Los Angeles, California. This is my first posting of the new year, so first of all - Happy New Year! Thanks to all of you out there following my blog - I hope 2008 is an exciting and productive year for you all. I haven't posted until today because, frankly, there has not been a lot to tell. I have been busy settling into my new home in Marina del Rey, but otherwise no excitement here.
Today was the first day with something interesting to report. I worked on the set of a short, independent film entitled
An American Journalist. The film follows a journalist as he interviews a death row criminal just prior to the man's execution. I was originally booked to be an audience member at the execution, but that scene was canceled and I was transformed into a prison guard, walking the prisoner to his execution. This was more fun for sure. The real excitement was that the shoot was set at the
Lincoln Heights Jail in downtown Los Angeles. This is an actual historic jail, no longer in use, but commonly used by Hollywood to shoot jail scenes. It is an aged and rotting structure, very creepy and full of a history that might be better left untold. It was an interesting experience at the very least!
On a final note, the "What Should Arlo Do in 2008?" poll has been closed. After a long run with "Act in More Movies" in the lead, a last minute swarm of votes changed the outcome altogether.
You Voted:
1. Lead a major international expedition.
2. Become a bush pilot.
3. Act in more movies
and tied for last:
* Write a Book
* Help establish a new Marine Protected Area
I'll take your opinions into strong consideration!!!
I was a company worker (you know, part of your network...). It was a perfect day and the site was absolutely stunning - almost Hawai'i-esque. There was also a nice small swell coming in, so I'll be back there for some surfing before long.
Here are a couple of pictures of Zuma at sunrise, the waves and a video of yours truly, as part of your network! 
The weather in San Francisco was horrendous, making my moving day extremely wet and unpleasant. However, I got it done and took off into the stormy weather by U-Haul. Driving south of San Jose, the weather thankfully cleared and driving was pretty good from there out. 
The visit from Rabbit in particular was a catalyst for getting my butt back into nature! The first morning here we got up early and hit the waves off the Venice pier. From there, we decided to explore nearby Temescal Gateway Park in Pacific Palisades. Only five minutes from downtown Santa Monica, this is one more example of just how off the pervasive perspective of Los Angeles actually is. Climbin
g into the Santa Monica Mountains, Temescal is a true slice of nature. There are hikes of up to 8 miles in length and the woodlands are home to a fascinating flora and numerous wild animals. We chose a shorter loop hike of about 2 miles, complete with stunning vistas of the ocean, downtown Los Angeles and even a waterfall. On Sunday, we opted for a roadtrip up the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping to check out popular surf breaks along the way. We spent the night in Santa Barbara and then continued up the coast to check out the Point Conception area. We ended up missing any decent swell for this region, but the coastline and vistas of the Channel Islands were spectacular. And to make up for lack of surf, we opted to drive into Los Padres National Forest, where we went bouldering on steep mountain cliffs. A day in Los Padres is a perfect reminder as to what a stunning and diverse state California really is. Living here makes it difficult to imagine ever returning to live on the east coast of the U.S.!
this Friday, January 18th at the Sundance Film Festival. If you won't be making Sundance this year, be on the watch for it in upcoming months and check out the trailer below. Meanwhile, Eagle Eye will be released in theatres on August 8th and Four Christmases during December 2008.
Galt science fiction film in production.
