A&E

Critical acclaim. What does that mean, anyway? Subjectivity and objectivity are really dicey, especially in entertainment where there are always two sides of the coin. Word of mouth is one thing, but the word of critics? I have nothing against a friend telling me to catch a movie because he thought it was interesting, but he couldn’t possibly tell me how I’d feel about it. Doesn’t that take away the art of the entire thing?

Often, films and television shows are praised for their directing style, actor performances, cinematography or special effects. Yet, many individuals often overlook the fundamental foundation that makes a film or TV show possible: screenwriting. Without a script, these other elements would not be possible. From “Good Will Hunting” to “Juno,” screenwriting has been a key aspect that has defined a performance or produced those memorable lines that you can’t help but say at the opportune moment.

Most drama productions put on at UC Irvine are either directed by faculty members or graduate students. In some cases, a handful of undergraduates are invited to direct plays called workshops. In almost all cases, however, UCI funds the entire play: the lighting, rights to the script, costumes and even stage costs. That is, all cases except one.

To answer the more pertinent question outright, yes, it does appear that Christian Bale’s now infamous on-set rant was more the result of spelunking too deep into character rather than just plain dickish-ness. It’s strange then, with all that pent-up rage successfully vented on cybernetic hordes throughout the film’s two hours, that Bale’s John Connor is less enjoyable and human than Edward Furlong was in “Judgment Day” 18 years ago. But if you are really hankering for deep character involvement and development, you’ve missed the point of this franchise.

East Bay Area natives Green Day have gotten a lot of criticism for “selling out.” Growing up in Northern California, surrounded by a thriving punk rock scene in Berkeley, it seemed that the band would follow suit in the same vein as the area’s Operation Ivy or Jawbreaker.

Few people could have guessed what surprises the 2009 Indian Culture Show would have in store. Some might have predicted it would have been simply fun to watch, or even that it would be a spectacular show, but few could have guessed it could arguably be called the most compelling show put on at UC Irvine this year.

Andrew Tonkovich, a lecturer in the English Department, presented two readers from the spring 2009 edition of the Santa Monica Review at the UC Irvine Bookstore on Thursday.

What makes a summer blockbuster? Is it just a special effects extravaganza or does there have to be more to it?

Ron Howard and crew somehow managed to take “The Da Vinci Code,” one of the most entertaining and controversial works of the past generation, and turn it into a lukewarm, flaccid experience that only served to make millions re-read Dan Brown’s book to get the bad taste out of their mouths. Luckily though, it appears that Howard is learning from his mistakes, and “Angels and Demons” ranks much better than its ‘Da Vinci Code’ predecessor, though it could be nothing more than a stupid action flick.

Those of us who crave new culture and new experiences usually look to the Education Abroad Program or study abroad programs to flee the bland office buildings of Irvine and immerse ourselves in Chinese, British or Russian life. However, in a rare opportunity, a little bit of Iranian culture came to UC Irvine last Friday. The Iranian Student Union’s (ISU) second annual Culture Show filled most of Crystal Cove last Friday night and stirred its audience with native music, singing, fashion and comedy.

Shapan: Getting excited about a movie is fun. A lot of people hate being late for movies not because they missed that critical first five minutes of the movie, but because they missed the trailers. Trailers are like Christmas gifts you can tuck under a tree. You might have an idea of what it is, but you’ll never know for sure. Isn’t that exciting? And isn’t that excitement refreshing?

Dance is more than just pink tutus and tippy toe exercises; it is an expression of emotion through movement, and “Physical Graffiti” is proof of that.