Film & TV

He’s Back. What a Surprise.

If anything, this movie proves that if you set your expectations low enough, anything will satisfy you. Was “Terminator Genisys” necessary? No. Was it fun?  A bit.  Does it prey on your nostalgi...
read more

A Satisfactory Catharsis: ‘Inside Out’ is a Good Time

Imagination can be a wonderful thing, depending on how it’s applied. If you muck it up, you end up with something that seems cool, but in reality, you realize that someone fell asleep behind the con...
read more

Jurassic World: Life Will Always Find a Way to Bite You in the Ass

Whether or not the Jurassic Park die-hards hate this movie and the average blockbuster junkie loves it, I think we can all agree on one thing: It could have been a lot worse. For one thing, you’d th...
read more

Reel Loud 2015 Suffers from Poor Planning

Any student-coordinated event that exists outside the realm of the two hour SRB multipurpose room shindig is something that deserves applause. When a group of college kids get together and learn the b...
read more

Ecological Storytelling Screens Miyazaki Classic: “Nausicaä of Valley of the Wind”

Graduate student Jeremy Chow from UCSB’s English department hosted the screening of the animated film “Nausicaä of Valley of the Wind” on Friday in South Hall room 2635. This spectacular film, ...
read more

Cambodian Rock n’ Roll

"Don't Think I've Forgotten" tells the story of rockers fighting to be heard amidst revolution
read more

“Merchants of Doubt”: A Discussion on Effective Science Communication

Last Wednesday, the Sustainable Science Communication Conference kicked off its event with a screening of “Merchants of Doubt” in UCSB’s Pollock Theater. Featuring approaches from several academ...
read more

What is Water: A Review and Discussion of “Chinatown” (1974)

On Wednesday, May 6, the Carsey-Wolf Center kicked off its new series, Inside Perspectives: Neo-Noir and the Contemporary City, with a 1974 favorite,  “Chinatown.” Directed by Roman Polanski and ...
read more

‘Mad Max’: Burning Man meets the Blues Brothers in Fury Road

Seriously. Holy motherfreakin’ crap. The thing about car chases is that they’re a common staple of action movies and it’s very difficult to make them seem fresh and new. George Miller’s fourth...
read more

“Age of Ultron” Gives Us What We Expected And Not Much Else

Like the Hulk, I feel I have two sides: one that wants to say how fun “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was and recommend that everyone see it. The other half thinks, “CRITIC SMASH!”  As much as I’...
read more

Selling DOPE: Straight Out of Sundance, Modern-Day Teen Odyssey Makes Its Way to UCSB

A critical hit and audience favorite at the Sundance Film Festival, “DOPE” was seen by some lucky UCSB students who were given a free advanced screening of the film last Thursday. Courtesy of A.S....
read more

“Danny Collins” Isn’t Original, But Who Cares?

This movie is like a roller-coaster. No, it’s not full of twists and turns; instead, you know exactly what you’re going to get before it’s all over. But it’s still a lot of fun to go on the r...
read more

New Sean Astin Film Barely Scratches “The Surface,” Spoiler Alert!

The surface of Lake Michigan is tepid, slow and without a hint of danger. Oh, the irony. Starring Sean Astin (“The Lord of the Rings”) and Chris Mulkey, “The Surface” is a well-shot and ballsy...
read more

200 Million Girls Are Missing | UCSB’s Girl Up Club Hosts “It’s a Girl” Documentary Screening

In countries such as India, China and many other regions of the world, girls are being abused, murdered and abandoned simply because of their gender. On April 16, UCSB’s Girl Up Club hosted a screen...
read more

Ecological Storytelling with Hayao Miyazaki

Encouraging the Preservation of the Environment Through Animated Film
read more