"Under the Influence" has the feel of a retro talk show - say, perhaps, Dick Cavett's - it's more concerned with substance than style or energy. Monday's debut show is, sadly, of a timely nature, as Elvis conducted one of the last interviews the late director/producer/surprisingly-good-actor Sydney Pollack gave. Pollack tells an amusing "Tootsie" anecdote about Dustin Hoffman's efforts to woo him to play his agent in the film that Pollack also directed - but, if you read between the lines, it kind of sounds like Hoffman didn't respect him all that much.

Which is borne out next week, when Mitchell interviews Bill Murray, who tells a couple of funny "Tootsie" stories confirming the conflagrations that occurred on that set between Pollack and Hoffman. They'd argue over whether the sun was out, Murray jokes, but what's truly revelatory about his exchange with Elvis is how thoughtful and insightful he can be about the art of film acting.

You've likely never seen Murray so reflective. Part of this is due to the fact that Murray and Mitchell are pals, so the ordinarily reticent interviewee Murray opens up in ways he usually doesn't, but part of it is due to the fact that when Elvis interviews people, he doesn't lob them too many softballs but intuitively asks them questions they can really chew on.

In the July 14 episode, Murray discusses how actors shift the emphasis to their colleagues and how, after seeing a Clint Eastwood movie and watching how masterfully Eastwood brought out his co-stars, he approached Clint about doing a movie together (he wanted to play the sidekick who got killed and instigated Clint's killing spree, which, of course, never happened).

He also discusses a number of movies that have moved him, and how they humble him every time he walks on the set of a film. Even making bad movies is hard work, he tells Elvis, which is why he has such a hard time with hackery and why his reputation for being "difficult" should be seen in a different light once you watch this.

- "Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence:" Mondays at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (PCT), Turner Classic Movies. On Monday at 5:30 p.m., TCM will present Pollack's film "Tootsie;" at 8 p.m., it will air "An American in Paris," one of the films Pollack discusses on the show. On July 14, TCM will broadcast two of the classics Bill Murray champions, "A Night at the Opera" at 5:30 p.m. and "North by Northwest" at 8 p.m.

You'll recall that in the last gubernatorial election, the Democrats put up Phil Angelides as their candidate, and he turned out to be a real snoozer. Angelides is bright, likable and very boring.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH: Matthew Troupe, P, Granada Hills, Fr.. - Troupe was the star in a 1-0 victory over Bell in the City Invitational championship at Dodger Stadium, pitching a four-hit shutout and contributing two hits.

COACH OF YEAR: Tom Meusborn, Chatsworth - The Chancellors weren't supposed to as strong as usual because of the graduation of four-year standouts Mike Moustakas and Matt Dominguez, both first-round draft choices, but Meusborn's business-like approach and building focus worked wonders.

Even without its usual star power, Chatsworth dominated in the City playoffs, culiminating in a 7-2 victory over Narbonne in the City Championship at Dodger Stadium, Chatsworth's second consecutive title and eighth overall (seven under Meusborn).

SECOND TEAM
Malcom Culver, Palmdale, INF
Kelly Dugan, Notre Dame, INF
Trevor Gee, Notre Dame, INF
Sean Gilmartin, Crespi, UTIL
Shane Kroker, Westlake, INF
Jacob Mahan, Camarillo, INF
Alex Mejia, ECR, INF
Edgar Olmos, Birmingham, P
Jeremy Rodriguez, Crespi, C
Shon Roe, Quartz Hill, INF
Greg Selarz Calabasas, P
Steve Selsky, Loyola, UTIL
Chad Smith, Thousand Oaks, P
Eric Smith, La Canada, INF
Richard Stock, Agoura, OF
Michael Tonkin, Palmdale, P
Jenzen Torres, Hart, INF
Mike Vinyard, Royal, C
Christian Yelich, Westlake, 1B
James Wharton, Chatsworth, IB


HONORABLE MENTION:
Ricky Alvarez, San Fernando, INF; Greg Armendarez, Cleveland, UTIL; Alex Birgel, Thousand Oaks, OF; Michael Booth ECR, UTIL; Tyler Brubaker, Saugus, OF;
Chance Cross, Simi Valley, OF; Dewey Gratton, Moorpark, IB; Ryan Hawthorne, Crespi, UTIL; Tom Hocutt, Thousand Oaks, IB; Matt Hartunian, Montclair Prep, UTIL; Dylan Jones, Valencia, OF; Carlos Lopez, Crespi, INF; Travis McBride, Quartz Hill, C; Robbie Mousselli, Valencia, UTIL; Drew Sandler, Simi Valley, UTIL; JoJo Sharar, Newbury Park, C; Danny Susdorf, Hart, OF; Karl Turner, Alemany, IB; Nik Turley, Harvard-Westlake, P; Greg Zebrack, Campbell Hall, OF.



