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And if I ever have a meeting in the valley, I’ll always go to Iliad— hands down, the best bookstore in LA County. Kooky programmatic architecture on the outside, a stadium-sized collection of used books at fair prices within. And it seems the stock of every film-related bookstore that goes out of business ends up here. I’ve made many great purchases over the years including “W.C. Fields by Himself” and “Cronenberg on Cronenberg”— two of the most inspiring film books.
Related Recs
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best used bookstore in town
Apr 15, 2024
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A gem of Hollywood Blvd, selling film & theater books since 1938! excellent browsing and excellent eavesdropping
Jan 21, 2024
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I love record stores and the discovery that happens when old stock mixes with new. More recently I've been getting deeper into art books and love buying books for people as gifts. NYC has a great community of shops like Karma and Mast, and there’s a gaggle of independent vendors that work the fairs like the Printed Matter MoMA PS1 Art Book Fair. I started going to the fairs a few years ago. They are like record fairs but even crustier in some ways, full of curmudgeons and characters. Check The Booksellers documentary for a nice slice of this world. I have met a few dealers and developed some rapport, one of which is Jeff Hirsch Books in Illinois, which has an incredible inventory and their sales emails are one of my favorites of all types. Even if you don’t buy, you learn something.
Apr 6, 2021
Top Recs from @eugene
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I guess this newsletter is partly about advising people on how to spend their money, which is not something I particularly love doing…but I will direct your attention to the war going on in Ukraine. Being from Ukraine, lots of people have asked me for context on what’s happening, but I don’t live there and don’t feel like an authority. Still what seems clear to me: Ukraine is the target of an aggressive invasion by the army of a madman who places no value on human life. The Ukrainian forces, including many civilians, are putting up an incredible fight from a defensive position. The country faces a terrible loss of life and infrastructure. The defenders will need as much support as they can get and civilians welcome all humanitarian aid. Here’s a good guide with vetted orgs, if you can help 💙THANK YOU💛 I hope with all my might this horror is over soon and that Ukrainians have peace for many generations.
Mar 10, 2022
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Before this crisis, we had another one: the global pandemic. If you recall, everything shut down pretty much everywhere…which gave a few film lovers the chance to become film programmers. Using under-the-radar streaming services (like Twitch, but dodgier), several collectives started running daily movie streams. It was a refreshing alternative to going on Netflix/Hulu/Criteria and weighing the options for an hour. Instead of having to pick a movie, you just go to the URL and feast your eyes on the stream. The one I was most obsessed with was Cinephobe, but Cathode Cinema, Moviepassed and SpectacleNYC all gave me much-needed joy, as depression, despair and death colonized human consciousness. A few major discoveries were Golden Mouth, Brimstone and Treacle, Play Dirty and Scalpel. These programmers earn my gratitude and admiration. I think Cathode is the only one still going strong and I highly recommend you check it out.
Mar 10, 2022