In some ways, “Straight Outta Compton” is what its titular album was almost 30 years ago. The film is loud, raw and uncompromising; a street epic weaving together a dramatic, violent fantasy from what many South Central Angelinos knew to be a harsh reality. Read more...
Photo: (Universal Pictures)
Ed Asner has molded himself and his voice into characters of over 330 productions, such as the jolly Santa Claus in “Elf” and the grumpy yet lovable Mr. Read more...
Photo: Actor Ed Asner has acted in over 330 productions, including Disney Pixar’s “Up,” in his five-decade-long acting career. He will speak at an outdoor screening of the film in Westwood. (Charles Sherman Public Relations)
Out of every A-list movie star, Tom Cruise is probably among the most divisive. At face value, he’s a man past his prime: every movie he’s made since the early 2000s – from the less-than-pleasurable “Vanilla Sky” to the less-than-less-than-pleasurable “Rock of Ages” – seems to have slowed his career to a crawl, both critically and financially. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
One episode of Kevin Longa’s documentary series features a San Francisco chef teaching a former criminal the ways of cooking. The apprentice learns slang such as “corner” and “behind you” as he grows more comfortable with the kitchen environment. Read more...
Photo: UCLA alumni Kevin Longa (right), Brian Tan and Steve Sterrett created a documentary series called “TASTE with Kevin Longa,” inspired by the food vendors in Southeast Asia. The documentary will feature episodes set in Europe, Asia and the Americas. (Courtesy of Kevin Longa)
In 1974, with the support of an aging Groucho Marx, a group of UCLA students took on the might of Universal Studios and won. Steve Stoliar and his then-roommate Daryl Busby created The Committee for the Re-release of “Animal Crackers” (CRAC) when Stoliar was a second-year history student, and successfully petitioned Universal Studios to re-premiere the classic Marx Brothers film and eventually fully re-release it in the U.S. Read more...
Photo: When he was a second-year student at UCLA, Steve Stoliar (above) and his roommate founded The Committee for the Re-release of “Animal Crackers” (CRAC) to petition Universal Studios to re-premiere the Marx Brothers’ film “Animal Crackers” in 1974. (Keila Mayberry/Daily Bruin)
It’s no mystery why the trailer for “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” received a standing ovation at this year’s Comic-Con. It capitalizes on everything that makes director Zack Snyder one of the kings of fandom fodder: the gritty tone, the unfathomable destruction and the score that is more accurately described as loud than anthemic. Read more...
Photo: The first “Suicide Squad” trailer (above) premiered at San Diego Comic-Con last weekend. (Warner Bros.)
“Trainwreck” is not Judd Apatow’s best movie. The distinction still goes to “Knocked Up,” a consistent and organic comedy known for its explosive hilarity. In the midst of a dry summer season for comedy, “Trainwreck” is a female-driven movie that, in great Apatow form, comments on the realities of the sexual mindset in a world, much like our own, where sex isn’t everything – it’s just the most important thing. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)
