It’s hard to say that one can fully understand what’s going on inside a man’s mind. But “Lights Out: Nat ‘King’ Cole” attempts to do just that. In the ’40s and ’50s, Nat King Cole (Dulé Hill) was known as a smooth-singing, confident musician who became famous not only for his musical talent but also […]
Category Archives: Arts Columns
Restaurant review: Jon & Vinny’s fine Italian dining entices, but for a price
An industrial stone pizza oven, chefs gracefully tossing salt into their pasta and a glass of Cabernet make for a quintessential Italian dining experience at Jon & Vinny’s. The restaurant on San Vicente Boulevard opened mid-January, offering the same diverse Italian menu as Jon & Vinny’s original location in Fairfax, which opened in 2015 and […]
Second Take: Failure of ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ shows that costly CGI can’t save a bad film
The eyes of “Alita: Battle Angel” loom from billboards throughout Los Angeles. James Cameron’s latest blockbuster, which released Thursday, features two hours and two minutes of computer-generated image anime eyes, calling back to the film’s anime origin. It is also noteworthy because it made $27 million its opening weekend premiere – a mere fraction of […]
Budding Los Angeles: Cannabis business meetup, student organization offer connections to industry
Thirty years ago, buying cannabis was difficult, expensive and illegal. Buying cannabis in 2019 is somewhere between picking up a prescription from a pharmacy and buying beer from a liquor store. Join columnist John Tudhope each week as he visits cannabis companies in Los Angeles and discusses the budding industry. As I reach the end […]
Concert review: Panic! at the Disco melds theatrics with sentiment in indelible live show
Brendon Urie makes a stadium of 18,000 people feel small. Pop-rock band Panic! at the Disco is currently on a tour of the United States for their 2018 album, “Pray for the Wicked.” Frontman Urie, along with the band’s three touring members, took the stage at the Honda Center on Thursday night for the Los […]
Restaurant review: South Korean dessert shop Sobok disappoints with monotonous flavor, aesthetic
Gummy goodness oozes from a pastel pink swirl. Rivers of saccharine soft serve melt along the edges of a paper cup. Fruity scents permeate the room, and quirky flavors dominate the menu. The creamy confectionery tantalizes onlookers, but its desserts ultimately disappoint. Hailing from South Korea, Sobok is relatively new to Los Angeles. Its Buena […]
Movie review: Questionable science, disconnect plot hinder horror aspect of ‘Happy Death Day 2U’
Imagine Bill Murray navigating the opening scene of “Scream” every single day. That’s what director Christopher Landon’s latest film feels like. Combining the heartfelt moments of “Groundhog Day” and brutal deaths of “Scream,” “Happy Death Day 2U” attempts to balance its predecessor’s blood-curdling homicide with poignant mother-daughter moments. The sequel makes a fine addition for […]