I am usually a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson, his sensibility and his movies (except the violent "There Will Be Blood"). But I never really thought about why. They I read the article where he had a Q&A, and I read what he recommended to others. He is, so, LA - turns out he was born in Studio City in 1970.
This link is here, but here are the top LA-centric things he recommends. (Old movie stars, watching great movies on film and LA New Wave Radio / Bands).
• Humphrey Bogart
• Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77*
• Call Me by Your Name
...
• Joan Fontaine
• Full Metal Jacket
• Cary Grant
...
• Hitchcock’s Advice to Shoot Love Scenes Like Murder Scenes and Shoot Murder Scenes Like Love Scenes [This seems to be François Truffaut’s description of Hitchcock’s work rather than actual advice from Hitchcock.]
• KROQ in the New Wave Era
...
• Carole Lombard
...
• Charles Laughton
• The Los Angeles Dodgers
• Myrna Loy
• James Mason
• The Motels
• Nashville
• Oingo Boingo
...
• Seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark at the La Reina Theatre on Opening Day
• The Shining
• The Specials
...
• Watching Movies on Film
• Wild at Heart
• John Williams
• Wonder Woman
• Writing Out Your Characters’ Names Every Time Instead of Using the Autofill Features in Screenwriting Software
• X