September 28, 2025 • 36 mins
A new report from a 100-year old advocacy group says LA City Hall needs to take the issues facing downtown seriously, and provides a roadmap to do it; LA Comic Con and Leonardo DiCaprio are both back!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Downtown LA is struggling crime, filth, graffiti, a large homeless population,
and people struggling with mental health. It's also got a
lot of vacant storefronts as businesses face difficulties too. The
Central City Association has advocated for Downtown LA since nineteen
twenty four, and this week it is out with a
new report, Revive DTLA. It's got a specific roadmap the
(00:29):
organization says could have downtown humming again and fast. The
Association's president and CEO, Nella McCosker, joins us now to
talk about it. Nella McCosker, thanks so much for taking
some time for KFI.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
It's my pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
This new plan is called Revive DTLA. It's called an
urgent recovery plan for the heart of Los Angeles. What
makes the situation urgent, as you.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
See it, downtown is hemorrhaging value and opportunity every day
in that we have not seen a recovery since the
pandemic that we know is essential to downtown and its
ecosystem success, but also the rest of the city of
Los Angeles. Downtown zip codes contribute thirty percent of important
(01:18):
tax baces for the City of Los Angeles, parking business
tax pot, which is hotel revenue, and so it is
urgent in that it is not only a priority for
this important neighborhood, but for the entire city to ensure
that we stop the bleeding and support our city centers
so that it uplifts the rest of the city of
(01:40):
Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
When I moved to LA a few years ago, I
specifically decided to live downtown because I like urban environments.
I like public transportation. I love our subway system. But
there's just no getting around the fact that there are
significant issues facing all of that. And there are times
where I'm walking around my neighborhood and i think, how
did it come to this? How did this ever become
(02:03):
permissible in a city as globally important as Los Angeles.
So let me ask you, how did it come to this?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
It's a question I wish we had answers to, but
the only answer we can give right now is that
it is no longer acceptable. I'm pleased to hear that
you are a resident, and I think it's part of
an unsung story of downtown which is that there are
now ninety thousand residents across downtown neighborhoods. And so as
(02:31):
we think about Downtown's.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Role in solving.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Even the housing crisis that we're in, where just one
percent of city land is contributing some quarter of its
new housing development in the last five years, we have
to get it right to keep attracting residents to this
important neighborhood that's primed for growth, that is the perfect
(02:55):
place to live if you'd like to take transit, if
you want exciting, dynamic amenities, if you want to be
able to walk to work or grab a bite to eat,
or show it's really cool to have such a thriving
residential population. And yet you know better than anyone, residents
(03:16):
deserve better services, better attention to the street level experience
of their neighborhood. And then on top of that, we
welcome some forty one hundred forty thousand additional folks every
single day just in visitation, and our daytime worker population
(03:36):
would be stronger, I think if we saw some of
these needs addressed. So it's really important for visitors, tourists,
daytime workers who have choice now and whether or not
they work remotely or come into the office more and more,
(03:56):
and part of the compelling case we need to make
is that what is good for one of those types
of folks that come into downtown is going to be
good for all those visitors.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Have been a big concern for me. Frankly, if when
I take the Bline train from Pershing Square to Studio
City and then I will hop on the Burbank bus
and come over here to iHeart Studios, but I often
see that there are tourists that I perceive to be
perhaps from European countries based on the languages that they're speaking.
(04:26):
And my assumption is that these are folks who are
probably headed to Universal Studios to check out the theme park,
but they decided to stay downtown because people have an
idea of what to expect in city centers. And I
end up worrying as a neighbor down there that our
neighborhood may give folks really bad impressions about LA as
(04:48):
a whole. So, to add onto the message of urgency,
it seems that if we don't fix downtown Los Angeles,
greater Los Angeles could suffer. Am I right with that? Precisely?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
That's exactly right, especially when you think about the major
global events that we are about to host in Los
Angeles and the presumption that's absolutely accurate that the downtown area,
that the heart of the city is a place to
visit and come and experience what the best that city
(05:20):
has to offer. We have to deliver on that expectation,
and so we need to step up and ensure that
our sidewalks are clean, ensure that the basic needs of
public safety are being met. We need to improve our
parks and open spaces in downtown. We need to address
(05:40):
and continue to help and find really systemic solutions to
homelessness and mental health crises that are occurring. I think
about the perception of safety as being highly influenced by
the unhoused and someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis.
(06:01):
It's just as important as you know, traditional categories of crime,
and both need to be addressed in our city center.
But for far too long we have allowed a certain
level of stagnation, and then when you compound the additional
challenges of lower foot traffic from work from home trends,
(06:23):
it's really untenable. And so the again the opportunity is there.
The residential population continues to not only be stable but grow.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
We saw a huge investment from the city in the
last week in the expansion and modernization of the Convention Center,
which will attract million more peoples allow us to.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Host larger and larger conventions that we have been unable
to host. So let's make good on those investments and
ensure that we meet some of the basic needs of
downtown and make it as attractive and welcoming and clean
and safe as it possibly can.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
We're talking with Nella Mcoscar, President and CEO of the
Central City Association of Los Angeles, a Downtown LA advocacy
group for about a one hundred years now, and I
do want to talk about the Convention Center more in
just a moment. But first, we're not just spreading civic
boosterism by talking about the importance of downtown LA. I mean,
(07:24):
in spite of its small size, it's relatively small population
or I don't even know if that's true. I mean,
I've heard there about ninety thousand of us cramton into
downtown LA. It is an area that punches significantly above
its weight when it comes to the entire regional economy.
Can you contextualize that for us?
Speaker 4 (07:40):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
I think I mentioned previously. You look at business tax, parking,
tot revenue, Downtown contributes a full third of those categories,
and those are some of the biggest ones that contribute
to the general Fund, which in turn allow the SEY
to pay for basic services street repair, street lights across
(08:05):
the entire region. So Downtown's disproportionate contribution and by the way,
also increasing decreasing capacity.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Right now, what we've seen in that business tax category
in the last couple of years, two to three years,
it's down eighteen percent. So if you live in the valley,
if you live down south, if you live on the
West side.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
Sure, there are other.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Economic centers of our city, but this one is significant.
And so the reason to care about the success of
downtown is that the only way the Greater Los Angeles
thrives is if Downtown Los Angeles thrives.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
We'll continue the conversation about revived DTLA with the Central
City Associations Nella McCosker.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Next, you're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Michael Monks reports on Michael Monks from KFI News with
you till nine o'clock tonight. We're talking about revive DTLA
a new report from the Central City Association. That's an
organization that has advocated for downtown for more than one
hundred years. The report says issues like crime, they can storefronts,
and homelessness need to be addressed right away. The association
(09:18):
also endorsed the recently approved plan for a two point
six billion dollar expansion of the Convention Center downtown, which
it says will help spur the local economy. Our guest
is Nella McCosker, President and CEO of the Central City
Association of Los Angeles. I think, regardless of how efficient
the project is, how beautiful it is afterwards, it's not
(09:40):
going to matter as much if the area around it,
Downtown Los Angeles is filthy and is unsafe or even
just feels unsafe, as it does to so many people.
So one of the areas that you've highlighted in your
report revived DTLA is safety. We talked about downtown punching
above its weight economically unfortunate. It also does in terms
(10:01):
of crimes. More than nine percent of what you call
Part one crimes or crimes against persons happen in downtown
Los Angeles. What are you calling for here in order
to improve safety measures.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Well, I think about the problem that we have in
the city of Los Angeles, and many jurisdictions across the
country are facing a shortage of traditional law enforcement officers.
