There is something similar to The Simpsons with Transformers, where one of them stands at the entrance all day long. Two meters tall. Alive.
It says completely normal things, not what it's programmed to say, takes pictures with everyone, and teases the children passing by. It looks like a real robot. #JawDropped
The attraction itself is a recruitment drive to fight the Decepticons, where you are first prepared and trained, and then sent in a car to watch the battle. (Training, by the way, in every attraction is about how to behave properly in the cart, i.e., don't eat, don't smoke, don't stick your hands out. A small thing, but always relevant.)
A similar set of "fighters" is also in Despicable Me. Only there it's more in a 4D cinema mode, where they will turn you from humans into minions, showing the process in a cartoon and rocking you in chairs, and spraying water in your face. (Yes, water is an integral part of almost every attraction here.)
4D was also shown in the 20-minute Shrek cartoon, which many have probably seen somewhere. It was an addition to the first part, if I'm not mistaken. But I tried 4D to the fullest for the first time, and sometimes it's really creepy. Especially when spiders fall on the screen and something small tickles your feet. Brrr. Otherwise, it's mostly water, air, touches, movements. It's amusing, you know.
Besides this, there was a special effects show where they demonstrated how special effects are made in Hollywood. They invited various kinds of volunteers, who were dressed in something to show computer effects on the screen. That is, people are standing on stage, and on the screen, they end up somewhere on a skyscraper, in the jungle, etc., etc. They depicted those famous black suits with light bulbs, green walls, and the like.
That is, they dressed him in this, and on the screen, he turns into someone, and it repeated all his movements.
And they even cut a girl's hand with a huge knife in front of everyone. There was so much bloooood. Horror.
Well, and then, of course, it was all briefly explained. And this whole demonstration was with humor and fun from the hosts, as well as various surprises that you just have to see.
The next thing you need to see is a live interpretation of the movie Waterworld. For those who don't know: this is a rather old movie starring Kevin Costner. At the time, the picture became the most expensive, but also a failure, but it was filmed right at this studio, so they apparently value it here. There are giant sets just like in the movie, many actors, and a real slaughter, massacre, etc. A real movie happens before your eyes with all the explosions and other consequences. It's very plausible.
After the explosions, you can and should relax by watching how animal actors are filmed. In a special presentation, we were introduced to them, shown various tricks used by trainers in movies that shouldn't be in the frame. It is both funny and very informative at the same time, as it was always interesting how they do it. In principle, I guessed that the essence was in gestures, but that day I was convinced. + they have a special trick where the animal sits if you show it. There are many different animals there. Some just run by, and some really know a lot and even without special commands, as it seemed to me.
And the last and most important thing is the tour of the entire studio, which lasts 45 minutes. You will be taken all over the territory and shown all the most interesting things, as well as many places where famous movies were filmed or where some filming is currently taking place. The tour consists not only of information but also of videos and photos that are shown on the screen right in the bus. Plus, you are also given 3D glasses, and at one point Peter Jackson will appear on the screen and order you to put them on. Then we will drive into a long tunnel, where, perhaps, the longest 3D screen in the world is located. It was 10 meters, if I'm not lying, and there we ended up inside Jackson's King Kong movie, where dinosaurs started attacking us, King Kong ran up, we started falling, and another car like ours appeared on the screen nearby. In general, everything is too realistic.
In addition, you will be taken a couple of times to places where they will show cool special effects from some movies. Either a bridge will fall in front of you, or a flood will start, or you will go through a river in the style of Moses. They will also show some famous places, like Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives, cities from The Grinch, cars from Fast & Furious and Transformers, and many more cool things.
Besides these trips and shows, the park itself can offer you many different cafes, photos with characters, a small amusement park, souvenir shops, many beautiful streets from different countries and movies, as well as a museum where there is, for example, Hawking's wheelchair from a recent movie or a real Oscar statuette, as well as the original car from Back to the Future:
In short, I left late. Almost at closing time. Satisfied and happy.