League champions

Alpha: Whitter Christian
Foothill: Hart
Frontier: Bishop Diego & Carpinteria
Golden: Quartz Hill
Heritage: Santa Clarita Christian
Liberty: Viewpoint
Marmonte: Simi Valley & Thousand Oaks
Mission: Crespi
Northern: Marshall
Olympic: Campbell Hall
Pacific: Crescenta Valley
Pacific View: Oxnard
Prep: Pasadena Poly
Rio Hondo: Monrovia
Santa Fe: St. Anthony
Sunset Six: Verdugo Hills
Tri-Valley: St. Bonaventure
Valley: Arleta
Valley Mission: Kennedy
West Valley: Chatsworth

SECTION CHAMPIONS
Div. I: Simi Valley
Div. III: Notre Dame
Div. VII: Viewpoint
City Championship: Chatsworth
City Invitational: Granada Hills

DAILY NEWS FINAL TOP 10

1. Notre Dame (27-4) - Won Div. III championshiop at Dodger Stadium
2. Simi Valley (25-8) - Dethroned defending Div. I champ Long Beach Wilson in final
3. Chatsworth (29-5) - Won second City title in row, eighth overall
4. Hart (23-7) - Led by star pitchers Michael Montgomery and Trevor Bauer
5. Quartz Hill (25-6-2) - Team loved to hit home runs in windy Antelope Valley
6. Valencia (22-8) - Another strong season for talented Foothill League program
7. Crespi (23-6) - A great season until surprise second-round Div. III playoff loss
8. Thousand Oaks (20-10) - Led by slugger Jett Bandy, Lancers could swing with best of 'em.
9. Kennedy (22-11-1) - Caught fire at end of season until loss in semi's to eventual City champ Chatsworth
10. Cleveland (25-8-1) - Rode its deep pitching staff to City semifinals
OTHERS: Crescenta Valley (19-6); Saugus (17-10); Camarillo (19-8); Royal (19-9); Loyola (18-13).

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

That hope is gleaned from four reports released late last month showing sales have increased for four consecutive months. And there is a strong indication that June's sales will increase from May.

Before a market can recover, it has to find a bottom. Maybe we've seen it.

"Probably by the end of the year we will start to see some stability in the (county's) housing market," said Jack Kyser, vice president and chief economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

But several months later, McCain has been all but an absentee candidate in the Southland, prompting the popular blog LAist to wonder after his recent campaign swing into other parts of the state: "Why did John McCain avoid Los Angeles?"

It is the same question of the McCain operation that has been asked even by some of his followers in the San Fernando Valley - especially as the local Barack Obama grass-roots campaign in recent weeks has regularly scheduled bake sales, house parties, voter registration drives and other activities.

Which then fills my mind with thoughts of this:

Three weeks of people dishonestly and/or delusionally explicating how their fetid programming approaches new levels of genius and will change the face of television forever begin Tuesday! As an added bonus, the broadcast networks will offer ever more Byzantine explanations as to why they're not in all that much trouble, despite what you've heard.

I've already picked out the straight razor that will empty my veins when a straight-faced producer insists that his/her show is truly inventive and not just picked up by a network because it was cheap to produce! Visit here early and often for a front seat to what may be, thanks to Jesse Helms' recent death, America's vastest repository of ill-considered buffoonery!

Still, there weren't many talking points anyway.

Chivas USA were fortunate to get a 1-0 win from an 88th minute Ante Razov free kick against the San Jose Earthquakes, the league's worst team. But so tight is the Western Conference, with the top six teams separated by just three points, that Chivas USA has zoomed from sixth to first.

Here's Chivas USA Coach Preki on goalscorer Ante Razov's performance:

"I thought tonight was his best performance (of the season). He looked calmer on the ball."

"It hits (Chivas USA defender Paulo) Nagamura in the shoulder, it changes direction and it hits the post. We were a little bit lucky."

On the possibility of bolstering the strike force given the injuries to Maykel Galindo and Alecko Eskandarian and the limited options in reserve:

"There's always talks. Right now they're just talks. ... Hopefully in a couple of weeks time we'll have (Galindo, etc) back so we'll see what happens in the meantime."

He certainly didn't rule out a trade did he? Carlos Ruiz perhaps? We'll see.

Game story here.

Check out the game action.

By the way, Pachuca played a friendly Saturday against Toronto. Read about it here.

The movie observes how we "inhabit" a world in which we can customize our environment exactly to our liking, to the point that we neglect our actual environment and our actual community of human beings.

I saw that lesson displayed before even the opening previews, as the man ahead of me in line yammered on the phone, oblivious to most everything beyond his phone call. He initially requested two tickets for Hancock. When informed by the cashier that the movie hadn't opened yet, he and his date slowly scanned the list of movies as though they were the only people in line. All the while, the man focused mainly on carrying on his conversation with the disembodied voice brought to him by Verizon; the movie cashier may as well have been Wall-E the robot.

Once inside, the movie proceeded to reveal what happens when you take such a technological development to its not-so-natural conclusion. Watch it and think anew about our new virtual world, in which it is so easy to shut out the real world, thanks to iPhones, iPods and a growing willingness to treat the people around us as though they were machines.

What a relief.

And considering the Earthquakes' attacking options off the bench included former Chivas USA reserve striker John Cunliffe and Chivas' forwards included former Sunday rec league player Justin Braun, this was a game that appeared headed for a scoreless draw.

Oh, Ante Razov grazed the bar with a header. Sacha Kljesten should have done better with only the goalkeeper to beat when Razov put him through with a penetrating ball. And even Cunliffe sent a 18-yard shot whizzing just wide.

But until Razov scored, solid chances were few and far between.

