A&E

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.

The thing about Hugh Jackman and this movie is that he's rightly People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" as he jumps off a waterfall naked. From a woman's standpoint, it is almost worth the 12-dollar ticket and popcorn just seeing his untanned tushy running across a farmyard.

Stephen Tucker, conductor and music professor, moved his hands majestically to lead the body of musicians in the concert "Distant Worlds" last Friday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, putting on another wonderful performance by the UC Irvine Symphony Orchestra.

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.

Even after his 33 studio albums, Bob Dylan still has not lost his ability to create albums that can entice the listener track after track. Dylan originally returned to the studio to record a single ballad for the film "My Own Love Song," yet the session proved to be so productive that the band recorded nine additional songs, which now comprise his new studio album "Together Through Life."

One look at director Joe Wright's ("Atonement") latest film and you think you have it figured out. What it looks like from trailers and clips is your average awards-bait film; a disabled savant whose inner talent is brought out by his friendship with a saner person. For the most part, this assumption is correct, but a surprising lack of a few major conventions of the feel-good Oscar flick, and the strength of the two lead actors makes what could have been another sappy paint-by-numbers experience into something actually worth seeing.