Second Take: Remasters of popular video games are not worth the money

Dressed like a giant flying rodent, I prowled dark alleyways, dishing out punishment to Gotham’s criminal underbelly. I changed the video game disc and became a magical sword-wielding Nord, slaying dragons with ease. Warner Bros. released “Batman: Return to Arkham” and Bethesda released “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition” in October, adding two more […]

Matthew Fernandez: Taylor Swift falls flat in acting roles, should stick to singing

Hollywood is full of multitalented artists who can easily traverse the boundaries of performance genres and mediums, from music to television to film. Taylor Swift is not one of those people. Although Swift rose to fame as a musician, she has also tried her hand at a small acting career, appearing as a guest star […]

Environmental lab explores intersection of art, science

A new program is moving North and South Campus closer together. UCLA’s Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies seeks to bridge the gap between the humanities and sciences at UCLA. Housed within the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, it combines environmental studies with art, media and narrative storytelling, said Ursula Heise, an English professor. LENS […]

Concert review: Green Day at the Hollywood Palladium

Society tends to view age 40 as a slowing down point, the beginning of the dreaded middle age. But for the gleeful anarchists of Green Day, age holds no sway as they continue to rock out as well as the young kids. On Monday, Green Day performed at the Hollywood Palladium for the first time […]

Alumnus creates medley of cinema, live film score performance with “The Godfather”

Listening to the iconic film scores of John Williams and other greats struck passion into 7-year-old Justin Freer. He knew he wanted to conduct the sounds accompanying the screen. On Saturday, the UCLA alumnus stood at the podium at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in front of an orchestra and packed theater, conductor’s baton […]

New faculty member encourages students to use dance for self-expression

Kyle Abraham has danced from Brooklyn to Paris – but this year, he will be calling UCLA home base. Abraham joined the faculty of the world arts and cultures/dance department this year. The MacArthur fellow, dancer, choreographer and founder of the Abraham.In.Motion dance company said he hopes to use his new university position to teach […]

Opera review: Macbeth

Few tales of ambition and evil are as enduring as William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” and combined with the artistic power and opulence of opera, “the Scottish play” is a timeless and thrilling story. LA Opera’s performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Italian opera “Macbeth” is intricate and whimsical with powerful music, especially during the characters’ individual arias. But […]