Now Chivas USA go into Thursday's SuperClassico against the Galaxy tied with them for the Western Conference lead.

Ladies and gentlemen, a meaningful game awaits on national TV.

Back with a (little) more later.

Then, while the half ended 0-0, the scoring chances started coming fast and furious beginning in the 37th minute.

First, San Jose's Ramiro Corrales ripped off a 35-yard shot that beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan, but not the post.

Two minutes later, Chivas USA appealed for a penalty after Jason Hernandez appeared to pull down Atiba Harris in the box.

Two minutes after that a Bobby Burling header hit the bar from a corner kick.

Another two minutes after that Razov almost caught Cannon napping (or unsighted?), almost squeezing a quick shot inside the post.

Coach Preki makes three changes to the team that drew 1-1 last week with the Red Bulls. Carey Talley, who played midfield in that game, returns in defense at the expense of veteran Jim Curtin, while Justin Braun joins him on the bench, since Atiba Harris is favored. Paulo Nagamura, suspended for the game against the Red Bulls, returns as holding midfielder.

Jonathan Bornstein, inexplicably listed as a forward yet again, will start at left back.

Complete line-up: Brad Guzan, Bobby Burling, Talley, Claudio Suarez, Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan, Nagamura, Francisco Mendoza, Harris, Ante Razov, Bornstein.

The Earthquakes team: Joe Cannon, James Riley, Nick Garcia, Jason Hernandez, Eric Denton, Ronnie O'Brien, Ramiro Corrales, kelly Gray, Ivan Guerrero, Ryan Johnson, Kei Kamara.

Ned Grabavoy is on the bench nursing a groin problem.

The No. 36 pick overall in the first round supplemental by the Royals, the recent Hart grad, a 6-foot-5 left-hander, has yet to allow a run in three pitching performances in Rooke League in Arizona. In 5 1/3 innings, Montomery has a 0,00 ERA and six strikeouts with two hits allowed and one walk..

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

RF Kemp
LF Ethier
3B Martin
2B Kent
CF Jones
SS Garciaparra
1B Loney
C Ardoin
RH Park

Question: What's DL's current feelings about Handzus? Is it too late to buy out or trade him? Would he garner any interest? Hasn't the acquisitions of Stoll kind of made Handzus obsolete?

Answer: It was pretty clear to me, early last season, that the Handzus signing wasn't a good one. He was signed to be the No. 2 center and obviously his play wasn't anywhere close to that. If you're looking for positives here, Handzus is a tremendoously hard worker, and from everything I've ever been told, players come back much stronger in their second year after ACL surgery. As for your questions, yes, it is too late to buy him out now and no, I don't think any team would have any interest in that salary based on his play last season. Stoll doesn't necessarily make Handzus obsolete. Handzus is still a better option as the No. 2 center, assuming he can play at that level.

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Question: You may have already gotten this question but where do you see Gauthier fitting into the line-up? I was a little surprised by this move. Does take away a chance for any of our young guys?

Answer: I think it really depends upon what the Kings do here the rest of the summer. The Rob Blake fiasco turns everything upside down. At the time of the trade, I saw him as an either/or guy. He could either stay with the Kings or go through waivers and play in Manchester. Now, I think it's slightly tilted toward him staying with the Kings, but we'll see. I don't believe, however, that it will impact the young players. Guys such as Doughty and Hickey will get a chance to make the team based on their merits. They won't be held back by Denis Gauthier.

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Question: 1. Is Purcell going to be the 2nd line guy replacing Cammy? I hope this is not the case, I wouldn't mind seeing him on the 3rd line, working his way up to the 2nd line, much like how Sully started on the 3rd line last yr, and finished the season up on the 1st line with the Cammy Injury. 2. I have a fear that after all these losing seasons, guys like Frolov,Kopitar, Brown are going to get fed up with the losing and demand trades to a winner. Should I be worried that in 2 yrs, if the Kings are still 27-30th in the league, these guys will be on the market?

Answer: 1) Your situation is the more ideal one, I agree, but the question becomes, who's the second-line right wing? There aren't a ton of options out there right now? Would you rather have Kyle Calder in that role? Matt Moulson? This is the reason I'm a bit surprised the Kings didn't sign an NHL-ready right wing to a one-year contract. But perhaps they think Purcell is ready for the challenge. 2) If the Kings are still 27-30th in two years, Dean Lombardi won't have a job and his still-to-be-hired coach won't either, so the Kings will have more problems than just players wanting to be traded. But in general, I understand the point. However, these guys you listed -- Frolov, Kopitar, Brown -- are the guys who are specifically challenged to help the team start winning. So in a way, it's up to them.

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Question: 1.) Do you think we're having problems signing Top-End free agents ala Briere, Drury last year, and I wouldnt say top-end but Orpik because LA doesnt have a winning tradition and also not having a coach yet this year. 2.) Do you think DL is making the right moves to get this team in the right direction? If Rich Hammond was the Kings GM what would you have done at the draft/free agency? Trade Cammy? Sign Richardson? 3.) Will the Lubo situation hurt us with future signings/trades? 4.) How likely is it that Calder and/or Handzus will be either traded or bought out later this season if they dont put up respectable numbers? Pretty pathetic when your 3nd line center is the top paid player on your team. 5.) Where do you see us in the standings by the end of this next season? I think we're gonna be close to the bottom or somewhere near a playoff spot but definitely not in and probably picking somewhere between 4-8.