And so my argument for why there should be a
higher concentration or a greater allocation of resources in the
city center is connected to this idea of the number
(10:36):
of crimes that occur, and then also the return on
investment of that concentration. Right, if we make our city
center somewhere that is safe and welcoming, we get more
from those dollars in.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
A ripple effect.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So what some of the things that we're calling for
are not do not require a massive new investment. It's
a reallocation of existing resources. Footbeet patrols, bike units. These
are some of the things that already our city leadership
has announced they will do in response to our plan
(11:13):
or even creative solutions. We have too many vacant storefronts,
which I know you know from walking the streets of downtown.
We have property owners who would be willing to lend
those spaces, even on temporary periods, to have officers be
able to drop in because there is a shortage of
officers across our department. They don't have enough time or
(11:36):
space to take a bathroom break or find a place
to grab a cup of coffee. How excellent would it
be if we are creative about how we use spaces
for those drop ins or those substations, so that we
are solving multiple problems at once. And one of those problems,
of course, right, the feeling of lack of safety or
(11:58):
sort of abandonment that you have when you walk down
a street and see too many of the storefront spaces empty.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Yeah, and not only that, the spaces, even though they
may be activated, are often vandalized. They're covered in graffiti.
Part of your recommendations here in the revived DTLA plan
is to help clean up downtown La it is. I'm
sad to say it is unacceptably filthy. What can the city,
(12:27):
especially in its financial condition, do.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I'm not going to misrepresent. I do think some of
it comes to prioritization. We know that there's a backlog
of some of the services that are provided around graffiti abatement,
street cleaning, and so you know, we just have to
be eyes wide open about the fact that there are
(12:51):
some spaces in our city that need to go get
in line first, and I would argue that Downtown is
among them. Now once again, we have a larger structural
issue that we need to solve, So how can we
use the short term tactics to inform the longer term ones.
One of the things that I think about and I
need to make sure I recognize and uplift is the
(13:11):
significant contribution of bids business improvement districts in downtown, which
essentially allow for you know, an allocation of private resources
towards basic maintenance even safety. Some of their folks are
you know, patrolling on bikes as well, And so one
(13:32):
of the things that the city can do, again in
a creative capacity, is integrate their efforts or better fund
and support and coordinate with the business improvement districts who
are already doing some of that graffiti batement, some of
that street cleaning. Are we stitching together these resources and
leveraging the work that's already being done, or even allocating
(13:55):
resources in a way that is less costly than you know,
traditional city model. So I think again, I'm sharing your
concern and frustration about what it feels like and the
experience of downtown, but I think that there's a lot
of infrastructure in place to leverage. If we're smart and
strategic and efficient, that can actually be quite transformative in
(14:20):
ninety days.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Well, I don't want to be cynical about it. I
want Downtown to succeed. Obviously, I'm committed to staying there.
But I think one symbol of either a lack of
priorities or just a lack of effectiveness by city hall
is also mentioned in your report Revived DTLA in the
section where you talk about activating downtown. One of your
(14:43):
suggestions is great return to office for government workers. No
brainer at this point. I mean, come on, get back downtown,
get your office. But on the other hand, you really
can't blame some companies who may have safety concerns. We've
discussed that already. But the biggest graffiti issue in downtown
Los Angeles, as annoying as all of it is, it's
the ocean wide plaza towers. I can't believe it's still
standing there looking like that. It just seems to envelop
(15:07):
what Los Angeles is to America. It's kind of a
joke right now. What can be done about those graffiti towers?
Speaker 3 (15:16):
It is a really important symbol. I I am glad
you raised that because it symbolizes the neglects that downtown
has been feeling for too many years now. And so
when you think about projects, and I do, I'm going
to bring us right back across the street. When I
think about the investment that the city just made in
the convention Center, and then you go your eyes, you
(15:39):
look across and you see ocean wide. There is a
different calculation, as I represent many in the private sector
towards wanting to be involved and take up that project
when you know that there's this huge investment happening in
the city owned.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Acid across the street.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
So we are in a period skill where there is
private interest. It's a complex matter given the history of
that building, but it's not one that is unsolvable, and
it will take public and private participation to resolve the
challenge of those graffiti towers. Now there comes a point
(16:23):
at which we can't accept just waiting for a private solution.
And so as we think about especially the Olympics, we're
a little too close already to the World Cup next summer,
but the Olympics will be this moment in which the
eyes of the world are on Los Angeles. The entire
globe comes to games and events and activities at the
(16:47):
convention Center. We will have to demand, and we do
demand even in our report, as you mentioned, condemnation eminent
domain things in the city and county and even state
and other levels of government's control to acquire that property
and work with the private sector to resolve. We are
reaching that point where we can't just wait and hope
(17:10):
for a private sale. We have to take it into
our own hands. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I'm so nervous about the Olympics. So we've got to
get the mops out. We've got to get the rags out.
We've got to clean this place up before that comes.
I walked to Rouse every Sunday there downtown and I
just look up at those towers and I think, how
is that still staring back at me. I just don't understand.
I'm going to keep some optimism. I appreciate the report
that is out from the Central City Association Revived DTLA.
(17:35):
We've been talking with the president and CEO, Nella McCosker,
representing that organization. Mela, thanks so much for the time
you gave us. I do appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Thanks for having me, Mica. I look forward to seeing
you on the streets of downtown. We'll do this together.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Thank you, got it? Count on it up next, speaking
of downtown LA and the convention Center, it is Comic
Con weekend in LA. So what is this big event?
Is it worth checking out if you're not into comics?
The answer apparently is yes. And Leonardold DiCaprio is back
on the big screen. We'll chat about the buzz around
the new picture, one battle after another.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from k
FI News with you on this Saturday night in southern California.
And if you're a nerd, or maybe even if you're not,
at this point, we're gonna talk about this. You've maybe
spent some time in downtown LA at the La Comic Con.
It is underway, goes on through tomorrow. And I looked
for the biggest nerd I could find to talk about it,
(18:37):
and it was Heather Brooker from KFI. How are you, Heather?
Speaker 6 (18:41):
How damn?
Speaker 3 (18:43):
What?
Speaker 6 (18:43):
I embrace it? I embrace my inner nerdumb and my quirkiness.
You know that's what we do.
Speaker 5 (18:47):
Well?
Speaker 2 (18:48):
You know you your news reporter here of course, but
you do have a heavy focus on the entertainment industry.
And what's interesting is that comic Con, whether it's here
in LA or anywhere, it's not really just about com
mix anymore. The associated media. I mean, it's it's entertainment.
It's a lot of different stuff. There's wrestlers here, there's
gaming involved here, all of it. It's all of nerdom.
(19:09):
It's like it's a pop culture event. That's more so
what it's morphed into. You know, years ago when the
cons started, I say the cons because I'm.
Speaker 6 (19:18):
One of them.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
You're a nerd.
Speaker 6 (19:18):
I'm one of the people. But it's a it's a
you know, started off small lots of comic book writers
and artists. They would get together and swap comic books
and sell them. And now it truly is one of
the largest pop culture events in the United States. Is
happening here in Los Angeles this weekend. Anime gaming, Marvel DC,
(19:39):
everything you can think of in terms of pop culture
is happening right now.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Where does LA's Comic Con rank compared to San Diego,
Santi San Diego's The big one is that the grandfather,
the godfather of them.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
Yeah, San Diego's is huge. San Diego Is is huge,
I think mostly because of the amount of space that
they have, and it's been big for so long. But
La is growing. Man. They have huge stars coming this weekend.
Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany from of course, Marvel, the Marvel Universe,
and WandaVision. You've got Charlie Cox from and Kristin Ritter
(20:16):
from Daredevil, which you know, my husband was very excited about.
He loves that show. You've also got like classics from
like the Scary Movie franchise.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
You've got some guys from Scream, Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich,
Jamie Kennedy, all from the Scream movies. So this is
what I wonder when you have This is not a
diss on any of these folks. These are working actors.
