It’s no mystery why the trailer for “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” received a standing ovation at this year’s Comic-Con. It capitalizes on everything that makes director Zack Snyder one of the kings of fandom fodder: the gritty tone, the unfathomable destruction and the score that is more accurately described as loud than anthemic. Read more...
Photo: The first “Suicide Squad” trailer (above) premiered at San Diego Comic-Con last weekend. (Warner Bros.)
“Trainwreck” is not Judd Apatow’s best movie. The distinction still goes to “Knocked Up,” a consistent and organic comedy known for its explosive hilarity. In the midst of a dry summer season for comedy, “Trainwreck” is a female-driven movie that, in great Apatow form, comments on the realities of the sexual mindset in a world, much like our own, where sex isn’t everything – it’s just the most important thing. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)
The fact that “Ted 2” isn’t outright terrible speaks wealths about director and animated television magnate Seth MacFarlane. But the film is really more the cinematic equivalent of a sigh – one has to sigh a bit, after all, when purchasing a ticket to a film where Mark Wahlberg is coated in semen by surprise. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of Universal Pictures)
Every year, the summer movie season offers a host of big-budget, popcorn-popping blockbuster movies. Last week, “Jurassic World” smashed box office records by becoming the first film to take in $1 billion in just 13 days. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Fox Movies, Universal Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and Marvel Studios)
In 2008, UCLA alumna Joannie Burstein was invited to stay at the Versace home in Milan with her client, “Grey’s Anatomy” star and the face of the brand’s ad campaign, Patrick Dempsey. Read more...
Photo: After graduating from UCLA 31 years ago, Joannie Burstein worked as a talent agent for 10 years. She then founded The Burstein Company, a management firm where she works with entertainment professionals, including “Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey. (Maryrose Kulick/Daily Bruin senior staff)
When senior lecturer Hal Ackerman was first asked to teach at UCLA, he was terrified. He said he had no confidence that he could offer students any advice that merited real value. Read more...
Photo: Hal Ackerman originally transitioned into screenwriting from his role as an off-off-Broadway playwright in New York. After 30 years as a screenwriting lecturer, Ackerman will retire and move back to New York to focus on writing novels and plays. (Jessica Zhou/Daily Bruin)
Wearing a flowing red dress, India Carney performed Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” onstage for NBC’s “The Voice” in front of dramatic projected backdrops of scenery ranging from shores to meadows. Read more...
Photo: India Carney, a fourth-year music performance student, made it to the eighth season’s semifinal of NBC’s reality singing competition “The Voice” until she was eliminated. The singer has a postgraduate job lined up at the A Cappella Academy but is still planning on pursuing her dreams of becoming a professional singer. (Owen Emerson/Daily Bruin)
