Charcoal is one of the most expressive materials that an artist can use. If applied directly to paper, its lines are harsh, but if blended and layered, it can create a smooth, rich texture that gives great depth to a work of art. In "Poets/Portraits," Zvi Lachman skillfully uses this versatile medium to create extraordinarily demonstrative portraits.
Taylor Swift is rapidly becoming one of the best-known names in the music industry, and that's no big surprise to anyone at this point. Aside from the country genre's increasing popularity, Swift's self-titled 2006 debut release blended country perfectly with pop, making it superbly accessible.
It is quite surprising that Jacques Offenbach's most recognizable opera is the serious "Tales of Hoffmann," since the composer is usually associated with operas of the comedic variety. The grand opera is famous for its many challenges to singers (not the least of which is performing in a three-and-a-half-hour-long production), but the cast of the Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) has met them triumphantly in their enchanting season opener.
Since the release of "Casino Royale" (2006), fans of the James Bond series have been anxiously awaiting the release of Daniel Craig's second outing as the British superspy. Due to the raging success of the previous film, it is no surprise that "Quantum of Solace" is somewhat of a disappointment.
Playwright Tom Stoppard's latest work, "Rock 'n' Roll," rests on the gaping framework of the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia from 1968 to 1990. Into this loose formation, he stuffs a play that is alternately about communism, consciousness, pop music, Czech dissidence and ex-Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett -- depending on the moment. The new co-production by Boston's Huntington Theatre Company and San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater, directed by Carey Perloff, captures the fragmentary spirit of Stoppard's world even if it misses some of the urgency.
Birthdays are funny things. By design, they're celebrations of the passing of one more year of your life, which is actually an unhappy occasion if you think about it. But the intent is to make merry because ... well, you're another year older and you're not dead yet, so that's pretty sweet.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, (MFA) recently completed a capital campaign of unprecedented size, raising $504 million in contributions from over 25,000 donors.
Amidst all of the student theater that accompanies the end of a semester, dance shows can sometimes pass by under the radar. Sarabande's newest show, "Your Hand in Mine," shouldn't have any problem attracting visitors with its combination of performances from dance groups across campus mixed with professional pieces from the Sarabande dancers themselves.
There are countless ways for a first-year Tufts student to get involved with on-campus theater. The student theater umbrella organization, Pen, Paint, & Pretzels, encompases everything from children's theater to musicals to miming. Perhaps the most freshman-friendly and fun production sponsored by the group is the annual first-year show.
As the newest installment of the James Bond series is hitting theatres this Friday, the Daily took some time to reflect upon the 30-odd years of Bond we've already enjoyed. We decided the best part of nearly every movie (besides the ridiculous sexual innuendos) was the random and unnecessary gadgets that James always has handy. Strangely, James always seems to have every form of protection known to man except one… 10. Wetsuit With Rubber Duckie: In "Goldfinger" (1964), Bond goes all rub-a-dub-dub and uses a rubber duck atop his wetsuit for camouflage. Though this move is a little "Sesame Street," 007 gets extra points for being comical and stealthy. 9. Crocodile: Bond used this motorboat disguised as a crocodile in 1983's "Octopussy" in order to get to Octopussy's island without being noticed. It's pretty obvious that a metal crocodile like you might find at a putt-putt course would trick any kind of evil mastermind. 8. Yo-Yo Saw: This gadget is a rotating saw blade attached to string so that it can be wielded similarly to a yo-yo. You wouldn't want to "walk the dog" with that toy — unless you're cool with being toe less. If you're looking for a fun and easy way to horribly mangle a small child, though, you're in luck... 7. Cello and Case: An alternate use for the equipment of cello-playing music majors has finally been found. In "The Living Daylights" (1987), Bond employs the case as a sled. It would also be great for storing dead bodies and other cello-shaped objects — like cellos, or really big violins. 6. Exploding Cake: What better way to congratulate someone than with a flambé surprise? The villainous Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd snuck one of these into Bond's hotel room in the end of "Diamonds are Forever" (1971), and instead of just shooting Bond, they patiently waited for the cake to explode. Though it didn't fulfill its original purpose, the exploding cake was pretty effective in doing away with the bad guys. 5. Magnetic Watch: Now, why would this come in handy? The answer wasn't so clear at first, until a villain in "Live and Let Die" (1973) finally had a clear shot at Bond for like the first time ever, only to find the bullet deflected by the watch's magnetic field. So what if "Mythbusters" "proved" that no size magnet could alter the path of a bullet in any way? Q's technology is obviously superior. 4. Bagpipe: Though it was never actually used, this bagpipe seen lying in Q's lab in "The World is Not Enough" (1999) featured a built-in flamethrower and machine gun. Think about the possibilities! Bond could kill someone, burn the remains and hold a funeral service, all in mere seconds! 3. Ski Pole/Gun: Finally, a truly practical gadget! In addition to its use in "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977), this object could finally bring the biathalon into the 21st century. Why carry a bulky rifle on your back when you can carry two with even less effort? If only they could make it into a phone too... 2. Dentonite Toothpaste: This one wins from the sheer force of its clever title. Even better, Bond used a pack of cigarettes as a detonator in "License to Kill" (1989). Subliminal advertising, anyone? 1. James Bond's personal ‘Gadget': When things get heated, Bond can always rely on his favorite tool to give him the rigid resolve to get out of a hard situation. Oh, James…
Hellogoodbye and Ace Enders and a Million Different People came to Tufts on Monday to play the annual Fall Rock Show sponsored by Concert Board and WMFO. The concert took place in a transformed Dewick-MacPhie: with tables stacked to the side and a stage constructed with all the lights and speakers a band could need. Ace Enders began the show by playing a cover of "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve. The crowd went wild as The lights changed between shades of red and blue and Enders went flying all around the stage. Most of the songs played by Enders are featured on the band's new EP "The Secret Wars" (2008), which is currently being offered for free online.
