Might we suggest soaking up some cinematic arts before, during or after your travels to Los Angeles. Now, obviously the list of films set in LA is as long as the reels that hold them, and of course you’ve seen all of the Blade Runners and Terminators, so here is a sprinkling of a few lesser-known jewels that will get you in the mood:

A Single Man (Tom Ford, 2009), starring Julianne Moore, Colin Firth
Mommie Dearest (Frank Perry, 1981), starring Faye Dunaway 
Starlet (Sean Baker, 2012), starring Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson
Friday (F. Gary Gray, 1995), starring Ice Cube (writer), Chris Tucker, Nia Long
Nobody Wants This (Erin Foster, 2024), starring Kristen Bell, Adam Brody
Afternoon Delight (Joey Soloway, 2013), starring Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple
Swingers (Jon Favreau, 1996), starring Favreau, Vince Vaughn
Beef (Lee Sung Jin, Hikari, Jacob Schreier, 2023), starring Ali Wong, Steven Yeun
True Romance (Tony Scott, 1993), starring Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette
LA Story (Mick Jackson, 1991), written by and starring Steve Martin
Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011), starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan
Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950), starring William Holden, Gloria Swanson
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (Paul Mazursky, 1986), starring Bette Midler, Richard Dreyfuss