Sandwiching an Amherst loss between a pair of Trinity wins, Tufts will take that momentum and move on to its last conference game of the season — a showdown with the Bates Bobcats.
The track and field regular season for Tufts features a number of low-key meets. But with the Valentine Invitational at BU kicking off this weekend for both the men's and women's teams, one thing is clear: It's time to gun it.
Brattle Theatre, the quirky, independent movie theater that has been a staple of Harvard Square since 1953, shows daring movies that are too risky, too foreign or too old to be offered in mainstream theaters. Its tradition of original programming is evident in its fourth "Great Romances" film series, which features classic love stories, horror films and a noir thriller each making appearances. Saturday, per its tradition, the theater will cap off seven days of romance films with one of the most famous love stories ever put to film. Every Valentine's Day for the last four years, the Brattle Theatre has played "Casablanca" (1942) — arguably the greatest romantic drama ever to come out of Hollywood. In 67 years, nothing has managed to outdo the perfect, utterly quotable dialogue of "Casablanca" which, despite its age, still manages to catch the interest of young viewers. Set during World War II in Casablanca, Morocco, "Casablanca" features Nazis and Jewish freedom fighters, sniveling con artists and smooth-talking bartenders, forgotten lovers and unforgettable pianists, desperate refugees and flamboyant policemen. The movie centers around Rick (played by Humphrey Bogart), a bitter American expatriate, and the painful memories that arise when he must make an impossible choice: reunite with his old love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), or help her Jewish lover, an important leader of the Resistance, escape Casablanca. With fantastic supporting characters, especially the corrupt Captain Renault (Claude Rains), there is honestly not much about this movie to criticize. Whether accompanied by a friend who simply wants to see one of the best movies ever made or a more intimate companion, "Casablanca" is a movie that must be watched. But for those unconvinced by stylish, witty, romantic dramas from the 1940s, the Brattle Theatre offered a slightly different romance on Thursday. "Bound" (1996) is a noir thriller and the first movie directed by the Wachowski brothers, makers of "The Matrix" (1999). "Bound" is about two women, an ex-con and the girlfriend of a mafia thug, who have an affair and plot to steal $2 million from the mob. At its core, it is standard crime thriller material. But what makes "Bound" worth watching is how well everything fits together. The film is the Wachowskis at their best, before the double trouble of the terrible "The Matrix Reloaded" (2003) and "The Matrix Revolutions" (2003). Like "The Matrix," "Bound" has a trademarked style. It offers subtly perfect music, beautiful close up shots of hands and amazing shots of liquid in many forms including water, oil, paint and blood. Incredible dialogue oozes from every scene, just as in "Casablanca." No wonder that one of the central villains of "Bound" took some of his inspiration from Bogart's many film noir roles. Particularly noteworthy is the relationship between the two main characters. The actresses infuse their romance with honesty and humor. Their performance as both a couple and con artists, manipulating the rest of the characters as they go, is terrific. This is an exceptionally violent movie, filled with as much sex and blood as a typical Quentin Tarantino movie. For those who have a strong stomach and are sick of sappy, simpering lovers, "Bound" is a great Valentine's Day movie. Although it was only at the theater on Thursday, you can also find it at the Tisch Library (and save some precious money in the process). On the Friday before Valentine's Day this year, Brattle Theatre is mixing up its romance theme to include a few classic slasher movies. "Friday the 13th" (1980) and the appropriately titled "My Bloody Valentine" (1981) will be playing as a special double feature. For the horror fans out there, these are classics that should not be missed. Brattle Theatre is located at 40 Brattle Street, Harvard Square. For more information about Brattle Theatre and the films it plays, visit www.brattlefilm.org or call (617) 876-6837.
A manual on how to be a better lover, "How to Treat a Woman: The Art and Science of Sex Whispering" has arrived fresh off the press, just in time for the bed-romping of Valentine's Day. Thomas Paine, M.D. (a pseudonym) touts his book as a step-by-step guide for young men in how to become a "sex whisperer." The book begins, "The mission of a sex whisperer is to give a woman the gift of an orgasm (it is taken for granted that the sex whisperer will have one)."
Over two years after The Primary Source published its now-infamous Christmas carol about affirmative action, a committee is still working to finalize university-wide speech regulations.
In sports, some of the most compelling matchups often carry connotations of past versus present -- an established champion going up against a high-potential up-and-comer.
In just one day's time, scenic California will play host to the biggest cycling race held in the United States: the Amgen Tour of California (AToC).
This time of year, people of all ages are either on Cloud Nine, dismissive of the consumerist event called Valentine's Day or constructing voodoo dolls of past significant others.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, nearly 44 percent of adult Americans have rejected their original faiths to affiliate with another religion or no religion at all. But this trend is not necessarily a generational mid-life crisis; these changes in belief often begin on the college campus.
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Dean Stephen Bosworth is set be named as the U.S. envoy to six-party talks on North Korean denuclearization, according to reports citing unnamed sources.
Unfortunately, it is easy to overlook the Somerville Theatre as a venue for live music. Nestled between the Davis Square T stop and Mr. Crepe, the Somerville Theatre is often erroneously thought of as nothing more than a second-run movie theatre.