Day four. About buses, friendship, and right paths.
Let's start with the fact that on the park day, I had to get to the Apple Store to buy a charging adapter, as mine started to get terribly hot and glitch. The store was not very close, so I had to get acquainted with the bus system, which is integrated with the subway here and, in fact, represents the same thing, but above ground. My path was direct without transfers, so everything was simple. (The app on my phone already told me this) Buses go fast because they don't stop at every station. For example, where there are no waiting passengers, and if no one inside requests a stop by pressing a button or pulling a string. That's the system here. But there is a problem that they run rarely, so if you miss one, you wait for quite a long time.
Moving on. Returning, I remembered that it was Friday evening, and my neighbor is an avid party-goer. This, by the way, is the reason why he does Couchsurfing so often - he is looking for colleagues to hang out with. It's just that I'm not a big fan. I came more to see the city. Oh yes, by the way, he is also African American. But when I called him that, he asked: "what did you call me?", and said: "listen, I call you white, myself black. You call yourself white, why can't you call me black?" In essence, his logic is correct.
That night he started calling my phone asking to open the gate. Yes, his apartment is located in an apartment complex with a common courtyard and pool, as we often see in American movies. Such places are usually rented.
He forgot the entrance code because he was drunk and asked to let him in. Of course, later he talked a lot of nonsense about how he was tortured at work, how he had a great time today, and in general, that he needs to change his apartment. Then I reminded him that I had been walking around the park for 7 hours today, and he immediately realized that I was tired. After that, he fell asleep abruptly.
Honestly, I was a little afraid to go to him then, but in the end, he turned out to be a great guy: sociable, cheerful, and just very optimistic. One of those who doesn't worry about problems at all. I didn't regret my first Couchsurfing experience at all. It was really very informative and I met a very interesting person. Who then pulled a cord for an iPhone for me from Best Buy for cheap, as he works there. Something like that.
In the morning, he promised to sleep in, and then show me that famous Hollywood sign on the hill. It is not so far from our house, so we just walked there. A couple of blocks from the house and we were already at the foot of the so-called "hike", which already goes up a small mountain.
There are several paths, as it turned out.
Kenny suggested going the way he supposedly took all the surfers, but I fell for the official path where a crowd of tourists was walking and forced him to follow them. So what? Yes, I messed up. We climbed, got exhausted, and got the most ordinary side view, and even so far away. I'll even give you a photo for further comparison:
Descending, we went along another path where his German or Romanian friends (I don't remember exactly) once walked, but we didn't see anything worthwhile there either. Yes, closer, but houses interfered with a good shot there.
And what do you think? In the end, we went along the very road that Kenny suggested at the very beginning, which goes generally to the side of everyone, through residential houses, where there is not a single tourist, but it leads to the most forbidden territory of the sign. There is already a whole dozen road signs that forbid us to go further, saying it is allowed only to locals, and we are supposedly such bad people. We reached the very end, where there is really a limit, as a couple of steps forward would cause an alarm and large fines. Kenny said that one of the surfers tried to go there to the letters and a siren screamed. And, of course, they ran away. What would happen next is unclear.
Here is the best view of those that can be done on a legal basis:
As I already said, the letters really evoke magical emotions that you don't even know how to describe. Hundreds of frames of various movies, cartoons, and games fly through your head, where either the original inscription or one redone in its own style appears. Here you truly feel your presence in the city of Los Angeles.
Among other things, the whole hike gives the most desire to live in Los Angeles, because on the way to the sign there are really very beautiful houses that are not like each other. Each has its own style, where you want to drown, taking an infinite number of photos. All these houses are an ideal reflection of some kind of America that we all imagine in our dreams. No. Not like that. These houses are an ideal reflection of what we see in dreams about an ideal house on an ideal street with a beautiful lawn and friendly neighbors. You walk and are just amazed: how the hell do they build all this. Especially what is on the hills. At such moments, you really want to drop everything and move to such a house, but to buy it, you need at least 2 million, as Kenny said.
