In one of the epic moments in “Spider-Man 2,” Doctor Octopus reaches skyward and proclaims, “The power of the sun… in the palm of my hand!” The Apple iPod may not be able to create a self-sustaining fusion reaction, but it is equally miraculous nonetheless. Read more...

Despite significant progress, the state of Korean Americans in cinema has a long way to go. On Oct. 1, the Los Angeles Korean International Film Festival continues at USC’s Lucas Hall. Read more...

To discover the next frontier in digital filmmaking, one needn’t venture far ““ just take a look at your cellular phone. While plastic dinosaurs, yodeling custard, and garage bands may not seem like standard entertainment fare, Juliette Deinum, a UCLA alumna and cofounder of the “World’s Smallest Film Festival,” expects this new medium to explode in the United States as it has already in Asia and Europe. Read more...

Boasting a history as old and illustrious as that of Hollywood, it’s a shame that Mexican cinema has been in a funk since the mid-1950s. With the exception of some noteworthy peaks in the ’70s and early ’90s, south-of-the-border cinema rode through most of the second half of last century on trite themes like cowboys, slapstick comedies and masked wrestlers. Read more...

As the daughter of two prominent musicians ““ guitarist-singer João Gilberto; and one of Brazil’s most-loved singers, Miúcha ““ Bebel Gilberto, has been surrounded by music from her birth. Read more...

I swear I’m not an alcoholic. But when I heard that the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood were presenting special “21+” screenings of movies all summer long, I was so excited I must have squealed louder than Paul Hamm when he tumbled his way to a gold medal. Read more...

For John Kricfalusi, there was once a time when cartoons were really good. Of course, as the creator of “Ren & Stimpy” ““ one of the most popular, subversive, gross-out cartoons in modern history ““ Kricfalusi has an entirely different idea of what “good” really is. Read more...