Meryl Streep went the extra mile for “Ricki and the Flash.” A large part of the film’s promotional campaign highlighted the time it took her to learn how to play guitar, although the coaching from guitar master Neil Young must have helped a bit. Read more...
Photo: (TriStar Pictures)
There’s no better place to keep a finger on the pulse of arts and entertainment happenings than Los Angeles. The A&E world is alive – it’s always buzzing, sometimes ready to implode with a hint of a surprise album or a celebrity’s controversial statement. Read more...
Photo: (TaylorSwiftVEVO, Smiley Miley Inc., MTV.com, Cross Creak Pictures)
The only solution that Michael Bay’s film “Armageddon” offers, as an asteroid the size of Texas hurtles towards the Earth, is to send Bruce Willis into space with a massive bomb to split the asteroid and save the world. Read more...
Photo: About 65 UCLA professors contribute to The Science and Entertainment Exchange, an organization aiming to improve scientific accuracy in films. Former UCLA postdoctoral scholar Kevin Hickerson believes that detailed films like “Interstellar” have helped to improve scientific accurary in films. (Paramount Pictures)
To celebrate turning 40, alumna Kellen Hertz applied for The Writers Lab. She decided not to be afraid that her age can often be linked with unemployment in the film industry, she said. Read more...
Photo: UCLA alumna Kellen Hertz was chosen from 3,500 writers chosen to participate in The Writers Lab, a program funded by Meryl Steep and designed to help screenwriters over 40 years old improve their skills. (Courtesy of Kellen Hertz)
From the age of 10, Balbinka Korzeniowska had been practicing her Oscar speech, transforming her bathroom into the plush Dolby Theatre and her shampoo bottle into a microphone. Read more...
Photo: MFA Directing candidate at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, Balbinka Korzeniowska was nominated at the Student Academy Awards for her short film, “Awaken.” (Miriam Bribiesca/Daily Bruin senior staff)
In some ways, “Straight Outta Compton” is what its titular album was almost 30 years ago. The film is loud, raw and uncompromising; a street epic weaving together a dramatic, violent fantasy from what many South Central Angelinos knew to be a harsh reality. Read more...
Photo: (Universal Pictures)
Ed Asner has molded himself and his voice into characters of over 330 productions, such as the jolly Santa Claus in “Elf” and the grumpy yet lovable Mr. Read more...
Photo: Actor Ed Asner has acted in over 330 productions, including Disney Pixar’s “Up,” in his five-decade-long acting career. He will speak at an outdoor screening of the film in Westwood. (Charles Sherman Public Relations)
