As a 2004 Spring Sing winner and major-label recording artist, it’s hard to believe Tyrone Wells wasn’t always a star on the rise. Growing up as a preacher’s son in Spokane, Wash., Wells had to hide away his pop music until after his parents’ bedtime and was encouraged to listen primarily to gospel. Read more...

“The Italian” Director Andrei Kravchuk Sony Pictures Classiscs Andrei Kravchuk spent over a year scouring orphanages across Russia in search of the troubled environment needed to be true to the stories he had seen and read about. Read more...

During these cold Westwood nights, it’s no stretch to say you might find yourself by the fireplace (that is, if there were fireplaces in Westwood, but go with it here). Read more...

The Beach Boys predicted it decades in advance. And now, the sunshine-loving bands of “The OC” are singing about it. California is the new New York. Read more...

NOOK 11628 Santa Monica Blvd., #9 $6-$10 (small plates) $10-$18 (big plates) I couldn’t help feeling like a cool cat when I found Nook. Tucked in a mini-mall between a pizza parlor and a Chinese restaurant, this bistro is so bona fide good that the only signage it needs is a stoic orange arrow over its entrance ““ no “Nook,” no nothing. Read more...

With the rise of Netflix, DVDs and online videos, moviegoing, once one of America’s greatest pastimes, is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. The Arclight movie theater, however, is working to revive the tradition. Read more...

Chris Volkmann and Toren Volkmann “From Binge To Blackout” NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY “Hi, my name is Toren, and I’m an alcoholic.” He may have not understood the meaning of the words when he had his first beer at 14, but by the time he was in rehab at 23, Toren Volkmann and his family understood the phrase’s significance all too well. Read more...