There are very few places that get as dark and empty as downtown Riverside on a Tuesday night at 8 p.m. When I arrived at the Culver Center to watch “Sea Seed,” a staged reading composed by the Sons of Semele Ensemble, a small trickle of visitors to the evening's play occasionally went from the darkness outside to the...
Gazing into the packed atrium of the Culver Center, professor in the Department of Theatre, Film and Digital Production Dr. Tiffany Ana Lopez remarked that she was about to “burst into tears” at the sight of the massive crowd of people who showed up to see “Mariachi Girl,” an all-student production put on by the Latina/o Play Project. Directed...
Amongst the innovative new groups of fresh filmmakers is the UCR Department of Theatre, Film and Digital Productions, which held its second annual Smartphone Film Festival on Tuesday, Feb. 16 in the theater-like screening room of the INTS building. The festival was dedicated to showcasing eight short films that were filmed completely on a smartphone and that three judges...
The life and death of Jesus Christ is considered by many to be one of the greatest stories of all time. The legend has been told and retold countless times, following Jesus’ from his birth in Bethlehem to his crucifixion and rebirth in Jerusalem. It is rare for the sacred tale to be focused on an outside character instead,...
“Still Waters” lived up to its name, and didn’t make a single ripple of interest for its listeners. French pop-disco artist Breakbot’s sophomore effort brought what I could only describe as upbeat background music at best.
Breakbot sounds like he’s playing four-by-four drum loops, layered with some drag-and-drop synth and bass loops, and his vocals feel extremely crowded. This does...
Recently, a few of the most devoted Church of Kanye worshippers at the Highlander gathered and discussed the career of the Lord and Savior himself, Kanye West. What emerged from that discussion was the following article. This piece is not your standard album rankings drivel, but rather an assessment. One that examines each of Kanye's solo projects in chronological order,...
Despite my deep-seated loathing of the “hype train” that is inevitable with a new installment of a popular franchise, I have to admit that I was unabashedly excited for “XCOM 2.” Bucking my typical strategy of waiting a year or so until games I’m interested in finally come down in price, I decided to skip the waiting period and...
On Wednesday, Feb. 10, The Culver Center of the Arts held an event as part of their Outpost Concert Series. This series is a part of the Culver Center's presentation of contemporary avant-garde classical music. The concert featured OGNI SUONO, two saxophonists from New York who studied classical music at the University of Columbia.
OGNI SUONO consists of musicians Noa...
After 11 years, Ryan Reynolds’ pet project has finally hit the big screen. Initially met with dismissal by film studios, the idea of a Deadpool movie wasn't seriously considered until a short digitally rendered clip, the infamous "test footage," was leaked online just a few years ago. After a positive response from fans,the film has become a reality.
“Deadpool” follows...
Perhaps the greatest downside of being a writer is the worry that your work will never get recognized, largely due to the competitiveness and subjectivity of the money-driven publishing industry. This inevitable anxiety shared amongst all writers leads to a desire for direct answers on how to get one’s book published; therefore, the rare occasion when writers are granted...