Second Take: Kanye cannot back away from his political havoc with one tweet

I’m going to let you finish, Kanye, but Taylor Swift had one of the best political social media posts of all time. In contrast to Swift, who entered the political ring with a highly political Instagram post in early October, Kanye West announced Tuesday that he’d be distancing himself from politics to focus on his […]

Q&A: Alum speaks on finishing film decades in the making, ‘The Other Side of the Wind’

Sometimes, even a 48-year-long gap isn’t enough to deter the completion of a shelved film. Orson Welles’ “The Other Side of the Wind” is proof. The film, for which shooting began in 1970, was never officially released and will now premiere Friday on Netflix. Welles, the film’s original director, died in 1985, but producer and […]

Movie review: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ succeeds as a triumphant celebration of Freddie Mercury’s life

Make no mistake: “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not about Queen. The other three band members may be present in the film, but Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) is the clear star. Opening with Mercury preparing for Queen’s iconic performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert – a charity event that raised money for those affected by famine […]

Alum’s use of comedy in campaign aims to call attention to political performance

This post was updated Nov. 3 at 8:21 p.m. Kristina Wong is performing debates against dogs to prepare to run for public office. In anticipation, the alumna said she aims to transform Realm, a store that sells Asian art and goods in Chinatown Central Plaza, into her campaign headquarters, and where she will deliver her […]

UCLA professor’s book explores real-life applications of martial arts

Janet O’Shea said she finds philosophy in her fists when practicing jeet kune do. While training in various martial arts forms, the UCLA professor of dance found deeper meaning and applied concepts of play and risk that she learned to other spheres of her life. O’Shea began to train in jeet kune do a few […]

After Dark: ‘Beetlejuice’ screening has garish gags, invites outlandish outfits

Los Angeles’ blend of midnight movies, cult screenings and historic theaters offers late-night scares and childhood nostalgia back in the theater. Join columnist Nina Young as she attends different cult screenings each week to find out why audiences stay out so late after dark. A staircase inside the historic Ricardo Montálban Theatre glowed with eerie […]

UCLA Wind Ensemble concert celebrates centennial of Leonard Bernstein’s birth year

Take Yo-Yo Ma, Gustavo Dudamel and Lang Lang – combine them and multiply by two. Now you have the cultural presence of Leonard Bernstein, said Travis Cross, the conductor of the UCLA Wind Ensemble and Department of Music chair. In its first concert of the year, entitled “Mostly Bernstein: Westside West Side,” the UCLA Wind […]