"Rock and roll saved my life as a teenager, and it's still saving my life today!" crowed Patterson Hood, singer of Drive-By Truckers, to a rambunctious crowd at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Boston this past Sunday night. In a move congruent with this Southern rock band's sincerity, Hood took a moment mid-song to address the crowd, testifying with unabashed openness about a troubled past and how music kept him going through difficult times as a young man.
Director Danny Boyle's strong suit seems to be versatility. After jumping onto the scene with his cult-drug-classic "Trainspotting" (1996), Boyle has tackled the adventure thriller in "The Beach" (2000), the sci-fi horror genre in "28 Days Later" (2002) and even the children's movie, "Millions" (2004). But now Boyle has ventured off into uncharted territory: India.
It has been a busy four years in the life of Bloc Party, the indie rock/pop band that has steadily spread their fun-loving British sound across the globe. On Oct. 27, the band released its third album, "Intimacy," showing a fundamental shift in the group's sound and style of music. Change has always permeated their new releases, though, and fans can rest assured that Bloc Party is still awesome. Some fresh songs off of "Intimacy" will soon be heard being awkwardly sung from behind shower doors and unintelligibly screamed at the next dance party.
The art of a society says almost as much about it as its history does. Works produced by a culture reflect the society's trends and are often times a direct reaction to some of its most important historical events.
Comedy in our post-Sept. 11 world has an increased fascination with the man-child, who is physically adult, but mentally a young male. The man-child never wants to grow up and deal with the real world. In writer/director David Wain's new comedy, "Role Models," Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott, two actors not unfamiliar with playing this Peter Pan-esque archetype, do nothing to help the man-child grow up but they take him to a new level.
I love the Internet; I really do. It's given humanity so many great things -- most of them pornographic in nature -- but, more importantly, it has given us all new reasons to never leave the house and interact with other living beings. As my dad has always said, "There's all kinds of great things on that there 'interwebs.'"
On the surface, the debut album from self-proclaimed lover of pop, Lady GaGa, seems like it wouldn't be of much interest to a college-aged crowd, but surprisingly it's seeing heavy rotation in nearly all demographics. Moreover, it's been heralded as the future of pop music, or conversely, according to All Music Guide, "anti-pop," whatever that may be.
Grant Beighley | Pants Optional Twitter this I love the Internet; I really do. It's given humanity so many great things -- most of them pornographic in nature -- but, more importantly, it has given us all new reasons to never leave the house and interact with other living beings. As my Dad has always said, "There's all kinds of great things on that there 'interwebs'." In addition to porn, the Internet has brought with it many not-so-pleasant things, namely the dawning of the age of self-importance. It started in the middle-school years with things such as Xanga.com and LiveJournal.com, and, before too long, impressionable youngsters had thrown themselves whole-heartedly into blog-rings and blogspot.com. Now, I can understand why having a day-to-day blog is fun and interesting, and I'm guilty of having read a few of them in my day, but unless you're someone famous and REALLY important (like Pete Wentz or John Mayer, both of whom keep blogs) and your thoughts actually matter, I just can't see the use in putting your thoughts up on the 'interbox' for others to read. After a while, blogs began to become something different: something dark, evil and more than a little bit concerning. A few of my friends who kept blogs began blogging about their everyday tasks instead of the thoughts that were precipitated by these daily drudgeries. For example, instead of saying, "while waiting in line at the Grocery Store, I considered why it is exactly humans feel the need to regard food as such an important part of life," he or she would simply say, "I waited in line at the Grocery Store today. Then I bought underwear. Then I ate a hot dog. It was mediocre. I am unhappy." Needless to say, when Twitter came around, I was less than pleased. For those who have no idea what this service is, Twitter is a micro-blog (a blog less than 140 characters) that can be updated from cell phones or computers. Essentially, Twitter is made up of usernames sending their daily activities out to the depths of the 'interblogs' for others with far too much free time to read. The sociological concerns behind the Twitter phenomenon are what actually concern me. Twitter seems to suggest that if you're alone and thinking without anyone else hearing your thoughts or seeing your actions, you don't exist. Since when have humans needed to be so connected to others, even strangers who they know very little about (user circles get very weird…) that they must report what they're having for dinner or update their mood status every twenty minutes? Here's a novel idea: Live your life as you want to and stop thinking that other people need to justify your actions or feelings to make them legitimate. I can certainly understand the need to keep friends and family up to date on your life, but if these people mean so much to you, pick up the phone (or Skype, it's FREE) and tell them about it in a more personal manner. If you feel lonely or bored without your Twitter account constantly bleeping and blooping to update you on what others are doing, go out and join a club, sit in a coffee shop and look at cute girls/guys, just do whatever it is you like to do to be proactive about meeting new people. REAL people. Reading about someone else's life in no way makes your life any more interesting. There is nothing stopping you, dear reader, from leading a life similar to those of Pete Wentz, John Mayer, or (god forbid) Paris Hilton, so stop reading about their lives and go make the most of your own.
