A&E

It’s been a long, hard road for Eminem since he released his last album, “Encore,” five years ago. After a failed remarriage, the death of a close friend and exhaustion from touring, Eminem spiraled into a realm of sleeping pills and prescription medication while cutting himself off from the rap world that wondered if he would ever return. Despite falling off track, Eminem has returned with “Relapse,” which explicitly chronicles his addictions and the severely declining state of his physical and mental health.

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.

As much as Trekkies may dislike the idea, J.J. Abrams’ take on Gene Rodenberry’s famous space-faring series is actually good. Fans of the original series and its film spin-offs may cry foul at this alternate take on their beloved space soap opera, but it’s precisely because the new “Star Trek” film doesn’t cater to the old television show’s motifs that makes it watchable and entertaining.

Over the course of last week, the 10th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival showcased over 400 films from 45 different countries at Edwards Island Cinemas in Fashion Island and Lido Theater in Newport Peninsula.

Subscribers to Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) found in January that their subscriptions were canceled. Meanwhile, on the other side of the print industry, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, after publishing since 1863, closed its doors and went online.