What is improv? It’s not an easy thing to define. Some see it as a lackluster form of comedy, an excuse to entertain on a stage. Others may think improvisation is an easily attainable skill that requires no serious practice, like writing computer code or building a bridge. The most cynical (and perhaps unfunny) onlookers throw improv comedians into...
“Hot Pursuit” is a comedy directed by Anne Fletcher, and has generally elicited very unfavorable ratings. The narrative follows Texan police officer Rose Cooper (Reese Witherspoon), who is trying to follow in her father’s footsteps and is assigned to escort Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara) and her cartel-affiliated husband. When two pairs of gunmen storm the house, things go very...
When I write these “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” reviews, I try to be as objective as possible. For some episodes, like this week’s “Det. Dave Majors,” that’s really hard. I’m going to be honest and say that once it was clear the episode was dragging out the Jake (Andy Samberg) and Amy (Melissa Fumero) romance plot, I stopped paying as much...
“Actions,” Turn to Crime’s second musical effort, is probably not for everyone, and even then it will probably attract a small core following with its very unique synth-pop and experimental sound. The band takes influences from ‘80s pop and even as far as ‘60s psychedelia. In Turn to Crime’s second album, though, this well-known sound marries an alternative-rock, post-punk...
Students look to Spring Splash as the action hero to save them from the monster right around the corner (that being midterms). So it’s only fitting for UCR to receive its annual hidden stashes of weed, free heart-attack inducing Rockstar drinks, fried potato wedges on a stick and petting zoo for students to enjoy. Even with Flosstradamus replacing Wiz...
Damon Albarn has become the type of musician to tackle many projects in his career. From the mix of hip-hop, electronic and alternative group Gorillaz to his solo album “Everyday Robots,” each project he works on is an experiment, a workspace to try new sounds and ideas. “The Magic Whip,” the first album to be released by Blur in...
On Thursday night students lined up outside the Arts Building to hear the tale of “Mrs. Packard.” Unfortunately, the opening performance had been scheduled at the same time as the MFA Dance Concert. But for those who weren’t steered away by the misplaced “sold out” sign on the ticketing booth that managed to cause a world of confusion, the...
I think there were very few people who had low expectations for “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” As a comic book geek, I was pretty excited for this movie.
There are a bunch of awesome superheroes, the expected great performances, top-notch special effects that only Disney can afford, Joss Whedon’s ear for irreverent humor and the general family-friendly tone that’s carried...
The Barn, which has hosted countless performers in its years at UCR, is being closed for renovations. Aside from the next Comedy Apocalypse on May 13, the Barn will not be hosting any more events for an indeterminate amount of time, and only time will tell how much will have changed when the doors reopen. The Barn is iconic,...
After over a month without a new episode of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” I must have been feeling charitable because I really liked “AC/DC.” Did the episode have problems? Sure, it did, but no episode of TV is perfect. I got what I wanted from an episode of this show: good storytelling and a lot of laughs.
The episode opens with Jake...