Day five. California fiesta.
Last day in Los Angeles, and, honestly, my thoughts are already about another place, but more on that later.
Today Kenny promised to take me to the famous California beaches. No, well, I was already on a California one last year, but not on the beaches of Los Angeles. This is cooler.
It takes a long time to get there - about an hour by bus, as it is the outskirts of the city, but it is definitely worth it.
We arrived at Santa Monica and I just lost my speech. Yes, it's incredible, honestly. It's even better to live here than in Hollywood. Although it is cooler here than in the city because of the wind, everything here is just much brighter than, perhaps, the whole of America where I have already been.
Upon arrival, we walked along the beach pier, where fun is already happening in the form of street performers, merchants, restaurants, and the like. On the right is a pier where many people are just sunbathing. People are crowding at the edge of the pier to watch sea lions jumping in the water. Yes, imagine that. Not fish, but sea lions. They are fed here somehow, so they often hang out here.
To the left of the pier is the beach itself, which is now empty:
Firstly, many people are afraid of the recent increase in shark attacks on these beaches,
And secondly, it's still quite cool for swimming these days. But there are still those who swim.
Along this beach, along a special path, we headed to another one - Venice Beach, which, as Kenny said, is even cooler.
People move along this path mainly on bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, and special small carriages. Roller skates, interestingly, have 4 wheels, unlike ours - 2-wheeled ones. On the sides of these lanes, people in swimsuits and trunks play volleyball, walk on special mini rope courses, and generally have fun as much as they can. One thing is clear - come here in the morning and hang out here all day.
Getting to Venice Beach, you realize that it wasn't fun at Santa Monica yet. Real fun starts here. On the second beach, you will step onto something like a promenade, where a crowd of various merchants, artists, dancers, singers, magicians, shops, etc., etc. will begin.
Wherever you spit, everywhere they will offer to buy something really very interesting, beautiful, unique, because each of these artists is unique in their own way. Here you are ready to spend all your money if you had the opportunity. On this promenade, you can buy, it seems to me, everything you want.
People who are completely unlike each other rush past you. And you are amazed at each of them in a new way.
Of course, there is a lot of fun here. At the end of the promenade, right on the beach, there are parties. That day, for example, music was playing, everyone was dancing. And everyone was dancing in different places; someone on roller skates, someone just like that, someone was battling, and someone was fooling around, but most importantly - everyone is happy. Yes, these people are all a little crazy, but they are happy.
We went out to the beach and bought ourselves a Quesadilla - it's something like pita bread, only Mexican-style, and then sat on the grass, ate, and watched the whole fiesta around. It was really cool.
I looked with envy at the surfers with boards. One day I will definitely try this business. Kenny said it only costs 10 dollars an hour.
What else is very cool is, of course, the unique sunsets with palm trees that you won't trade for anything.
Yes, this is California, friends. This is a place that you definitely need to visit, where you need to enjoy life.
A small summary.
Many strive here. They just run to California. "Well, there are palm trees and sun here in general."
Guys, there are more homeless people here than anywhere else, I think. Los Angeles, for example, is one of the most (if not the most) expensive cities in America and living here is terribly expensive, so visitors sit on the street here and ask to help them with a ticket back.
Sun and palm trees are really great, but you need to be careful when you make a stereotypical opinion about this state. I'm not saying that you shouldn't go here, no. You can go here, but with some experience of living in the states. Already having something under your belt. "Rising" - it seems to me, is very difficult there.
In general, you need to go there to enjoy, get high, and have fun. Here you need to move endlessly, somehow develop more energy, because this is a state of endless energy.
And Los Angeles is a city of some kind of drive, sexy girls, beautiful cars, Latin American men, homeless people, expensive life, and also just - Hollywood.
