I’ve been a fan of the Alien franchise since director Ridley Scott’s 1979 original. The claustrophobia, the paranoia, the disorientation of space travel, and the feeling that these space travelers are mere pawns for maniacal corporate interests have made the franchise fertile ground for sequels and prequels. Sure, it’s gone off the crossover rails a […]
Music, Arts & Culture
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Long Walk is gutting look at male bonding under duress
Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend, Water for Elephants, four of the five The Hunger Games films) directs JT Mollner’s script based on the Stephen King 1979 dystopian thriller novel of the same name about a group of 50 teenage boys, each from a different state, competing to see who can walk the farthest. The […]
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The Girlfriend explores love, jealousy, wealth, and a mother’s overprotectiveness
Cherry (Olivia Cooke) is rich boy Daniel’s (Laurie Davidson) new sexpot girlfriend, and to say his mother, Laura (Robin Wright), is suspicious is quite the understatement. Cherry seems to have expensive tastes, and Laura is sure she’s wooing her precious baby boy to gain his wealth. The Girlfriend What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s […]
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CalNAM’s Wild in California exhibit showcases biodiversity in mosaics and woodblock prints
Growing up in Santa Barbara, Patti Jacquemain spent a lot of her time drawing and riding horses. She lived on a lemon ranch and said she always deeply cared for the wildlife and wild places that she saw on horseback. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History also had a big impact on her childhood. […]
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Orcutt Chalk Festival to be held on Broadway Street
Families and artists are invited to the annual Orcutt Chalk Festival on Sept. 27 along Broadway Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Artists will transform the sidewalk and street into colorful artwork. The theme of this year’s festival is the Central Coast. Squares are available for artists to reserve online, and there are awards […]
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Highest 2 Lowest reunites director Spike Lee and actor Denzel Washington in a rousing crime thriller
Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman) directs Evan Hunter’s crime thriller screenplay about music mogul David King (Denzel Washington), who’s the target of a kidnapping ransom plot. It’s a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 Japanese film High and Low that was based on American writer Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom. […]
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Friendship is a cringe-filled black comedy about a bromance gone wrong
FriendshipWhat’s it rated? RWhen? 2024Where’s it showing? HBO Max Written and directed by Andrew DeYoung in his feature length debut, Friendship tells the cringey story of Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson), an advertising exec whose cancer-surviving wife, Tami (Kate Mara), recently took up with an ex-boyfriend, Devon (Josh Segarra), due to Craig’s emotional unavailability. Craig’s floundering […]
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Unknown Number: The High School Catfish explores the relentless online harassment of teenager Lauryn Licari
Unknown Number: The High School CatfishWhat’s it rated? TV-MAWhen? 2025Where’s it showing? Netflix Lauryn and Owen were just your typical high school couple—planning for prom, texting incessantly, and hanging with their besties. Things took a turn when both teens started receiving cruel online messages and texts from an unknown cyberbully. The messages often took aim […]
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A Nipomo author supported local businesses with the production of her debut novel
Fellow authors have described Maggie Yore as a unicorn—she has a knack for numbers and words. Though she always loved to write, it wasn’t until she became a business owner a few years ago that she got the numbers part down. Turning pagesBuy Maggie Yore’s debut novel on Amazon, her website, or at local bookstores […]
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A bluegrass and rock concert benefits Santa Barbara County children in emergency foster care
Join the Bullfrogg Blues Band at the Party with a Purpose concert benefiting Santa Barbara County children entering emergency foster care. The Blast Stockyard in Orcutt is hosting the event from 4 to 8 p.m. with food from Blast 825 Brewery. Guests can expect “a soul-shaking, feel-good evening of live music, local eats, and big-hearted […]
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Santa Maria screens family-friendly movies in the park
Free movies are playing on two upcoming Fridays outdoors in Santa Maria, organized by the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department. The city is showing Moana 2 on Sept. 19 and Cars on Sept. 26. Both films will be screened at Rotary Centennial Park, located at 2625 S. College Drive in Santa Maria. Viewers should […]
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Freaky Tales is an entertaining anthology action comedy set in 1987 Oakland
Freaky Tales What’s it rated? R When? 2025 Where’s it showing? HBO Max Co-written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Captain Marvel), Freaky Tales tells four interconnected stories all set in real locations and connected to historical events in 1987 Oakland. “Strength in Numbers: The Gilman Strikes Back” depicts young punk rock fans […]
