The Marvelous Wonderettes Saturday, Oct. 7 EL PORTAL THEATER Prom night is usually accompanied by a mix of anticipation and worry: Are my dance skills up to par? Read more...

I’m a big fan of wretched excess. Seriously now, I own a 60 gigabyte iPod. Who needs 60 gigs of music? The only thing anyone ever needs 60 gigs for is porn, and that might not even be enough. Read more...

In 1964, Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, seven child actors and a bunch of people dressed as nuns and Nazis all came to Salzburg, Austria to film “The Sound of Music.” And when you go there today, you can still feel the history spraying out of every fountain, shining from every raindrop on every rose, and singing from every hill. Read more...

“The Departed” Director Martin Scorsese Warner Bros. Pictures Some of Martin Scorsese’s greatest work (see: “Mean Streets,” “Goodfellas” and “Gangs of New York”) revolves around mobs, violence and the constant striving for the American dream on dark city streets. Read more...

With octopus tentacles dangling from her mouth, Kerry Piper reflected on her first taste of Japan. After stepping off the Semester at Sea ship ““ a study abroad program in which students take classes on board a ship and visit countries from Venezuela to Kenya and beyond ““ Piper, a fourth-year biology student, was greeted by a platter of octopus dumplings. Read more...

When the Brentwood Public Library needed money to modernize 19 years ago, UCLA alumna and fundraiser Carole Schiffer swooped to the rescue with what is now the longest-running food festival in Los Angeles. Read more...

“Employee of the Month” Director Greg Coolidge Lionsgate With a token hot blonde, a Mr. Popular and an underdog trying to get the girl, “Employee of the Month” has all the makings of a teen movie ““ except instead of teenagers in high school, it’s about 20-somethings in a retail warehouse. Read more...