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Irvine Business ~ From neighborhood stores to global companies. By Ian Hamilton, the Orange County Register

Archive for the 'Entertainment' Category

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Looking for a Halloween scare? ‘Paranormal Activity’ now showing in O.C.

October 12th, 2009, 12:44 pm by Ian Hamilton

Film Review Paranormal Activity

There’s a lot of hype surrounding “Paranormal Activity.”

The film, which opened in a few Orange County theaters over the weekend, was produced on virtually no budget and has been given a very limited release with midnight only showings for the first two weeks.  Interest in the film has been building through a hugely successful viral marketing campaign on Twitter and Facebook.  It’s now playing  at the Irvine Spectrum, AMC 30 at The Block, and Cinemark 20 in Huntington Beach and it goes into wide release this Friday. See a list of show times for all OC theaters.

Yeah, but is it scary?

Did you get scared by “The Blair Witch Project?” If so, then “Paranormal Activity” might be right up your alley.  The movies are very similar.

I saw it over the weekend at the Irvine Spectrum and it certainly scared me, but I’m an easy target. Movies like this tend to suffer when people come in with huge expectations because of all the hype. So, if you’ve seen ‘Paranormal Activity,” please let everyone know in the comments whether you were scared by it. No spoilers, please.

Posted in: Entertainment • • • • • | 6 Comments »

114,000 square foot Diamond Jamboree center nearing capacity

October 7th, 2009, 6:30 am by Ian Hamilton

iwn.diamondjamboree.p0927.mv4The bustling Diamond Jamboree shopping and restaurant center is getting close to being filled just a year after it opened.

There are eight spaces left, four upstairs and four downstairs with room for one more restaurant and a couple of retail shops, said Diamond Jamboree leasing manager Helen Wang.  She hopes to have it filled to 95 percent capacity within a month or so.

There are around 30 businesses in the Asian-themed center including the recently-opened Kula Revolving Sushi Bar. The restaurant offers rolls on an ever-circulating belt for $2 a plate. Kula has more than 50 reviews on Yelp already and 3 1/2 stars.

Stay tuned for more on Diamond Jamboree as we visit some of the new businesses in the center and see how it’s going for them. If you don’t know where it is, it is located at the southwest corner of Alton Parkway and Jamboree Road.

Have you visited the center yet? If so, let us know your experience in the comments.

Posted in: Business • Entertainment • • • • • | Post a Comment »

Ice rink coming together at Irvine Spectrum

October 5th, 2009, 4:11 pm by Ian Hamilton

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The ice rink at the Irvine Spectrum Center is coming together for the holidays.

Visitors will get the opportunity to glide (or awkwardly walk) across the ice come Nov. 1, when it opens.  Price will be $11 per person for an hour on the rink. Skates cost $4.50.

The Holiday Ice Rink sits in the shadow of the giant Ferris wheel at the Irvine Spectrum Center and should be open from Nov. 1 through January 18.

There are season passes, private lessons and private parties available too.  For more information,  call (949) 748-8280 or visit www.skatespectrum.com.

If you’ve visited the ice rink before, let us know your experience in the comments. I’ve been once myself and luckily survived without falling.

Posted in: Entertainment • • • • | Post a Comment »

Jimmy Buffett and Dave Matthews tribute bands to play Sundays at Woodbury Town Center

October 2nd, 2009, 5:10 pm by Ian Hamilton

Starting Sunday Oct. 4, Music on the Green is back for three weeks at Woodbury  Town Center. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on each Sunday.

Oct. 4 - A Jimmy Buffett Tribute band by the name of Mark Wood Parrot Head.

Oct. 11:  Dave Matthews Tribute band.

Oct. 18: the Rockit Scientists will perform baby boomer generation favorites.

Further details, including special deals, from the press release:

The public is welcome to bring lawn chairs for seating on the green. The Beer & Wine Garden provided by The Counter, with proceeds to benefit the Kiwanis Club of Irvine.  Visitors can also enjoy dining specials from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Jalapeno’s, First Class Pizza, Juice it Up, The Counter, and Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream.

In addition, select stores will offer gifts with purchase valid only on the days of Music on the Green: Sunday, October 4, 11 and 18.  Participating stores include 2nd Street Beauty, offering a $20 gift card with purchase of $70 or more; Frazee Paint, offering a free paint bucket with any purchase of $35 or more; LA Fitness, offering a gift with membership of a gym bag, towel or shirt; Pink Mascara, offering a $30 gift card with a $150 purchase or a $50 gift card with a $250 purchase; Rock N Road Cyclery, offering a Free Bicycle Safety Tune Up with Any Purchase; Sport Clips, offering a free 8.45 oz American Crew Daily Shampoo with Every Full Priced MVP Haircut; The Cleaners, offering a Gift Package worth $50 with any order of $50 or more; and Woodbury Family Optometry, offering a $50 gift card good toward the purchase of prescription eyeglasses.

Woodbury Town Center is located at Sand Canyon Ave. and Irvine Blvd. in Irvine.  For more information and a complete list of stores and restaurants, visit www.ShopTheIrvineCompany.com

Posted in: Deals • Entertainment • • | Post a Comment »

Sports show produced by Vizio premieres tonight

October 2nd, 2009, 7:29 am by Ian Hamilton

Irvine-based television makers Vizio are producing a new show called “VIZIO PRO-FILES” that premieres tonight on Fox Sports Net at 11 p.m.

For the full scoop, head on over to the Gadgetress.

Posted in: Entertainment • • • | Post a Comment »

Learn how to handle your car with OC Race Craft

September 30th, 2009, 2:43 pm by Ian Hamilton

OC Race-Craft tracks at the El Toro Marine Base/Orange County Great Park. Courtesy OCRC.
OC Race Craft courses at the El Toro Marine Base/Orange County Great Park. Image courtesy OCRC.

You provide the car, they provide the training.

Friday and Saturday Orange County Race Craft is holding its second clinic teaching advanced driving techniques at the Orange County Great Park.

The event is taught by professional race car drivers. Participants will get the chance to drive on a 1.5-mile track set up on the old El Toro Marine Base airport and learn how to master their vehicle through a series of driving lessons. In addition to the 1.5 mile road course, there’s a  braking/shifting area where people will learn how and why their car reacts the way it does when they do something like slamming on the brakes. There’s a wet skid area too where people will induce a slide and learn how to balance and recover.

While people with all kinds of cars are welcome, the clinic might best serve people who really want to know the limits and best way to handle their car. Given the price to participate, that probably means those with more expensive vehicles.

People can register at any time even up to the day of the event. It costs $999 for both days and $599 for one day. You can also sign up to do laps around the track with your car on either day for $499.

Check out ocracecraft.com or call Hallie Swartzbaugh at 562-755-6371 for more information.

Posted in: Entertainment • Great Park • • • • • • • | 2 Comments »

$2 per game, $2 beer, $2 food at Irvine Lanes

September 28th, 2009, 1:15 pm by Ian Hamilton

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Just the other day I was looking for cheap bowling and talked myself out of going because the lanes I found were just priced way too high for me.

Low and behold, there are some good bowling deals out there. Irvine Lanes has $2 nights every Tuesday (from 8 p.m. to midnight) and Thursday (from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.).

That’s $2  for each game, shoes, domestic draft beers, well drinks, chili dogs and nachos.

Irvine Lanes is located at 3514 Michelson Drive in Irvine. Check out their Web site here or call 949-786-9625.

Do you know of any more good deals for things to go and do?  Let everyone know in the comments or shoot me an email at ihamilton@ocregister.com

Posted in: Deals • Entertainment • • • | 4 Comments »

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