As a professor of Roman culture in the classics department, Robert Gurval naturally cares about dates. But as far as his research interests are concerned, “B.C.” may as well stand for anything prior to 1963, or, in other words, “Before “˜Cleopatra.'” Gurval’s work, which is focused on the political problems of the early Roman empire involving the famous Egyptian queen, doesn’t end when the historical dates do. Read more...

The idea of trying to tell a story without words might seem difficult, illogical or even ridiculous. But that idea is the foundation for the beautifully noisy music of the Japanese band Mono. Read more...

For its 20th anniversary, the annual JazzReggae Festival is going back to its Bruin roots. Sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Commission, the two-day concert takes place Sunday and Monday. Read more...

Directed by Brett Ratner 20th Century Fox “X-Men: The Last Stand” has a lot wrong with it. So much, in fact, that the only feasible way to discuss the movie adequately is a laundry list of problems. Read more...

Atlanta’s true hip-hop beatboxing, a New York City poet and activist, an Afro-Brazilian martial arts dance and three UCLA alumni confrontations with racial stereotypes redefine art through performances that strip away preconceived notions of race, culture and identity. Read more...

Shorttakes, which takes place tonight for the 13th time, is an established UCLA tradition. But don’t think the on-campus film festival is the same after all these years. Read more...

Though the month of May hasn’t quite ended and the majority of Hollywood’s blockbusters still exist in the realm of anticipation, I’m getting worried. For any industry analyst, this is a problem. Read more...