Must Watch Flicks Before Heading To La La Land

How do you prepare for a trip?  There’s the obvious; deciding what to wear and pack, shopping for some new shoes, getting plane and hotel tickets organized, and prepping all manner of things at home.  Then there are the extra things you can do.   Buy the travel books, scour the internet and ask all your friends about all the things you must see before you head out on that next vacation.  One more fabulous and fun thing I like to do before a big adventure?  The magical trick that can help to build the excitement and get you in the vacay mood weeks or even months in advance? Dive into the world of cinema and find movies and television shows based on your vacations location!  Next month we are headed to Los Angeles and there’s no shortage of cinematic gold to help get us ready for our adventure.

Here are my Must Watch Flicks before you tour Los Angeles.

LA Story (1991) 

 Picture courtesy of www.impaawards.com

Steve Martin stars as a TV meteorologist looking for love and an electronic freeway sign plays Cupid.  Endearing and funny!

La La Land (2016)

Picture courtesy of imdb.com

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Sigh. “Two proper L.A. dreamers, a suavely charming soft-spoken jazz pianist and a brilliant vivacious playwright, while waiting for their big break, attempt to reconcile aspirations and relationship in a magical old-school romance.” via IMDb

Beverly Hills Cop  (1984)

Hello, comedy genius!  Eddie Murphy plays Axel Foley, a smart aleck cop from Detroit thrust into the world of Beverly Hills.   He immediately sees past the fake world hiding behind power and money to reveal the sordid secrets hiding beneath the surface and makes us laugh along the way.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Should I admit this is one I hadn’t seen!  A group of Southern California high school students are exploring and learning about some not so very scholarly subjects;  sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.  Set in LA so worth a watch.

L.A. Confidential (1997)  Kim Basinger is a high-class call girl named Lynn Bracken in this story of three detectives (Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, and Guy Pearce) who independently stumble upon the same overwhelming, conspiracy.  Does Kim Basinger ever age?

Clueless (1995)  

The retelling of Jane Austen’s “Emma”, this is a comical look at the LA scene.  Alicia Silverstone plays Cher Horowitz, a wealthy, teenage girl preoccupied with all things matchmaking and her favourite place, the mall.

Pretty Woman (1990)  

A Classic! Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, a business man and a prostitute in a Cinderellaish love story. “While on a business trip in L.A., Edward, who makes a living buying and breaking up companies, picks up a hooker, Vivian, on a lark. After Edward hires Vivian to stay with him for the weekend, the two get closer, only to discover there are significant hurdles to overcome as they try to bridge the gap between their very different worlds.”  quote via www.imdb.com

Do you have a favourite movie shot or set in LA?