Answer: 1) Lack of winning tradition? Certainly. Lack of a coach? Maybe, but not a huge deal. It's pretty simple. Every player has his priorities. Some guys want money. Some guys want to win. Some guys want the challenge that comes with being a specific role. Some want multiples of these things. The Kings need to find guys who are less concerned about winning right now and less concerned about huge seven-year contracts. That can be a tough sell. 2) I don't like to get into the second-guessing game. It's Lombardi's plan and I'll sit back, like everyone else, and see what happens. I've got no problems with the Cammalleri or Visnovsky trades. The only thing I've said, as I said above, is that I might have taken a look at a top-six winger to replace Cammalleri, at least in the short term. 3) I think this has been asked and answered a few times now. 4) I don't see a buyout for Calder. He's overpaid a bit, yes, but when he's healthy he can contribute. If Handzus is as bad next season as he was last season, they might have to do something about that. They won't be able to trade him. 5) Impossible to say. My guess is that things might start rough but that it could end up looking like a pretty good team at the end of the season. I wouldn't bet on playoffs, but there are always surprise teams.

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Question: While I believe Blake may have turned down an opportunity to go to San Jose previously, a 2 year deal @ $4.5 - $5 million per year in San Jose would make sense for both Blake & the Sharks. The Sharks get a solid veteran defensemen and would not be tied to a long term contract. Blake would be on a competitive team located 1 hour away from his So Cal home.

Answer: SJKingsFan gets the prize for posting this at 9:59 a.m. Thursday. Unfortunately, I have no prizes to give out...

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Question: Last year, Manchester was left hurting for a couple more veterans for their squad. Are Richardson and Gauthier possibly the vets to be there? Isn't Manchester left with even more holes as a number of players will be moving up to the Kings? And who is going to fill those holes for the Monarchs?

Answer: Richardson and Gauthier are possibilities for that role. So is Matt Ellis, although he's not as much of a veteran. Manchester is left with some holes, but as I said earlier, in a previous posting, no GM will ever be upset about having holes in his AHL roster. That means players are being moved up to the NHL, which is the absolute goal of every GM. Dozens upon dozens of players will be in training camp in September. Some will make the Kings and the rest of the best will go to Manchester. It always works out just fine.

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Question: Do you think Petiot or Tukonen will ever crack the line up? Have they missed their window?

Answer: Yeah, I think that's a fair statement. Nothing personal against either of those guys, but I'd be surprised to ever see either of them stick with the Kings on a regular basis.

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Question: Watching Donald Sterling wake up and actually sign a quality free agent in Baron Davis has reminded me how much I can't stand AEG and their insulting attitude toward us fans. Rich, have you ever met Phil Anschutz? For if he really cared about winning and we are now entering Year 15 of zero success, wouldn't he sell by now? Does he at all care that the public perception of him and his company fall somewhere between used car salesman and trial lawyer?

Answer: One time I was sitting in the press room at Staples Center having the pregame dinner, and this very dignified-looking man walked through, with Tim Leiweke trailing behind. I had to ask a Kings employee who it was, and of course it was Uncle Phil. This was two seasons ago, and that was the first time I'd ever laid eyes on him, although I'm told he typically attends a handful of games a year. I can't confirm that. So no, I've never talked to him. He won't sell. Remember, he owns Staples Center and that fact, plus all the cross-promotion that goes on, makes the Kings a very valuable property, even if they claim to be losing money. I really don't think he cares about the public perception. If he did, he would present himself to the people. Even Donald Sterling talks to the media now and then.

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Question: From the looks of things the '08-'09 Kings will be no better than last seasons squad. LaBarbara is not an NHL qualified goaltender, and now we have lost out on any ability to upgrade our defence. Rookies aren't the answer if you're talking about improving the club. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this subject Rich. I know that you don't normally give opinion on the state of the club, but being closer to the action than the rest of us I was hoping you could project what you see for next season. Playoffs or no?

Answer: The problem is not this coming year; it's last year. Last year has turned into this almost-complete void of nothingness that did little more than allow the Kings to draft Doughty and Teubert. And that's something, but in general, it was a step backward. O'Sullivan became a legit NHL player, which was big. Brown became a huge part of the team, which is also big. Kopitar took another step forward. Boyle, Purcell and Bernier got a little NHL time. But beyond that...? It was a rough year. If the Kings are going to be perceived to be ``on the right track,'' they're going to have to start seeing a lot of positives. And that doesn't necessarily mean making the playoffs. It means that these prospects have to start showing that they're legit NHL players and the guys who have been making strides (Kopitar, Brown, O'Sullivan, Johnson, etc.) have to show that they have the capability to be stars. If you see that happening, you know you're seeing progress. That's how I would answer that question.

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Question: Will one of the required characteristics for the new coach to have a proven ability to keep young players level-headed when the going gets tough? It appears that there are at least half a dozen teams with cap trouble, is DL holding back on Bulin to extract a first? Will Lombardi bring in a coach that will be very defensive minded to keep the games close or as competitive as can be? Or will continue with the entertaining game. I suppose this is directly dependent on AEGs long term commitment? What was Gauthier's attitude with being in the AHL last year? If willing, it sounds like he could be terrific role model for the new boys in Manchester next year. Has DL spoken with Hedican?

