Considering the vastness and intricacies of David Mitchell’s novel, turning “Cloud Atlas” into a movie took considerable work and strategy to make it connect with the audience and required top-notch actors. In short, “Cloud Atlas” is a combination of six stories spanning from the South Pacific to the far future of Neo-Seoul to the post-apocalyptic future.
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Chasing Mavericks by directors Michael Apted and Curtis Hanson was released Oct. 26. The sports drama is based on a true story set in 1994 about Jay Moriarty, a fifteen-year-old boy who seeks the help of local surfing legend, Frosty Hesson, after discovering the mythic Maverick surf break off the California coast. The film features Gerard Butler as Frosty,...
On Friday, Oct. 26, Downtown Riverside hosted an impressive array of local entertainment, family-friendly scares and fresh kettle corn during its annual Ghost Walk. Presented by California Riverside Ballet in conjunction with local high schools and theatre groups, the Ghost Walk is a storytelling adventure through some of Riverside’s oldest and most historic buildings.
When I arrived at the event,...
Shining in authentic old-school blues fashion, guitar virtuoso Gary Clark Jr.’s major-label debut, “Blak and Blu,” brings true soul and pain back to an R&B realm that has been wallowing in overproduced hip-hop. Clark’s earnest tone and masterful guitar playing should definitely earn this album a spot as one of the year’s best.
Opening up with the brass filled “Ain’t...
What the filmmakers forgot to tell the public about “Paranormal Activity 4” is that it’s really a moral story about how taking a phone call while your six-year-old is sitting in a bubble bath is a bad idea. Okay, it’s not exactly a moral story, but it’s just as stale as one. Whereas Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (“Catfish,”...
Taking poetic lyrics full of imagery seems to be a Death Cab for Cutie hallmark. On his first solo venture since 2009, lyricist and lead singer Ben Gibbard continues these motifs exceedingly and although many of the songs have pleasant sounds, “Former Lives” is oozing with dark bitterness. Gibbard, who recently divorced actress Zooey Deschanel, said in an interview...
Season two of Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” anthology takes place in a facility that saw an outbreak of tuberculosis, which claimed 46,000 lives, before it was converted into an asylum by the church in the ‘60s. “Asylum” is a whole new story and setting with a handful of the same actors from the previous season that now portray...
After two years of composition and compilation to change their sound, Anberlin released “Vital,” their sixth album, on Tuesday, Oct 16. The album still relies on Stephen Christian’s big vocals just as before; however, the more electronic-based melodies incorporated into the rock style in this album expanded the alternative niche the band excelled in since 2005. The...
Rugged beauty, aged character and unified nonconformity characterize the latest exhibit at the UCR/California Museum of Photography. Titled “Hell’s Union: Motorcycle Club Cuts as American Folk Art,” the exhibit showcases artist Jeff Decker’s collection of defunct motorcycle vests, officially known as “cuts.” They range from appealingly grungy to darkly intimidating, and the entire display inspires its observer to appreciate...
Do you like “Bioshock” and the “Assassin’s Creed” series? If you answered no, you probably don’t play a lot of video games or you aren’t a very sensible person. But if you answered yes, then I’m sure you’ll love “Dishonored.”
“Dishonored” is a first-person stealth action-adventure game for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in which you play as bodyguard-turned-assassin, Corvo...