Disney has decided to close Pixar Canada, which operates out of Vancouver. The shutdown will eliminate 100 jobs. “The team at Pixar Canada is incredibly talented and we are so proud of the excellent work we have produced there,” a Pixar spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday. “However, as we look at the creative…
OCUpella encourages support, begins practice for semester
OCUpella, a student-run a cappella group, is preparing for another year of performances.
The group has about 25 members with a wide variety of majors. Twelve new members were added into the group this year.
Student run theater group focuses on intimate, dramatic texts
The Out of the Box theater season opened this past weekend.
Out of the Box is a fully student-run theater company, and produces shows that only play late at night for two nights. An all-student committee picks the season early in the semester.
Whedon’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ brings new life to classic play
Shakespeare purists may not be too fond of Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing. It’s not that it’s unfaithful to the original text, per se – on the contrary, the integrity of the script itself is well maintained, save for a few minor changes – it’s just that the presentation of said text is quite a bit more relaxed than is often the case with such elevated, archaic language. For the open-minded, however, the film is an undeniable triumph.
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 2
Paramount Pictures has announced its plan to lay off 110 employees, or about 5% of its workforce. The cuts will mainly effect those in the finance, human resources, information technology, international home media distribution, legal and marketing departments. “As our industry continues to adapt to an increasingly competitive environment, we are always ensuring that Paramount is…
Critic applauds ‘Iron Man 3’ for its depth
Perhaps the best thing about Marvel’s recent lineup of Avengers films is that they’re not afraid to go dark. Iron Man 3 is no exception. Directed by Shane Black, it’s a slick, sharp, quirky movie that packs an exhilarating punch. The film finds “Tony Stark” (Robert Downey Jr.) in the midst of what seems like…
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 3
Forest Whitaker will receive the annual actor tribute at the Independent Film Project’s 2013 Gotham Awards. Whitaker joins a list of tributees that already includes Richard Linklater for directing and Katherine Oliver, commissioner of the New York City mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, for contributions to the industry. The awards will be presented on…
Bizarre comedy about theater, love opens this weekend
The first Stage Two of the TheatreOCU season, Private Eyes, will open this weekend in the Burg Theater.
The show, written by Stephen Dietz, will feature 7 student performers.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes excellent writing, directing debut
Don Jon is probably not the movie you think it is. It certainly wasn’t what I expected, which was a raunchy, laugh-a-minute comedy with a dash of heart and brains.
What I got was something far better: one of the sweetest, smartest, and most honest movies of the year.
Senior dancers prepare for capstone performance
The Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management’s student-directed choreography show will open Oct. 11.
The show, which serves as a senior capstone project for dance performance majors, will feature original dances created by senior dance performance majors. All of the seniors prepare one number to be performed during the show.
Critic moved by modern classic ‘Once’
Once is a classic example of a “little movie that could”: a tiny, micro-budget film that somehow managed to rocket to classic status in an instant. It’s even been adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, which isn’t so much an indication of its quality as it is a sign of its incredible popularity. Thankfully, though, it more than lives up to the hype.
Critic finds ‘The Purge’ less than thrilling
Generally speaking, I’m fond of plot twists in movies – particularly those I can’t see coming. What’s less pleasing is when the twist is followed by another twist that jerks the plot back to where it was expected to go in the first place. In The Purge, that happens at least three times. Written and directed by James DeMonaco, it’s a bland, boring thriller with an overambitious concept and underwhelming execution.
Entertainment news round-up for Sept. 26, 2013
Sherlock and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey actor Martin Freeman has been cast in FX’s upcoming limited-series adaptation of Fargo. Freeman will star alongside Billy Bob Thornton in the 10-episode series, which will be produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, the creators of the 1996 feature film. For more information on the project, click here. Django Unchained actor…
Entertainment news round-up for Sept. 24
Sony Pictures and Annapurna Pictures have announce plans for Sausage Party, an R-rated animated movie about a sausage’s quest to discover the truth about his existence. The film will be directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan and written by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir.
SGA’s first Free Movie Night of the year scheduled for Thursday
Student Government Association’s first Free Movie Night of the year is scheduled for Thursday.
Free Movie Night is a SGA-funded event that allows students to use their student IDs to receive a voucher for a free movie ticket at Harkins Bricktown Cinemas 16 at 150 E. Reno Ave
Movie-turned-musical ‘9 to 5’ prepares for opening weekend
The Wanda L. Bass School of Music’s first musical of the semester, 9 to 5, will show this weekend.
The show is an adaptation of the 1980 movie, which starred Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin as frustrated office workers who kidnap their obnoxious, sexist boss and run the company themselves.
Students, faculty take center stage in OSP’s ‘King Lear’
OCU adjunct professor Hal Kohlman is starring alongside other OCU students and faculty in Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s production of King Lear.
The play depicts a king and his three daughters as he tries to decide how to divide his kingdom.
It is one of Shakespeare’s later dramas and has become one of the most powerful dramas in Western literature.
Critic delights in classic Woody Allen film ‘Bananas’
It seems that the farther back you go in Woody Allen’s body of work, the sillier his films become. Such is definitely the case with 1971’s Bananas, Allen’s fourth directorial effort. Though it relies more heavily on slapstick sight gags than his later work, it still has that signature neurotic charm that makes Allen’s movies so delightful.
Entertainment news round-up for Sept. 22
Summary of entertainment news for Sept. 22, 2013.
Entertainment news round-up for Sept. 17
By Amanda Ack, Film Critic AMC has revealed that the final season of its hit show Mad Men will be split over two years, with seven episodes airing in 2014 and seven more airing in 2015. The first half of the season will be called “The Beginning,” while the second half will be called “The End of…
Critic finds TV movie ‘Ragin Cajun Redneck Gators’ less than entertaining
I’m not entirely sure how to go about writing a review of Syfy’s latest original movie, Ragin Cajun Redneck Gators. It’s not that it’s beyond criticism – on the contrary, in fact, it’s the worst film I’ve ever seen – it’s that it’s so mind-numbingly stupid that trying to say something remotely intelligent about it feels…
Theater production brings world of Anne Frank to stage
By Ally Hansen, Staff Writer The Oklahoma Children’s Theater and OCU are co-presenting And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank. Working with the children’s theater allows acting majors to experience a show designed for children. “I think the children’s theater is really beneficial, especially since we have a theater for…
Critic finds fault with classic ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’
By Amanda Ack, Film Critic Holly Golightly is the quintessential manic pixie dream girl. Think about it: she’s cute, she’s quirky, and, most importantly, she’s just damaged enough to be interesting. It seems that in adapting Truman Capote’s novel Breakfast at Tiffany’s into the 1961 film of the same name, director Blake Edwards created something…
Entertainment news round-up for Sept. 12
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling will be making her screenwriting debut with her first movie series, which will be based on the Hogwarts textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The films will focus on Newt Scamander, author of the fictional book that was mentioned in the Harry Potter series. “Fantastic Beasts and Where…
New Star Trek film has too little acting, critic says
The biggest problem with Star Trek Into Darkness is that it’s a sequel. A follow-up to J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek reboot, it feels a bit like a recycled version of its predecessor, with a rehashed plot and familiar themes. It’s entertaining enough, of course, but it doesn’t feel quite as fresh as it should.
Art events draw crowds
By Mackenzie Menter, Staff Writer Students are gathering to paint, draw, and enjoy food and live music this semester during monthly Art Socials. The events, hosted by members of the Petree College of Visual Arts and Sciences on the first Monday evenings of the month, are an opportunity for all students to come together and…
