Sharon Lockhart l Noa Eshkol

Exploring artistic nature, preservation and interpretation are the
 creative visions of two notable artists, the American born photographer 
and filmmaker Sharon Lockhart (1964) and the minimalist Israeli dance composer,
 theorist, and textile artist Noa Eshkol (1924-2007). 
Co-organized with Israel Museum, Jerusalem, this North American 
exhibit premieres at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).


Featured are Lockhart's photographic
 series and five-channel film installation based on the cumulative metronome rhythm of Eshkol’s five dances. Eshkol's former company members performed the dances using the
 Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation (EWMN) System, developed by Eshkol
 and architect Avraham Wachman in the 1950's. EWMN combines symbols and numbers to describe body spatial 
relationships in time. Noa Eshkol related to the Notation as “a
 thinking tool that can teach people the art of observation, i.e
 encourage them to aspire for the ultimate level of seeing. It does so 
by organizing the 'material’ known as movements of the human body in 
relatively simple categories thereby allowing us an insight into the
 complexity of this phenomenon as a whole.”

Coupled with its artistry, the significance of movement notation lies in the scientific arena as 
an observation tool in the mapping of sign language, learning disability treatments, animal movement, the astronaut's locomotion in weightless conditions, as well 
as in the use of an infant's movement as an early predictor of autism 
and Asperger's syndrome.

Included in the exhibit are selections of Eshkol's visually engaging creations 
including wall carpets made out of recycled parts, scores, drawings and other archival material.


Following the presentation at LACMA the exhibit will travel to the 
Jewish Museum in New York.


The exhibit runs from June 2, 2012, through September 9, 2012, at
the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) BCAM, Level 2, located at
 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. For more information 
call (323) 857-6000 or visit www.lacma.org

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Superb performances by an all star cast mark this drama comedy set in Jaipur, India, about seven British retirees whose paths cross when they embark on an adventurous journey to India's lush retirement hotel, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. However, plans are derailed when the group finds itself in a dilapidated and chaotic hotel run by the young and enthusiastic, Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire).

The hotel guests include the financially stranded, recently widowed Evelyn (Judi Dench), the retired High Court Judge Graham revisiting his former neighborhood (Tom Wilkinson), the quarreling married couple Douglas and Jean (Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton), the long time bachelor Norman (Ronald Pickup) in search for passion, the multi divorcée Madge (Celia Imrie) looking for her next husband, and Muriel (Maggie Smith) who needs a hip replacement.

Based on the novel These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach, Ol Parker's engaging and witty script leads to multiple plots and funny lines that gradually grow on you as the retirees begin to open up to a life changing experience. Immersing the viewer into Jaipur's beauty, heat and traffic mayhem are Ben Davis' captivating and colorful cinematography along with Thomas Newman's music.

Geared for a mature audience, this pleasant, feel good feature is a delight for any age, leaving the viewer with a smile and the message that a new beginning can occur at any age.

American Reunion

Reuniting the original American Pie (1999) cast is this latest raunchy teen comedy franchise of American Reunion, the 13^th High School reunion at East Great Falls High.

Though now older, with issues of family and work, the friends' strong bond and youthful free spirit remains intact. We catch up with Oz (Chris Klein) and Heather (Mena Suvari), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Vicky (Tara Reid), and Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) who are now couples, while the mysterious Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is in love.

The feature's funniest character, Stifler (Seann William Scott), steals every scene, while Jim's father, the charismatic Eugene Levi and Stifler's mother, the beautiful Jennifer Coolidge are humorous together, deserving more screen time.

The screenplay by Adam Herz, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg brings forth nostalgic memories. Fans will be pleased to see references to previous installments and cameo appearances. Funny scenes and good plot twists keep the laughs rolling all the way through the credits, connecting with teens and the installment's fans.

Fracture: Daido Moriyama

One of the leading photographers of our time, Daido Moriyama, comes to Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in a first solo museum exhibition featuring approximately 50 works. Included are his iconic black and white photographs, his most recent color photographs taken in Tokyo and shown for the first time, as well as several photo books he published.

Inventive and mysterious, his photographs are shot at unique angles, displaying unusual characters and dark labyrinthine streets of the Shinjuku district. The exhibit's accompanying documentary footage shows Moriyama at work exploring Tokyo's vibrant cityscape by foot while capturing cultural contradictions and the fractured realities of modern times.

Along with the exhibit LACMA hosts a conversation and book signing with Daido Moriyama on opening day, Saturday, April 7, 2012, 4-6 pm.

In May 2012, Moriyama will also receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Center of Photography, New York, at their 28^th Annual Infinity Awards event.

The exhibit runs from April 7, 2012 through July 31, 2012, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Pavilion for Japanese Art, Level 3, located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. For more information call (323) 857-6000 or visit www.lacma.org