VISIT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD. NEW SIMPSONS RIDE, HOUSE OF HORRORS, CLASSIC MOVIE MONSTERS.
Welcome to Universal Studios in Burbank.
Since I’m blogging about our adventure, I was fortunate to receive four free passes (which are otherwise $72 a pop). My tips for visiting are the same as for Disneyland: go early on a weekday, bring snacks. There were no lines, so we saw everything we wanted and made a getaway in our Deathmobile before the dreaded LA rush hour.
Our first stop was the Studio Tour, a mandatory ride that takes you through the movie lot, where productions such as Desperate Housewives are currently filming. We trolleyed past Hitchcock’s office and a partially-rebuilt New York facade (it was burned last summer in a fire).
Part of the fun was being thrown into special effects situations, such as a collapsing subway station and a Jaws shark attack. The Japanese vending machines and signs are convincing little pieces from Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Just like in the movie, a gas station caught fire and — ka-boom — the cars exploded into the air.
On the angry face side… we kept getting soaked by water! It turned into a bad joke: every single Universal Studios attraction left us drenched. Including the Shrek 4D ride. (Apparently, the fourth dimension is having water spat at you.)
Thankfully, the new Simpsons Ride was H2O-free and had us smiling from start to finish. We felt like yellow 2D characters as we explored Krustyland and the Kwik-E-Mart. There’s usually a line, but waiting isn’t so bad when you have Simpsons episodes to watch.
The ride itself is “psychological,” meaning that you sit in a 6-person box in front of a 360 degree screen. Although you never leave the room, the images and movements make you feel like you’re roaring down a rollercoaster with the Simpsons!
The classic House of Horrors is a scream: as you tiptoe through scary sets, monsters jump out at you! Outside, we saw plasters from the faces of Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and other Universal stars.
Oh Hot Topic…
Thanks to all of you who donated to help Takumi get badly-needed heart surgery.
Song of the Day #337: OMG Moi dix Mois released a new track! Come check it out!
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JAPANESE DRAG FASHION IN AKIHABARA, TOKYO CROSSDRESSING. FAIRY DECORA HARAJUKU GIRLS STYLE, PLASTICGOD JROCK ART.
Cute Japanese girls wearing street fashions? Close, but not quite. Look closer…
… all of these models are males! Tokyo New Tribe did an encouraging report on the changing face of drag fashion in Japan. Thanks to prominent TV hosts and cosplay, people are now more open about crossdressing, and realize that it’s not necessarily indicative of gender or sexuality. Once a month in Shinjuku, a drag event presents the opportunity to meet others.
Style Tribe also snapped Neo Fairy Decora girls at a Popples exhibition in Tokyo. (Wow, I’d love to go to that!)
I’ve done many posts on this 1980s-girly-pastel style before (type “Fairy Kei” in the Google search box on the sidebar for more). Here are some closeups; many of the girls are wearing 6% Dokidoki and Spank! (Coming up: a behind-the-scenes report from a New Tribe photoshoot.)
While at the club night Mr. Black, I met LA pop artist Plasticgod. You may have seen his Lego-form renderings of celebrities — they include Malice Mizer and Dir En Grey (above), and X-Japan (below)!
Plasticgod tells me, “I can’t remember when I first saw J-rock but it must have been in the mid 90s. I remember walking around LA’s Little Tokyo and looking at all the Japanese magazines that I’d never seen before. The J-rock ones stood out with all the amazing outfits and creativity but mostly because I couldn’t believe they were boys. I thought they were cool looking rocker girls!”
“The bands I chose to depict I thought had the best sense of style and seemed to have the best following. My favorite is Malice Mizer; every outfit I’ve ever seen in pictures was an absolute uncoiling of the brain. So inspiring and fun to re-create/parody in my style.” Check out Plasticgod’s distinctive artwork on his website.
Isn’t it nice to see Visual Kei bands inspiring American artists? And for drag and fairy decora fashion to be making waves?
PS: My new CNNGo gallery about how Buddha is everywhere. In a pear, a chair, a scary gold costume…
Song of the Day #327: D – 7th Rose (Do you like the new song and PV? I do.)
LA CARMINA
