The cryptic, yet beautiful grounds of Los Angeles' Hollywood Forever Cemetery are known for hosting summertime screenings of classic movies like Cool Hand Luke, and occasional special events like last week's sunrise concert with Bon Iver. But don't let its role as an entertainment venue dwarf the fact that it's a resting ground for many Hollywood luminaries, with floral-strewn monuments to prove it. Take a moment to slow down as your stroll through Hollywood Forever, and might find yourself overcome by its sprawling history.

If you're not adverse to spending your afternoon in the company of massive headstones, then you can learn a little more about the site with a walking tour hosted by guide Karie Bible. Bible claims she could give a six-hour tour of the grounds and still not cover everything there is to know about Hollywood Forever, so you'll get your fill of informational tidbits, and then some. We promise the actual tour won't last that long, and it will cost you a pittance of $12. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-10-05T17:13:16-05:00 34.0887450 -118.31900 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/29/13814/4642

Los Angeles is a city rich with live music venues. From the expansive Hollywood Bowl to the inevitably sticky floors of the El Rey Theater, L.A., a bastion of entertainment, provides bands passing through town with a home for their fans and a place to showcase their sonic stylings for a night.

In our search for an alternative concert experience we were tipped off to indie-folk band Bon Iver's one-off performance at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a sunrise show that couldn't be any more different than Britney's Circus extravaganza from the previous week. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-09-30T09:33:51-05:00 34.0887450 -118.31900 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/6/104432/8380

Tourism of sites related to death, or Thanatourism, is a curious and constantly popular pursuit around the world. Perhaps you've been a thanatourist without realizing it; visiting a Holocaust camp and even Hollywood star maps pinpointed with death locations definitely count. One such new offering also falls underneath the Thantourism banner, and it just happens to be tours of Jim Morrison's last US residence, an apartment in West Hollywood.

For $10 per person, diehard Doors fans can take a self-guided tour of the 6-unit villa estate built in 1932, complete with a brochure of anecdotes from when Jim lived there. Please contain your excitement; the tour only gets better!

Listen to The Doors music played in the courtyard area, "almost as if they were playing in concert there for you once again," and don't forget to pass by a bust of the man himself and snap pictures of "other interesting items such as Jim's former garage door."

If that hasn't yet completely filled you with the presence of Morrison's ghost, then how about buying a "ziplock baggie of dirt" from the property with signed certificate of authenticity? It's $10 as well, but available in limited quantities, so get on that before you miss out on a "shrewd memorabilia investment opportunity."

For more information on the "tour" or to buy things from inside of Jim's old place, check out the building's MySpace page.

Related Stories:
· Cheri Woods Rentals [MySpace]
· Death Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photos: Cheriwoods Rentals]]]> JetSetCD 2009-05-06T10:44:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/2/22/1559/01456
Some nights out require a more intimate setting -- whether you're trying to romance a shy new flame or planning on getting back together with an ex. That must have been what Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz were thinking last week when they met at the exclusive Whiskey Bar in West Hollywood's Sunset Marquis Hotel.

According to People magazine, Justin was having dinner with Martin Scorsese -- whose Irish mobsters in "The Departed" might have found the bar more amenable to doing business than the Indian grocery stores and porn theatres they used -- and slipped away with Cameron sometime after 1 a.m., after which they left the bar together.

Bar entry is restricted to hotel guests and assorted other A-listers, but if you book now you can stay Easter weekend (April 6-8) starting at $250 per night for a "junior suite." Ex-boy-band member not included.

