Alissa Evans’ experience with stress stems primarily from her inability to definitively choose a major, a recently received D that taints her otherwise mediocre GPA and her complete and utter confusion regarding the abstract concept commonly referred to as her “future.” In the midst of a mid-college crisis, the Daily Bruin columnist decided to try […]
Category Archives: Arts Columns
Reel Representation: Inclusion riders a step in right direction to diversify Hollywood
This year’s trending Oscars buzzword wasn’t #OscarsSoWhite – instead, everyone was talking about the inclusion rider. Frances McDormand ended her Best Actress acceptance speech at the Oscars with the term, referencing a provision actors and actresses can put in their contracts to stipulate specific representation standards for films that are proportionate to real-world population breakdowns. […]
Album review: ‘American Utopia’
David Byrne’s “American Utopia” keeps listeners on their toes right from the first minute of the album. Wistful piano melodies begin the first song before delving into hard industrial beats, giving listeners a taste of how Byrne turns musical norms on their heads throughout the album. Byrne has a way of absorbing the cultural aspects […]
Movie review: ‘A Wrinkle in Time’
Audiences should go see “A Wrinkle in Time” with an open mind and a lot of patience. The adaptation of the classic sci-fi book is at times frustrating, simply because its narrative is so unconventional. The film doesn’t spoon-feed the plot to audience members, instead making them work to understand, but that’s part of what […]
Theater review: ‘Sell/Buy/Date’
“Sell/Buy/Date” features an elderly woman, a Jamaican sex worker and a former pimp, all played by the same person. Running March 7 through April 15 at the Geffen Playhouse, “Sell/Buy/Date” is set in a futuristic society in which a British university professor named Serene Campbell teaches a class about people’s experiences as sex workers from […]
Playing the Villain: Villains create environments which develop characters and their views
A movie is only as good as its villain, and a good villain is much more than a monster with maniacal laughter or a sinister-looking entity surrounded by henchmen. From the anarchist Joker to the cunning and brutal Annie Wilkes, countless successful films have earned their iconic status thanks to their antagonists. Each week, columnist […]
Gamer’s Guidebook: Nostalgia in video games, when not stale, can attract wider audience
Games have always been a huge part of the entertainment industry, but what makes them entertaining? Game makers expend significant effort making design decisions people often don’t think about when they’re playing each game. Each week, columnist Evan Charfauros will examine the pros and cons of different game mechanics as seen in the modern gaming […]