The antique lobby of the Escape Hotel was dimly lit, smoky and adorned with candles and a Ouija board – eerie enough to put the haunted Overlook Hotel of “The Shining” to shame. Gaunt, skull-faced hotel workers looked on silently as my group and I completed a scavenger hunt, unlocked a box and rang the […]
Author Archives: Matthew Fernandez
Second Take: Universal Studios brings ‘The Walking Dead’ permanently to life
Some people have condemned modern culture as a “culture of death,” prone to immorality and violence. Considering the continued popularity of zombies in film, television and video games, it’s more like a culture of un-death. Universal Studios Hollywood capitalized on the obsession with the undead by partnering with director and producer Greg Nicotero and his […]
Theater Review: “Big Sky”
“Big Sky” makes even the most dysfunctional of families look cuddly in comparison. The Geffen Playhouse’s latest show is hilarious and touching; there is something horrible yet intriguing about being privy to another person’s dirty laundry. Share in a fictional family’s onstage despair with the immersive play “Big Sky,” which opened June 7 and runs […]
YouTubers create parody video to break down South Asian stereotypes
After watching Beyonce perform “Formation” at the Super Bowl, two UCLA alumni said they felt empowered to create something that celebrated their South Asian culture. YouTubers Krishna Kumar and Kausar Mohammed released “Namaste,” a video parody of Beyonce’s song and video “Formation,” in May in order to exaggerate and critique negative stereotypes and to increase […]
Nurse, entrepreneur brings new spin on Taiwanese dessert to Westwood
A machine fills a bowl with mounds of what looked like torn pieces of ribbon. Fresh boba, hot mochi balls, melted Nutella and condensed milk joins the icy hills. Frostalicious, which opened on April 27, serves Taiwanese shaved ice on Weyburn Avenue in Westwood. Created by Ellen Liao, the shop is her American dream, a […]
Second Take: ‘Game of Thrones’ diverges plotlines from original books
Warning: This article contains plot spoilers. The season is dark and full of cliffhangers. Only three episodes in, season six of HBO’s popular show “Game of Thrones” has already overhauled much of its plot from previous seasons. Without any more source material to base the episodes on, the show is increasingly trying to distance itself […]
Movie Review: ‘Captain America: Civil War’
If you type in the words “civil war” into Google, only one of the first five results has to do with the American Civil War. The other four are about Captain America and the hype surrounding his latest outing that was heightened by first-rate early reviews. “Captain America: Civil War,” the third movie in Marvel’s […]