joy magnetism: Here's looking at you, kid




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Friday, April 25, 2008

Here's looking at you, kid

Magnet #63 - Warner Brothers Studios

If you've been keeping up, faithful reader, you know I love tours. Luckily, so does my family. (I should start tagging "tours," just to keep track of how many tours I mention in this blog.)

So, it's no surprise that when one of my sisters had a conference in LA, I dragged two friends of mine across the country, and we stayed with her at the Renaissance Hotel at Hollywood & Highland. We spent all week doing studio tours, walking tours, movie star tours and self-guided driving tours.

But, out of all those tours, the Warner Brothers Studios tour is the best - hands down. It's actually quite possibly my favorite tour in the entire world - ever. Not surprisingly, I've done it twice. But, there's the regular tour. And then...there's the superduperawesome Deluxe VIP tour.

Well, it wasn't so much VIP, as much as they were able to charge us like $140 for an extra couple of hours on top of the regular tour - it's like 5 hours! Brilliant! For anyone who loves movie history, who loves Warners, who loves being in a place where so much was filmed, and where so many great actors have walked, this is the tour for you.

Some highlights, in no particular order:

  • Eating in the WB commissary. Could not tell you how the food tasted, don't even remember ordering, but the atmosphere was fab. Plus, even though you know it's just the regular WB employees chowing down, it doesn't stop you from actually looking for someone famous.
  • Saying "Lookit that boob driving that golf cart like a crazy person!" It was Timothy Busfield.
  • Sitting through some of the sound edit of Mr. & Mrs. Smith - the elevator scene where Angelina blowed up Pitt.
  • Extra time in the WB museum. They have a wonderful museum full of Warners memorabilia including letters from Ronald Reagan and Clint Eastwood, (when we were there) a whole The WB retrospective, and a superawesome Harry Potter room. (I was a Slytherin under the Sorting Hat. They let me get re-sorted into Hufflepuff.)
  • Freaking out over Clooney's parking spot. Freaking out even more when a car approached and parked in it. It was Grant Heslov, his producing partner...close, but no cigar.
  • Wandering the costumes and props warehouses.
  • Wandering around the vaults, and seeing the art department at work.
  • Wandering around Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow, visiting Lorelai's house, Suki's house, the Kims, the Gazebo and Luke's.
  • Wandering around ER's County General Hospital in fake Chicago.
  • Visiting Friends' Central Perk, standing behind the bar where Gunther served coffee, and sitting on the sofa.

Seriously. I dare you to tell me of a better tour for an entertainment-phile like me. And yes, we're planning on doing it again...once a new show has firmly ensconced themselves on to the WB lot.

Ummmm.

HURRY UP!


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7 comments:

Erika said...

thanks for not mentioning that I was apparently a celebrity repellant...oops.

jen said...

OMG. I LOVE the WB tour. It really was the Best. Tour. Ever. You forgot: West Wing sets, the Poseidon hull being built on the soundstage. We have to go back in 2010!!!

And yay for the shoutout.

Anonymous said...

The Hotel is on Hollywood Blvd and Highland Avenue, not Vine Street.

joy said...

Duly noted and revised, anonymous.

julie said...

was hidden palms from the WB... CW...WB...? i'd go to see that one. also, note from the pops, check your spelling in your bullets. did you sit through or sit though. ha. word. anonymous... it's not like we live there so sorry for the mistake.

The Geek said...

I've taken that tour! Years ago, in high school, but yes, it rocked. I'm so glad I got to see the Friends set before the series ended, and my OMG!-moment was when a golf cart came careening around a corner and sped past carrying James Marsters--in full vamp make-up. You'd think a fan like me would start screaming, but no, I just stood there rooted to the spot with my mouth open wide enough to fit the entire contents of Sunnydale in there. :-)

joy said...

Ooooh, a James Marsters sighting! Awesome. I still can't get used to him with dark hair and no accent. And I totally don't blame you for being shocked still. I'm sure I would have done the same if Grant Heslov had been George. IJS.

Oh! Speaking of, GG - if you're catching up on Torchwood, you'll enjoy James on the second series.