Rio de Janeiro consists of 600 “favelas” ““ the Brazilian word for an urban slum or ghetto with illegal squatter settlements. Anderson Sá is native to the Vigário Geral favela, which, controlled entirely by an underworld society of teenage drug armies and policemen, is considered the most dangerous of them all. Read more...

Beyond a sweating Bruce Lee dubbed with usually robotic English pronunciation, the history of Chinese martial arts cinema has remained relatively obscure. However, thanks to decades of collecting and newly remastered prints, the UCLA Film and Television Archive is currently presenting “Heroic Grace: The Chinese Martial Arts Film, Part II,” a continuation of the 2003 series intended to change preconceptions of Chinese martial arts cinema. Read more...

To a fan who has only encountered Animal Collective’s harmonious, mellowed-out studio recordings, the group’s raucous live show is overwhelming. Unlike merely listening to the brilliantly layered mellifluous sounds on their albums, the group’s live incarnation incorporates head-spinning visual and audio elements, as well as an unfettered tribal energy. Read more...

Jimi Hendrix jammed with the in-house bands. Janis Joplin downed her last bottle of Southern Comfort there before she died. It’s where The Doors had their monumental beginning. Read more...

As a array of contemporary films and TV shows like “Desperate Housewives” point out, nearly every family has its own secrets and lies meant to keep up appearances ““ a fact Tennessee Williams was all too familiar with when he wrote his play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” in 1955. Read more...

A slightly demented cheerleader takes the stage. Heavy-metal wannabes, in a fit of inspiration, prop up lights, speakers and fog machines. And a woman, dressed in a gorilla suit, pantomimes as if she’s part of a children’s performance. Read more...

DJ Muggs vs. GZA/The Genius “Grandmasters” Angeles Records The Wu-Tang Clan has never really been considered an inclusive group. From its ruthless hip-hop oligarchy to its unmitigated disdain for other MCs, the Clan has long isolated itself. Read more...