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Arts

The Setonian
Arts

Jackass 3D' provides pure entertainment in its crudest form

October 20

In a tradition that hearkens back to the oft-romanticized gladiators of Ancient Rome, mankind has found simple, sadistic pleasure in watching men confront treacherous obstacles. Now, centuries after these armored slaves struggled for their lives against skilled swordsmen, ravenous lions and other exotic beasts to entertain a bloodthirsty crowd, the boys of "Jackass 3D" are making human pain capitalistic once more. But don't worry, folks: The fact that the "Jackass" crew members actually survive their "professional stunts and activities" gives audience members the right to raucous laughter in our warped society.

The Setonian
Arts

Shahnama' exhibit at MFA beautifully illustrates women in Iranian epic poem

October 19

The "Shahnama," popularly known as the national epic of Iran, celebrates its millennial anniversary this year. Written by Persian poet Abu'l Qasim Firdawsi around the turn of the last millennium, the "Shahnama" records global history, starting with the creation of the world and ending with the Muslim conquest of Persia. The lines of the poem provide a rich textile of characters and plots that has given birth to some of the most beautiful manuscript illumination from the region, with images as colorful and complex as the story itself.

The Setonian
Arts

Yerma' uneventful and uninteresting

October 19

When the curtain rises on Paul Bowles' "Yerma," based on the play of the same name by Federico García Lorca, it reveals the titular character, played by Chelsea Basler, asleep on a chair. A man and a young girl walk down the stairs of the theater to gaze at her motionless body.

The Setonian
Arts

Ashley Wood | Fashion Contraceptive

October 19

First off, I want to apologize for what I'm about to write in regard to "Sex and the City" (1998-2004). I understand that the show generated a very large, loyal fan base, and seeing as I did not watch it in its entirety, my expertise isn't truly complete. Therefore, I can only be pseudo-confident when I claim that "Sex and the City" is to the fashion industry as "Mein Kampf" (1925) was to the Nazis: inaccurate, yet absurdly effective propaganda.

The Setonian
Arts

Madeline Hall | The Tasteful and the Tasteless

October 18

I could be mistaken, but it looks like that girl's wrist is deformed or disfigured in some way. Yes, I know it now; there is definitely something goofy happening on that wrist. There are squiggly bumps and lines snaking halfway up her arm. Call me nosy, but I have to know. What kind of horrific injury turns a girl's forearm into a lump of pink, yellow and teal?

The Setonian
Arts

McCarthy's brutal masterpiece, 'Blood Meridian,' still shines after 25 years

October 18

It takes a true genius to find beauty in utter tragedy. In "The Inferno," Dante rendered a sweeping, breathing Hell that glowed with a beauty that stood at odds with the suffering it contained. In "Blood Meridian," Cormac McCarthy brings the same desolate aesthetic to the U.S.−Mexican border in the mid−19th century. The book follows a group of American scalp hunters in their efforts to exterminate as many Apache tribes as possible. Despite the grotesqueness of this premise, McCarthy delivers an intensely beautiful novel with a cultural relevance even greater on its 25th anniversary than its original publication in 1985. Any reader would be hard−pressed to find a better American novel from the 20th century. To put it simply, "Blood Meridian" exceeds almost all of its peers in lyrical virtuosity, thematic richness and expertly written dialogue.

The Setonian
Arts

Lennon biopic: A portrait of the artist as a young spirit

October 18

Sam Taylor−Wood's "Nowhere Boy" is a surprisingly low−key drama about larger−than−life icon John Lennon's adolescence in Liverpool. While watching the film, it is easy to forget that this troubled kid will become one of the most influential musicians of all time; the movie feels like a simple family drama that could be about the lives of any of the hundreds of teens dealing with similar growing pains.

The Setonian
Arts

The Rock and the Tide' fails to blend new and old Radin

October 18

This is not Joshua Radin's album. At least, that's the impression you get when you hit the play button. Radin's new album, "The Rock and the Tide," is like nothing he has produced before — and not necessarily in a good way.

The Setonian
Arts

Die Antwoord debuts with bizarre, refreshing style

October 17

Whoever said that South African-horrorcore-ninja-zef rap is dead has clearly never heard of Die Antwoord. Stuck somewhere between Internet meme and pure genius, Die Antwoord — Afrikaans for "The Answer" — has exploded from being a relatively unknown South African hip-hop group to signing a major label record deal and touring the world.

The Setonian
Arts

Surviving the Boston Book Festival: A literary adventure in Copley Square

October 17

Bostonians turned out in droves on Saturday despite the strong October winds for the second annual Boston Book Festival. The completely free, non-profit book festival brings together authors from all over the country to participate in different panels over the course of the day at over ten different locations around Copley Square.

The Setonian
Arts

Red' fails to reach its full potential

October 14

"Red" had every advantage an action comedy could hope for: a jaw−dropping cast — including Oscar−winners Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman, and action legend Bruce Willis — lots of stuff blowing up, and the untapped gold mine of humor found in the retirement lives of secret agents. Yet for all it was handed, "Red" drops the ball.

The Setonian
Arts

TLC's 'Sister Wives' provides window into polygamous lifestyle

October 14

TLC's latest foray into the story of a family living seemingly normal lives despite some oddity — see "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" and "19 Kids and Counting" — goes beyond the trials and tribulations of just living with multiple children. "Sister Wives" features the Brown family, made up of a man living in Utah with three wives, 13 children and a girlfriend with three children of her own.

The Setonian
Arts

Play's mechanical portrayal of job interview paints a bleak picture

October 13

Who's interviewing whom? Nothing is straightforward in Jean−Claude van Itallie's play, "Interview." Every word, action and thought is crucial, while the characters — interviewers and interviewees alike — all struggle to find and maintain their sense of individual identity.

The Setonian
Arts

Week in Review | TV

October 13

Cancellations continued this week as NBC's "Outlaw" became the third new series to get the ax this season. The legal drama, starring Jimmy Smits as a playboy Supreme Court Justice−turned−justice−seeking defense attorney, was lambasted by critics for its ridiculous premise, and after three low−rated episodes, the network placed the series on production hiatus. An even poorer showing for the fourth episode sealed the deal, and NBC moved the remaining episodes to the Saturday night burn−off slot.

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