Right now though it seems that the campaign is not taking off as well as they would want it too despite the support of celebs like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tippi Hedren, Aisha Tyler, and John Slattery. The Save Cahuenga Peak campaign site shows the online campaign progress at just $40,355, a mere 8 percent of their target $500,000. We can only hope for them that the celebs will be more receptive to the cause and start turning out their pockets in a hurry. With all the natural disasters happening all over the world today though and so much charity that needs attention most might feel that trying to save a sign, however iconic it is, should come second to giving to the more worthy causes. And with the economy you can expect that only those who have a really special connection with the Hollywood sign will be willing to spend money to save the sign.

Apparently, Hollywood is no different from any other city in that it needs advertising campaigns to push the tourism industry. In fact, this year, they are launching Visit Hollywood 2010, a campaign to showcase what Hollywood has to offer. I don’t really understand why they have to do that, but that goes to show how much I know! The L.A. Times reports:

The effort comes as the travel and tourism industries begin to show signs of rebounding from the worst economic recession in a generation.

For example, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood Walk of Fame; the 70th anniversary of the Hollywood Palladium theater; and the 25th anniversary of the Rock Walk, a rock music tribute along Sunset Boulevard.

I suppose that this year does merit highlighting many things in Hollywood. After all, you can’t have too many visitors bringing money into the coffers. With these milestones happening in 2010, I cannot think of a better time to pay Hollywood a visit. If you’re planning a major trip this year, then why not Hollywood?

The W Hotel is a mixed-use development with hotel suites and apartment for a total of 143 residences, restaurants, clubs, shops, and a subway station right underneath it. The W Hotel also has energy efficient rooms and is expected to draw more tourists to Hollywood.

The W Hotel presents $350 million in investment, which is expected by the city government to be pumped right back to the economy. In terms of employment this will be true since it will bring about 500 jobs, good news with the still struggling economy. Aside from the jobs they are hoping that the development will end up revitalizing the whole area surrounding the hotel. According to Gatehouse Capital CEO Marty Collins, “It creates and really anchors a vision that allows the whole area to expand and really in some ways become back to what it once was before, that whole renaissance of Hollywood.”

However, some are already calling the hotel “ungainly”. As Christopher Hawthorne, architecture critic of LA Times, said, “The rather ungainly result… is not what you’d call an elegant addition to the rapidly expanding Hollywood skyline,” but even he has to agree that how this “urban-experiment” will end is still a puzzle that will only be solved by time. For now we can be sure that this curiosity will be the talk of Hollywood; as to what people will be saying, we can only wait and see.

Tomorrow, a prominent band will be playing to benefit the people of Haiti. Radiohead is scheduled to hold a concert at the Henry Fonda Theatre. It is in fact a last minute show that has been organized to add to the already immense support being poured on the country. An interesting twist to the concert is that tickets are only being sold through bidding. The bidding started on Thursday and will end today at 11 AM – that gives you less than a day to get your hands on some tickets.

Here is the announcement of the band from their web site:

Radiohead for Haiti
We’re doing a show this Sunday (24th January) to raise funds for the relief effort in Haiti. The venue is The Music Box Theatre at The Fonda in Los Angeles, doors at 7pm. All proceeds are going to the Oxfam Haiti relief fund. We’re trying to raise as much money as possible, so tickets will be sold by auction at this site from 8pm tonight until 11am Saturday (PST):

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09004434FC1C86AC

We’re in the middle of recording at the moment, so you’ll be catching us on the fly…. but if you’re up for it, then we are too.

See you then
x

Radiohead fans: here is your chance to spend a night with your favorite band in a relatively small setting. While you’re at it, you will be helping those who need it the most! It’s a win-win situation.

This is not your run-of-the-mill restaurant which tries to emulate the Hollywood in everybody’s dream. It IS part of Hollywood’s rich and colorful history. Founded in the early 1900s, this establishment was the regular haunt of many personalities – from actors to literary figures. It changed ownership in 1926, and has continued to cater to locals and visitors alike. Recently, Musso & Frank has undergone some radical changes yet again. Jordan M. Jones, a descendant of the owners, took over the reins and implemented improvements while at the same time sticking to old traditions.

It used to be that the grill was best known for its martinis. Today, they have expanded their menu to include excellent wines and other drinks. They have also started playing music late at night, which was something “unknown” in the past. Once you put your foot inside the door, however, you will not be able to deny that Musso & Frank has something that all the other establishments in Hollywood may not have. Whatever you want to call it, you’ll definitely get that feeling at this Hollywood fixture.

