Name: The Cool School
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2008-03-07
Duration: 1 h 26 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Eve Babitz, John Baldessari, Larry Bell

Fascinating Look at '50s-60s LA  Art Scene

Viewed at Starz Denver Film Festival. This IS the film if you want a crash course on LA's hipster art scene of the mid '50s and late '60s. Thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. It was at Ferus Gallery that bookwormish Walter Hopps (who cared about the art) and Cary Grant-like Irving Blum (who cared about the money) brought together a unique and odd collection of off-beat artists to La Cienega - Ed Kienholz, Ed Ruscha, Larry Bell, John Altoon, Billy Al Bengston, Ed Moses, Robert Irwin and Kenneth Price, among others. Bon vivants, artists, collectors and cigar afficionados Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell are interspersed throughout. The gallery housed Warhol's first exhibit, brought in Lichtenstein, and got busted by the cops for an exhibit deemed obscene. After seeing the film, I suggest going to Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood - to look up the ghosts.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

How LA Learned to Love Modern Art. A lesson in how a few renegade artists built an art scene from scratch.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

The Cool School: How L.A. Learned to Love Modern Art

Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces

Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces (2024)

Vom Bauen der Zukunft - 100 Jahre Bauhaus

Bauhaus Spirit: 100 Years of Bauhaus (2018)

Robin Givens, Brian Robbins, Dan Frischman, Khrystyne Haje, Howard Hesseman, and Dan Schneider in Head of the Class (1986)

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012)

The Cool School

Photos2

Top Cast33

User reviews3

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Box office

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed