I finally managed to fall one day behind with my rigorous blog post schedule. We were out all day yesterday and then celebrated last night. But I'm back today.
Yesterday was one of the days over Winter Break we were looking most forward to. We had to get our tickets a full six weeks in advance, but got them we did to the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. It was a fun way to spend New Year's Eve!
I am a movie lover, to say the least, so I have been looking forward to the opening of this museum since I first heard it was coming. It certainly did not disappoint.
We spent nearly six hours there and barely made it through the entire museum. There is way too much fun stuff to share on this blog, but I'll do my best to share a few of my favorite moments.
The museum was built in the historic and gorgeous art deco May Company building on Wilshire Boulevard, in the Miracle Mile district, adjacent to the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art. The building was erected in 1939,
Catherine posing in front of a photo montage of the original May Company building in its heyday.
A fabulous Citizen Kane exhibit. Need I say more?
This was an incredible exhibit with all things Academy Awards including Oscar statues, some wonderful dresses, memorable acceptance speeches through the years, actual cards announcing the winners and so much more!
Psycho. This exhibit was especially intriguing. It included the typewriter used to write the screenplay for the film, a letter from the studio rejecting the movie due to inappropriate content (most notably the shower scene), as well as the storyboard for that same scene. The movie was eventually made (thank goodness), prompting the rating scale (G, PG, PG 13, R, etc.) to be implemented, which did not exist before the making of this movie.
When Harry Met Sally. One of my all-time favorite rom-coms. This is a page from the script including handwritten notes from the legendary Nora Ephron in the margins. I read it and it took me right back to the movie.
The Wizard of Oz. This exhibit was so extensive and impressive. The ruby slippers were the pinnacle.
Priceless polaroids from back in the day. These were Polaroids of some actors you may have heard of (Christian Bale, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, John Malkovich, and so many more) back when they were unknowns.
Being the huge Brad Pitt fan that I am, I was excited to spot these finds. A Polaroid of Brad Pitt's costume in Thelma and Louise. This was one of his first films (playing JD) when he was a fresh-faced 26 year old. Fast forward a few years to his costume from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, where many of you may recall the shirtless scene on the roof. I will certainly never forget it.
This was a marvelous memorabilia exhibit featuring some recognizable relics from movies we loved. The kids were especially excited to see Johnny Depp's costume from Edward Scissorhands, a movie they loved.
This was a Toy Story 3D Zoetrope. You have to see it to believe it, although if you suffer from motion sickness, as I do, beware!
The views were second-to-none atop the Sphere Building, beneath a stunning glass dome, the Dolby Terrace provides spectacular views of LA. Because of all the rain we had in the days leading up to our visit, the Hollywood sign was so clear we felt like we could read out and touch it.
After a day at the museum, we came home and celebrated New Year's Eve including dining on a delicious 7 Layer Dip and watching the ball drop in New York City.
Happy New Year!