This post was going to be a review of The Visceral Company's Dead of Night, six short plays based on stories by horror master Stephen King. We attended opening night on Friday and, sadly, weren't thrilled with the results on stage. Things were amiss—and we were trying to figure out how to be honest with our readers, and yet, provide constructive criticism for the company. more ›

Thousands of years ago, the pharaohs revered the scarab. This weekend, the Egyptian Theatre comes together to worship The Beatles. A Celluloid Celebration of John Lennon's 70th Birthday begins Thursday with the premiere of Nowhere Boy, a dramatization of Lennon's early life and the formation of Beatles proto-type The Quarrymen.... more ›

Listening to Josh Ritter's new album is like reading a satisfying novel. Whether it's a spry tune like "Lark" or the tale of a mummy who falls in love with an archeologist in "The Curse," Ritter's wordplay and melodies reveal new facets upon each listen. That's probably one reason why Stephen King is a fan, and why Paste Magazine included Ritter on their "100 Best Living Songwriters" list. more ›

Portland based musician and known as "the Stephen King of Indie Pop," Chris Robley and his band -- Fear of Heights -- play at Mr. T's Bowl tonight in Highland Park. Plenty of MP3s to check out of this indie-pop folk band below. more ›

I’ve always had a soft spot for horror films, and what better excuse than Halloween to dust off some of the old DVD’s? Earlier this week I pulled out a huge stack, and have been trying to watch as many as I can, in no particular order. No controversial opinion here - The Shining is one of the all-time greats in any genre. Check out the trailer below… They don’t make trailers like that... more ›

On today's LAist poll, over 80% of you readers are willing to pony up for a subway to the sea. Is anybody at City Hall listening? Or does Zuma Dogg have to get all wacky on their asses? The LAT names two new managing editors. To whom do I write to protest the axing of West Magazine? About 200 employees were evacuated from UCLA today after a basement explosion; no injuries reported. 16-year-old Victor... more ›

Holy smokes! Giant fish on the MTA, Paris Hilton in jail, then out, then in again, Al Gore, goatses, blumpkins, Matt Damon, and baby art critics! It's been a busy week across the Ist-A-Verse, and here's a smattering of what's been going on. In Gothamist's neck of the woods, they found out that many things are possible: A man caught a 40+ pound fish off the Rockaways and took it home on the subway. Graffiti... more ›

There's so much going on across the Ist-a-Verse that it's almost impossible to keep track these days. Fortunately, we do it so you don't have to! more ›

Are Ben Stiller, Christina Applegate and Taye Diggs American Idol groupies? While they weren’t the only celebs that Fox tcaught on camera at the Kodak, the sightings show how much this pop competition has become a red-hot ticket in Hollywood. more ›

It's time for the LAIST prize roundup in the book world. John Banville, in a surprise turn, has won the Booker Prize for his novel, The Sea, beating out favorite Julian Barnes, Kazuo Ishiguro, Zadie Smith, Sebastian Barry, and Ali Smith. Apparently the voting was as close as it's ever been. There's a great 3-part interview with Banville at the litblog The Elegant Variation. more ›