I'm just saying a lot of times people start to
go on this circuit once maybe the active acting has
slowed down a little bit, and I start to show
(20:45):
up to talk about the roles you once played because
they have this cult following and people and it's a
way to make some money.
Speaker 6 (20:51):
Make money. Yeah, they make money because you know, these
are huge franchises. The screen franchise. You know all the
animated shows, Bob's Burger, you know, Simpsons, everything, every fandom
you could think of. The voice actors, the actors who
start in them, this is a way for them to
one connect with their fans, keep their name sort of
(21:12):
in the mix for things. You know, people talking about them,
which is important as an actor. You want people talking
about you and stay relevant. And then also, yeah, they
make money. I mean, if you go to the meet
and greets or the autograph sessions, you're looking anywhere from
twenty to maybe one hundred dollars or more to get
an autograph from your favorite person. Now, people like Elizabeth
(21:32):
Olsen and Paul Bettany generally probably will not be doing
one on one meet and greets with fans. They're probably
gonna come and do a panel speak for maybe thirty
forty five minutes, and then then they'll duck out.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
But if you're an actor who who may not be
working as much as you once did, or you're waiting
for the next part, you're in between gigs, as so
many actors often are, even the big ones, Yes, this
is a way to get an extra few thousand dollars
in your pocket in a day.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
It really is. And it's also it's fun, Like it's fun.
I mean, you're there with people who all love you
what you do and enjoy your work, and they just
want to talk to you about it, and they want
to be like, hey, look I met this person or
you know, maybe some people like to collect autographs like
they collect toys or you know, games, or you know
whatever it might be, whatever your collect fandom is, but
(22:16):
they also collect heedshots and autographs from these stars. I've
never done that. I did. Well, that's not true. Can
I tell you my story?
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (22:23):
Yeah, So I am a big Star Trek nerd.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Are you really? Oh my god, I called it a nerd.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
See, you're so mean to me. Everyone needs to know
how We're.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Going to talk about this next about how mean you
are to me? All right, Star Trek.
Speaker 6 (22:39):
Okay, So I'm a big Star Trek fan. And when
I was younger, Next Generation was my jam. I loved
everything about that show. I watched every episode and I
had a crush on Will Wheaton, the actor Will we played. Also, yeah,
I played Wesley Clusher And of course in stand By
Me and the Convention, one of the Star Trek con
or whatever it was came to Tulsa, where I lived.
(23:01):
I wanted to go and get his autograph, like such
a nerdy moment, and I still have that picture. But
this is what fans do. I haven't done that since
I go now for the pure joy of seeing my
daughter get excited to play the games and check out
what new games are coming out video games. We go
and we people watch, you know, people dress up and
they cause play and they walk around and it's it's
(23:22):
just a really fun event.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Do you think, well, Wheaton remembers you.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
I'm pretty sure, pretty sure maybe he remembers me from
standing outside of his house waving to him.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Okay, don't make a confession on the air, especially during
my show. I'm on a tight rope here.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
See now, people are getting a glimpse of our newsroom
chats that we have. I make Michael uncomfortable a lot.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
There is a news component to this because the La
Comic Con takes place in downtown LA at the Convention Center,
and goodness knows, anybody who listens to k if I
regularly has heard me yelling about the convention Center for
the past two weeks, and this two point six billion
dollar expansion the city has approved despite their precarious financial position.
But you talked to one of the organizers of this event,
(24:02):
maybe the big guy, right, Yeah, and they're excited about it.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
So CEO Krista Mulin has run La Comic Con for
you know, since the beginning, and he is a big
proponent of the changes that are coming, you know, because
they have produced this event year after year in a dated,
awkwardly you know, laid out facility. So they would love
for this facility to be renovated in order to be
(24:28):
have more people coming and have a better event for them.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Now, did he give you any tips. Let's say you're
me and you're not a nerd.
Speaker 6 (24:38):
I love how you think you're not a nerd. You're
just a nerd in different ways. Oh, I absolutely am.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
I am.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
I often think that I'm not cool enough to be
a nerd. Nerd is not the same pejorative that it
used to be. I mean, there are there's certain pride
in being a nerd. I played video games, for example,
but I'm not good at any That's what I mean.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
Like, just say it.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
I play a lot of the Nintendo Basic games, you know,
Mario Party, my Nintendo Buddy, you play online all the time,
I'm going to.
Speaker 6 (25:03):
Bring a Nintendo to the newsroom, but we'll just have
it out.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I'm very good at Mario Party.
Speaker 6 (25:07):
I have to tell you the Mario Party. See. I
like the classic Nintendo games, like any classics, Simario two, I.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Like Super Mario Brothers too, all of it one of
the best ones.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
I wanted to get a tattoo of Princess Peach at
one point, and my husband take to me off that ledge.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
I'm glad. I'm glad. But what I'm saying is there
are you know, people who are nerds that I could
only aspire to be because they're so knowledgeable, We're so
intense about this. But if you are what they might
call a nube, a right, a casual somebody who's new
to this, what do you do when you go to
a comic con because you still got time. If you
(25:40):
go down there tomorrow to check out La Comic Con,
how do you take it all in as an amateur?
Speaker 6 (25:45):
So there's a couple of things you need to keep
in mind. One, it is at the LA Convention Center,
so parking is going to be tricky. Do ride share
if you can, just to physically get yourself there. Use
the app. This year, they have a wonderful app that
helps you guide through the panels who speak and when
and what time. You can kind of plan out your day,
figure out where you want to go. But if this
is your first comic con, just give yourself some time
(26:07):
to walk through the convention center, walk through the rooms,
take it all in, people watch a little bit. You
know you're going to want to look around. There's so
many booths, hundreds of booths of people selling everything from
T shirts and music to you know, collectibles, and just
sort of absorb it all in. You don't have to
be a deep track you know nerd or have a
specific fandom in order to enjoy it. Just go and
(26:29):
enjoy the process of it and honestly just supporting local artists,
local writers, and people who are creating these you know con.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Fandoms for us LA Comic Con running through tomorrow at
the LA Convention Center and downtown LA. If you're worried
about the traffic, you can take the Metro. I think
it's the a line that drops you off right in front.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
You love the Metro.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Public transportation. While acknowledging the challenges have their stick around
Because Leonardo DiCaprio. I am a nerd about him. I
love him back in the theaters and I want to talk
about the movie that he's got coming out. Very excited.
This is Michael Monk's report. You're listening to KFI AM
six forty on demand. This is Michael Monks Reports and
(27:19):
Michael Monks from KFI News wrapping up the show on
this Saturday night in southern California. I'm joining by my
colleague here at KFI head their brookers. She's always got
her eye on Hollywood, and there was a time where
I always had my eye on Leonardo DiCaprio, didn't we all? Yeah,
what a study was back when we were kids. I mean,
he was the teen heartthup. He's managed to be one
of those guys who has maintained not just a career,
(27:42):
but he is one of the big stars of our time. Yeah,
big movie coming out.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
It quite impressive.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
I don't know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Reading online about this movie. What's it called?
Speaker 6 (27:51):
One big battle after another?
Speaker 2 (27:54):
One big battle?
Speaker 6 (27:54):
No, one battle after one battle. I just added another descriptive.
It's I was thinking of one big beautiful bill.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I know, like part News, part Hollywood. That's KFI what
are the reviews that I'm seeing, Because it seems like
the post I'm seeing from people on social media is
like their life has been changed by seeing this movie.
What is so special about this Leo flick?
Speaker 6 (28:21):
This is gonna be one of those movies that comes
along every once in a while that everybody just says, Wow,
this is what Hollywood was meant to be. This is
great storytelling meets great directing meets great acting, and it
is getting great reviews right now, ninety eight percent on
Rotten Tomatoes. If you enjoy the Rotten Tomato scores and
(28:42):
you live or die by them, then you will appreciate this.
