I’m the worst kind of couch potato ““ the sort who structures his life around TV. I’ve been known to hesitate before making plans if they interfere with TV, like going on dates, to concerts, to class or taking a final. Read more...

Stepping foot in a movie theater, an audience can be taken anywhere ““ across time and around the world. For the UCLA Film and Television Archive, the next stop across the globe is Iran, as the 17th Annual Celebration of Iranian Cinema kicks off at the Billy Wilder Theater, copresented by the Bijan and Soraya Amin Foundation. Read more...

Be it by a conventional critic or your father who yearns for the good ol’ days, many assume that to have a good time listening to current popular music is to enjoy without thinking critically. Read more...

“Grindhouse” (double feature) (The Weinstein Company) “Planet Terror” (Director Robert Rodriguez) (Out Of 5) “Death Proof” (Director Quentin Tarantino) (Out Of 5) The only way to top the sex and violence of “Grindhouse” would be to get a stack of Playboys and a trunk full of guns. Read more...

“After the Wedding” IFC Films Director Susanne Bier 3.5 Paws Out Of 5 Susanne Bier’s “After the Wedding” is just like your favorite daytime drama. It’s got weddings, death, family secrets, tear-drenched confessions, infidelity and a big house in the countryside. Read more...

“Burnout: Dominator” Electronic Arts Sony PSP There’s nothing quite like blazing in a fine automobile around sharp turns and past oncoming traffic. But, for those not wishing to wind up upside-down in a ditch in a flaming wreck, there’s “Burnout: Dominator.” The PSP has no shortage of racing games, traditionally a video game staple due to the simplicity of the design. Read more...

When Shannon Safino, a volunteer at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, showed up at an exclusive opening of the museum’s “Architecture of the Veil” exhibit in January, she thought she was there just to set up the refreshments. Read more...