Arts & Events

By AUDREY KAUFMAN The annual Tacoma Film Festival (TFF) will take place from Oct. 3-10 this year. Praised by Postdefiance.com as “one of the premier film festivals in the Northwest,” TFF aims to showcase local artistry and talent here in Tacoma and throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Tacoma Film Festival does not limit itself to Washington’s borders. It also celebrates a variety of other films from across the globe, hosting filmmakers from Germany and Australia to the Philippines and Cambodia. This year’s festival promises a wide array of indie comedies, documentaries and...

This week: “Capsule Gang Chill Hour” with DJ Ugly Flax Butter, Thursdays from 9 to 10 p.m. For the last radio show review of the semester, I bring you a show by possibly one of the most recommended DJs on air this semester. Will Peil has two different shows and a vast knowledge of all genres. Yet electronic is where his heart lies, and this hour displays the best of mellow electronic beat music and ‘future-y hip-hop.’ The best tracks of the hour included one vocalist with a stellar ethereal...

We’ve reached the end of another delightful semester. Some parts were more delightful than others, but I hope you all had a least one delightful part, or that you are looking forward to something delightful during the summer. If you don’t have anything yet, I have something for you: Halibut with jalapeño cream. This recipe is a little more fancy (and a little more expensive) than most of the ones I suggest. I thought you might want to impress your parents if they’re here to help you move or when...

As the trailers were playing before the movie, it became apparent how few leading male actors in Hollywood can carry a series like Robert Downey, Jr. Through a combination of casual directness and manic overconfidence, Downey, Jr. has become the protagonist in one of the highest grossing film series ever. Iron Man 3, staring Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, certainly begins the summer blockbuster season in style. This is the last of the Iron Man trilogy, although as referenced frequently in the film, definitely not the end of Tony Stark...

Pain and Gain, directed by Michael Bay and starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, is a screwball comedy released April 25. In the understatement of the year, this movie is not for the faint of heart. Given that this may be the only film to look at the underbelly of bodybuilding in South Florida in the 1990s this year, this is simultaneously my favorite and least favorite film on the subject from 2013. This is a film that is difficult to review succinctly, partially because it bounces all...

Four-man rock group Brass Bed released their third full-length album on April 23, further establishing their well-deserved place on the indie rock scene. “A louder version of the Beatles” is how the band describes itself, playing around with pseudo-psychedelic rock themes but keeping it accessible enough for more conservative listeners. Their recent release, The Secret Will Keep You, sings of growing up. However, instead of your standard angst-filled productions that result from memories of adolescence, the men sing poignantly on their themes and convey their experiences in a very cool,...

This week: “The Funk” with DJ Mike Villa, Thursdays from 2-3 p.m. In a word, the music chosen during this hour is “colorful.” Perhaps it was the sunny day, but even when dreary, “The Funk” will add some pizzazz. On an absolutely gorgeous Thursday afternoon, just when it was heating up for real, the airwaves started getting a little funky. The song choice during this show matched perfectly with the mood of the day: festive, cool and downright joyful all at the same time. DJ Mike Villa brings back dancing...