Share: After a 2 year hiatus, Pokemon officially returns with their brand new title “Legends Z-A”. Set in the fictional Lumiose City (inspired by France), players enroll in a tournament dubbed the Z-A Royale. There they meet new friends and catch Pokemon in areas dubbed wild zones while trying to make their way to rank A. Along the way they are caught up in a mystery involving a pokemon named Zygarde and help a detective named Emma solve the case. A big positive is character …
‘Black Phone 2’ leaves moviegoers grabbing onto their seats in suspense
Share: In the horror movie genre, sequels are frequently only seen as a cash grab and tend to receive harsh criticism as they are often not needed and more often than not are subpar. Creating a movie that follows up an amazing first part has come to be very difficult. “Black Phone 2” managed to improve in almost all aspects that a horror movie needs as it leaves viewers with an eerie and daunting feeling throughout the film. Director and screenwriter Scott Derrickson delivered a …
‘The Smashing Machine’ knocks out expectations
Share: The Smashing Machine movie was based on the private life experienced by the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, Mark Kerr, including his UFC career, personal hardships, drug addiction, friendship with Mark Coleman, and tumultuous relationship with former model, Dawn Staples. This movie followed the timeline during the 1997-2000 years. The film showcased topics covering the time when UFC was deemed violent, aggressive, dangerous, and with 36 states banning “no holds barred” fighting and cable providers refusal to air the fights. The biopic was centered …
‘Demon Slayer’: The castle never ends, and neither do the flashbacks
Share: After 3 and a half years of production, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba finally aired in theaters on Sept. 12. Two weeks after the movie got released, it sits at a whopping 98% percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie received some mixed reviews. Some say the fight scenes were incredible and the action left you on the edge of your seat. Others say that the scenes were put together in an almost episode by episode sequence, making the movie seem choppy and bland. The …
LA Chess Social is just fun all across the board
Share: Nearly every table in the bar held a small but grand court in black and white. This court featured a king, queen, rook and bishop. Chess pieces flew from one square to the next as some players blitzed through moves. Other pieces hovered mid-air as their holders looked on with calculating gazes. The ever-present thrum of a live band’s performance burst from a corner of the room, and conversations full of laughter, playful banter, and detailed chess strategy all melded together under the sound. …
‘KPop Demon Hunters’: Golden in the charts and our hearts
Share: When summer break had just begun, I finally had the time to open Netflix and be greeted by the title screen of a new release: “KPop Demon Hunters.” As an animation lover and KPop dabbler, there was no way I wasn’t tuning in immediately. Seeing as the movie was a Netflix original, expectations were low, but it is definitely safe to say they were exceeded tenfold. The musical urban fantasy follows Kpop girl trio HUNTR/X, who secretly fulfill a generational duty of hunting demons. …
This latest season of ‘The Last of Us’ should be the last of it
Share: After two years of waiting, the second season to one of the better video game adaptations ‘The Last of Us’ has returned—only for it to feel mediocre. The first season was a spectacle of fans being able to see the moments that made them laugh, cry, or leave them in awe on screen. The second season amounts to as much as an acknowledgment of “Yeah, it’s cool, but why am I watching when I can play the game?” It’s a significant issue, as the …
7 movies for Jewish American Heritage Month that’ll take you on an emotional rollercoaster
Share: In addition to being AAPI Heritage Month, May is also Jewish American Heritage Month! Here are seven films starring Jewish actors and actresses, and why they are so significant for you to watch! Life Is Beautiful (1997) This film tells the story of a Jewish-Italian man named Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigi) trying his best to keep his son protected from the inhumanity of the Holocaust when they are taken to a concentration camp. Even through the darkest of horrors, Guido kept up a facade …
Dylan’s deal with destiny: Legendary musician returns to Hollywood Bowl
Share: “It all goes back to the destiny thing,” Bob Dylan once told 60 Minutes in 2004, flashing a wry smile. “I made a bargain with it a long time ago, and I’m holding up my end.” When Dylan first took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl in 1965, a mere 40 days after his controversial electric debut at the Newport Folk Festival, the folk world was still reeling. Boos from alienated fans rained down upon the then-24-year-old — something that never rattled the young, …
The dolls are back in the Playhouse
Share: The Pasadena Playhouse’s 100 year anniversary celebration kicked off with a fun, festive party with a red carpet and an open bar full of spectators excited to watch Lucas Hnath 2017’s, “A Doll’s House Part 2.” This modern reenactment of Henrik’s Ibsen’s controversial play from 1879, “A Doll’s House,” starred famous actress Elizabeth Reaser who played the main character Nora, and Jason Butler Harner who was casted as Torvaldt, Nora’s kind, caring, and sympathetic husband. Adam J. Smith was Torvald’s understudy. Two more talented …