The main character in Simon Savelyev’s short film won the heart of his co-star – and later the hearts of America – with a meow. Savelyev, a graduate student in the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, won first prize in the Fresh Step Catdance Film Festival, a contest for cat-inspired films. “Ricky” documents […]
Category Archives: Film & TV
Movie Review: ‘Fading Gigolo’
The most believable thing about “Fading Gigolo” is that two aging, Jewish movie stars have the ability to be funny together. The chemistry between renowned director Woody Allen and acclaimed actor John Turturro is really the only detail a film of this sort needs to market for a comedy-itching audience to flock to it. Unfortunately, […]
Alum seeks to cast light on mental illness in ‘Holden On’
Nearly 19 years ago, the suicide of teenager Holden Layfield shook the small town of LaGrange, Ga. The community of LaGrange has since come together in support of “Holden On,” a film based on the true events of Layfield’s troubled life and death, written and to be directed by UCLA alumnus Tamlin Hall, a LaGrange […]
Out of Focus: Robert Altman retrospective includes underappreciated films
When Robert Altman was at the peak of his filmmaking during the days of “Nashville” and “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” he was one of the greatest directors of his day. Many of his films have been proclaimed masterpieces of the eras in which they were made. His famed and influential stylistic techniques – the overlapping […]
Movie Review: ‘Oculus’
Supernatural horror movies have gone stale. Following the “Paranormal Activity” craze, imitators have flooded the market with cliché jump scares, overdone mirror scenes and Asian-inspired female ghosts. “Oculus,” directed by Mike Flanagan, shatters audience expectations by moving past these overdone conventions while still fully embracing their influence. The film is split into two concurrent halves, […]
Movie Review: ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’
“Only Lovers Left Alive”Directed by Jim JarmuschSony Pictures Classics4.0 / 5.0 Paws Only Adam and Eve, the two stars of Jim Jarmusch’s new film, “Only Lovers Left Alive,” are cool enough to wear sunglasses at night. Like their biblical namesakes, their love story is epic, but quite unlike the other couple, they are also super-cool […]
Movie Review: ‘Nymphomaniac: Volume II’
“Nymphomaniac: Volume II” Directed by Lars von Trier Magnolia Pictures 3/5 Paws Danish provocateur Lars von Trier has consistently been the subject of controversy because of his divisive body of work. However, his newest feature, “Nymphomaniac,” is arguably his most daring yet, a four-hour long sexual odyssey (split into two volumes and released separately in […]