L.A. Bizarro: : The Insiders Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd and the Perverse in Los Angeles
- Book Review,
by Matt Maranian, Anthony Lovett
Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, D. J. Waldie
L.A. Bizzaro! continues the tradition of seeing Los Angeles as a toxic playground, best observed slightly unconscious. The book is largely about body parts, cracks (wise and otherwise) and drinks. L.A. Bizzaro! approves of consuming them all. Just below the cheerful pornography, however, is a satire of post-middle-class consumption in a city waiting to explode again. Anthony R. Lovett and Matt Maranian have found interesting things to buy in L.A. while they wait for something terrible to happen.
Review
"A demented guide to the dark side of drinking, dining and whining L.A.-style. A veritable treasure trove of bad, or no, taste." --Michael Musto, columnist for The Village Voice
"Why go to Mars when we've got it all here in L.A.?" --Larry Storch
"Both outrageous and informative--it's why I love L.A." --Steve Edwards host of Good Day L.A.
"I'll say anything you want me to say, about this book. It's fabulous." --Quentin Crisp
"Finally there's a book that tells L.A.'s secrets, secrets I never even knew about. This is a must-read if you live in L.A. or are just visiting. This is a m a a a z i n g." --Rodney Bingenheimer, deejay, KROQ, Los Angeles.
Review
"A demented guide to the dark side of drinking, dining and whining L.A.-style. A veritable treasure trove of bad, or no, taste." --Michael Musto, columnist for The Village Voice
"Why go to Mars when we've got it all here in L.A.?" --Larry Storch
"Both outrageous and informative--it's why I love L.A." --Steve Edwards host of Good Day L.A.
"I'll say anything you want me to say, about this book. It's fabulous." --Quentin Crisp
"Finally there's a book that tells L.A.'s secrets, secrets I never even knew about. This is a must-read if you live in L.A. or are just visiting. This is a m a a a z i n g." --Rodney Bingenheimer, deejay, KROQ, Los Angeles.
Book Description
Imbued with the cross-pollinated sensibility of The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste and Roadside America, this is the best of the obscure, the absurd, and the perverse in Los Angeles. In other words, L.A. Bizarro is the Fodor's Guide to/from the land of Never, Never.
Most information available to people traveling to or living in L.A. is geared to mainstream tastes and the peanut-munching crowds. Finally, here's a guide for those who view the world though a psychedelic lens. Inside you'll find a guide to eateries, sex shops, curious tourist attractions, nude beaches, dive bars, off-the-beaten-path museums, murder sites, cemetaries, and more.
L.A. Bizarro includes directions, admission fees, phone numbers, hours of operation, and all the usual details found in traditional "Dad's-screaming-at-Mom-who-holds-the-tourist-guide" books. From the Witch House to a curiosity shop that sells body parts, there are hundreds of funky sites, road trips, restaurants, and places to stay--complete with photos, guides, and tips.
About the Author
Anthony R. Lovett is a full-time cynic and semi-retired bon vivant who sometimes poses as a writer. A musician, artist and actor, Lovett is a wounded veteral of L.A.'s improv scene. The author is ashamed to admit that he has also written rock videos, appeared in Kmart commercials, and co-starred in one of the worst low-budget movies ever made. Lovett's articles have appeared in Rolling Stone, Playboy, L.A. Weekly, and others. A Texas transplant, he lives with his wife and daughter just a stone's throw from the Mason family's old hangout, Spahn Ranch.
Matt Maranian headed straight for Los Angeles in 1984 to pursue an ill-fated acting career. A string of insignificant television appearances culiminated with a brief recurring sting on one of the worst sitcoms ever made, Mr. Belvedere, in which he co-starred with a goat. He immediately switched careers, and immersed himself in what has become an ongoing investigation of just what makes L.A. so damn weird. His writings have appeared in bOING bOING, The Los Angeles Reader, Harper's, and British Esquire. He lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife, Loretta Palazzo.
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