It's directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, so it's a very
pt Anderson feel to it. Leonardo DiCaprio stars with Benicio
del Toro, and it is about a husband whose daughter
is taken from I believe his wife is also killed.
I don't want to spoil too much of all the movies,
(29:03):
so please don't please don't at me.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, I haven't seen anything I know.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Sorry. So he has to go on this crazy adventure
to get her back, and it's bold. It's beautifully shot
in VistaVision, and it's just it's just one of those
movies that I think really captures what people are looking
for right now. Great storytelling, and it's going to do
really well at the box And this is.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
The type of movie that Hollywood needs again, right It's
like what Tom Cruise is talking about. You need the
big Hollywood stars and a big Hollywood movie so that
you get butts in the seats because the theaters are struggling.
Speaker 6 (29:36):
Yeah, this is definitely going to draw a lot of
people to the box office.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
You know.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
Leonardo DiCaprio is a big name Panisio del Toro, same thing,
and it's some Oscar bait for sure. I think he
will get nominated again for an Academy Award for this.
He's just incredibly watchable and really immersive.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
You know.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
I've often talked about how some actors their public life,
So who seeds their life on screen? Like when you're
watching a Tom Cruise movie, are you like, there's Tom
Cruise playing in this film, or there's Brad Pitt playing
in this film. I think that Leonardo DiCaprio is one
of those people that can still be fully immersed in
a movie and I'm not thinking, oh, there's Leonardo Kavia.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
We don't know a lot about him. I mean, he
has some like the environmental activism that he gets into.
We know he tends to go through girlfriends relatively quickly
on the younger side, so that's kind of been a thing.
But that's really it. Like he doesn't He's not out.
Speaker 6 (30:29):
There a lot, no, and I think that's probably by choice.
I mean, he was a child actor. He probably has
seen a lot of the ins and outs of Hollywood.
He's probably dabbled in some of the things that other
kids were ensnared in, you know, and and still made
a really long career out of being in this business,
which is very hard to do.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
What's your favorite Leo movie? I mean, I love Titanic.
I know this is a very basic thing to say,
but it is probably an all time favorite movie. I
can sit and watch it anytime. Probably departed, you know
what I love? What one of his worst reviews, The Beach?
Speaker 6 (31:01):
Do you remember the Beach?
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Back in the nineties? The Beach is I think what
he did right after Titanic, he had been speculated to
possibly be starring an American psycho, which ultimately Patrick I'm
gonna say, Patrick Bateman characters dance.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
What is his name?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Fantastic actor. I know there's people driving right now screaming
Christian and he's also an incredible actor. H And American
Psycho is my favorite movie of all time. But my
favorite Leo movie is The Beach. So I brought up
American psychle because I think he dropped out of American
Psycho to do The Beach. The Beach, yeah, and it didn't.
It didn't. It was a well received, but it's a
(31:42):
gorgeous film.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (31:45):
I have to say Departed for sure was the one
where I was like, man, this guy is incredible. And
then also Gangs of New York. Yeah, you can't deny
how amazing he was.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
You know what, he is a movie star? Yes, you
know you just love watching Leo.
Speaker 6 (31:58):
Yeah he is, and that I think a lot of
people are going to go to the to the box
office this weekend and see this film and go, oh yeah,
really love this guy.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I was making fun of you speaking of movie stars earlier,
because you were telling me your life story and I
was really bored me. You would because you're an actor
as well. Yes, and you you you're a working actor.
I mean you have credits. I'm looking at your IMDb,
the Internet Movie Database page right now. Incidentally, there was
a there's an ad for the Leo movie right here,
(32:28):
staring staring at me. But you were telling me about
your experience when you were starting out here and how
you you were exploring comedy at first. You still do
stand up, but you were exploring improv. You're part of
some of the high profile improv groups. Then something didn't
go your way, but you the groundlings rejected me. Okay,
I want to say say, okay, so the groundlings said
(32:49):
you're not good enough. You went through four years of
work with the Groundlings, got to the end and like
bugger off bye. But you said, then you got a
good thing, which was Monk. You had a parent's on
Monk and I asked, how old are you?
Speaker 6 (33:03):
Here's the devil.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
I know we're the same age.
Speaker 6 (33:06):
It was a joke, but I'm a little young.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
With that's speaking of longevity. I mean, you've got a
lot of credits and I'm looking at them like Monk.
You know that was that That's not Small Potatoes. That
was a big show on USA.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
That was I was actually that wasn't my very first role.
This is going to be deep track for a lot
of people, but I was. My very first role was
on a show called the Frank Caliendo Show Frank TV,
where he was doing like a series of sketch comedy shows,
a sketch comedy like skits and see.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
It right here Frank TV. You played Jessica.
Speaker 6 (33:36):
I played Baby Jessica who got trapped in the well.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Oh my god, that's a throwback to our childhood.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
But she as an adult, she was all.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Oh, that's so wrong. I got to look that up.
Speaker 6 (33:46):
That's got to be on YouTube if you find it, Polly.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
All of us have a certain age, remember baby Jessica.
I'm at the Catholic school and in kindergarten. I guess
it was only because you always had to offer up
a prayer, who are you praying for today? And it
was always Baby Jessica. During that period, we were all like,
we're privd babes.
Speaker 6 (34:04):
One of the first like television news stories that we
were all just captivated by. Even maybe was it pre
oj I don't know a lot of eighties. Yeah, well
I was playing her as a grown up, all grown up, and.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
I have served you know, she is a real person
of really.
Speaker 6 (34:18):
I know, I know, but I don't look like her.
Maybe I did then, But if somebody finds it, let
me know. I have looked for years to try to
find this episode because I never it's not out there.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
No, Heather Brooker is baby Jessica, adult Jessica.
Speaker 6 (34:30):
I have scrubbed it from the internet.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I'm sure somebody got a letter and that.
Speaker 6 (34:35):
It was on a show called Mind of Mencia.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
With Yeah, I remember that one.
Speaker 6 (34:39):
And uh and then Monk Monk was my first big
legit TV.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Bro then, you know, and I'm not making fun of you,
like you actually have a good looking resume. Gray's Anatomy,
The Middle, Private Practice, the Mindy Project, Cougar Town.
Speaker 6 (34:54):
Why am I even here? What am I doing?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
I know, I'm looking at this and I'm thinking, yeah,
all right, Heather Brooker, You've done a lot of work.
So that's I'm just adding to the credibility that you
have and that you do. You know the industry, You've
been around the industry. You had your heart broke early on,
and you spun and you got some work. I mean,
there are people who move out here and never get
a single credit.
Speaker 6 (35:12):
That's true. I have some friends who are still, you know,
striving to get that first opportunity on television, and I
don't take a second of it for granted. I do
feel very lucky and very blessed that I've had as
many opportunities as i have. But that being said, as
you pointed out, when I'm talking about entertainment stories, it's
from a perspective of someone who has been there, who
has been on a set, who has been in many
(35:33):
stages of the entertainment you know, process, and also still
able to look at it objectively as someone who cares
about the stories from the entertainment world.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
And look how you've made it. You are now second
banana to Michael Monks on KFI.
Speaker 6 (35:45):
On saturdayment and happily, so, happily so you're.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
My favorite banana. Feather Brooker, my teammate here at KFI.
Thank you and thanks all of you for listening to us.