Answer: 1) I don't know if it will get that specific, in terms of a coach having a track record of keeping young players ``level-headed,'' but I am sure that the primary qualification the new coach must have will be the ability to relate to young players and understand their needs. 2) If any team can get a first-round pick in a Khabibulin trade, he should get Executive of the Year right now. 3) I don't think Lombardi will hire a coach based on style. I think he realizes the importance of defense, especially after the last couple awful seasons, so perhaps he might lean in that direction, but I don't see the Kings limiting themselves to coaches who have a certain style. The expectation is that the coach will always adjust his style to the skills of the players on his roster. 4) I really have no idea what Gauthier's attitude was like. I didn't hear about any problems with him being in the AHL. 5) Hedican is definitely in that category of players who might fit with the Kings, but I'm not sure what the Kings' opinion of him is.

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Question: As always, my fellow Kings fans are on the ball and have already asked the questions I would have posed. However, I thought I'd go a different route this morning and ask a few personal questions to help us all get a little more aquainted with our favorite journalist. Rich Hammond, what is your all time favorite: 1.) Movie 2.) Band/Album 3.) Book 4.) Hockey player 5.) ...and if you knew tomorrow would be your last day on earth (grim, I know) what would your last meal consist of?

Answer: 1) The Godfather. 2) U2. 3) Wow...tough. Hard to beat ``Catcher in the Rye'' but I also love ``Trinity'' by Leon Uris. Does Bob Miller's book count? 4) Another tough one. Because most of the hockey I watched was Kings hockey, I liked watching Tony Granato. In terms of best guys to deal with, as a journalist, the list would include Jason LaBarbera, Mattias Norstrom, George Parros and Lubomir Visnovsky. There are communication issues with Visnovsky but he's one of the friendliest guys around. 5) No worries. For a time, I thought Thursday was going to be my last day on Earth. Filet mignon, medium, with garlic mashed potatoes, caesar salad and some kind of cheesecake.

Cosby joins Suzy Powell Roos (discus), Monique Henderson (4x400m),
Sheena (Johnson) Tosta (400m hurdles) and Amy Acuff (high jump) as
members of the 2008 Olympic Team.

Also in the hammer, alum Cari Soong finished ninth with a mark of 213-5.

In the women's high hurdle races, three Bruin alums advanced to
Saturday's semifinal round with Joanna Hayes leading the way. Hayes
was fifth in the prelim rounds (12.74) and then moved up to second in
the quarterfinal (12.65). Dawn Harper was sixth in the prelim (13.01)
and fifth in the quarterfinal (12.75), and Michelle Perry was eighth
in the prelim (13.13) and 11th in the quarterfinal (12.92). Perry is
running with a heavily bandaged left hamstring. She suffered an injury
in May at the Modesto Relays. All three women will run in the
semifinal on Sunday, with the final also being held later on Sunday
afternoon.

In the quarterfinal round of the women's 200m, alum Hasani Roesby
placed 23rd in a time of 23.81.

In the men's high hurdles, senior-to-be Kevin Craddock rebounded from
his groin injury which occurred the week before NCAA's (and
subsequently hindered his success at Nationals) and advanced to the
semifinal round on Sunday. Craddock raced to a wind-aided
lifetime-best of 13.41 in the prelim round for the ninth-fastest time
of the day. He then recorded a time of 13.58 in the quarterfinal round
(15th overall) to advance to the next round. He will run on Sunday
with the hopes of making the final of the hurdles, which is also on
Sunday.

It's always nice to have genuinely enjoyed a movie in a situation like that and I gotta say, I, liked this movie a lot. It kind of reminded me of "The Big Chill." Five best friends in their late 20's discover new truths about themselves and the friendships they thought would last forever. Two of the guys in the group are gay, two are straight and the woman is straight. So, my first question to Chris was this: Is this a gay movie or a straight movie?

"Gay audiences say it is a gay film, straight audiences say it's not," he said. "I was really interested in these buddy films like 'American Graffitti' and 'Diner' where you have this group of guys and 100 percent of the time, all the guys are straights and 100 oercent of the time, if there's a gay guy in the movie, it's gonna lead to unrequited love, homophobia etc. So the idea that gay and straigtht young male friends can get along as friends without that issue coming up is not something movies have addressed - in America at least."

Chris, 42, had a career as a dancer before he went to college so once there, he was about 10 years older than his peers. And what he noticed was an ease between straight and gays that hadn't been there when he was growing up. The younger folks were integrating much more effortlessly.

"it was based om my own experience becsause i came out of a cery gay world in the dance world where we were sort of segregated by gay-straight," he said. "This was new to me and their attitudes about their sort of integration was new to me. As the old guard kind of recedes, this is the next wave. Assimilation for both racial and sexual issues I think is reality. The Republicans may be screaming but they can't stop us."

With some short films on his resume, Chris and a co-writer Ishmael Chawla based the characters in "Twenty" on people they knew. But they sought to make a movie that was strong on plot with "an active protagonist with external goals." That protagonist is alpha male Andrew (Ryan Locke) who is extremely ambitious, has a fiance who is more successful than him, and he mixes his friendships with his business dealings.

