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In this chaotic age, I wanted to share a quick bit of West LA culture: the continuing adventures of the Laemmle Royal Marquee Guy (or LRMG for short). 1/
I live three blocks from the Royal, and walking by it one day after lockdown started, I noticed them advertising a fake Zemeckis-Wong double bill as a friendly message about the days of social distancing. 2/
A pick-me-up to be sure. I smiled, finished my trip to the grocery mart, and went home. But as lockdown continued, I noticed that they changed it every few days to a new double bill pun. Its attitude towards the malaise of social distancing stayed tongue in cheek... 3/
The day that the protests started, it planted its flag... 4/
As stores along this stretch of Santa Monica boarded themselves up for safety—when you could hear police helicopters overhead and see graffiti a few doors down—it was resolute... 5/
But things took a turn when I swung after Trump's teargas photo op. I wasn't quite sure in what spirit to take this—a bunker boy meme?—except that this movie marquee was clearly not fucking around. 6/
In the turbulence that followed, existential crisis set in... 7/
...and it was around here that I began to wonder if whoever runs this marquee is feeling okay. 8/
But I went by on Father's Day, and it was a sweet, lovely nod to the occasion, complete with another local taking photos 9/
I swung by again just now...It’s the exclamation point that really adds that extra kick. Also, depending on which movie is that latter part refers to, this may double as a tribute to the late great Ian Holm. I don’t know who runs this marquee, but truly, they are an artist. 10/
What will the future bring? At times like these, who can say. But somewhere, for movie buffs everywhere, I'm glad the LRMG is keeping on keeping on. /thread over
