- 7 movies and television

Regal theaters raising ticket prices

Please, oh please, get better, 'American Idol'

Lame jokes make 'Time Machine' wobble

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Jerry Seinfeld produces couples' game show

New on DVD Feb. 23: 'Informant!' has two sides

Teen Disney stars keep their feet on the ground

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'Star Trek' stars speak out: Simon Pegg, Alice Eve, John Cho

May 16

SAN FRANCISCO -- There were those who had their doubts in 2009 about whether director J. J. Abrams could successfully re-launch the "Star Trek" franchise. The characters of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the universe-hopping Starship Enterprise crew had become so ingrained in our pop culture psyches through the work of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley that some thought new actors in these roles would be as off-putting as a Klingon trying to dance.

New on DVD May 21: 'Beautiful Creatures'

May 16

New DVDs this week feature witches, wiseguys and weird medications.

"Beautiful Creatures," Grade B-: It's easy to try to force "Beautiful Creatures," the film based on the young romance novel of the same name, into the same pigeonhole as other stories about teens -- one mortal, the other supernatural. That's unfair. While the film includes the basic elements that have been used in everything from "Twilight" to "Harry Potter," they take on a fresh look through some interesting writing, a handful of fascinating characters and a pair of young lovers who look emotionally awake. Read more →

Movie review: 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

May 14

Director J.J. Abrams proved with 2009's "Star Trek" that it is OK to boldly go where others had gone before, as long as the journey is exciting, original, entertaining and respectful to legions of loyal fans. His film, which found the balance between reprising and reimagining, was a direct hit.

In his second voyage on the Starship Enterprise, Abrams has perfected that approach. "Star Trek Into Darkness" is the best work since Gene Roddenberry brought the franchise to life in the 1960s. Read more →

New on DVD: 'Cloud Atlas,' 'Dexter'

May 10

This week's new DVD releases range from the odd to the odder.

"Cloud Atlas," Grade B: Events and actions in one time period have an affect on past and future eras. Tom Hanks stars. Not since "2001: A Space Odyssey" has a film come along that's such a marvel of moviemaking and a frustrating test of comprehension as "Cloud Atlas." Read more →

Movie review: 'No' from Fresno Filmworks

May 10

Let us gaze in awe upon the microwave.

One of the clever motifs in the very clever "No," this month's witty and politically provocative Fresno Filmworks offering, is a reverence bestowed upon the lowly microwave oven. Lowly, that is, to us in 2013, when we don't give the technology a second thought. Read more →

'Live From Lincoln Center,' it's Fresno's Audra McDonald

May 15

If you've been watching the "Live From Lincoln Center" series on KVPT (Channel 18.1), you've had the chance to see Fresno's Audra McDonald show off her hosting skills. She goes from host to performer for the episode of the concert series airing at 9 p.m. May 24.

Being on the stage at Lincoln Center is familiar to McDonald, who studied at The Juilliard School and performed on every Lincoln Center stage during her multiple-Tony winning career. Read more →

Mary Murphy's passion for dance comes through on FOX show

May 13

After seven seasons as a judge on "So You Think You Can Dance," you would think the job would get easier for Mary Murphy. It's been just the opposite.

"What we are seeing now are people who have grown up watching the show and training to be on it," says Murphy, her normal skyrocket-like enthusiasm toned down just slightly. Read more →

Clovis native Miranda Rae Mayo gets in 'The Game'

May 05

Miranda Rae Mayo always knew she wanted to act.

That's why as soon as she graduated from Roosevelt High School, the Clovis native packed her bags and moved in with a cousin in Riverside. When pressured to start taking some college classes, Mayo made a bet with her cousin: She would get an agent, manager and start going on auditions by the end of the semester. If that didn't happen, she would stay in school. Read more →

TV briefs: 'Drop Dead Diva'

May 07

More life(time): Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva," which follows a shallow wannabe model who suddenly dies in an accident only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, plus-sized recently deceased attorney, is back for a fifth season with 13 all-new episodes set to debut at 9 p.m. June 23 on Lifetime.

The one-hour, comedic drama stars Brooke Elliott, Margaret Cho, Jackson Hurst, Kate Levering, April Bowlby and Lex Medlin. Read more →

TV briefs: 'Food Network Star'

May 03

Hot stuff: Food Network's long-running competition series "Food Network Star" returns for a ninth season at 9 p.m. June 2.

Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay will lead the charge to discover the best and brightest new faces in food television. In the one-hour season premiere, the 12 contestants arrive in Los Angeles, ready to kick off the biggest audition of their lives to find out who has the personality, on-camera charisma and kitchen chops to follow in their idols' footsteps and helm their own show. Read more →

Rick Bentley

'Live From Lincoln Center,' it's Fresno's Audra McDonald

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