"He's the catalyist at the center of this and that allowed us to have some passive characters who don't necessarily know what they want reacting to his actions," Chris said.

The movie was made for under $1 million, and shot in 24 days after one week of rehearsals They used a casting director to find their ensemble: "In the end, what really makes or breaks an independent film is the acting. If there's one false note in a performance in a low-budget film, it;s just not gonna work.

This cast has no weak links that is for sure. It includes Bill Sage, Terry Serpico, Nicole Bilderback, Colin Fickes, Andrew Wei Lin, and Thomas Sadoski .

Here is the trailer:

Chris hopes Outfest will serve as a launching point for the movie which he thinks should connect with gays and straight audiences: He is currently working in his next film project which he describes as a father-son science fiction story. He is also a visiting lecturer at Amherst College, his alma mater.

Related posts:
- Countdown to Outfest: A chat w/Charlie David about "Mulligans"
- Gearing up for Outfest 2008...

For more information about Outfest, the 26th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival - which runs July 9-21 - go to Outfest.org

Here is an interview with the Williams sisters a few days before the final

Question: With the current players, do the Kings need a coach that teaches or keeping competitve?

Answer: The simple answer, as you said, is ``both.'' And they can find that, but the main focus is on finding a ``teacher.'' I really believe that should have been the focus from the beginning, since Lombardi had to know that, at some point, he was going to have a young lineup. It seemed fairly clear that Marc Crawford's style wouldn't fit a team like that. So now they will look for a coach who can better relate to young players.

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Question: Since Dean has been GM of the Kings, he's preached the need for offensive, puck moving defencemen in the 'new NHL'. Signing Preissing, Modry, extending Lubo, drafting Hickey, etc. This year he seems to have changed his philosophy quite a bit with the acquisition of Greene, Gauthier, and Tuebert. Why did it take Dean 2 years to figure this out? Why do you think he's changed his philosophy over the past year? Is the answer as simple as it just wasn't working? Or is there more to it?

Answer: It's a good question, and I think the answer is probably that it's just part of the building process. You can't build an entire roster at once, so I'm not sure that it was a change of philosophy as much as it was ``stage one'' and ``stage two'' of trying to build a defensive unit. Because even within those examples you give, there are exceptions. He got the guys you mentioned last year, but he also drafted a guy like Martinez. This year, he acquired the guys you talked about but he also drafted a major puck-mover in Drew Doughty. So more than likely, it's probably a matter of getting guys when you can. Last year, more puck-movers were out there. This year, they focused on more of the ``physical'' guys.

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Question: Who would you like to see as the next head coach of the Kings?

Answer: Jim Fox. This way I know the locker-room area would always have a full stash of trail mix. In all seriousness, it doesn't really matter to me. Someone who likes to talk to the media and returns phone calls. That's all I'm looking for.

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Question: I have a question (finally thought of one I can't find anywhere): for the Kings this season, is there any chance that we might see a few more games on FSN West or even Prime Ticket? last season was a really hard one from a viewership standpoint, with so many random games not being shown on TV. are they going to improve the back to back situation at all? it seemed like when the Kings did a home-and-home with a close opponent, be it San Jose or Phoenix they wouldn't show the road game because it was too much work.

Answer: FSN did 65 games last season. If my memory is correct, that's a few below what they've done over the past few years. I'd have to check on that. I'm not sure if it will ever improve to the point that the Kings get all 82 games on TV. They would probably have to become a NHL juggernaut and be a huge draw in L.A. It seems as though every year, there's one major trip that gets skipped, plus a couple handfuls of random games. Sometimes it's schedule conflicts, particularly on the weekends, but in this era of HD you'd think they could find a way to get all the games on TV. It's a good question. I'll post the TV schedule for next season as soon as I get it.

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Question: As much as I'd like to see one of the kids take a shot in net, I agree their long term development will be better off playing every game in the AHL or ECHL. What percentage of games do you think the Kings would want them to play if one of them made the big club? The one name that no one seems to be talking about is Emery. What are your thoughts on Emery?

Answer: 1) That's a good question, and a very delicate one. Because if the Kings are going to have one of the young goalies in the NHL, they just don't want him to sit but they also don't want to overwhelm him. If it's a guy like Bernier, maybe 20-25 games would seem around right to me, depending upon how things go. Any less than 20-25 and he might as well be down playing a full season in the AHL. 2) Not going to happen. The Kings, I'm told, don't want anything to do with him.

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Question: What do you think of Brian Burke's contention that Kevin Lowe is responsible for inflated salaries for young players that eliminates the "second contract" and takes kids right from entry level to mega-deals?

Answer: It's kind of fun to sit back and watch the Burke-Lowe feud. I don't know who's right, but I do believe that we're on the verge of more problems in the NHL in terms of salaries. I'm not smart enough to tell you exactly why, but my instincts tell me that Burke has a point here. Guys such as Lowe are almost turning this into the ``Wild West,'' and while that's cool in a way, I think it's also dangerous.

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Question: when will the schedule be announced and do you have any kind of advanced idea as to whether the Kings will be coming to Boston in 08-09?

Answer: The schedule is usually announce on or around July 15, so you should be seeing it sometime in the next couple weeks, for sure. The NHL is going back to its old schedule, so you will be seeing the Kings visiting Boston in 2008-09.

