“The Departed” is an intriguing and action-filled story of betrayal, hidden identity, and the ever-seedy underworld of organized crime. A noteworthy strong point, the film’s cast reads like a “who’s who” of 21st century Hollywood A-listers, the most notable of which is Jack Nicholson (Frank Costello), who sees his first serious role since 2001’s “The Pledge” and the first time Nicholson has played a villain since his unforgettable portrayal of The Joker in 1989’s “Batman.

Picture a Star Trek convention except everyone is in late 19th century attire. That was the scene on the streets of Downtown Riverside the weekend of Feb. 2, when crowds gathered for the annual Charles Dickens Festival. There were dozens of actors and volunteers dressed in period attire. Minstrels and peasants roamed the streets. Many were not specific characters, but merely took on roles and personas to fit the life and times of Dickens. Others were representing characters from Dickens’ most celebrated novels.

Over the past two months, RCC has seen the resignation of President Daniel Castro, the hiring and the transition of an acting president for an interim president and progress on the search for a replacement for Chancellor Salvatore Rotella. The controversy began Dec. 8 when Tish Chavez, Castro’s assistant, sent a mass e-mail to all faculty, staff and administration at RCC. The e-mail was sent on the behalf of Castro and announced his resignation as president as of Dec. 11.

“Little Miss Sunshine” is arguably the underdog amongst the nominees for the Best Picture Oscar. Its wonderfully unique story tells of the dysfunctional Hoover family’s trip from New Mexico to southern California in order to enter young Olive (Abigail Breslin) into a beauty pageant held annually.

War films are usually told from the “hero” angle. Rarely does a film in the war genre approach the “enemy” tale with empathy and artistic sensitivity. Set in 1945, “Letters from Iwo Jima” takes place amidst the forty day encroachment of American troops onto the Japanese isles of Iwo Jima.

Change. Some people dread it. Others find it hard to deal with. This is the basis for the Oscar nominated film “The Queen,” which chronicles the week after Princess Diana’s death and how the royal family and the people of England deal with the loss.

If you haven’t seen “Babel” yet, you’re missing out. Still, you wouldn’t be the only one. When it came to the must see movies of 2006, many people passed on this moving drama. Fortunately, the brilliance of this complex and intense film has not gone entirely unnoticed.

Excitement over the reopening of the A.G. Paul Quadrangle has come to a crescendo, but the fences around the half-finished building have yet to come down. “We are already ahead of time. It was never delayed. It should be finished around the summertime, approximately August,” said Cecilia Wong, Executive Dean of Technology and Learning Resources.

Now you see them, soon you won’t. Eight of the oldest houses in the city of Riverside are going to be relocated within the next couple weeks. The city has requested that these restored homes be sold as owner occupied residences. This measure will help to elevate the value of the neighborhood to which they are relocated and will ensure better preservation of the buildings.