Director Walt Becker Touchstone Pictures 1 Paw Forget the mildly funny commercials that make you think to yourself, “Well, maybe I’ll see that if I have nothing better to do this weekend.” Don’t be fooled: the funniest parts of the film were all used in the previews. Read more...

Listen in on one of Greg Graffin’s lectures and you’ll encounter an eloquent, soft-spoken man. The life science professor might even crack a joke here or there, keeping his audience captivated as he delves into the mysteries of evolution, ecology and the diversity of life. Read more...

Clinic wants to transform The Troubadour into a dance garage. The dirty reverb and heavy drone of the British band’s latest release, “Visitations,” may find the venue’s dusty wood interior a perfect home, but front man Ade Blackburn only hopes he’ll also find a dancing crowd at Friday night’s show. Read more...

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant 1041 S. Fairfax Ave. $9-$17 3.5 Paws Out Of 5 So you want to visit Africa? First, add up the costs. Plane ticket: $1,775. Read more...

On the prelude to Mia Sable’s self-released album “Propeller,” she asserts that “you’ve every right to your uncertainty, and me to my convictions.” Accompanying the emergence of female artists in the independent music scene is the hasty characterization of these seemingly melancholic females as helpless. Read more...

Comedy might be the most extreme form of art. Being funny on a stage for a specified amount of time is daring enough, but bursting into the industry is akin to lighting an explosive’s very, very long fuse ““ the wait time before the blast can be interminable. Read more...

Although people typically employ masks as a means of concealment, that doesn’t mean they can’t be revealing. Rather than hiding their possessors’ true nature, the latest collection of African masks at the Fowler Museum promises instead to shed light on an intriguing African culture. Read more...