Share: At a time or another, Angelenos have been privileged enough to set eyes upon the grandiose Pasadena Colorado Street Bridge while driving, walking, or in a print edition of a magazine. Sitting beautifully on Colorado Blvd, the bridge captures the historic pride of Pasadena and displays an exclusively classic ambiance of early Los Angeles. While the bridge is a precious characteristic of Pasadena, it has gained a remarkably morbid reputation and has piqued nationwide interest for its dark past and rumored hauntings. The bridge’s …
‘Beau Is Afraid’ amuses and confuses in odd audacious odyssey
Share: There’s little to be afraid of in “Beau Is Afraid,” a surprisingly not-so-scary comedy from one of the most exciting horror directors, Ari Aster. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, it’s the sort of comedy where everyone, including the audience, is in on the joke. Everyone except for Beau, who is relentlessly tortured by any and every absurd creative choice Aster could imagine. Not every ambitious idea works in the film’s favor, yet the ungodly fever dream remains hilarious in a perverse, perturbed sense of humor. Beau …
As vampire stories go, ‘Renfield’ kinda sucks
Share: Chris Mckay’s modern day Dracula horror-comedy is one to be remembered, if not for the wonderful talent of the people in front of and behind the camera, then for its lackluster plot. What began as a wonderfully delightful movie filled with equal parts comedy and drama, ended in a less than satisfying way, leaving the audience wanting more from such a spectacular cast. Nicolas Cage delivers us a Dracula that far exceeded all expectations, a terrifying yet hilarious performance that undoubtedly became one of …
‘The Secret Conversations’ does more for McGovern than it does for Ava Gardner
Share: Some 34 years after she was dubbed “The Most Beautiful Animal Alive,” a financially struggling, physically ailing Ava Gardner contracted a journalist to ghostwrite her memoir as the less humiliating alternative to pawning off her old jewels. So began the working relationship between writer Peter Evans and Gardner. The relationship would span across a year and ultimately culminated with Gardner abruptly withdrawing her permission to publish. This didn’t stop Evans’s estate from posthumously publishing “Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations,” in 2013. The book was …
Don’t reject or neglect, stop and accept. What do you collect?
Share: From vinyls to trading cards to watches, collections are a thing of beauty. They can be new and trendy or vintage and unique. With no limits, just about anything can be a collectible. The reasons for collecting are as diverse as the items that can be collected. Some do it for the feeling of nostalgia, while others may do it for a flex, and, in some cases, they might do it without even realizing it. Psychology major Maiya Villanueva shared what started her interest …
‘Air’ is the slam dunk story of Nike’s game changing shoe
Share: A movie about Michael Jordan who is considered the best basketball player to exist and one of the greatest athletes of all time certainly isn’t exactly rare. That’s why “Air” sets out to tell the lesser-known story of how a group of employees at Nike came together to create a shoe specifically for Jordan so he could switch his endorsement. Despite the expansive amount of awards Michael Jordan has received over the course of his life including the incredibly rare switch from the NBA …
Note to self: Don’t touch dead sea mammals
Share: Sea otters were found dead off the coast of California due to a rare strain of bacteria, leading to questions about the future of the ecosystem, and how it will impact humans. The deadly parasite in question is known as Toxoplasma, which kills sea mammals and may pose a potential threat to humans. Sea otters are exposed to this parasite by eating clams and other filter-feeding invertebrates. This parasite is found in cats’ feces, meaning that trash that’s made it to the ocean has …
New Mario Bros. movie is a warp pipe to the mushroom kingdom
Share: The Mario franchise has come a long way from a simple Donkey Kong arcade game. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” does a fantastic job of displaying every aspect of the Nintendo universe, from the comedy to the animation, to the soundtrack, there was no visible weak spot. Recently after quitting their steady plumbing job, Mario and Luigi,who are played by Chris Pratt and Charlie Day, test their luck and attempt to start their own plumbing company. With hardly any success and limited external support, …
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Something for everyone in late maestro’s music
Share: Rarely do artists of any discipline have the privilege to explore their interests with as much international attention and critical acclaim as Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. Ever since the world first met Sakamoto as a member of the electronic trio Yellow Magic Orchestra, he routinely reinvented himself without losing sight of what made him an exciting and multifaceted talent. Last month, after his third fight against cancer, Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away at 71. When the news broke out, multiple publications and news outlets had …
Love’s a game, wanna play?
Share: Depending on what you’ve seen, heard, or done, there is no shortage of words you can put after that to complete the sentence. Is dating simple or complicated, are relationships more fun or exhausting, does your partner bring more joy or pain, is this game really worth playing? Regardless of what stage or position of dating you find yourself in, there isn’t a book with instructions or a person you can just ask or look to find the answers. There are so many different …