When traveling to another state or country, travelers feel a little uneasy when contemplating a hostel as potential accommodations. Many seem unable to detach it from the 2005 Blockbuster film of the same title. The sadistic torturing of travelers in dingy hostels seems to hold some ring of truth for those mislead. Although theatrically entertaining, the fictional image of hostels cannot be more wrong. In fact, these budget-friendly hostels have become widely popular throughout the world not only with backpackers, but also college students and families.
One of the most anticipated dramas of the season, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" illustrates delightfully rich storytelling. Benjamin Button's (Brad Pitt) journey is presented in a wistful, melancholic manner, emphasizing the rawness of loss, death and looming mortality. Director David Fincher's haunting fable is unlike many other dramas of its kind. This epic tale is about a man who ages backwards, coming into the world as an infant suffering from all the infirmities of an 80-year-old man. As each year passes, Benjamin becomes younger and younger until he achieves infancy at the end of his life.
While it's never an easy task to adapt a book to the screen, let alone a book as popular as "Twilight," director Catherine Hardwicke does an excellent job being true to the book's essence. "Twihard" fans and non-fans will not be disappointed by the film.
The Claire Trevor School of the Arts presented its annual Gassmann Electronic Music Series at Winifred Smith Hall, featuring musician, composer and new UC Irvine professor Kojiro Umezaki, on Oct. 15. Umezki, who presented his riveting program "Alternate," showcasing the beauty of the Shakuhachi, a Japanese end-blown bamboo flute. Like a painter, Umezaki wields his Shakuhachi to create one unifying masterpiece that heightens the senses.
With the highly anticipated film set to be released in theaters November 11 and several fan sites already sweeping cyberspace, we take a step back to look at the book that started it all.
Although we are now in the 21st century, gender inequality still exists in universities, in a subtler manner. A report by the National Center for Education Statistics states, "Women now represent more of the U.S. undergraduate population than men." This means that women have become the majority group in undergraduate programs across the United States. However, how equally proportioned are females in higher education?
As cold season approaches, many of us start to reach for those smooth tissues and common over-the-counter medications when those first sniffles and watery...