If you missed any part of our program, good conversation
today about this new planned revived down to Los Angeles
and weather City Hall will listen to it. You can
always get the podcast on the iHeartRadio app. We'll be
back again next week with another edition of Michael Monks
Reports right here on KFI AM six forty KFI
Speaker 1 (36:13):
AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Downtown LA is struggling crime, filth, graffiti, a large homeless population,
and people struggling with mental health. It's also got a
lot of vacant storefronts as businesses face difficulties too. The
Central City Association has advocated for Downtown LA since nineteen
twenty four, and this week it is out with a
new report, Revive DTLA. It's got a specific roadmap the
(00:29):
organization says could have downtown humming again and fast. The
Association's president and CEO, Nella McCosker, joins us now to
talk about it. Nella McCosker, thanks so much for taking
some time for KFI.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
It's my pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
This new plan is called Revive DTLA. It's called an
urgent recovery plan for the heart of Los Angeles. What
makes the situation urgent, as you.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
See it, downtown is hemorrhaging value and opportunity every day
in that we have not seen a recovery since the
pandemic that we know is essential to downtown and its
ecosystem success, but also the rest of the city of
Los Angeles. Downtown zip codes contribute thirty percent of important
(01:18):
tax baces for the City of Los Angeles, parking business
tax pot, which is hotel revenue, and so it is
urgent in that it is not only a priority for
this important neighborhood, but for the entire city to ensure
that we stop the bleeding and support our city centers
so that it uplifts the rest of the city of
(01:40):
Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
When I moved to LA a few years ago, I
specifically decided to live downtown because I like urban environments.
I like public transportation. I love our subway system. But
there's just no getting around the fact that there are
significant issues facing all of that. And there are times
where I'm walking around my neighborhood and i think, how
did it come to this? How did this ever become
(02:03):
permissible in a city as globally important as Los Angeles.
So let me ask you, how did it come to this?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
It's a question I wish we had answers to, but
the only answer we can give right now is that
it is no longer acceptable. I'm pleased to hear that
you are a resident, and I think it's part of
an unsung story of downtown which is that there are
now ninety thousand residents across downtown neighborhoods. And so as
(02:31):
we think about Downtown's.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Role in solving.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Even the housing crisis that we're in, where just one
percent of city land is contributing some quarter of its
new housing development in the last five years, we have
to get it right to keep attracting residents to this
important neighborhood that's primed for growth, that is the perfect
(02:55):
place to live if you'd like to take transit, if
you want exciting, dynamic amenities, if you want to be
able to walk to work or grab a bite to eat,
or show it's really cool to have such a thriving
residential population. And yet you know better than anyone, residents
(03:16):
deserve better services, better attention to the street level experience
of their neighborhood. And then on top of that, we
welcome some forty one hundred forty thousand additional folks every
single day just in visitation, and our daytime worker population
(03:36):
would be stronger, I think if we saw some of
these needs addressed. So it's really important for visitors, tourists,
daytime workers who have choice now and whether or not
they work remotely or come into the office more and more,
(03:56):
and part of the compelling case we need to make
is that what is good for one of those types
of folks that come into downtown is going to be
good for all those visitors.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Have been a big concern for me. Frankly, if when
I take the Bline train from Pershing Square to Studio
City and then I will hop on the Burbank bus
and come over here to iHeart Studios, but I often
see that there are tourists that I perceive to be
perhaps from European countries based on the languages that they're speaking.
(04:26):
And my assumption is that these are folks who are
probably headed to Universal Studios to check out the theme park,
but they decided to stay downtown because people have an
idea of what to expect in city centers. And I
end up worrying as a neighbor down there that our
neighborhood may give folks really bad impressions about LA as
(04:48):
a whole. So, to add onto the message of urgency,
it seems that if we don't fix downtown Los Angeles,
greater Los Angeles could suffer. Am I right with that? Precisely?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
That's exactly right, especially when you think about the major
global events that we are about to host in Los
Angeles and the presumption that's absolutely accurate that the downtown area,
that the heart of the city is a place to
visit and come and experience what the best that city
(05:20):
has to offer. We have to deliver on that expectation,
and so we need to step up and ensure that
our sidewalks are clean, ensure that the basic needs of
public safety are being met. We need to improve our
parks and open spaces in downtown. We need to address
(05:40):
and continue to help and find really systemic solutions to
homelessness and mental health crises that are occurring. I think
about the perception of safety as being highly influenced by
the unhoused and someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis.
(06:01):
It's just as important as you know, traditional categories of crime,
and both need to be addressed in our city center.
But for far too long we have allowed a certain
level of stagnation, and then when you compound the additional
challenges of lower foot traffic from work from home trends,
(06:23):
it's really untenable. And so the again the opportunity is there.
The residential population continues to not only be stable but grow.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
We saw a huge investment from the city in the
last week in the expansion and modernization of the Convention Center,
which will attract million more peoples allow us to.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
Host larger and larger conventions that we have been unable
to host. So let's make good on those investments and
ensure that we meet some of the basic needs of
downtown and make it as attractive and welcoming and clean
and safe as it possibly can.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
We're talking with Nella Mcoscar, President and CEO of the
Central City Association of Los Angeles, a Downtown LA advocacy
group for about a one hundred years now, and I
do want to talk about the Convention Center more in
just a moment. But first, we're not just spreading civic
boosterism by talking about the importance of downtown LA. I mean,
(07:24):
in spite of its small size, it's relatively small population
or I don't even know if that's true. I mean,
I've heard there about ninety thousand of us cramton into
downtown LA. It is an area that punches significantly above
its weight when it comes to the entire regional economy.
Can you contextualize that for us?
Speaker 4 (07:40):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
I think I mentioned previously. You look at business tax, parking,
tot revenue, Downtown contributes a full third of those categories,
and those are some of the biggest ones that contribute
to the general Fund, which in turn allow the SEY
to pay for basic services street repair, street lights across
(08:05):
the entire region. So Downtown's disproportionate contribution and by the way,
also increasing decreasing capacity.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Right now, what we've seen in that business tax category
in the last couple of years, two to three years,
it's down eighteen percent. So if you live in the valley,
if you live down south, if you live on the
West side.
Speaker 6 (08:30):
Sure, there are other.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Economic centers of our city, but this one is significant.
And so the reason to care about the success of
downtown is that the only way the Greater Los Angeles
thrives is if Downtown Los Angeles thrives.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
We'll continue the conversation about revived DTLA with the Central
City Associations Nella McCosker.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Next, you're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Michael Monks reports on Michael Monks from KFI News with
you till nine o'clock tonight. We're talking about revive DTLA
a new report from the Central City Association. That's an
organization that has advocated for downtown for more than one
hundred years. The report says issues like crime, they can storefronts,
and homelessness need to be addressed right away. The association
(09:18):
also endorsed the recently approved plan for a two point
six billion dollar expansion of the Convention Center downtown, which
it says will help spur the local economy. Our guest
is Nella McCosker, President and CEO of the Central City
Association of Los Angeles. I think, regardless of how efficient
the project is, how beautiful it is afterwards, it's not
(09:40):
going to matter as much if the area around it,
Downtown Los Angeles is filthy and is unsafe or even
just feels unsafe, as it does to so many people.
So one of the areas that you've highlighted in your
report revived DTLA is safety. We talked about downtown punching
above its weight economically unfortunate. It also does in terms
(10:01):
of crimes. More than nine percent of what you call
Part one crimes or crimes against persons happen in downtown
Los Angeles. What are you calling for here in order
to improve safety measures.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Well, I think about the problem that we have in
the city of Los Angeles, and many jurisdictions across the
country are facing a shortage of traditional law enforcement officers.
