Wednesday, July 9

Theater student casts actors for original screenplay

Ava Lalezarzadeh received 192 applications for eight open roles in her first film. Lalezarzadeh, a second-year theater student, and her casting director Emily Abbott, a third-year English student, turned away more than 150 people during their casting auditions for Lalezarzadeh’s original film “Pool Man.” The short film follows the story of a pool cleaner named John whose 5-year-old son is kidnapped, causing John to turn to religion. Read more...

Photo: Tanya Raisa, the actress who plays the character Joanne in the film “Pool Man,” poses next to Ava Lalezarzadeh, the writer and director, Grace Hawkins, the assistant director and Emily Abbott, the casting director (left to right). (Isa Saalabi/Daily Bruin)


TV review: ‘Ball in the Family’

“Ball in the Family” has officially become the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” of sports. The Facebook Watch show, which follows parent, coach and manager LaVar Ball’s life and his children’s basketball careers, debuted its second season Sunday to more than 300,000 viewers amid the current drama surrounding the family. Read more...

Photo: (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)


Movie review: ‘Coco’

  Death comes to life and life comes to death in Pixar’s latest animated film “Coco.” After a subpar “Cars 3” release, Pixar returned to its former glory with “Coco,” a film featuring exceptional animation, complex characters and hard-hitting themes about love, loss and legacy. Read more...

Photo: (courtesy of Disney•Pixar)


Q&A: Alumnus describes working on “Coco,” seeing self represented on film

Jesus Martinez knew instantly that he wanted to work on “Coco” – it was one of the first times he saw a character on the big screen who looked like him when he was a kid. Read more...

Photo: UCLA alumnus Jesus Martinez worked as the layout and animation manager on the film “Coco.” Drawing on his knowledge of Mexican culture, Martinez shared with his crew details and materials such as videos that would increase the cultural authenticity of the film. (Photo courtesy of Debby Coleman, illustration by Amy Fang/Daily Bruin illustrator)


Movie review: ‘Justice League’

“Justice League” takes the stereotypical, end-of-the-world superhero movie plot and manages to make it even more predictable. With an overly straightforward plot, “Justice League” is the most recent film in the DC Extended Universe following the release of the critically acclaimed “Wonder Woman.” Although the film does adopt some of the strong humor and plot development that made “Wonder Woman” so successful, “Justice League” certainly does not do justice to the standard set by the earlier release. Read more...

Photo: (Courtesy of Clay Enos)


Student creates collaboration between film, theater in musical short

Film and theater will unite onscreen in “Partying with Communists.” “Partying With Communists,” a short musical film, written and directed by fourth-year film and television student Vincent Blake, takes place in 1950s Hollywood during the Red Scare. Read more...

Photo: Vincent Blake collaborated with film and theater students for his short musical film “Partying With Communists.” The film, which is set in Hollywood during the Red Scare, tells the story of an actress who was blacklisted by her director because she refused sexual advances. (Mackenzie Possee/Daily Bruin senior staff)


UCLA theater student portrays teen in coming-of-age indie film

“Knowing Nothing Cold” threw a group of amateur teen actors into the 1970s Midwest. Directed by Jeff Kao, the indie film “Knowing Nothing Cold” examines Kao’s own memories of adolescence in the 1970s Midwest, focusing on the struggles faced by a group of teenagers as they transition into adulthood. Read more...

Photo: Sionne Elise, a fourth-year theater student, had her film debut in the indie film “Knowing Nothing Cold,” which was directed by Jeff Kao. The film will screen Saturday at the South Park Center in Downtown Los Angeles. (Nick Kardan/Daily Bruin)



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