Wednesday, May 14

Film review: ‘Trap’ falls short of trapping audience until finale with unrealistic turns

This post was updated Aug. 4 at 8:33 p.m. “Trap” hopes to ensnare audiences in a tightly wound thriller but releases all of its tension – and the audience’s attention – well before the finish line. Read more...

Photo: Glazed by unsettling red light, Cooper (left), played by Josh Hartnett, scans the crammed concert for an escape, accompanying his distracted daughter Riley (right), played by Ariel Donoghue. The fresh thriller “Trap,” released Aug. 2, shines the spotlight on an unrecoverable night of high-stakes investigation. (Courtesy of IMDb)


Movie review: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ thoughtfully honors genre’s beginnings, iconic characters

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is honoring the days of Marvel’s future past. Released on Friday, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” directed by Shawn Levy, is not only a great Deadpool movie, but the “Spider-Man: No Way Home” of Fox Studios’ Marvel Universe. Read more...

Photo: Wedged in the center seat of the beige-interior car sits Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. The finale of Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” film series released nationwide July 26. (Courtesy of Disney)


Queer Rhapsody film series held in LA, embracing collaboration, inclusion

With the film series Queer Rhapsody, there’s no competition – just community. Organized by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, the series is showcasing over 50 queer-centered feature films, documentaries and short films through Sunday. Read more...

Photo: Laying atop the green vehicle, grad student Azra (left) seeks balance in her life after the unexpected death of her father and coming out as queer to her conservative Muslim mother. Directed by Fawzia Mirza, “The Queen Of My Dreams” will air on the final night of the Queer Rhapsody film series. (Courtesy of Baby Daal Productions)


TV Review: ‘The Boys’ season four falls short of producing enticing buildup to show finale

This post was updated July 21 at 11:13 p.m. Warning: spoilers ahead. “The Boys” season four runs in place at super speed. This summer, showrunner Eric Kripke delivered the hotly anticipated fourth season of the diabolical superhero show “The Boys” with the final episode released on Amazon Prime Video on July 18. Read more...

Photo: Susan Heyward and Jessie T. Usher play Sister Sage (left) and A-Train (right) in “The Boys.” The fourth season of the superhero series was released on Amazon Prime Video this summer. (Courtesy of Prime Video)



TV review: ‘The Bear’ season three executes bittersweet character studies, culinary realities

This post was updated July 7 at 6:57 p.m. In the newest season of “The Bear,” almost every second counts. The third season of FX’s Emmy-winning comedy-drama, which premiered Wednesday, cooks up another round of character studies served alongside the show’s pressure cooker theme of striving for perfection. Read more...

Photo: Aye Edebiri (left) and Jeremy Allen White (right) star as Sydney and Carmy in FX’s “The Bear.” The third season of the Emmy-winning series premiered June 26. (Courtesy of FX)


Short film ‘Maple Bacon Bar’ offers lyrical insight into Cambodian immigrant story

Roan Pearl is mixing together music, donuts and Cambodian culture in her thesis film. The fourth-year film and television studentis the writer and director of her short film “Maple Bacon Bar,” which she said tells the story of Sovanna – the daughter of a Cambodian American refugee family that owns a donut shop in Long Beach, California – who struggles to connect with her parents and pursue her artistic ambitions following her older sister’s death. Read more...

Photo: The protagonist of “Maple Bacon Bar” is pictured working at a donut shop on set. The student thesis film and musical seeks to highlight underrepresented voices through lyrics and storytelling. (Photo courtesy of Ee Lin. Illustration by Shea McCauley/Daily Bruin.)



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