Alumni will rewrite traditional LGBTQ narratives in Outfest short films

In 1981, two UCLA students wondered why Los Angeles didn’t have its own LGBTQ film festival like those in San Francisco and New York – so they set out to create their own. Since then, the festival has grown into Outfest, Los Angeles’ preeminent LGBTQ film festival, and one of the oldest across the country. […]

UCLA Extension storyteller draws on fairy tales, vocal performance to comfort kids

Storytellers utilize audiobooks to help children escape at bedtime. UCLA Extension instructor Janet Wilcox has been working with her students since 2016 to voice short fiction audiobooks for young patients and their families at the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. Her project is part of a public collection of stories on SoundCloud called “Kid’s Stories That […]

Album review: Chance the Rapper’s ‘The Big Day’ explores love, merges genres through collaborations

Chance the Rapper dubbed Friday to be his big day, although his recent nuptials were certainly a contender. Four months after the ceremony, Chance has released his first for-sale album, “The Big Day,” which boasts 22 tracks and various artist features. Although the acid rapper is well-established – earning three Grammys, including Best Rap Album, […]

Movie review: Slow pace of ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ offset by dramatic end, nostalgia

This post was updated July 27 at 10:25 a.m. “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” is an ode to Los Angeles in 1969, showcasing both glamorous fame and hidden pockets of violence. But if you’re expecting an overtly provocative film from Quentin Tarantino, you might want to take a cue from 1960s hippie culture […]

‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ production crew restores 1960s Westwood

This post was updated July 27 at 10:25 a.m. A current UCLA student thrown back in time to 1969 still could’ve enjoyed a snack from Stan’s Donuts. They might be shocked, however, to find a quaint Italian cafe in place of the beloved neighborhood Starbucks. Thanks to Quentin Tarantino’s new feature, “Once Upon a Time […]

TV review: ‘Big Little Lies’ season 2 delivers underwhelming plot despite strong acting

The courtroom showdown between Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep was the soap opera equivalent to the Super Bowl. Celeste (Kidman) finally turns the tables on conniving mother-in-law Mary Louise (Streep) in a cathartic face-off that establishes an early, palpable tension. But despite the unquestionable star power, the climax of the “Big Little Lies” season two […]

Screening series explores continued impact of runaway productions on Hollywood

Before World War II, most American films were created in Los Angeles. But following the war, Daniel Steinhart said it was cheaper to film overseas than in Hollywood. The assistant professor of cinema studies at the University of Oregon curated the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s screening series titled “Runaway Hollywood: Global Production in the […]