Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’ is a Hilarious Avatar Riff That Gets Surprisingly Real

March 2, 2026February 21, 2026 Michael Lee

When it comes to animated originals, few studios do it like Pixar. Their best films keep raising the bar. So when something like Hoppers comes along, you do not just hope it is good. You hope it delivers the kind of craft and storytelling that reminds you why Pixar is still the gold standard. And Hoppers does exactly that. It pairs humorous chaos with emotionally resonant storytelling, memorable characters, and astonishing visuals, while exploring timely ideas about anger, powerlessness, and empathy without ever losing its heart.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Dignity Circle’

February 26, 2026February 25, 2026 Edward Hong

Exceptionally strong acting from their two leads make up for a somewhat predictable and safe pyramid scheme story in Lauren Smerkanich‘s The Dignity Circle, now having its world premiere at Theatre of Note.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Room By The Sea’

February 23, 2026 Edward Hong

It’s been so long since I felt this indelible feeling of magic while watching a play but the world premiere of John Guerra‘s Room By The Sea, a triple co-production with Coin & Ghost, After Hours Theatre Company, and Outside In Theatre, has achieved just done that. This is a tale that not only transports the audience to a fantastical place but like the best of genre, it creates a haunting parallel to our current world. And best of all, the immense efforts to incorporate significant global majority and accessibility presence is truly what Los Angeles theatre at its finest is all about.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Here Lies Love’

February 19, 2026February 20, 2026 Edward Hong

A fantastic all-Filipino cast cannot hide the simple fact that Here Lies Love, now having its West Coast premiere at Center Theatre Group, is a shallow, poorly written musical with relentless static disco tunes. It is also absolutely confused in whether they want to glorify their subject Imelda Marcos or warn about the dangers of fascism.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Amadeus’

February 16, 2026February 16, 2026 Edward Hong

Despite a golden missed opportunity to cast global majority actors for the main roles of Mozart/Salieri/Constanze that would have richly amplified the narrative, there is a lot to love about the Pasadena Playhouse production of Peter Shaffer‘s Amadeus with the fantastic set and lighting design, the incredible ensemble cast, and the powerhouse performances of their lead actors Jefferson Mays and Sam Clemmett as Salieri and Mozart respectively.

Poetry, Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience’

February 10, 2026February 11, 2026 Edward Hong

With the West Coast premiere of Poetry for the People: The June Jordan Experience at the Fountain Theatre, this uniquely moving and stirring choreopoem honors the work and life of June Jordan, one of America’s most fearless writers and human rights activists.

Literature, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

‘Wuthering Heights’ is a Visually Stunning Retelling of a Cautionary Affair

February 9, 2026February 8, 2026 Nikita Francois

Wuthering Heights immediately whisks you away into a dark reimagined telling of Emily Brontë‘s novel. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi give us a searing portrayal of the tortured lovebirds Catherine and Heathcliff in a story filled with passion, depicted by two deeply troubled individuals. The film is cinematically stunning, and the costumes lean beautifully into a whimsically modern twist on period pieces.

Literature, Movies, Reviews3 Comments

NOC Review: Toxic Love Entices and Torments in ‘Wuthering Heights’

February 9, 2026February 9, 2026 Mike Manalo

Why are so many drawn to toxic love? Like an addiction, many cling to the idea that only a single person can complete their soul and possess their very being, holding on to the feeling of euphoria that exists when that person is by your side. However for any and all purity that might seemingly be derived from love, sometimes it can be utterly poisonous if the obsession consumes you.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Guards at the Taj’

February 9, 2026February 9, 2026 Edward Hong

The Los Angeles independent remounting of Rajiv Joseph‘s Guards at the Taj (the last one was in 2015 at the Geffen Playhouse) is a strikingly well done and hauntingly relevant production that also utilizes fantastic genderbent casting and an endearing post finale that credits all crew involved, a practice that is rarely ever seen in theatre.

Movies, Music, Reviews

Hope’s Still Alive in Eddie Vedder’s ‘Matter of Time’ Concert Film

February 6, 2026February 12, 2026 Keith Chow

There’s a particular gravity to watching Eddie Vedder perform on his own. Without the band, without the familiar roar of a Pearl Jam crowd, what’s left isn’t catharsis — it’s intention. Matter of Time understands that, and it’s why the film works. This isn’t just a concert movie, it’s a document about responsibility.

Reviews, Streaming, Television

‘The Muppets Special’ Sparks a Revival Rocket That Needs More Gonzo Fun to Take Off

February 5, 2026February 8, 2026 Sabina Graves

The Muppets are back with a special that aims to reintroduce the beloved Jim Henson icons to a new generation, paying homage to their original variety show roots. Kermit leads the rest of the Muppets ensemble, including planned showstoppers from the one and only Miss Piggy with special guests Sabrina Carpenter and Seth Rogen, who serves as executive producer for the Disney+ revival.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Circle’

February 2, 2026February 4, 2026 Edward Hong

There is no doubt that the events of 2025 and already the first two months of 2026 have provided an unfortunate wealth of materials for playwrights to mine from. But with the world premiere of The Circle at Greenway Court Theatre, the clock rewinds back to July 2016 in Texas set during the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred immediately after the murder of Philando Castile.