And so my argument for why there should be a
higher concentration or a greater allocation of resources in the
city center is connected to this idea of the number
(10:36):
of crimes that occur, and then also the return on
investment of that concentration. Right, if we make our city
center somewhere that is safe and welcoming, we get more
from those dollars in.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
A ripple effect.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So what some of the things that we're calling for
are not do not require a massive new investment. It's
a reallocation of existing resources. Footbeet patrols, bike units. These
are some of the things that already our city leadership
has announced they will do in response to our plan
(11:13):
or even creative solutions. We have too many vacant storefronts,
which I know you know from walking the streets of downtown.
We have property owners who would be willing to lend
those spaces, even on temporary periods, to have officers be
able to drop in because there is a shortage of
officers across our department. They don't have enough time or
(11:36):
space to take a bathroom break or find a place
to grab a cup of coffee. How excellent would it
be if we are creative about how we use spaces
for those drop ins or those substations, so that we
are solving multiple problems at once. And one of those problems,
of course, right, the feeling of lack of safety or
(11:58):
sort of abandonment that you have when you walk down
a street and see too many of the storefront spaces empty.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Yeah, and not only that, the spaces, even though they
may be activated, are often vandalized. They're covered in graffiti.
Part of your recommendations here in the revived DTLA plan
is to help clean up downtown La it is. I'm
sad to say it is unacceptably filthy. What can the city,
(12:27):
especially in its financial condition, do.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I'm not going to misrepresent. I do think some of
it comes to prioritization. We know that there's a backlog
of some of the services that are provided around graffiti abatement,
street cleaning, and so you know, we just have to
be eyes wide open about the fact that there are
(12:51):
some spaces in our city that need to go get
in line first, and I would argue that Downtown is
among them. Now once again, we have a larger structural
issue that we need to solve, So how can we
use the short term tactics to inform the longer term ones.
One of the things that I think about and I
need to make sure I recognize and uplift is the
(13:11):
significant contribution of bids business improvement districts in downtown, which
essentially allow for you know, an allocation of private resources
towards basic maintenance even safety. Some of their folks are
you know, patrolling on bikes as well, And so one
(13:32):
of the things that the city can do, again in
a creative capacity, is integrate their efforts or better fund
and support and coordinate with the business improvement districts who
are already doing some of that graffiti batement, some of
that street cleaning. Are we stitching together these resources and
leveraging the work that's already being done, or even allocating
(13:55):
resources in a way that is less costly than you know,
traditional city model. So I think again, I'm sharing your
concern and frustration about what it feels like and the
experience of downtown, but I think that there's a lot
of infrastructure in place to leverage. If we're smart and
strategic and efficient, that can actually be quite transformative in
(14:20):
ninety days.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Well, I don't want to be cynical about it. I
want Downtown to succeed. Obviously, I'm committed to staying there.
But I think one symbol of either a lack of
priorities or just a lack of effectiveness by city hall
is also mentioned in your report Revived DTLA in the
section where you talk about activating downtown. One of your
(14:43):
suggestions is great return to office for government workers. No
brainer at this point. I mean, come on, get back downtown,
get your office. But on the other hand, you really
can't blame some companies who may have safety concerns. We've
discussed that already. But the biggest graffiti issue in downtown
Los Angeles, as annoying as all of it is, it's
the ocean wide plaza towers. I can't believe it's still
standing there looking like that. It just seems to envelop
(15:07):
what Los Angeles is to America. It's kind of a
joke right now. What can be done about those graffiti towers?
Speaker 3 (15:16):
It is a really important symbol. I I am glad
you raised that because it symbolizes the neglects that downtown
has been feeling for too many years now. And so
when you think about projects, and I do, I'm going
to bring us right back across the street. When I
think about the investment that the city just made in
the convention Center, and then you go your eyes, you
(15:39):
look across and you see ocean wide. There is a
different calculation, as I represent many in the private sector
towards wanting to be involved and take up that project
when you know that there's this huge investment happening in
the city owned.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Acid across the street.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
So we are in a period skill where there is
private interest. It's a complex matter given the history of
that building, but it's not one that is unsolvable, and
it will take public and private participation to resolve the
challenge of those graffiti towers. Now there comes a point
(16:23):
at which we can't accept just waiting for a private solution.
And so as we think about especially the Olympics, we're
a little too close already to the World Cup next summer,
but the Olympics will be this moment in which the
eyes of the world are on Los Angeles. The entire
globe comes to games and events and activities at the
(16:47):
convention Center. We will have to demand, and we do
demand even in our report, as you mentioned, condemnation eminent
domain things in the city and county and even state
and other levels of government's control to acquire that property
and work with the private sector to resolve. We are
reaching that point where we can't just wait and hope
(17:10):
for a private sale. We have to take it into
our own hands. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I'm so nervous about the Olympics. So we've got to
get the mops out. We've got to get the rags out.
We've got to clean this place up before that comes.
I walked to Rouse every Sunday there downtown and I
just look up at those towers and I think, how
is that still staring back at me. I just don't understand.
I'm going to keep some optimism. I appreciate the report
that is out from the Central City Association Revived DTLA.
(17:35):
We've been talking with the president and CEO, Nella McCosker,
representing that organization. Mela, thanks so much for the time
you gave us. I do appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Thanks for having me, Mica. I look forward to seeing
you on the streets of downtown. We'll do this together.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Thank you, got it? Count on it up next, speaking
of downtown LA and the convention Center, it is Comic
Con weekend in LA. So what is this big event?
Is it worth checking out if you're not into comics?
The answer apparently is yes. And Leonardold DiCaprio is back
on the big screen. We'll chat about the buzz around
the new picture, one battle after another.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from k
FI News with you on this Saturday night in southern California.
And if you're a nerd, or maybe even if you're not,
at this point, we're gonna talk about this. You've maybe
spent some time in downtown LA at the La Comic Con.
It is underway, goes on through tomorrow. And I looked
for the biggest nerd I could find to talk about it,
(18:37):
and it was Heather Brooker from KFI. How are you, Heather?
Speaker 6 (18:41):
How damn?
Speaker 3 (18:43):
What?
Speaker 6 (18:43):
I embrace it? I embrace my inner nerdumb and my quirkiness.
You know that's what we do.
Speaker 5 (18:47):
Well?
Speaker 2 (18:48):
You know you your news reporter here of course, but
you do have a heavy focus on the entertainment industry.
And what's interesting is that comic Con, whether it's here
in LA or anywhere, it's not really just about com
mix anymore. The associated media. I mean, it's it's entertainment.
It's a lot of different stuff. There's wrestlers here, there's
gaming involved here, all of it. It's all of nerdom.
(19:09):
It's like it's a pop culture event. That's more so
what it's morphed into. You know, years ago when the
cons started, I say the cons because I'm.
Speaker 6 (19:18):
One of them.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
You're a nerd.
Speaker 6 (19:18):
I'm one of the people. But it's a it's a
you know, started off small lots of comic book writers
and artists. They would get together and swap comic books
and sell them. And now it truly is one of
the largest pop culture events in the United States. Is
happening here in Los Angeles this weekend. Anime gaming, Marvel DC,
(19:39):
everything you can think of in terms of pop culture
is happening right now.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Where does LA's Comic Con rank compared to San Diego,
Santi San Diego's The big one is that the grandfather,
the godfather of them.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
Yeah, San Diego's is huge. San Diego Is is huge,
I think mostly because of the amount of space that
they have, and it's been big for so long. But
La is growing. Man. They have huge stars coming this weekend.
Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany from of course, Marvel, the Marvel Universe,
and WandaVision. You've got Charlie Cox from and Kristin Ritter
(20:16):
from Daredevil, which you know, my husband was very excited about.
He loves that show. You've also got like classics from
like the Scary Movie franchise.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
You've got some guys from Scream, Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich,
Jamie Kennedy, all from the Scream movies. So this is
what I wonder when you have This is not a
diss on any of these folks. These are working actors.
