“Wheels” is not easy to watch. This low-budget film, which cost less to make than a luxury car, classifies itself as a dark comedy, but its weak acting and predictable ending cloud the film in mediocrity. Read more...
Photo: (Loaded Dice Films)
Arts, Music, Theater & Fine Arts
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September 15, 3:45 am
Syncopated Ladies taps into innovative techniques in Fowler performance
The Syncopated Ladies are not a typical jazz tap group, incorporating hip-hop moves through every simultaneous stomp and click of the heels. The all-female tap dance group won national attention this May with its performance on the popular dance competition show, “So You Think You Can Dance.” On Sunday, the group performed some of its repertoire, including a cappella pieces, at the UCLA Fowler Museum. Read more...
Photo: Maud Arnold, a dancer of tap troupe Syncopated Ladies, performed at the UCLA Fowler Museum Sunday. Arnold’s dance group gained national attention after performing a hip-hop inspired tap dance on “So You Think You Can Dance.” (Felicia Ramirez/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Arts, Theater & Fine Arts
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September 15, 3:31 am
Q&A: UCLA alumna Chauntae Pink discusses starring in play ‘Bulrusher’
Chauntae Pink’s professional theater career started with an unexpected Facebook message. After hours of volunteering with Lower Depth Theater Ensemble in Los Angeles, Pink finally got her opportunity to perform onstage when one of the theater’s founders asked her via Facebook to audition for the company’s newest production, “Bulrusher.” A 2011 alumna of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, Pink debuted last month at the Los Angeles Skylight Theatre in “Bulrusher,” a play written by playwright and actress Eisa Davis and directed by Nataki Garrett, associate artistic director at the CalArts Center for New Performances. Read more...
Photo: UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television alumna Chauntae Pink plays the character of Vera, a troubled teenager from Alabama, in the Skylight Theatre production of Eisa Davis’ “Bulrusher.” (Austin Yu/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Arts, Lifestyle, Theater & Fine Arts
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September 8, 6:12 am
Alums’ ‘Nidhogg’ video game takes to PlayStation
While fencing against an opponent, the player’s end goal is simple: to get eaten by a huge pink monster, Nidhogg. Read more...
Photo: “Nidhogg,” a two-player sword-fighting game in a pixelated environment, was created by UCLA alumni Mark “Messhof” Essen and Kristy Norindr. “Nidhogg” is preparing to be released on PS4 and PS Vita formats. (Messhof)
Arts, Music
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September 8, 6:08 am
Album Review: ‘Goddess’
Often categorized under a new wave of modern R&B;, singer-songwriter Jillian Banks’ music certainly perpetuates the classification. But the categorization is merely a scratch on the surface of the atmospheric, brooding sound that BANKS has managed to capture on her album, “Goddess.” The debut album by BANKS offers a seductive, mystical musical palette with hues of dusky synths and pulsating low-end bass lines. Read more...
Photo: (Harvest Records)
Arts, Film & TV
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September 8, 5:46 am
UCLA student’s past fuels success at film festival
Mark Columbus saw a piece of himself reflected in the troubled expression of Charlie Foster, the protagonist of his latest short film, “Guests.” The film, based on Robert Boswell’s short story of the same name, centers on Charlie’s struggle to mature quickly when his father is diagnosed with cancer. Read more...
Photo: Graduate student in directing Mark Columbus’ short film “Guests” stars “Modern Family” star Rico Rodriguez as Charlie Foster, who struggles to mature quickly when his father is diagnosed with cancer. (Courtesy of Mark Columbus)
Arts, Music
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September 6, 7:09 pm
Q&A: SOJA’s Jacob Hemphill speaks on tour life, new album
Alternative reggae group SOJA’s eclectic band of dreadlocked guitarists, Latin-style brass players and upbeat percussionists perform music with a deep lyrical conviction regarding the state of human emotion and conflict. Read more...
Photo: Reggae band SOJA released its latest album, “Amid the Noise and Haste,” in August. (Courtesy of Eric Ryan Anderson)