Ultimately, "1600 Penn" is a standard dysfunctional family comedy. This particular dysfunctional family just happens to live and work in the White House.
Although comedian Louis C.K. has gained prominence in the last few years for his leading role on the critically praised FX television series "Louie," C.K. continues to reach out to live audiences across the country. The television show utilizes a mixture of scripted storylines and C.K.'s stand?up comedy routines, providing viewers with a taste of C.K.'s self?deprecating humor. While the show features original material for each episode, C.K.'s live stand?up shows parallel the stories within "Louie" as he describes his everyday ordeals with his daughters, women and the rest of society.
Even before it began to stir discussion as this year's most controversial Academy Awards Best Picture nominee for its depiction of torture, "Zero Dark Thirty" faced a few key challenges as a film. It was bound to come under scrutiny after director Kathryn Bigelow's previous film "The Hurt Locker" (2008) made her the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director, setting lofty expectations for whichever film she chose as her follow?up project. By making a film based on the U.S. hunt for Osama bin Laden, Bigelow faced a challenge unique to filmmakers focusing on recent current events: How does one fully engage the audience when it already knows how the story ends? She did not even come close to succumbing to these issues, and instead delivered gripping, tension?filled drama that easily propelled "Zero Dark Thirty" to stand among the best films of the year.
Equal parts post?rock, gnarly ambient music and industrial noise, electronic duo Raime brings a disparate smattering of influences to its sound on "Quarter Turns Over a Living Line," its debut LP. Over the course of the album, Joe Andrews and Tom Halstead explore a focused set of textures and moods at a contemplative, deliberate pace that calls to mind the atmosphere of a creepy art house movie.
There's something amiss, something unseen. This, in short, is the gist of the MFA Thesis Exhibition open at the Koppelman Gallery at the Aidekman Arts Center through Dec. 16, featuring the work of SMFA dual?degree students K. Tyler and Rebecca Wallach.
A year ago at Thanksgiving I was home in Tallahassee, basking in the warmth and bracing myself for the deluge of work and final exams that was surging towards me.
Still on its ever?descending moral downward spiral, "The Gang," as they're known, from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is back for an eighth season on its FX hit series. The owners of the run?down Paddy's Pub in Philadelphia continue to brainstorm get?rich?quick schemes and make ethically questionable decisions. Each of these scenarios plays out with raunchy humor, ensuring that the show still gets laughs this far into its life. Although "Always Sunny" still delivers comedy, primarily thanks to the strong performances by its actors, the single?camera show is beginning to reveal its age with a stale structure and format.
Sketch comedy has been a constant part of Chloe Rotman's life at Tufts. She is currently the president of Major: Undecided and has been a member of the group for four years. A senior majoring in Child Development, Rotman said the group provided an alternative option for performing after doing theater in high school.
This is goodbye, dear reader. We've had a good run. Shall we reflect on the times we've had?
It's not easy being a musician when your sibling is one of the most beloved performers of all time.
Fake Blood, otherwise known as Theo Keating, has been remixing various songs since 2008, yet he has only just recently released his first studio album. "Cells" is a solid mix of ambient electronic music and a few slightly more upbeat songs whose baselines are just waiting to be remixed. Keating has also been a part of a hip?hop group called The Wiseguys which has influenced his electronic music's use of off?beat rhythms and jazzier basses.
If you're looking for a relaxing, romantic night of fine dining, Border Cafe is probably not the place for you. However, for those who want to spend a fun evening with friends without emptying their wallets - in other words, if you are a member of the college?aged crowd - this is definitely a spot worth visiting.
For my final column, I will review "The Boxer" (1997), another pairing of actor Daniel Day?Lewis and writer?director?producer Jim Sheridan.
T.I. has released his new single, "Sorry," featuring the renowned Andre 3000. As with any track that Dre puts his verse on, he is astonishing and the main reason to listen to the recording at all.
Let's face it: There aren't too many places to turn to nowadays for quality television comedy. With CBS hits like "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men" well past their prime, NBC's "Community" still on hiatus and premium cable comedies requiring, well, premium cable, options are limited.
In the three years since her last album, Alicia Keys has married producer SwizzBeatz and had her first child. Those kinds of major life events usually inspire artists to create personal and profound works. Unfortunately, Keys' new album, "Girl on Fire," is surprisingly insipid and mundane despite Keys' phenomenal vocal abilities. The entire album seems resigned to flood bland adult?contemporary stations without much desire to excite or rouse anything in listeners.
Check out Jumbo Slice, the Tufts Daily blog, for an inside look into the fifth annual "Over the Rainbow: Defying Adversity to Benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS" and sneak peek video of students rehearsing for the show. Taking place tomorrow, the cabaret, silent auction and raffle event is sponsored by the Department of Drama and Dance, Health Services, Torn Ticket II, Pen, Paint and Pretzels, Bare Bodkin and the Leonard Carmichael Society. The auction begins tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. in the Aidekman lobby, followed by the cabaret at 8 p.m. in Balch Arena Theater. Tickets are free, and are available at the Aidekman Box Office.
