Movie review: ‘Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle’ tangles dark and dull despite stunning visuals

Immersed in the mighty jungle of Andy Serkis’ new film, no one will sleep tonight. Completely swerving Disney’s playful approach, Netflix brought audiences a darker adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book,” merging live action and animation to vividly bring the animal kingdom to life. The film follows Mowgli (Rohan Chand), a man-cub raised by wolves who […]

Movie review: ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ a rich feast for Potterhead eyes

Gellert Grindelwald’s quest for a pure-blood wizardry regime makes it clear that “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is not for Muggles or No-Majes. Only diehard “Harry Potter” fans will delight in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s nostalgic resurgence, the charming wit of young Albus Dumbledore and the immortal presence of infamous alchemist Nicolas […]

Brand gives birth to rental maternity clothing for professional settings

BellaNové strives to help pregnant women slay in the workplace, said founder and alumna Jenny Leung. Leung said she came up with the idea for the maternity fashion brand after learning that many of her working pregnant friends struggled with finding inexpensive clothes suitable for a workplace environment. Pregnant women grow out of their clothes […]

Musician’s unique performance blends Armenian folk, jazz improvisation

Tigran Hamasyan reimagined his native homeland of Armenia through a traditional, folk-inspired jazz performance Sunday evening. Hamasyan, a pianist and composer, performed a 90-minute jazz piano recital in Royce Hall to a packed audience. The program focused on selections from Hamasyan’s two most recent albums “For Gyumri“ and “An Ancient Observer,” characterized by a fusion […]

Alum plants Veggie Grill at UCLA to bring healthier fast food to students

T.K. Pillan was on the hunt for convenient plant-based food when he came up with the idea for Veggie Grill. The UCLA alumnus co-founded the entirely plant-based restaurant in 2006, when films about unhealthy foods such as “Fast Food Nation” and “Super Size Me” started to grow in popularity, Pillan said. Combined with a statistic […]

Alumna brings reality to 3D worlds with live-action cinematography

Arem Kim’s interest in animated films was sparked after she watched Disney Pixar’s “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille.” The UCLA alumna said she was particularly inspired by the different camera perspectives in “Ratatouille,” enabling her to travel with Remy around the kitchen floor, sewer and streets of Paris, seeing the world through the rat’s eyes. Kim […]