Ariel P.

“Skateboard. You skate banks, and it makes you a bettersurfer.” —Patrick M.

“Skateboard for sure. Bikes get stolen, and I’m not cool enough to roller skate.” —Jocelyn J.

“Bicycle! I love feeling the breeze.” —Erica C.

“I’m definitely more of awalker myself, but if I had topick, I’d go with the classic bi-cycle over the two cooler op-tions. My sense of balance (orlack thereof) would makeskateboarding or roller skatinga dangerous proposition.”

—Dash F.

“I tend to roller skate whenI’m feeling groovy, skatewhen I feel like shreddingand bike it when I need to getsomewhere.” —Chris G.

“Bicycle, because if I were touse anything else I’d probablybreak my neck!” —Lupita W.

“Bicycles cover more dis-tance, are faster and can transport more stuff.”

—Humberto C.

“I would like to travel only by Vespa. I am very Euro-pean.” —Paul Z.

“Bicycle. I’d fall off the other options. A nice beach cruiserwith a basket, so very L.A Beach Cities.” —Sabina I.

“I ride bikes! I wish I knew how to ride a skateboardand haven’t seen my skates in years. As a recent collegegrad my bike was my best friend, it got me to class ontime, while my basket held all my heavy books.”

—Elisa H.

“I like riding my bike through L.A.; nothing focuses themind like the threat of death.” —Laramie M.

“I prefer my bicycle because there’s no need to beswitching from shoes to roller skates, and skateboardsare just too slow.” —Pablo L.

Roller skates, skateboard or bicycle – whichdo you prefer to get around on and why?

PHOTO

: merchantcircle.com

STAFFPICKS


Volume 1 Issue 4

Documents

Transcript of Volume 1 Issue 4