If you are even remotely plugged into the "scene" in Austin, you have been touched by Miguel Angel. He's either taken your photo at an event or provided the soundtrack to one of your wild and crazy Saturday nights.
Angel, also known as DJ uLOVEi ("I love u" backwards), has made a living creating and capturing moments in Austin as a DJ and photographer. On any given week you'll find him spinning hip hop at the Eastern, Cumbia at Takoba and "booty music" at Barberella. You'll also see him around town taking photos for Tribeza, KLRU and dozens of other organizations. "I love that I get to showcase Austin's unique personality through my music and photography," he says.
For someone so connected to the Capital City, it's hard to believe he's not from around here. Angel, 28, was born in Del Rio, served in the Marines and stumbled across Austin with no real plan. "After I got out of the military I had to find some place to live. I visited Austin a few times and felt like it had the right vibe and style for me," he says. Not only did he move to Austin, he's now part of the vibe and style that attracted him in the first place.
Angel was a photographer for the Marines and added spinning to his skills when he arrived in Austin. After successful shows at SXSW 2010, he decided to take a leap of faith and turn his hobbies into a profession. It meant leaving behind a steady job and income to follow his passion.
"At night everyone was patting me on my back, giving me high fives and buying me drinks," he says. "It was totally different during the day at my tech job where I had people yelling at me to fix their computers and treating me like crap." The only yelling Angel hears now are his fans shouting out requests for songs or trying to get his attention for a photo. He loves honoring both.
"I like to DJ because it allows me to express myself. It feels good to be in control of the music and the party. I also like that I can go to any party with my camera and meet everyone. They remember me and look for me and the photos I take."
Angel prides himself on being inclusive both professionally and personally. You'll find him spinning oldies but goodies for a swanky VIP party one night and then grunge music for a crowd of sweaty hipsters another. Plus, you can't help but notice the Human Rights Campaign logo displayed on his Mac during each show. The HRC is a national civil rights organization fighting for LGBT equality, and he is an advocate. "I don't understand why people's sexuality is still an issue. It makes me mad that people still hate on other people."
With so much going on, the busy DJ admits finding his soul mate has been hard. "Most girls can't handle the texts, photos and late nights," he says, but it's a part of the job he's not ready to give up. While he could easily play and photograph weddings and private parties, his preferred space is out in the community. "Austin is changing so much. I just want to keep the party going and make sure we don't sell out."
Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers in Reminders of HIm.
Texas author Colleen Hoover has gone from being a popular writer to a full-on celebrity in the 2020s, with the new film Reminders of Him marking the third adaptation of her books in just 19 months (a fourth, Verity, is scheduled for release in October 2026). All of her books that have been adapted so far — most notably It Ends With Us — are female-led stories that feature elements of romance and trauma, catnip for studios looking to appeal to the underserved demographic of women.
Leading the way in this film is Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe), who returns to her hometown of Laramie, Wyoming after spending years in prison for killing her boyfriend, Scotty (Rudy Pankow), in a car accident. That relationship resulted in a daughter, Diem (Zoe Kosovic), whom Kenna gave birth to while imprisoned and is now being raised by her grandparents, Patrick (Bradley Whitford) and Grace (Lauren Graham).
Yearning to be a part of Diem’s life, Kenna tries to reconnect with Patrick and Grace, only to be rebuffed by Scotty’s best friend, Ledger (Tyriq Withers), a former NFL player who now owns a local bar. In running interference, Ledger starts to become closer to Kenna, discovering that her tragic mistake shouldn’t be the only thing that defines her.
Directed by Vanessa Caswill and written by Lauren Levine, the film features mostly surface level examinations of its themes and average performances, yet it winds up being effective thanks to a willingness not to rush through its storytelling beats. The filmmakers take the slow and steady approach toward the coupling of Kenna and Ledger, setting up their bond through a series of heart-to-heart conversations that makes any romance feel earned.
The majority of the focus is on Kenna reclaiming her place in the world, and on Ledger coming to terms with the fact that the person who killed his best friend is not inherently a bad person. The film definitely could have gone deeper in its explorations of grief and anger, but the sheer amount of time it takes in addressing the characters’ doubts and fears turns out to be sufficient for a film that’s not aiming to be considered a dramatic masterpiece.
It also helps that Caswill and Levine do a solid job of establishing the variety of characters that inhabit the film. Kenna and Ledger don’t always feel like fully-formed people, but they become so through their interactions with each other and the other townspeople. Lady Diana (Monika Myers), a girl with Down syndrome who lives in Kenna’s apartment complex, and Roman (Nicholas Duvernay), Ledger’s co-worker at his bar, help to broaden the appeal of the two leads.
Monroe has, to this point, been best known for starring roles in horror films like It Follows and Longlegs. While she does somewhat well in this role, her delivery is often more flat than you’d expect for a character going through what she does. Withers thankfully doesn’t remind viewers of his recent bomb Him, demonstrating a crossover appeal that should serve him well in the future. Whitford and Graham don’t get to do much, but their combined experience gives their roles exactly what is needed.
It may sound like damning with faint praise, but Reminders of Him is a competently made film that knows how to serve its core audience without insulting anyone who may not automatically be all-in for such a story. The filmmakers don’t try to force any of the key moments down the audience’s throat, and that stands out in a genre that’s not always known for its subtlety.
