Godzilla’s Shadow
It’s no secret that the ingredient most responsible for making “Godzilla” so huge is the movie’s super-high-tech special effects.
But the effects on display at last week’s pre-release industry screening of “Godzilla” were decidedly low-tech.
Shortly after the film began to roll at the AMC multiplex on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, the projection machine broke. After being fixed momentarily, it broke again.
Seizing the opportunity, some members of the audience took to creating low-tech monsters of their own making gargantuan shadow puppets on the big screen.
X-Rated Coverage
With the trend toward group health plans now in full swing, it had to happen some time. Last week, a coalition of porn actors and technicians struck a group health insurance deal with Los Angeles-based Maxicare Health Plans.
The Free Speech Coalition, which represents about 500 porn industry workers, will offer its members Maxicare’s managed care policy for a basic monthly rate of $98.13, with porn movie producers contributing 4 percent of payroll. The plan goes into effect next week.
In a statement, Maxicare said the contract “is not an endorsement of the Coalition’s goals, but rather a commercial agreement.”
Busload of Money
Christmas came early to the Kid’s Castle preschool in Inglewood when 300 bankers came to visit on May 15 as part of the Operation Hope Bankers Bus Tour.
After the children sang a song on the virtues of saving money, Operation Hope Chairman John Bryant began soliciting donations from the assembled bankers.
After a beat or two, an executive from Imperial Bancorp broke the ice by ponying up $5,000. Home Savings of America, Union Bank of California, California Korea Bank and various other institutions also made pledges.
By the time it was over, almost $25,000 in donations had been committed to the preschool. The money will be used to fund the school’s planned expansion.
Will the bankers honor their word? Bryant thinks so, saying: “Bankers keep their promises. They are already calling to ask where they should send the check.”
Missing Mayor
At the Westside Mayor’s Breakfast earlier this month, there were five chairs for five mayors, but only four were occupied. In attendance: Les Bronte of Beverly Hills, Sandra Levin of Culver City, Robert Holbrook of Santa Monica and Steve Martin of West Hollywood. In absentia: Richard Riordan of Los Angeles.
The others bemoaned his absence and the general lack of participation from members of the L.A. City Council, who sometimes “get caught up in their imagined importance,” in Holbrook’s words.
But Bronte came up with a way to ensure Riordan’s attendance next time around.
“Maybe the next meeting we can have at The Pantry,” he said, referring to the mayor’s downtown restaurant.
