Fans of Samuel L. Jackson, rejoice! He has a new film out, and it's indeed quite interesting — not great, but interesting. "Lakeview Terrace" is an average thriller with a few interesting ideas. Although it is an improvement over director Neil LaBute's last work, "The Wicker Man" (2006), it remains a mediocre film.
Allow me to introduce myself, as well as my column, by way of a discussion about an artistic medium very close to my heart: music.
Amanda Palmer, front woman of the Boston-based duo The Dresden Dolls, decided last year that it was time to go solo. Not to diminish her previous work, the world at large should be grateful for this decision. After much deliberation and studio time, she released her full length solo debut, "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" on Sept. 8.
It is not uncommon in the contemporary art world to see exhibits that bypass conventional standards. Both in subject matter and presentation, artists are continually broadening the horizons of what is artistically acceptable. The exhibition "Great Company: Portraits by European Masters" at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston utilizes both innovative and traditional elements by presenting an array of European portraits in a less-than-conventional context.
Everyone knows that the human body is frail, but that fact is often easy to forget. The harsh realities of disease and genocide seem so far removed from the everyday life of a college student in New England that their presence in the world is often overlooked. Anna Deavere Smith's newest show, "Let Me Down Easy," still in evolution, is a compilation of monologues taken word-for-word from a series of over 350 interviews Smith conducted over a decade-long process of examining human resilience and frailty.
On the morning of Aug. 7, 1974, crowds gathered below the World Trade Center on the bustling streets of New York City could spot a tiny figure dancing between the towers.Frenchman Philippe Petit, with over six years worth of scheming, had managed to bypass security and illegally rig a wire between the buildings, then the tallest in the world, and spent about 45 minutes tiptoeing and turning across it. He was arrested, brought to jail and psychologically studied. Based on a true story and on the book by the daring wire-walker himself, entitled "To Reach the Clouds" (2002), James Marsh's stunning documentary film "Man on Wire" captures our wildest dreams and constructs the portrait of a unique individual.
Frustrated by the popular images of "the Orient," which often resemble scenes from "Arabian Nights," the artists featured in "Empire and Its Discontents" seek to dispel that notion with resounding fervor. The exhibition, on display now at the Tufts University Art Gallery in the Aidekman Arts Center, features artists hailing from those countries once united by that ambiguous notion of Orientalism. Organized as a tribute to the 30th anniversary of the publication of "Orientalism" by renowned thinker and Palestinian-American political activist Edward Said, the exhibition comments on some of his most fundamental ideas, not the least of which deals with the West's false assumptions regarding the East.
The Daily had the opportunity to speak with legendary actor Billy Bob Thornton over the phone this week about his new movie "Eagle Eye." In the film, which opens on Sept. 26, Thornton plays FBI agent Morgan, who is investigating a suspected terrorist named Jerry (played by Shia LaBeouf). Jerry insists that an anonymous caller has forced him and another woman, Rachel (Michelle Monaghan), by using technology to track and threaten them and their families, to become members of a terrorist cell that has plans to carry out a political assassination. Jerry must work to clear his name by finding out when and why. In the interview, Thornton told the Daily his opinions on technology, different acting styles, music and how to break into the business.
When I was a freshman, I incurred the wrath of Internet-scouring Phish fans who took issue with a handful of lines in a piece I wrote for the Observer about my New Year's Eve with Santa Cruz band Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9).
As Daily aficionados and fans of "Bangers and Mash" and "Hostels and Hostiles" know, I spent most of the past year in merry ol' England. This experience had a great impact on my personality and, of course, my pop culture sensibility was no exception.
Entering the Sackler — the temporary composite of all three former Harvard University Art Museums (now going by the
FX has been known to take risks on its shows, and has produced quite a few great ones over the past few years; most notably "The Shield," "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" and "Rescue Me." Their newest show, "Sons of Anarchy," has a concept that is both dark and funny, a formula fairly par for the course for the network. The basic premise doesn't sound terribly exciting — members of a motorcycle gang attempt to protect their small town while running an arms business — but the astute viewer knows to expect more. Despite its flaws, "Sons of Anarchy" is proving itself to be a worthy addition to the fall lineup, thanks to a capable and occasionally exceptional cast, some clever writing and plenty of good old-fashioned violence.
Metallica. The name says it all, and yet, leaves so much to the imagination. This iconic group didn't set out to change the rock ‘n' roll landscape; it just simply wanted to rock hard and prove to the world that hairspray was not a requirement for being in a West Coast rock band.
Only a year after their highly acclaimed "No Country for Old Men" (2007), the Coen brothers return to big-screen success with "Burn After Reading," a hilarious spy spoof that satirizes the political landscape of the modern day. While the various features of "Burn After Reading" make it worthwhile to watch, it is not quite up to par with their other, more memorable' efforts.
Anthony Bourdain, Bobby Flay, Tom Colicchio, Mario Batali, Paula Deen, Alain Ducasse, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, Rachael Ray.
What happens when an underground live hip-hop band hits the big time? What happens when the frontman of Fall Out Boy starts producing emo-rap tracks? Throw in some catchy hooks, appearances by Daryl Hall, Estelle, The-Dream and Busta Rhymes and guest production by Cool & Dre and out comes "The Quilt," the latest full-length studio album from Gym Class Heroes (GCH).
This year, FOX chose to premiere its new TV shows earlier than the other major networks, in part due to its need to make up the most ground against its competitors. Most new offerings won't stand a chance against big-time shows like "Lost" and "Heroes." FOX's new sitcom, "Do Not Disturb," falls into this category of "almosts," unable to keep up with not only the other sitcoms, but also the plethora of "dramadies" that have become so popular, or at least prevalent, in recent years.
An album that successfully adapts and ages the vigor, beauty and outspokenness of Joan Baez's earlier works, "Day After Tomorrow" is a concise 37 minutes of classic folk music.
The scenes on the screen flit between the orchestra and the key players in the crime. Flutes replace the sobs of a beautiful blonde by the double doors. Violin strings play the smirk of a man who readies his pistol in the shadows. His companion takes heavy breaths in time with trombones, her expression tense. Drums roll thunderously as the protagonist rushes from door to door. Pounding, pulling, pushing. All is drowned out by the crescendo of music, a tune that swirls and dips with the movement of the camera lens, following the build up and eventual collision of these moments. The barrel of the gun exposes its metal body. As the cymbals crash, viewers in Brattle Theater leap out of their seats and audibly gasp. Who says Hitchcock's suspense doesn't stack up to contemporary thrillers?