Interview, Movies, Reviews

‘Anaconda’ is a Fun Jungle Adventure That Tackles Having a Midlife Crisis

December 23, 2025January 5, 2026 Nikita Francois

Anaconda is a fast-paced jungle adventure that serves up a slithering good time. Starring Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, and Thandiwe Newton, we had the opportunity to chat with the cast and take a look at how this film explores life, friendships, and handling a midlife crisis.

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is a Technical Marvel Trapped in a Familiar Story

December 16, 2025December 16, 2025 Michael Lee

Every trip to Pandora brings in a visually stunning new adventure and family drama with Jake Sully and Neytiri. The new Avatar: Fire and Ash doubles down on both, throwing the family into a firestorm of grief, resilience, and jaw-dropping world-building that keeps expanding Pandora in bold, unexpected directions. Unfortunately, despite being epic in scale and scope, the film’s lack of a compelling story frustrates, and its many setups lead to surprisingly few satisfying payoff.

Animation, Movies, Reviews

‘Zootopia 2’ Twists the Buddy-Cop Formula Without Losing Social Commentary

November 25, 2025November 25, 2025 Michael Lee

To say that Disney’s Zootopia is just another animated feature with anthropomorphized animals would be completely reductive. It’s a buddy cop comedy full of laughs and pop culture references, threaded with themes of tolerance, bias, and who gets to feel safe in a city that prides itself on being for “anyone” and “anything.” Asking Zootopia 2 to match, let alone surpass, that mix of vibrant visuals, sharp humor, and pointed social commentary feels like a tall order, yet somehow the sequel rises to it and then some.

Reviews, Theatre5 Comments

‘Meet the Cartozians’ is an Incisive Love Letter to the Armenian American Experience

November 19, 2025December 8, 2025 Swara Salih

In the 1925 Oregon District Court case, United States v. Cartozian, Tatos Cartozian and his family argued that they, and by extension all Armenians in America, should be considered “white,” driven by the purpose to gain citizenship, per the Founding Fathers’ conception of only white men being full citizens with rights.

Horror, Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Paranormal Activity’

November 15, 2025November 16, 2025 Edward Hong

When I first heard that the Paranormal Activity franchise has been adapted into a staged production, I was immensely skeptical of its scare factor on stage and that there was a worthy story to be told that can hold on its own. But in a shocking turn of events, Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live On Stage has defied all my expectations as a genuinely engaging and terrifying experience that will absolutely delight all horror/thriller fans and newcomers alike.

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

‘The Running Man’ Delivers Sharp Truths Even When it’s a Bit Overhyped

November 12, 2025 Michael Lee

In a world where entertainment thrives on dehumanization, Stephen King’s The Running Man remains one of the most unsettlingly relevant dystopias. The book made for a memorable 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and now Edgar Wright’s adaptation pays clear homage to the source while recalibrating it for an era of algorithms, streaming spectacle, and disposable labor. The premise still excites, but the film’s frantic energy sometimes scatters its sharpest ideas.

Movies, Reviews, Sci Fi

NOC Review: ‘Predator: Badlands’ is an Enjoyable Sci-Fi Romp

November 11, 2025November 11, 2025 Mike Manalo

Redefining a classic franchise is a difficult thing to do. Countless remakes and reboots of beloved classics from Poltergeist to Child’s Play have withered and died at the cinema. The Predator franchise, specifically, has even seen its share of wasted potential (see Shane Black’s failed attempt from 2018).

Animation, Movies, Reviews

‘In Your Dreams’ Balances Candy-Colored Chaos with Real Heart

November 7, 2025November 7, 2025 Michael Lee

Dreaming is one of the most powerful ways kids make sense of chaos or imagine what comes next. Whether it is school pressure, first crushes, or home shifting under their feet, dreams turn fear into something they can face.

Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: ‘Palestine 36’ is an Epic Historical Film of Resounding Importance

November 5, 2025November 5, 2025 Edward Hong

Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36 is an epic historical film that takes the audience back to 1936 when Palestine began to make a great push resisting British colonial rule. It is not only an astoundingly well made film with incredible performances, it is a film that is a much needed history lesson that needs to be shown in every school and university in western nations and around the world. At its core, the film shows the Palestinian resistance for what it really is: a fight for freedom and independence which has been going on for many, many decades.

Reviews, Theatre

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘नेहा & Neel’

October 19, 2025October 19, 2025 Edward Hong

For better or worse, one of the oldest tropes in Asian American identity stories is often the generational & cultural divide between the immigrant parents and their American-born children. Ankita Raturi’s नेहा & Neel, now having its world premiere at Latino Theater Company in collaboration with Artists At Play, manages to breathe new life into this trope while also being downright hilarious in such an inexplicable mad genius kind of way, thanks to one of the actors playing over a dozen(!?!) characters.

Horror, Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: Blumhouse Phones It In with ‘Black Phone 2’

October 17, 2025October 30, 2025 Mike Manalo

Traveling back to 2022, I remember leaving my screening of The Black Phone, touched, thrilled, and genuinely surprised having seen what became one of my favorites of that year.