Kay Mouradian’s mother survived the Armenian genocide at the age of 14. However, while Mouradian heard stories of her mother’s experiences as a child, the alumna wouldn’t really learn about the details of the horrific event until she began writing a book on the subject called “My Mother’s Voice” in her 50s. The novel and […]
Category Archives: Arts
UCLA alum uses bright colors to explore dark themes in upcoming film
This post was updated Mar. 8 at 4:30 p.m. The film “Pink Trailer” transforms a simple knock on a door into a chilling occurrence. Directed and edited by UCLA alumna Mary Neely, the female-led film follows two best friends as they encounter a terrifying stranger at their doorstep. “Pink Trailer,” set to premiere Saturday at […]
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 […]
Student film portrays nuances in LGBTQ relationships, culture
Patrick Boyd opens his film with a quote from Aristotle: “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” Boyd’s story divides a single soul among five people. Boyd, a graduate student in directing, explores an open relationship between five gay men in his upcoming film, “You & Me, & Him, & Him, & […]
UCLA student layers historical and societal nuance in “Steel Pier” costumes
Caitlin Kagawa created an outfit specifically designed to be soaked with water onstage. The outfit is part of UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s mainstage production of the musical “Steel Pier.” The show, which opens Friday at the Freud Playhouse, takes place in 1933 during the Great Depression and tells the story of lower-class […]
Second Take: New comic sequel to ‘Avatar’ will bend minds, fill plot holes
Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked, but the continued popularity of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” has not. Though the series concluded in 2008 with the two-hour finale, “Sozin’s Comet,” its legacy lives on. “Avatar” message boards are still actively used, and cosplayers flood the internet with realistic incarnations of the four nations, whether through […]