Ariel Winter aspired to attend a university from a young age. But unlike most other college hopefuls, Winter applied to college while filming for a 22-time Emmy-winning television series. The actress best known for her portrayal of Alex Dunphy on “Modern Family” announced her UCLA acceptance to over 2 million Instagram followers in April. Though Winter said […]
Author Archives: Christi Carras
Grad student embraces Venezuelan heritage in new acting roles
The moment Vivian Rubio arrived in the United States, she became an American – removed from her friends and family in Venezuela. But to Americans, especially those in the film and television casting industry, she will always be Venezuelan – or at least something other than the white American image she said the entertainment industry […]
Movie review: ‘Sausage Party’
It takes a certain kind of twisted psyche to create an animated movie deserving of an R-rating. But leave it to Seth Rogen and his team of writers to produce a computer-generated story so unapologetically offensive that rated R is hardly an adequate warning. “Sausage Party” does not belong next to animated Disney flicks on store […]
Alumna reaches greater operatic highs with support of family, mentors
Angel Blue’s first opera album was a gift from her father. At 5 years old, Blue listened to Leontyne Price’s seasoned vocals on “A Program of Song” over and over, falling more in love with the music with each aria, she said. Eighteen years later, the UCLA alumna performed for world-renowned tenor Plácido Domingo in 2007. After Blue […]
Second Take: End of ‘Tower of Terror’ ride shows Disney’s indifference
On a dark and miserable January night, guests of Disney California Adventure’s Hollywood Tower Hotel will plummet 13 stories down an elevator shaft and into a dimension of sound, sight and mind for the last time. From that night on, parkgoers will no longer be able to enter “The Twilight Zone.” Sadly, there are no […]
Second Take: Disney offensively depicts Polynesian demigod in upcoming film ‘Moana’
The Walt Disney Company has invited its first ever Polynesian princess into its animated ranks, but the tan-skinned, thick-haired girl has hardly attracted any attention in the midst of a controversy. Instead, the title character of Disney’s “Moana,” which is set for release Nov. 23, has been overshadowed literally and figuratively by her sidekick Maui, […]
UCLA alum co-creates latest Disney Channel series
Josh Lehrman and Kyle Stegina spent hundreds of hours in the glow of their computer screens watching countless viral YouTube videos. The pair had postponed their typical Friday night plans in order to research cyber-world trends and lingo for their upcoming project – Disney Channel’s new TV series. After about two years of video surfing, […]