A&E

Catalyst, a biweekly collaborative art exhibition produced by UC Irvine students, is more than simply an art show. Showcasing work by art majors and non-art majors alike, the event is just as much a party as it is a presentation.

Once upon a time, a rugged, attractive man working for the CIA underwent a dangerous mission in a war-torn area. Sound familiar?

If you listen to music regularly, you figure it's a process. Not every record you listen to will catch your imagination. There are plenty that are hit or miss, and then there are some that are just plain bad. The idea of months or years of toil to produce a record has sympathetic listeners rationalizing the bore of albums that just don't click. But through all the clutter, you occasionally, and I mean once in a long while, find a record that just hits you. There's no rationalization, just the world that the album transports you to for an hour. The Department of Eagles has made that record.

"Sex Drive" develops its own witty take on the desperate road to deflowering.

In 1994, Oasis burst out of Manchester and took British pop music by storm with its hit debut album "Definitely, Maybe" and its sophomore smash "What's the Story? (Morning Glory)." Thirteen years and seven albums later, brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are back with a vengeance on their latest album, "Dig Out Your Soul."

Atlantic and Grand Hustle recording artist T.I., infamously known as the "King of the South," has done it again with his most poignant and potent LP to date: "Paper Trail," the follow-up to his 2007 platinum-certified "T.I. vs. T.I.P."

The University Art Gallery has a reputation for exposing students to progressive and thought-provoking exhibits. Its latest collection, "transPOP: Korea Vietnam Remix," supported by the Korea Foundation, Vietnamese Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN), opened on Oct. 2.

Love stories have narrative arcs that no doubt withstand the test of time. It's for this reason, however, most feel that when they've heard one, they've heard them all. It's rare that in this day and age, artistic media produces a love story with any inkling of originality. It's probably what makes director Peter Sollett's latest, "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," such a breath of fresh air.

Catalyst Gallery; Constant World at the Beall; Uptown Underground OC.

Three years after his last album "Songs for Silverman," Ben Folds is back. His latest work, "Way to Normal," was released with a bang despite some surrounding controversy. In mid-July, some new tracks were "leaked" online and were later declared fake by Folds himself. Despite the scandal, the real album, released on Sept. 30 strikes a chord with Folds fans.

Growing hatred coupled with unconditional love, internal and physical pain followed by utter joy, precious laughter alongside overbearing anger—these are just a few of the raw emotions that "Rachel Getting Married" produces. This direct and stripped-down experience delves into the realm of dysfunctional lives and invites viewers into an experience that may not be their own, but helps them understand the plight of others.

"BioShock" the film, once a rumor kept afloat by Internet postings, has become an official production. Gore Verbinski, director of the "Pirates" trilogy, is to helm the project that was penned by "Sweeney Todd" writer John Logan. It is one of the more grand examples of Hollywood's relationship with the most successful of video games. The reason we do not see every single game that grosses over 500,000 copies on the silver screen is that, historically, video game-to-movie transitions have been one of the least successful collaborations between the two industries.