“The Grudge” Directed by Takashi Shimizu Columbia Pictures Based on the Japanese blockbuster “Ju-On,” directed by Takashi Shimizu, “The Grudge” may seem like just another American remake following last year’s hit, “The Ring.” While Ghost House Pictures and Columbia Pictures may be confirming Hollywood’s current Japanese fetish with its new thriller, “The Grudge” attempts to set itself apart from its predecessor. Read more...

If getting the standard rock-quartet together to practice isn’t easy, imagine preparing 82 students for an orchestral performance. The UCLA Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Jon Robertson, is playing tonight at Schoenberg Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. Read more...

With film score writers battling computer programs to have their music played in a movie, and with their artistic creativity limited both by budgets and the whims of the directors and producers who control their projects, composers may be left wondering in what direction their art is heading. Read more...

If it’s true that art students constantly search for the authentic, they might want to take a break on Oct. 22. In Royce Hall, “Masked Rituals of Kerala, India” might just be the most authentic thing in Los Angeles on a Friday night. Read more...

Some say imitation is the best form of flattery. If this is the case, then Americans have been paying foreign filmmakers the biggest compliment to date. Read more...

An excruciating injustice happened to me this past weekend. No, a friend didn’t drag me to go see “Taxi.” Nor was I sued by our good friends at the Recording Industry Association of America. Read more...

“The Ten Commandments” Kodak Theatre After cancelling a week’s worth of performances to “re-tool,” “The Ten Commandments, The Musical” will reopen tonight at the Kodak Theatre. Read more...