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Question: I haven't gone over every comment/question, so this might be repetitive, but what about the other RFA's...everyone seems concerned when O'Sullivan (and possibly Stoll) will re-sign, but has there been any communication, hints, information regarding the rest of these guys (most notably Ersberg and Moulson)?

Answer: They gave qualifying offers to all those guys you mentioned, so they have every intention of bringing them back. Seems as though that's the Kings' next focus. I must admit, I'm a little confused about the panic regarding the RFAs. Last year, if I remember correctly, a guy like John Zeiler didn't sign unti July 20.

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Question: You should really add this site to your links list, especially for those interested in cap #'s. http://www.nhlnumbers.com/

Answer: That's a great site that I encourage people to visit for salary-cap questions. I should add it to the links, and will as soon as I get a few free minutes.

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Question: Do you think the Kings, as currently composed, have an NHL caliber defense, or that of an expansion team? In a few years these guys - plus Teubert, Voinov and maybe Campbell will be a good defense - just not so sure they fit the bill now. Could be a tough year for JLB and EE....

Answer: Yeah, I understand that point there. I've seen some pretty bad expansion defensive units though. I'd say it looks more like a very promising AHL defense than it does a NHL defense right now. Because you're absolutely right...the lack of experience on that list is pretty startling. Preissing is pretty much the only one who has proven himself to be an everyday NHL defenseman over the last few years. Wow...

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Question: 1) If Bernier wins the job in camp do you see DL having the "vision" to let him stay in LA the whole year regardless of the D in front of him? 2) Do you think the acquisition of Stoll, and his ability to win faceoffs, will help improve the PK?

Answer: 1) If Bernier makes the team, I think it's more likely to be as a backup. Especially, as you said, since it seems that the defense might be shaky in front of him, at least at the start of the season. I don't think they want Bernier to feel the pressure of being a No. 1 guy and potentially have his confidence shaken if things go bad. It makes more sense to put him in as the No. 2 and let him grow by starting one game per week or something like that. 2) The addition of Stoll, if he can stay completely healthy, should be a good one for the Kings. Is it worth giving up Visnovsky? Well, everyone has their opinion on that. But as you said, Stoll's faceoff ability and penalty killing should help the Kings in two areas that have been troublesome recently.

Despite a six-year-old ban on new billboards, activists say Los Angeles' streets, sidewalks and buildings have more advertising than ever. Kerry Cavanaugh in the Daily News.

Court rulings, legal settlements, rampant disregard for the restrictions and weak enforcement have crippled L.A.'s attempts to limit signs and prohibit illegal signs.

There are at least 10,000 billboards in L.A., and as many as one-third of them are illegal. Plus, there are increasing numbers of supergraphic ads that swathe the sides of buildings and minibillboard advertisements line sidewallks.

Two hundred thirty-two years after the Founding Fathers signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Oscar Gonzales and a handful of officials and community leaders launched their own independence drive Friday to create the city of East Los Angeles.

"East Los Angeles has been an ATM machine for the rest of the county," said Gonzales, president of East Los Angeles Residents Association.

Several Bruin alums were in action along with Acuff with Jon Rankin
putting on a fine performance in the 1500m. Rankin ran the
fifth-fastest time of the day (3:40.81) and will run for his first
Olympic spot on Sunday, the final day of the Trials.

Meb Keflezighi lost his bid for a third Olympic Games as he placed
13th in the 10,000m in a time of 28:39.02.

In the opening round of the women's 200m, alum Hasani Roseby finished
19th overall (23.45) and will continue her competition on Saturday
with the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

Also on Friday in Omaha, sophomore-to-be Sam Vanden Berge placed 46th
in the 800 freestyle in a time of 8:57.26.

The U.S. Women's National Team game in Sweden kicked off at 9 a.m. Details and MatchTracker here.

More more later, if you catch my drift.

Back to regular programming.

Chivas USA (5-6-3) and (3-8-3) San Jose face off at 7:30 tonight at Home Depot Center in the second soccer game (and second fireworks display) of the weekend.

With a win, Chivas USA can pull level on points with the Galaxy for the Western Conference lead, giving extra spice to Thursday's derby between the two teams.

And Chivas USA is offering a family pack of four tickets, four hats and four hot dogs for $58, which is a pretty good deal. Call 1-877-CHIVAS-1.

More on the game and young striker Jorge Flores is here.

Former Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon discloses for the first time a foot injury that has hampered his play since April for the Earthquakes.

But of course the Earthquakes' biggest problem is at the other end of the field - they've scored a league-low 10 goals. Lawndale's Kei Kamara needs to step it up.

Meanwhile, press box colleague Luis Bueno runs the rule over the Mexican players (repeatedly) linked with Chivas USA - Borgetti and Bautista.

Also:

*In PDL games Friday, it was the San Fernando Valley Quakes 1 Lancaster Rattlers 1.

Tonight it's the Ventura County Fusion at Southern California Seahorses at 7 p.m. at La Mirada High.

*In the W-League tonight, it's the Seattle Sounders at Pali Blues at 8 p.m. at Palisades High.

