Korean western film takes pastiche to another level


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The Good, the Bad, the Weird really moves. Oozing style from every frame, Kim Jee-woon’s Korean western starts with a thrilling train robbery in Japanese-occupied China and rarely slows down. Here is a film that understands the simple pleasure of a moving camera and moving characters. Kim’s movie is an absurd, gorgeous mash-up of Western […]

A series of tubes that won’t go away


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I got the title for my Internet-themed column from ex-Senator Ted Stevens’ comments on net neutrality. In 2006, Stevens mixed up the words “Internet” and “e-mail,” and then gave an incorrect account of how e-mail traffic works, saying that “[the Internet is] not a big truck — it’s a series of tubes.” It seemed at […]

Buffett book offers advice to rich parents


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Upon hearing that Peter Buffett — son of American investor Warren Buffett — wrote a motivational book entitled Life is What You Make It, your first question might be: What hard life experiences did the son of a billionaire go through that would inspire him to write a self-help book? The answer, in short, is […]

Weekend Picks


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thursday, april 29 Rogue Wave 8 p.m. > El Rey Theatre > $26.50 Zach Rogue, an Oakland, Calif., native, leads the indie-pop band Rogue Wave with his vocals and guitar playing. The band has performed on soundtracks for Napoleon Dynamite and Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist and is sure to captivate both devoted fans and […]

Multitalented rapper’s debut shows versatility and stand-alone talent


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A quick glance at the track list for B.o.B’s debut album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, might seem as if the Decatur, Ga., rapper was simply using his widespread connections in an attempt to increase sales. The record features prominent mainstream artists — T.I., Lupe Fiasco, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Hayley Williams of Paramore […]

Grub on! Explore USC’s best in chow


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We all love to rant about $8 Caesar salads or the “Italian food” at Everybody’s Kitchen, but between questionable prices and soggy pasta, USC has a few well-kept secrets, both on campus or within walking distance. The wise senior has probably discovered all of these, but has long since forgone a meal plan and might […]

Indie film Paper Man should be recycled


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Paper Man is a movie about emptiness. Though it’s not really a good film, it’s not really a bad one either, and that might be the point. Jeff Daniels plays Richard, the film’s main character who has a few problems. He is trying to write a novel after the complete failure of his last one, […]

Long Beach foursome delivers with impressive debut


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Here’s a band with respect for its musical elders, playing sincere pop rock with a steadfast dedication to freak-folk delivery and a pleasant penchant for irony. Thus far, the band described is of a pretty standard garage band ilk these days. So what sets Avi Buffalo apart? For starters, its song “Summer Cum” is potentially […]