July 24, 2014 By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor Woody Allen has written, directed and occasionally starred in one film a year since 1977. If you can’t do the math: he’s made well over 35 films in that time. The feat is fortified by his consistency of quality. Most…
Posts published in “Arts and Entertainment”
June 19, 2014 By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor 1969 was a packed year in American history. The Vietnam War, among other social and political problems, had rallied many people into protest. 500,000 or more joined together at the Woodstock Music Festival that August, a historic gathering of not…
June 24, 2014 By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor Greer Grammer just graduated from the University of California School of Dramatic Arts this spring. Yes, she’s a star from MTV’s “Awkward” (now shooting its fourth season) and the daughter of Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier”), but when the Pioneer interviewed her,…
August 7, 2014 By Carlo Valladares News Editor ‘Riding the Lightning’ Metallica’s second album, “Ride the Lightning,” turned 30 years old last month, and is still regarded by many as one of the best thrash metal records of all time. Many of its songs have been staples of Metallica’s live…
August 4, 2014 By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor Woody Allen met with members of the press, including the Pioneer, on July 17 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The week before the release of his new film, “Magic in the Moonlight,” he, along with actors…
August 7, 2014 By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor Michael Walker’s “The Maid’s Room” starts simply enough. Drina (Paula Garces) is a young, attractive Colombian woman who takes a job as a live-in maid to the Crawford family, who are? rich-and-powerful New Yorkers with a gated house in the…
June 19, 2014 By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor Director Colin Healey’s “Homemakers” is a (literally) smashing debut – a comedy that ultimately is about finding a home and identity amidst the entropy of life. The film won this year’s Audience Award at the Independent Film Festival of Boston,…
By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor Graphic novel adaptations have often dealt with serious, culturally relevant themes. In 2007’s “Persepolis,” we saw how Iranian society limits freedom of expression. “Watchmen” in 2009 posited questions regarding war, being a vigilante and utilitarianism. Originally adapted in Spain, Paco Roca’s award-winning “Wrinkles,”…
By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” might be the most literal coming-of-age tale ever brought to film. The writer/director is known for his strikingly original stories that are philosophically and dialogue heavy (“Before Midnight” was nominated at the Oscars last year for its screenplay) – but…
By Pete Barell Arts and Entertainment Editor Hiroyuki Okiura is a veteran in the animated film community. He and his team for his latest, “A Letter to Momo,” have a combined resume of work on hi-fidelity projects, from the ultra-violent “Akira,” to quirky “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie,” to Oscar-winning “Spirited…