Author Archives: Alfred Lee

De La Soul is coming to Royce Hall. No, really. At first, it seems a hip-hop act would hardly consider a concert hall where world-renowned cellists and speakers have entertained fans ushered to their seats by bow-tied employees an ideal venue. But Friday night at 8, the veteran hip-hop group will most certainly be performing, […]

Robert Bucksbaum loves movies ““ perhaps too much for his own good. It’s a Wednesday afternoon, and Bucksbaum is in over his head between screenings at the Majestic Crest, the venerable Westwood theater he currently owns and runs. He’s quickly discovered how overwhelming it is to put together a film festival almost single-handedly. “Imagine being […]

After having spent the last four years using up just about every excuse not to drive in L.A., I finally caved last week and now have a car to call my own. Anyway, driving sucks. Driving in traffic, especially, always gives me visions of T.S. Eliot’s description of the lonely masses in “The Waste Land”: […]

Flipping through Entertainment Weekly not too long ago, I came across a profile on Richard Linklater. The piece included an overview of his work as a director, adored by hip college kids everywhere, from “Dazed and Confused” to “Waking Life” and “Before Sunrise.” Richard Linklater is a hipster’s wet dream: He’s both cool and artsy, […]

Night in, night out, the Fox Tower sign lights up the Westwood sky. As the neighborhood’s defining landmark, it’s so ingrained in the collective consciousness of UCLA students that hardly anyone pauses to wonder why exactly the Mann’s Village Theater would have a sign that says “Fox” at all. The Village Theater’s 70-plus-year history as […]

I’m oversimplifying, over-dramatizing, and over-Cliffs Notes-ing matters, but it should be noted that orientation tells you pretty much nothing about UCLA. Don’t get me wrong. I loved orientation; it’s still one of my very favorite college memories. I went to the last session, 110 ““ the one with all the people who either put off […]