Screen Scene: “The Wind That Shakes the Barley”

“The Wind That Shakes the Barley” Director Ken Loach IFC First Take 4 Paws Out Of 5 “The Wind That Shakes the Barley,” directed by English filmmaker Ken Loach, is a deeply tragic and heartbreaking story chronicling the idyllic beauty of Ireland and its people, and the politics that threaten to rip everything apart. It […]

Less glitz, but still very L.A.

In Hollywood, film festivals are often paparazzi-swarmed, red-carpeted and star-studded. In Venice, it’s another story. With lots of locals, mingling, cocktails, art shows and live bands, the word “festival” in the Other Venice Film Festival, which opens Thursday and runs through Sunday, will ring true. “It’s almost like looking at ourselves and kind of giggling […]

Films gone Wilder

An archival screening at the Billy Wilder Theater is not just about the film, but the experience. The theater’s vivid architecture ““ including fuchsia leather seating and neon lights that line the ceiling ““ add to the appeal of the choice location, nestled within the UCLA Hammer Museum. Following a brief screening hiatus during the […]

Gals and Dolls

Translating a photograph into a film is tricky. But translating photographs of puppets, dolls and objects with legs (think walking guns, clocks and cakes) into a full-blown musical motion picture is downright challenging. Photographer Laurie Simmons, who is known for her photographs of such objects, accomplishes this feat as she brings them to life in […]