*In the WPSL today, the Los Angeles Rampage take on the California Storm at 7 p.m. in Granada Hills, while at 2 p.m. Ajax America Women host the California Storm at Rolling Hills Estates' Nansen Field.

I'll be back later today, blogging from the Chivas USA game at Home Depot Center.

Coaches always say stuff like that of course, but who do you believe?

Gullit said midfield was the biggest problem for the Galaxy tonight:

"People panic under a little bit of pressure and give the ball away to the opposition," he said. "That is the main problem at the moment for this team. It's not that we don't defend. It's just that at vital moments on the pitch we do something unnecesary."

Defense is not the problem? Is he noticing how Abel Xavier plays?

Well, Gullit wasn't about to single Xavier out for criticism:

"It was his man who scored the goal on the corner kick," was about as far as Gullit would be drawn. "He knows that it's his responsibility."

New England's Adam Cristman summed up Xavier's play (or lack thereof) on the second goal:

"I was trying to keep on the other side of Abel and keep him turned around so he didn't know where I was," he said "I guess he lost me."

I guess. Xavier lost me a long time ago.

Here's David Beckham on the effect Landon Donovan had on the game:

"When he did come on he changed the game. ... It put us on the front foot and gave us more space to create chances."

Edson Buddle agreed:

"In the second half we were able to possess the ball and Landon is a good runner with the ball. With the pace that he had he was able to break them down and free up - everyone."

Donovan's influence was all the more remarkable considering his rather nasty sounding bout with the flu meant he couldn't train for two or three days this week.

Gullit was asked straight out whether Carlos Ruiz, who made a perfunctory appearance in the 84th minute will be traded. Reading between the lines, the answer was, yes, considering the 10 goals in 11 games Buddle has scored:

"Every week (Edson) shows how good he is and how important he is to the team. He holds the ball and creates chances. So for Carlos it will be very hard (to start) for those reasons also."

In other words, as Gullit has complained previously, Ruiz doesn't hold the ball or create many chances.

He won't be going to the Columbus Crew in a trade for Frankie Hejduk, though. Gullit said has no idea who the national team defender is. Really. As one colleague observed, he didn't notice Frankie when the Galaxy played the Crew a couple of weeks back?

By the way, Donovan has no idea whether he will be called up as one of three over-age players into the Olympic team and has not talked with U.S. Coach Peter Nowak.

"If asked I'd love to go and if not I'd love to be here," he said. "That's the simplest way to put it."

Quote of the Day goes to the always genial Mike Randolph, who tried to downplay the fact his two chances from Beckham crosses in the first half (that both went wide) constituted virtually the entirety of the Galaxy's offense at that stage of the game: "I have no attacking skills whatsoever," he said.

That's OK, Mike, neither do some of your teammates.

Game story is here.

Highlights

The Revs hung on, however, and now the Galaxy go into Thursday's derby with Chivas USA without a win in three games.

The goal came in the 66th minute with Donovan sprinting 40 yards with the ball in a counter-attack that culminated with David Beckham scoring from 14 yards for his fifth goal of the season.

Edson Buddle could have tied it in the 77th minute, but crashed a shot from 12 yards off the bar after Becks had set him up perfectly with a well-hit pass.

The Revs have taken a well-deserved 2-0 lead with both goals coming from Adam Cristman, his fifth and sixth of the year - a career high.

The Revs had the bulk of possession, most of the attacking play and looked altogether the more cohesive unit. The Galaxy could consider themselves lucky not to be down by three after Cristman ripped by Abel Xavier in stoppage time like he wasn't even there and crossed to Mauricio Castro who hit the post from close range.

In fact, the Galaxy barely had a glimpse of goal until Mike Randolph headed a David Beckham cross wide just before the half hour mark for their first attempt on goal.

The Galaxy conceded the first goal from a corner, Shalrie Joseph connecting with a strong header goalkeeper Steve Cronin couldn't hold and Cristman following up for the garbage goal.

Xavier was to blame for the second goal, Cristman latching onto another corner from about nine yards and leaping over Xavier in the process.

Fortunately, Assistant Galaxy General Manager Tom Payne confirmed to MLS Magazine Editor Scott French that Argentine defender Eduardo Dominguez will arrive mid-month.

The Galaxy finished the half with zero shots on goal to the Revs' six.

The Galaxy haven't lost an Independence Day game since 2001, however, so it appears something has to give. (And it's probably worth noting, too, that the Galaxy are 1-5-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season).

Coach Ruud Gullit has made two changes to the team that slumped to defeat against D.C. United last time out: Landon Donovan, apparently suffering the lingering effects of the flu, is on the bench so Alan Gordon gets a first start in almost a month, while Joe Franchino (making his first start since May 31) comes in for Ely Allen.

The line-up: goalkeeper Steve Cronin; defenders Chris Klein (making his 100th consecutive MLS start), Sean Franklin, Abel Xavier and Ante Jazic; midfielders David Beckham, Alvaro Pires, Franchino and Mike Randolph; forwards Edson Buddle and Gordon.

Carlos Ruiz is also on the bench.

The Revs start the same XI that beat Toronto last weekend: Matt Reis, Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Mauricio Castro, Jay Heaps, Sainey Nyassi, MLS Player of the Week Steve Ralston, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Kheli Dube and Adam Cristman.

Taylor Twellman is on the bench, as expected.