After a quarter century of entertaining Southern California, the JazzReggae Festival announces its full lineup, which celebrates its illustrious history while providing a platform for upcoming new artists. As headliners Sean Paul and Lupe Fiasco return from previous years to UCLA’s Intramural field, the 25th Annual JazzReggae Festival at UCLA boasts an innovative and eclectic lineup that will guarantee this year’s festival-goers a truly unique experience.

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The comedy world lost a true legend this past Sunday with the passing of Leslie Nielson, at 84.

Appearing in over a hundred films and more than 1500 television shows over the course of his distinguished career, Nielson got his start (as many great people do) as a disk jockey in his homeland of Canada. He was 22 and the year was 1948 before he got his first real break in television, and a breakout performance soon followed in 1956’s Forbidden Planet, considered one of the early forerunners of modern science fiction films. Nielson’s dramatic roles propelled him through most of his early career, and he was widely considered an exclusively dramatic thespian — that is, until 1980 and Airplane!, still one of the funniest films of all time, made him a breakout star and coined dozens of quotable phrases that instantly made Nielson the hottest commodity in Hollywood.

Nielson, however, did not consider himself quite a comedian just yet. Much of his time was spent on the sets of gritty police dramas and Law and Order-type TV serials. Police Squad, premiering in 1982, changed all that, casting the actor as an oblivious cop surrounded by idiocy and incompetence. His stone cold, deadpan delivery was perfect for the role; and in 1988 a big-budget film adaptation of the show, The Naked Gun, was a huge box-office and critical success, spawning 2 sequels and grossing over $78 million dollars.

In 1995, Nielson received UCLA’s own Jack Benny award for his comedic talents. More recently, he was one of the few bright spots in the widely panned Scary Movie series in his role as the President. He continued acting right up to the end, appearing in films as late as 2009, though none as funny as his two all-time classics.

So thanks, Leslie, for Naked Gun and Airplane! Rest in peace, and don’t call me Shirley.

–Zach North, Adventure Time! M 10pm-12am.

Come Join UCLA radio all this week for our annual pledge drive.

Support college radio!!!!

We will be on Bruinwalk selling “opportunity tickets” all week from November 15th-19^th.

Win tickets for Wu- Tang Clan, Passion Pit, and much more!!!

UCLA radio will be giving out prizes like vinyl, gifts from Enzo’s, Trader Joe’s, and other giveaways.

If you would like to contribute to the station, click on the “donate” button on the homepage.

For more information visit the blog or station updates at uclaradio.com, or just come hang with us on Bruinwalk.

The Pledge Drive is all week from 10am-2pm, Monday- Friday

A couple weeks ago I went to a production of Joe’s Garage at the Open Fist Theatre Company.  It was pretty much one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen.  Based on Frank Zappa’s 3 act rock opera,
this is first time the show has ever been produced, and it was done
with the full blessing and in consultation with the Zappa estate,
especially his widow Gail Zappa.

Things that were amazing about the show, in no particular order:

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Tonight is the sneak preview of Milk held at 7pm in the James Bridges Theatre (in Melnitz Hall… AND ITS FREE). A biographical film directed by the great Gus Van Sant, the film depicts the life of San Francisco’s first openly gay politician, Harvey Milk, who was assassinated along with the mayor George Moscone back in 1978. With the devastating amount of support we just witnessed FOR Prop 8, the release of this film couldn’t have come out at a better time. Like it was for him in the 1970’s, today the nation faces new challenges dealing with equal rights for the gay community. Harvey was a serious politician, a man with a full heart that wanted nothing but good. Harvey Milk was a martyr for the LGBT community. He knew that the root cause of the gay predicament was invisibility. He encouraged everyone to get out there and be heard. His dream was that one day the people of the gay community will have equal rights around the country, and all of his work within San Francisco shows today. Milk’s killing probably awakened as many gay people as his election had. His death inspired many. With what he had accomplished in his short life, it would have been thrilling to see how far he could have gone. 

On May 22, 2008, I witnessed the unveiling of the bust of Harvey Milk in San Francisco’s City Hall. It was a happy, but emotional event. Castro characters, politicians, and Milk’s personal closest all came to speak about the challenges he overcame and about the hope and light he spread throughout the nation. Finally, 30 years after his death, Milk’s legacy will be heard worldwide thanks to everyone who supported this film.

“If a bullet should go through my head let that bullet go through every closet door.”