Letters to Calendar: Talking LACMA’s ‘Rain Room’

Time to get out of the ring — or not?

Good article [“Going Another Round in His Guise as Rocky,” Nov. 1]. It’s sad that the movie industry thinks Sylvester Stallone’s a one-trick pony and yet doesn’t ever want him to be seen as anything other than that one trick. I found Stallone’s comments very insightful, honest, humble and genuine. I look forward to seeing the movie.

Laura Fratino

Alhambra

Stallone should retire this character. Even Andy Hardy went on too long.

Dave Fairburn

Seattle

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Taking a bite out of modern hubris

I’d like to thank Kenneth Turan for his heartfelt piece on what he experienced at a recent screening of Tod Browning’s 1931 film classic “Dracula” [“‘Dracula’ Meets Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet, and Issues Arise,” Nov. 1]. I expressly decided not to attend one of these screenings for fear that what he painfully described would happen.

Rather, on Halloween, I sat at home in a darkened room and introduced the film to my 25-year-old daughter, watching a beautifully remastered version on Blu-ray. She loved it.

I’m writing simply to let Turan know that I get it. No need to have something you love debased by the hollow laughter and naive snickering of 21st century hubris.

George DelHoyo

Toluca Lake

Critic is all wet on ‘Rain Room’

After experiencing “Rain Room” myself [“‘Rain Room’ Taking L.A. by Storm,” Nov. 2], I could not be in greater disagreement with your apparently curmudgeon critic Christopher Knight. It is a wondrous installation. In drought-stricken L.A., it was truly refreshing to be in the middle of a rainstorm without getting wet (admittedly, there are some errant raindrops).

The illuminated rain surrounds you like countless suns in an ultimately transcendent experience (hardly “basically bland appointment art”). Coupled with the monumental Frank Gehry retrospective and James Turrell’s Ganzfeld installation, this is a good time to visit LACMA. Really.

Hubertus W. Zegers

South Pasadena

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WATCH: Inside “Rain Room,” an elaborate art installation that allows visitors to walk through a simulated downpour, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (Video by Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Leave the reality for TV, Internet

It shouldn’t come as a shock to Hollywood studio executives that films like “Truth” and “Our Brand Is Crisis” flop miserably at the box office. With the public bombarded with political issues 24/7 on Fox News, MSNBC, CNN and the Internet, audiences are looking for an escape from all that, especially during this endless election cycle. Between Hillary Rodham Clinton’s emails and Donald Trump’s hairline, there’s very little time for other priorities. Movies have always been an outlet from reality, and the last thing most people want to see on the big screen is another political argument. It just isn’t very entertaining.

Charles Reilly

Manhattan Beach

Good question for Oscar, eh?

In last Sunday’s letters [Feedback, Nov. 1], a writer wondered when the the Oscars were last hosted by a Latin American. Which provokes my equally valid query: When was the last time the Oscars were hosted by a Nova Scotian, eh?

Merrill Sarty

Los Angeles