I'm just saying a lot of times people start to
go on this circuit once maybe the active acting has
slowed down a little bit, and I start to show
(20:45):
up to talk about the roles you once played because
they have this cult following and people and it's a
way to make some money.
Speaker 6 (20:51):
Make money. Yeah, they make money because you know, these
are huge franchises. The screen franchise. You know all the
animated shows, Bob's Burger, you know, Simpsons, everything, every fandom
you could think of. The voice actors, the actors who
start in them, this is a way for them to
one connect with their fans, keep their name sort of
(21:12):
in the mix for things. You know, people talking about them,
which is important as an actor. You want people talking
about you and stay relevant. And then also, yeah, they
make money. I mean, if you go to the meet
and greets or the autograph sessions, you're looking anywhere from
twenty to maybe one hundred dollars or more to get
an autograph from your favorite person. Now, people like Elizabeth
(21:32):
Olsen and Paul Bettany generally probably will not be doing
one on one meet and greets with fans. They're probably
gonna come and do a panel speak for maybe thirty
forty five minutes, and then then they'll duck out.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
But if you're an actor who who may not be
working as much as you once did, or you're waiting
for the next part, you're in between gigs, as so
many actors often are, even the big ones, Yes, this
is a way to get an extra few thousand dollars
in your pocket in a day.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
It really is. And it's also it's fun, Like it's fun.
I mean, you're there with people who all love you
what you do and enjoy your work, and they just
want to talk to you about it, and they want
to be like, hey, look I met this person or
you know, maybe some people like to collect autographs like
they collect toys or you know, games, or you know
whatever it might be, whatever your collect fandom is, but
(22:16):
they also collect heedshots and autographs from these stars. I've
never done that. I did. Well, that's not true. Can
I tell you my story?
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (22:23):
Yeah, So I am a big Star Trek nerd.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Are you really? Oh my god, I called it a nerd.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
See, you're so mean to me. Everyone needs to know
how We're.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Going to talk about this next about how mean you
are to me? All right, Star Trek.
Speaker 6 (22:39):
Okay, So I'm a big Star Trek fan. And when
I was younger, Next Generation was my jam. I loved
everything about that show. I watched every episode and I
had a crush on Will Wheaton, the actor Will we played. Also, yeah,
I played Wesley Clusher And of course in stand By
Me and the Convention, one of the Star Trek con
or whatever it was came to Tulsa, where I lived.
(23:01):
I wanted to go and get his autograph, like such
a nerdy moment, and I still have that picture. But
this is what fans do. I haven't done that since
I go now for the pure joy of seeing my
daughter get excited to play the games and check out
what new games are coming out video games. We go
and we people watch, you know, people dress up and
they cause play and they walk around and it's it's
(23:22):
just a really fun event.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Do you think, well, Wheaton remembers you.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
I'm pretty sure, pretty sure maybe he remembers me from
standing outside of his house waving to him.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Okay, don't make a confession on the air, especially during
my show. I'm on a tight rope here.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
See now, people are getting a glimpse of our newsroom
chats that we have. I make Michael uncomfortable a lot.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
There is a news component to this because the La
Comic Con takes place in downtown LA at the Convention Center,
and goodness knows, anybody who listens to k if I
regularly has heard me yelling about the convention Center for
the past two weeks, and this two point six billion
dollar expansion the city has approved despite their precarious financial position.
But you talked to one of the organizers of this event,
(24:02):
maybe the big guy, right, Yeah, and they're excited about it.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
So CEO Krista Mulin has run La Comic Con for
you know, since the beginning, and he is a big
proponent of the changes that are coming, you know, because
they have produced this event year after year in a dated,
awkwardly you know, laid out facility. So they would love
for this facility to be renovated in order to be
(24:28):
have more people coming and have a better event for them.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Now, did he give you any tips. Let's say you're
me and you're not a nerd.
Speaker 6 (24:38):
I love how you think you're not a nerd. You're
just a nerd in different ways. Oh, I absolutely am.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
I am.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
I often think that I'm not cool enough to be
a nerd. Nerd is not the same pejorative that it
used to be. I mean, there are there's certain pride
in being a nerd. I played video games, for example,
but I'm not good at any That's what I mean.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
Like, just say it.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
I play a lot of the Nintendo Basic games, you know,
Mario Party, my Nintendo Buddy, you play online all the time,
I'm going to.
Speaker 6 (25:03):
Bring a Nintendo to the newsroom, but we'll just have
it out.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I'm very good at Mario Party.
Speaker 6 (25:07):
I have to tell you the Mario Party. See. I
like the classic Nintendo games, like any classics, Simario two, I.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Like Super Mario Brothers too, all of it one of
the best ones.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
I wanted to get a tattoo of Princess Peach at
one point, and my husband take to me off that ledge.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
I'm glad. I'm glad. But what I'm saying is there
are you know, people who are nerds that I could
only aspire to be because they're so knowledgeable, We're so
intense about this. But if you are what they might
call a nube, a right, a casual somebody who's new
to this, what do you do when you go to
a comic con because you still got time. If you
(25:40):
go down there tomorrow to check out La Comic Con,
how do you take it all in as an amateur?
Speaker 6 (25:45):
So there's a couple of things you need to keep
in mind. One, it is at the LA Convention Center,
so parking is going to be tricky. Do ride share
if you can, just to physically get yourself there. Use
the app. This year, they have a wonderful app that
helps you guide through the panels who speak and when
and what time. You can kind of plan out your day,
figure out where you want to go. But if this
is your first comic con, just give yourself some time
(26:07):
to walk through the convention center, walk through the rooms,
take it all in, people watch a little bit. You
know you're going to want to look around. There's so
many booths, hundreds of booths of people selling everything from
T shirts and music to you know, collectibles, and just
sort of absorb it all in. You don't have to
be a deep track you know nerd or have a
specific fandom in order to enjoy it. Just go and
(26:29):
enjoy the process of it and honestly just supporting local artists,
local writers, and people who are creating these you know con.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Fandoms for us LA Comic Con running through tomorrow at
the LA Convention Center and downtown LA. If you're worried
about the traffic, you can take the Metro. I think
it's the a line that drops you off right in front.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
You love the Metro.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Public transportation. While acknowledging the challenges have their stick around
Because Leonardo DiCaprio. I am a nerd about him. I
love him back in the theaters and I want to talk
about the movie that he's got coming out. Very excited.
This is Michael Monk's report. You're listening to KFI AM
six forty on demand. This is Michael Monks Reports and
(27:19):
Michael Monks from KFI News wrapping up the show on
this Saturday night in southern California. I'm joining by my
colleague here at KFI head their brookers. She's always got
her eye on Hollywood, and there was a time where
I always had my eye on Leonardo DiCaprio, didn't we all? Yeah,
what a study was back when we were kids. I mean,
he was the teen heartthup. He's managed to be one
of those guys who has maintained not just a career,
(27:42):
but he is one of the big stars of our time. Yeah,
big movie coming out.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
It quite impressive.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
I don't know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Reading online about this movie. What's it called?
Speaker 6 (27:51):
One big battle after another?
Speaker 2 (27:54):
One big battle?
Speaker 6 (27:54):
No, one battle after one battle. I just added another descriptive.
It's I was thinking of one big beautiful bill.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I know, like part News, part Hollywood. That's KFI what
are the reviews that I'm seeing, Because it seems like
the post I'm seeing from people on social media is
like their life has been changed by seeing this movie.
What is so special about this Leo flick?
Speaker 6 (28:21):
This is gonna be one of those movies that comes
along every once in a while that everybody just says, Wow,
this is what Hollywood was meant to be. This is
great storytelling meets great directing meets great acting, and it
is getting great reviews right now, ninety eight percent on
Rotten Tomatoes. If you enjoy the Rotten Tomato scores and
(28:42):
you live or die by them, then you will appreciate this.