This is what’s going on with Beatles front man John Lennon’s star. The other day, LAist reported that the star has gone missing:

Over the weekend LAist received an email tip regarding John Lennon’s star on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. It seems that at 1750 Vine Street the spot “is covered up with a trashbag, and beneath that is an empty outline of a star,” prompting Lennon fans on the Beatlestweets site to claim the assassinated Fab Four member’s star is “missing.”

Naturally, people have been talking about what might have happened. All the conspiracy theorists out there have their own ideas, but the popular theories are:

Speculation seems to be centered on damage to the terrazzo and brass star, which was dedicated on September 30th, 1988, necessitating its full removal from the sidewalk, or its possible removal to prepare the area for the addition of Ringo Starr’s star. Starr is one of 28 celebrities who will be honored in 2010 with a place on the Walk of Fame on February 8th, kicking off the Walk’s 50th anniversary.

Both are quite plausible, aren’t they? After all, why would you leave a damaged star on the Walk? Also, as high profile as that star (and area) is, how possible is it for someone to spend time to chip away the star without anyone else noticing it? I bet we’ll be seeing a replacement soon.

Here’s the news: they are branching out into something quite new for them. According to the LA Times, the owners of the magazine are aiming to further cement their iconic status by setting up a restaurant and nightclub in Hollywood. And that is only the first step.

Think Planet Hollywood. Think Hard Rock Café. If things go as planned, Rolling Stone (the restaurant and nightclub) will be seen all over the place. Next summer, we should see the flagship branch at Hollywood & Highland Center. And according to the owners, guests will be in for a treat – more than one can expect at their competitors. They say that the food will be of better quality and everything is supposed to be hipper and fancier than all the other establishments in its niche.

More from the LA Times:

The Rolling Stone venue in Hollywood will operate on two tiers, Donnelly said. On the top level, which opens into the mall, will be a restaurant and bar intended to appeal to the estimated 15 million tourists a year who come to the Hollywood intersection near Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. He also hopes to pull in local residents who may come to watch sports or have a drink.

Being located in a mall certainly has its pluses. Even if you didn’t intend to go to the resto in the first place, you probably would be enticed once you see it. Something to look forward to next year!

More on his condition from The Telegraph:

The Hollywood actor, who has been married five times and has four children, has cancelled all travel plans so he could focus on treatment, Mr Maydew said. “We’re hoping for the best,” his manager told the entertainment website E! Online. He declined to comment further.

Hopper was due to visit Australia next month for the opening of a Melbourne exhibition, Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood. He said he was “very disappointed” at not being able to travel to Australia for the exhibition, a collection of his artwork and photography, at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne.

Born in May 17, 1936, Dennis Hopper has established a name for himself worldwide in the realms of acting and filmmaking. He is best known for works such as Rebel Without A Cause, Easy Rider, and Speed – among many others. Unbeknownst to many, Dennis Hopper is also active in other pursuits aside from the big screen. He is an avid photographer, painter, and sculptor. As a matter of fact, his work is scattered in exhibits all over the world.

For now, this artist is battling perhaps one of the biggest challenges in his life. Our prayers are with him, together with the hopes that he conquers this disease much like he conquered every thing else in his life.

There’s some good and some bad here. The good first: the concert is FREE. It is sponsored by MySpace, and they are throwing away the tickets on a first come first served basis. That’s the bad. You know how these things go. Even though the concert is not starting till 7:30 pm, you would have to be there hours earlier to score some tickets.

So why is this gig creating such noise? If you haven’t heard, Flaming Lips has released a new album after so many years. Titled “Embryonic,” the album is getting favorable reviews. This psychedelic band has been in the scene for quite some time now, and while not everyone is into their music, they do have a strong following. Also, a teaser tells us that this will be the band’s last performance till next year. That’s enough reason for fans to make it to Thursday’s concert.

By the way, if you buy the CD at Amoeba, you will also get free tickets. As it was released Tuesday, I don’t know if there are any left. You could go check it out, though. I am sure that beats having to line up early at the venue.

Many buildings in the theme park are not as big as they seem. In fact, many of the architectural structures in Disney theme parks follow the concept of “forced perspective.” Following this concept, buildings have smaller scaling as one goes up. Many a visitor has found his mouth hang open in awe of the buildings thanks to forced perspective.

The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is actually the first ever Disney roller coaster to invert riders. This applies to ALL of the Disney theme parks. So, more than an exciting ride, you’re also getting a piece of theme park history here!

The Sorcerer’s Hat is painted using a unique technique called “chameleon paint.” This hat is the main icon of the studio and was dedicated in 2001 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Walt Disney. The chameleon paint makes the hat change in color as people move from one place to another.

Here’s another piece of trivia about the Sorcerer’s Hat. All other Disney theme park icons have some sort of attraction except for the hat! That doesn’t take away from its popularity, though.

These are only several of the secrets, though. You might want to check the article from LA Times to discover the rest.