Farcical Razzies help to balance overly serious Oscars


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With all the attention paid to the Oscars this weekend, it was easy to miss the other award show that took place. The 35th Annual Golden Raspberry Awards gave out its recognitions to the worst movies of the year. Started in 1981 by copywriter and publicist John J. B. Wilson to “honor” the very worst […]

The Oscar race narrows ahead of Sunday’s broadcast


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The 87th Academy Awards are only three days away, and the suspense is beginning to build into a battle of “wills.” Will Richard Linklater’s tender coming-of-age story Boyhood win the night as many analysts are predicting, or will Alejandro González Iñárritu’s surreal showbiz satire Birdman fly off with the top prize clutched in its talons? […]

Trading Post offers flea market for beginners


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Most flea markets involve early mornings, crowded aisles, random junk and loud barterers. Shoppers line up at the crack of dawn, then spend the day jostling each other and haggling with sellers for lower prices. Melrose differs from most outdoor markets, however, beginning with its name — it’s known not as a “flea market,” but […]

Surprise album showcases Drake’s impressive lyricism


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A few weeks ago, I wrote about Lil Wayne’s mixtape and his beef with former best friend and Cash Money Records figurehead, Bryan “Baby” Williams, aka  Birdman. Since then this feud has become a disaster for Birdman, with a $51 million lawsuit against him and more artists standing behind Lil Wayne. Nicki Minaj reportedly refused Birdman’s […]

Spider-Man finally swings into Marvel’s neighborhood


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It’s official, true believers! After years of inter-studio scuttlebutt and fanboy dream weaving, Spider-Man is finally wall-crawling his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Late this past Monday, Sony Pictures, which has controlled the big screen rights to Spider-Man since 1999,  announced its plans to lease the character to Disney’s Marvel Studios for several new […]

Museum of Death provides morbid thrills


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Like many native Southern Californians, I become extremely dramatic when it rains. So when faced with a slight drizzle last weekend, I donned black clothing and visited the Museum of Death. MOD was founded in 1995 by J.D. Healy and Cathee Shultz, who “realized the void in the death education in this country and decided […]

Shades soundrack is softer than expected


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There is a lot of controversy and hype surrounding the new movie, Fifty Shades of Grey, coming out this Valentine’s Day weekend. The novel it is based on was the fastest selling paperback of all time in the United Kingdom and immediately sparked controversy for its glorification of BDSM and rough sex. The film adaptation […]

Studying abroad is opportunity to explore


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The essential USC experience can often be reduced to a few key activities: going to football games and frat parties, enjoying the sun while eating Lemonade in the Campus Center, and having brunch at Bottega Louie and Urth Caffé. But for a growing contingent of students, experiencing somewhere off campus — somewhere completely foreign — […]

Labyrinth offers a tranquil space in the bustling city


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When I first told my friend Jersey about the Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens, his first reaction was one of incredulity: “A labyrinth? Like with minotaurs?” Apparently, the original definition of the word “labyrinth” was the home of the ancient Greek creature. Not surprisingly, the Peace Awareness Labyrinth does not house a minotaur, though it […]