It's directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, so it's a very
pt Anderson feel to it. Leonardo DiCaprio stars with Benicio
del Toro, and it is about a husband whose daughter
is taken from I believe his wife is also killed.
I don't want to spoil too much of all the movies,
(29:03):
so please don't please don't at me.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, I haven't seen anything I know.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Sorry. So he has to go on this crazy adventure
to get her back, and it's bold. It's beautifully shot
in VistaVision, and it's just it's just one of those
movies that I think really captures what people are looking
for right now. Great storytelling, and it's going to do
really well at the box And this is.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
The type of movie that Hollywood needs again, right It's
like what Tom Cruise is talking about. You need the
big Hollywood stars and a big Hollywood movie so that
you get butts in the seats because the theaters are struggling.
Speaker 6 (29:36):
Yeah, this is definitely going to draw a lot of
people to the box office.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
You know.
Speaker 6 (29:39):
Leonardo DiCaprio is a big name Panisio del Toro, same thing,
and it's some Oscar bait for sure. I think he
will get nominated again for an Academy Award for this.
He's just incredibly watchable and really immersive.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
You know.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
I've often talked about how some actors their public life,
So who seeds their life on screen? Like when you're
watching a Tom Cruise movie, are you like, there's Tom
Cruise playing in this film, or there's Brad Pitt playing
in this film. I think that Leonardo DiCaprio is one
of those people that can still be fully immersed in
a movie and I'm not thinking, oh, there's Leonardo Kavia.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
We don't know a lot about him. I mean, he
has some like the environmental activism that he gets into.
We know he tends to go through girlfriends relatively quickly
on the younger side, so that's kind of been a thing.
But that's really it. Like he doesn't He's not out.
Speaker 6 (30:29):
There a lot, no, and I think that's probably by choice.
I mean, he was a child actor. He probably has
seen a lot of the ins and outs of Hollywood.
He's probably dabbled in some of the things that other
kids were ensnared in, you know, and and still made
a really long career out of being in this business,
which is very hard to do.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
What's your favorite Leo movie? I mean, I love Titanic.
I know this is a very basic thing to say,
but it is probably an all time favorite movie. I
can sit and watch it anytime. Probably departed, you know
what I love? What one of his worst reviews, The Beach?
Speaker 6 (31:01):
Do you remember the Beach?
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Back in the nineties? The Beach is I think what
he did right after Titanic, he had been speculated to
possibly be starring an American psycho, which ultimately Patrick I'm
gonna say, Patrick Bateman characters dance.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
What is his name?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Fantastic actor. I know there's people driving right now screaming
Christian and he's also an incredible actor. H And American
Psycho is my favorite movie of all time. But my
favorite Leo movie is The Beach. So I brought up
American psychle because I think he dropped out of American
Psycho to do The Beach. The Beach, yeah, and it didn't.
It didn't. It was a well received, but it's a
(31:42):
gorgeous film.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (31:45):
I have to say Departed for sure was the one
where I was like, man, this guy is incredible. And
then also Gangs of New York. Yeah, you can't deny
how amazing he was.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
You know what, he is a movie star? Yes, you
know you just love watching Leo.
Speaker 6 (31:58):
Yeah he is, and that I think a lot of
people are going to go to the to the box
office this weekend and see this film and go, oh yeah,
really love this guy.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I was making fun of you speaking of movie stars earlier,
because you were telling me your life story and I
was really bored me. You would because you're an actor
as well. Yes, and you you you're a working actor.
I mean you have credits. I'm looking at your IMDb,
the Internet Movie Database page right now. Incidentally, there was
a there's an ad for the Leo movie right here,
(32:28):
staring staring at me. But you were telling me about
your experience when you were starting out here and how
you you were exploring comedy at first. You still do
stand up, but you were exploring improv. You're part of
some of the high profile improv groups. Then something didn't
go your way, but you the groundlings rejected me. Okay,
I want to say say, okay, so the groundlings said
(32:49):
you're not good enough. You went through four years of
work with the Groundlings, got to the end and like
bugger off bye. But you said, then you got a
good thing, which was Monk. You had a parent's on
Monk and I asked, how old are you?
Speaker 6 (33:03):
Here's the devil.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
I know we're the same age.
Speaker 6 (33:06):
It was a joke, but I'm a little young.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
With that's speaking of longevity. I mean, you've got a
lot of credits and I'm looking at them like Monk.
You know that was that That's not Small Potatoes. That
was a big show on USA.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
That was I was actually that wasn't my very first role.
This is going to be deep track for a lot
of people, but I was. My very first role was
on a show called the Frank Caliendo Show Frank TV,
where he was doing like a series of sketch comedy shows,
a sketch comedy like skits and see.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
It right here Frank TV. You played Jessica.
Speaker 6 (33:36):
I played Baby Jessica who got trapped in the well.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Oh my god, that's a throwback to our childhood.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
But she as an adult, she was all.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Oh, that's so wrong. I got to look that up.
Speaker 6 (33:46):
That's got to be on YouTube if you find it, Polly.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
All of us have a certain age, remember baby Jessica.
I'm at the Catholic school and in kindergarten. I guess
it was only because you always had to offer up
a prayer, who are you praying for today? And it
was always Baby Jessica. During that period, we were all like,
we're privd babes.
Speaker 6 (34:04):
One of the first like television news stories that we
were all just captivated by. Even maybe was it pre
oj I don't know a lot of eighties. Yeah, well
I was playing her as a grown up, all grown up, and.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
I have served you know, she is a real person
of really.
Speaker 6 (34:18):
I know, I know, but I don't look like her.
Maybe I did then, But if somebody finds it, let
me know. I have looked for years to try to
find this episode because I never it's not out there.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
No, Heather Brooker is baby Jessica, adult Jessica.
Speaker 6 (34:30):
I have scrubbed it from the internet.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
I'm sure somebody got a letter and that.
Speaker 6 (34:35):
It was on a show called Mind of Mencia.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
With Yeah, I remember that one.
Speaker 6 (34:39):
And uh and then Monk Monk was my first big
legit TV.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Bro then, you know, and I'm not making fun of you,
like you actually have a good looking resume. Gray's Anatomy,
The Middle, Private Practice, the Mindy Project, Cougar Town.
Speaker 6 (34:54):
Why am I even here? What am I doing?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
I know, I'm looking at this and I'm thinking, yeah,
all right, Heather Brooker, You've done a lot of work.
So that's I'm just adding to the credibility that you
have and that you do. You know the industry, You've
been around the industry. You had your heart broke early on,
and you spun and you got some work. I mean,
there are people who move out here and never get
a single credit.
Speaker 6 (35:12):
That's true. I have some friends who are still, you know,
striving to get that first opportunity on television, and I
don't take a second of it for granted. I do
feel very lucky and very blessed that I've had as
many opportunities as i have. But that being said, as
you pointed out, when I'm talking about entertainment stories, it's
from a perspective of someone who has been there, who
has been on a set, who has been in many
(35:33):
stages of the entertainment you know, process, and also still
able to look at it objectively as someone who cares
about the stories from the entertainment world.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
And look how you've made it. You are now second
banana to Michael Monks on KFI.
Speaker 6 (35:45):
On saturdayment and happily, so, happily so you're.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
My favorite banana. Feather Brooker, my teammate here at KFI.
Thank you and thanks all of you for listening to us.
If you missed any part of our program, good conversation
today about this new planned revived down to Los Angeles
and weather City Hall will listen to it. You can
always get the podcast on the iHeartRadio app. We'll be
back again next week with another edition of Michael Monks
Reports right here on KFI AM six forty KFI
Speaker 1 (36:13):
AM six forty on demand
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