Related Stories:
· Justin & Cameron's Late-Night Reunion [People]]]> egw 2007-02-22T09:03:52-05:00 34.092197 -118.37733 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/12/5/155759/157

In Hollywood, there's only one place to see movies, The Arclight. The Arclight is located on Sunset Boulevard next to the Cinerama Dome which is actually open now by Arclight for certain movie showings. Inside the theater is where the magic happens:

The experience inside the cinema auditorium is ArcLight's focal point. Designed to exceed THX standards of presentation excellence, ArcLight Hollywood's 14 auditoriums begin with a "black box" design aesthetic which favors undistracted viewing over opulence, and feature the best in sight and sound technology, allowing films to be presented as the filmmakers intend. Auditorium comfort levels are unsurpassed. All cinema chairs are 3 inches wider than current megaplex standards, with 6 inches more legroom. Even the retractable armrests are "double-wide".

The theater also has all-reserved seating so there's no hassle over getting good seats and you can choose your seats if you order your tickets online.

Arclight also has a sit-down restaurant that works around your movie showtime,  a souvenir shop and a cafe/bar. What's cool about Arclight is that you're most likely to be sitting next to someone who worked on that film, is the film star's agent or perhaps the film star.  At the very least, there's a possibility that D-listers like Nicole Richie, Brandon Davis and reality TV stars will be there. That should give you something to blog home about.

[Photo: CourtneyP]

]]> juliana 2006-12-05T15:57:59-05:00 34.097582 -118.32809 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/11/14/171445/20

We pulled a total Hollywood tourist move by checking out Hollywood & Highland shopping center (it's where the Kodak theater is and is next to Mann's Chinese Theater.) We found the place to be surprisingly clean and crowd-free, although we did spy some European tourists wearing socks and sandals.

But the main event at H&H this week is the Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog. Essentially, Ocean Spray has been traveling the country with their very own cranberry bog which they set up and re-build in each location, filling with actual cranberries and line with 100-year-old cranberry vines. They then have bog people staff the bog which is nothing more than just educating people about the benefits of cranberries, dispensing free packets of Craisins and bottle of juice and every so often rake the knee-deep bog.

This traveling cranberry show, if you will, has been seen in New York, Chicago, London, Las Vegas (at the Bellagio's conservatory), Jamaica and even Puerto Rico. The bog usually lasts for about a week depending on the location. For instance, London's bog is set up in a conservatory and will be there through March. Puerto Rico and Jamaica only lasted two days.

Insider Tip: Ocean Spray is filming the bog people and posting the videos to their web site. So this could be your chance at internet fame.

Another photo of a very special bog guest after the jump.]]> juliana 2006-11-14T17:14:45-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/10/23/164336/17

The Magic Castle in Hollywood is a very apropro attraction for the Halloween season. Home to The Academy of Magical Arts, Inc. and a sort of golf club for professional magicians (minus of course, the golf club), the Magic Castle looks like a haunted house both inside and out.  A mansion built in 1908, the "castle" went through many incarnations, first as a multi-family home, then an elderly care home and a small maze of apartments before TV writer Milt Larsen turned it into a private club for magicians in 1963.

Today, the decor is dark, freaky and a bit gothic. But don't be too scared. There's all sort of hokey haunted tricks going on from a piano that mysteriously plays any song on request (we asked for "Oops I Did It Again" and we got that) to a chirping ghost bird to paintings that move to real-live magicians hanging around to do card tricks.

The castle however does feature live performances in proper theaters with stages, pretty assistants and oddball names like the Parlour of Prestidigation and the Palace of Mystery.

You can also dine there as the restaurant serves dinner each night and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, along with several bars.

However unlike most Haunted Houses, the Magic Castle is a members-only place. So you need to know someone to get in and when you do, you must abide by the castle's dress code which state coat and tie are required for men (no denim, no zippered jackets, sweatshirts or sneakers) and women should be in a cocktail dress , skirt or matching pantsuit.

This may sound stuffy but in a town where people still wear Uggs with jean skirts and Ryan Seacrest t-shirts, it's quite refreshing.

Insider Tip: If you go this weekend, that is if your Magic Castle connection lets you go this weekend, costumes are strongly encouraged.

[Photo: Comic Mummy]]]> juliana 2006-10-23T16:43:36-05:00 34.104560 -118.34181 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/