Hiatus is one of my least favorite words in popular music vernacular. Either you're quitting or you're not. You shouldn't need a thesaurus to describe your future ambitions, and you should spare your fans the frustration and invariable nerdery of scouring message boards for any informational nugget that may just possibly, if the stars align and the circumstances are ideal, hint at that hiatus' end. I used to be really good friends with a few Phishheads before Phish went on hiatus in 2003… used to be. I'll leave it at that.
This is the first in a two-part series of Michael Bendetson's interview with former Vice President Walter Mondale. Today's installment focuses on Mondale's career as a senator, his vice presidency under Jimmy Carter and his 1984 presidential campaign. The second installation, which will appear in Tuesday's issue, will focus on Mondale's views on key political issues such as energy usage and the economy.
Shorter business hours at Brown and Brew have hit student workers particularly hard over the past few months, as the recent elimination of weekends and reduction of late-night hours have impacted the shifts taken most often by students. The popular eatery located in Curtis Hall cut its hours at the beginning of this academic year largely in a bid to save money during the economic downturn. In addition to closing on weekends, the establishment shifted weeknight closing times two hours earlier, from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Tufts is recruiting individuals for 52 open positions across its three campuses this academic year, despite the economic downturn. As many other schools have instituted hiring freezes, administrators hope to capitalize on a pool of highly qualified applicants amid a shrinking university employment market.
The third album by Franz Ferdinand, "Tonight" (2009), displays the band's adventurous spirit and penchant for danceable rock and underground raves, Its experimentation with new genres, however, may be a turn-off for fans looking for more of the same. "Tonight" is an album about identity as in James Joyce's "Ulysses" (1922) and gender through Calypso of Homer's "The Odyssey." It combines Franz Ferdinand's old style with electronic experimentation, as the band risks alienating all but the most ardent fans of Franz Ferdinand's previous work, lovers of electronic music and English majors. Despite its break from the band's traditional style, "Tonight" is arguably the best work Franz Ferdinand has produced to date. Its problem, however, comes from the band's heavy reliance on its newfound influences, namely electronica and pop. The play between the band's old and new sounds varies from song to song, but overall, it constitutes a seismic shift. Most tracks resemble older songs in a sense, but have taken on a new form that sounds as if they have been melted down and given synthesizer parts. "Ulysses," the album's first track, is a catchy piece that lets Alex Kapranos's gorgeous voice flow through electronic-based rock. The feeling that the funky Franz Ferdinand has remade itself into something exciting with music as good as "Ulysses" continues for the first few tracks. Two standout songs in the mix are "Bite Hard" and "Lucid Dreams." "Bite Hard" is the perfect opportunity for Franz Ferdinand to mesh its new experimentation with its rock background. With upbeat guitar and organ-like synthesizers, this catchy song does not exit the listener's head easily. Because it manages to keep the band's old, fun rock style while trying out new things, "Bite Hard" is easily the best song on the album. "Lucid Dreams" takes the experimentation one step further. Of the two versions, the original version from the "Lucid Dreams" (2008) single is the most like a straightforward Franz Ferdinand song: easily danceable rock. The new version modifies this with a longer, electronic version of the song. Though it is far more experimental, this risk-taking leaves it with an even richer sound than the original. Some tracks on ‘Tonight' bring the band's confidence in its experimentation into question. The song "Twilight Omens" tries to form a coherent sound, but none of its elements manage to combine successfully, creating a completely random and off-putting noise. When Franz Ferdinand succeeds on this album, the band sounds as good, if not better, than its previous work, but when it fails, it fails hard. There are extra songs included on the deluxe version of the album that hint at the direction that the band may go in the future. Keeping with its modus operandi of creating tracks that people can dance to, the band made several techno remixes of its songs. These final tracks are, in fact, just as fabulous as the rest of Franz Ferdinand's music. They all manage to sound unique and interesting, remixing the songs in original, highly danceable ways. "Katherine Hit Me," mirroring the previous song "Katherine Kiss Me," has a perfectly constructed, incredibly creepy tone that sounds terrific. "Tonight" has many songs so good that they compel listeners to dance, but the band's radically different direction will ultimately lead all but the most dedicated fans to, like Gavrilo Princip, assassinate the band from their music collections.
Throughout the ranks of women's college basketball last week, two monumental records fell, forever changing the landscape of the game. Although the marks were set by people affiliated with two of the NCAA's most storied programs, the hype surrounding them was nowhere near enough given the magnitude of their achievements and the fact that both women involved will continue to rewrite the record books as the drive towards March Madness continues.
After being shot in the leg just outside Davis Square early Sunday morning, a man hijacked a taxi and ran down the man who he said shot him, according to police.
The Daily on Feb. 3 ran an Off the Hill written by Jeff Weiner of the University of Central Florida. His article, titled "Your arteries really don't believe you," expressed his vehement anger at people who order popcorn with extra-extra butter and then order a Diet Coke. The reason for his deep loathing wasn't necessarily the order itself, but that people who place this type of order are faux-health-conscious and shouldn't pretend to eat healthy when they're pigging out. As Weiner put it, "I guess he was hoping that the ‘diet' in his Coke would be enough to cancel out the extra-extra calories he had dumped all over his popcorn."
