A Glendale Nocturne: Saturday night with the LACO

By Ted AYALA As I stepped into the Alex Theater last Saturday, I almost felt a sense of regret at having to leave behind the brisk, fragrant springtime night behind me. I say almost because as lovely as it would have been to stay out that night, the opportunity to hear the Los Angeles Chamber […]

“Shrek Forever After” is a winner for entire family

By Charly SHELTON Shrek has had many misadventures over the nearly 10 years since the green ogre debuted from the then new animation department of Dreamworks SKG. He saved the princess, defeated the evil Lord Farquaad, married his princess-turned-ogre true love, then he was turned human, saved his princess again – this time from the […]

‘Iron Man 2’ – Not spectacular, but still super

By Charly SHELTON When we last left Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), he announced he was Iron Man, using his super suit to fight crime the world over. Now his father’s scorned Russian partner has set his own son (Mickey Rourke) on a path to vengeance and this path leads right to Tony. While fighting […]

Brilliant finale for Santa Cecilia Orchestra’s season

By Ted AYALA The 2009/2010 season of the Santa Cecilia Orchestra came to a spectacular close on April 25 with a concert celebrating the bicentenary of Mexico’s independence. The program, held at Occidental College’s Thorne Hall, was devoted exclusively to orchestral works by Mexican composers. Mexico has its own very long and proud tradition in […]

Sharing her Hollywood’s memories

By Mary O’KEEFE “Cecile B. DeMille asked if he could do a screen test on me.” “Oh yes, I knew Jimmy Cagney. He was a very nice guy.” “So they asked me to kick my legs and scream as King Kong carried me to the top of the Empire State Building. Of course Kong never […]

Taken out on a Date Night

By Charly SHELTON Fall in love, get married, have kids, become a boring couple from New Jersey, pose as mobsters, run from real mobsters, save the day, fall in love all over again. This is the course for Phil (Steve Carrell) and Claire Foster (Tina Fey) when they try to shake things up and break […]

Clash 1; Titans 0 in ‘Clash of the Titans’

By Susan JAMES Warner Bros. new 3-D offering, “Clash of the Titans,” enters with a roar and goes out with a whimper. Starring Sam Worthington, the sci fi soldier of “Avatar,” and helmed by French director Louis Leterrier, “Titans” is a non-stop cymbal crash of breathless battles against monsters so familiar you will find yourself […]

Dragons and Hot Tubs – what a combination

By Charly SHELTON This week, we are going to be looking at two films, “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Hot Tub Time Machine.” First up is “Dragon.” Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a pet dragon? One that flies faster and shoots fire better than any other dragon. This […]

It’s a sorry end for ‘Repo Men’

By Charly SHELTON In the economy we now find ourselves in, the Repossession Department of any credit company is now a viable source of employment. And in the future, it will be even more lucrative, if you have the heart for it. Jude Law is Remy, the best repo man in the business. But he […]