San Jose really comes alive in the weeks joining February and March. That's when the Cinequest film festival brings hundreds of filmmakers and thousands of movie fans to the valley to take in new works and celebrate the art form they love. The 25th annual Cinequest, which is set to run from Feb. 24 to March 8, will feature big-name actors and directors, local filmmakers and the latest in film-oriented technology. » Read More

In the years I've spent reviewing movies, I've come to anticipate great things from Academy Award-nominated short films, which I almost always find more impressive than big-name features. However, this year's roster of Oscar-hopeful shorts leaves me wanting. Far too many are safe and toothless-peculiar considering the vast selection of short films released in 2014. » Read More

Some plays dazzle with elaborate costumes, special effects, choreography and lush orchestration, or action-packed plots. Others, including Build, the current production by San Jose's City Lights Theater Company, impress in a different, deeper way. Quite simply, Build is excellent. It shines with a well-written, intriguing script and superb acting, and is a must-see for local theater lovers. » Read More

All four of the original Grand Council of Punk Rock Elders, New York City Chapter, A.D. 1974-a.k.a., the Ramones-have shuffled off this mortal coil and moved on to that Rock & Roll High School in the sky. But while Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy are no longer with us, the band's second and longest-continually-operating drummer, Marky Ramone, still walks this earth, a sober man for more than 30 years now. » Read More

The Charlie Hebdo terror attacks of Jan. 7 continue to stimulate conversation and debate here and abroad over the so-called limits of free speech-and it's raised important questions in this country about the state of American satire. Just how far is "too far," and how much should-how much do-cartoonists engage in self-censorship? And why? » Read More

Imagine 40,000 square feet of space on the sides of buildings, in any shade of jaundiced yellow, hospital gray or faded beige. Well, there's a wealth of just such space in downtown San Jose, exactly why local muralist Erin Salazar is organizing a network of professional artists to paint colorful murals on the sides of buildings throughout the neighborhood. » Read More

The holiday season is behind us and the days are growing longer, but there is still plenty of cold and dreary weather ahead of us before the spring. It's the perfect time to contemplate the heavy things-and just as Hollywood is dropping all kinds of thinky, Oscar hopefuls in cinemas around the country, the producers of art in the South Bay are planning works that ask difficult questions and push viewers out of their comfort zones and into the unknown. » Read More