#14. Breakfast and a Movie at Hollywood Theater

I finally went to Breakfast and a Movie at Hollywood Theater. It's something I've wanted to do since I first went to the theater earlier this year for the premier of one of my friend's short films. The Hollywood Theater is in Dormont, PA, which is just a quick 10 minute drive from Oakland. It was originally opened as a bowling alley in 1924, but in the 1940s Warner Bros. purchased the building and gutted and remodeled it, turning it into a theater. The Hollywood closed in 1998, but was leased and renovated in 2006 by the Bradley Center, an agency serving children with mental, emotional and developmental disabilities. Unfortunately, it was bumpy ride for The Hollywood and it closed again in 2008, then was reopened in 2009 only to close a year later. So, the Hollywood Theater has been open for 2 years now, its best run in recent years. I sincerely hope people continue to support this historic establishment because it is such a unique place.

I love feeling like I am stepping into a time capsule, and that is the sense I get when entering The Hollywood. It is a single screen theater that plays older films, and indie and B-list movies. The seating is also awesome - traditional isle seating, but also comfy couches and tables. It is a very laid back vibe. Breakfast and a Movie is an event the theater hosts once every month, usually on the third Sunday. For $15 you get a catered brunch and admission to the movie.

Doors for the event open at 10:50am and the little buffet opens at 11am. Brunch was delicious - there were muffins, scones, biscuits, quiches, coffee, and juice. We were able to take our food into the theater and curl up on the couch and watch some cartoons while waiting for the main picture. They also held a little raffle for a purse and some gift cards before the movie, which my roommate, Alex, ended up winning! The film showing that Sunday was Gigi, a hilarious coming-of-age story about a young Parisian girl who falls in love with a rich and well-known bachelor. Breakfast and a Movie was a very refreshing way to spend a Sunday afternoon. If you are into older movies, I highly encourage checking this out.

Here are some pictures of the afternoon:

 

For more information, and to donate and help keep the Hollywood Theater alive, visit their website:

http://www.thehollywooddormont.org/

#26. Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn. Sort of...

Unblurred takes place the first Friday of every month. Galleries along Penn Ave open their doors and invite the public to experience a night of art and live performances. Bars and restaurants along the way also have food and drink specials, and the galleries often have free refreshments - just an added incentive. One of the many cool things about Unblurred is that you get to experience an eclectic sample of mediums, from glass work, sculpture and painting, to dance, spoken word and music.

Okay, now is the time for me to be honest... this one cannot officially be checked off my list yet because I messed it up a little... I was under the impression that Unblurred took place Downtown. I read on the website that it is in the Penn Avenue Arts District, but I guess I should have paid attention to the actual addresses given since Penn Ave. stretches pretty far. Duh, Aziza... Turns out Unblurred is in Friendship. I'll get it right next month...

Despite my absentmindedness, the night wasn't a total fail. I got to explore the Downtown portion of Penn Avenue with my roommate Alex and our friend Kyle. Kyle did a similar art crawl Downtown in the fall, so he had an idea of where some galleries were. The first thing we saw was the Cell Phone Disco. This thing was sick. Its on the side of the Benedum Center and its a large aluminum frame illuminated by over 2,000 LEDs that light up in response to cell phone activity near the frame. I highly encourage checking it out at night when the lights are brightest. We also went to a small gallery where artist, Marc Burgess, was premiering his exhibit, Adult Arcade. We must have been subconsciously attracted to lights and lasers last night because that's just what Marc's inspiration for Adult Arcade stemmed from - a laser. I'll give you a tour of my experience in The Arcade - you walk through a dark curtain, into a darker hallway, which leads into a small, white-walled and dim-lit room. The room is illuminated by a few red lights which are spotlighted on four pieces of textured artwork on the walls. You see a large geometric sculpture in the center. You hear disorienting soundscapes. Then you see the crux of it all - the laser. The impressive thing about this exhibit is that the activity of the lights and laser is contingent on the activity in the room - the more people that walk in and out, the more frequent the lighting changes, so your experience is constantly being altered. For example, when we first walked in there were a lot of people in the room so the lighting was brightening and dimming quickly, but by the time we were leaving we were three of only five people in the room so the lighting remained fairly constant. Pretty genius stuff right there, huh?

 Here are some pictures from our semi-successful night:

And, just so none of you mess up your Unblurred experience like I did, here's the link to the website: http://friendship-pgh.org/paai/unblurred/