Arts
'Burma in Transition' highlights cultural evolution
January 27In May of last year, a group of Tufts students who spent the year in a seminar with the Program for Narrative and Documentary Practice (PNDP) traveled to Burma for a 10?day, on?site workshop to explore Burmese life. PNDP, which is a program under the Tufts Institute for Global Leadership (IGL), allows students from various disciplines to gain skills in narrative storytelling through multimedia. The students journeyed to Yangon, the country's largest city, and their work has culminated in a photo exhibition entitled "Burma in Transition" at the Tufts Art Gallery. The exhibition opened at the Slater Concourse Gallery on Jan. 23. and will continue through the end of February.
TV Review | 'Justified's' plotlines, characters continue to dazzle
January 27"You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive." This, the title of a featured song by country singer?songwriter Darrell Scott, captures the gripping excellence that is "Justified."
Film Review | 'The Last Stand' contains few thrills
January 23If you saw the trailer for "The Last Stand" in the theater alongside movies like "Django Unchained" or "Zero Dark Thirty," you wouldn't be wrong in assuming that the film would be a miss. Based off of a preview filled with random explosions, Johnny Knoxville and groan?inducing Arnold Schwarzenegger one?liners, it appeared that "The Last Stand" would be the perfect embodiment of movies released in January, historically known as a dumping ground for studios to unload some questionable product. Surprisingly enough, all of the riff raff surrounding the film is mired in misconception. "The Last Stand" is not as terrible as the previews would lead you to believe. If you check your expectations at the door and doesn't take the movie too seriously, then "The Last Stand" is a decently entertaining, albeit mindless, action flick.
A$AP Rocky lives up to hype with debut album
January 23A$AP Rocky, a 24?year?old Harlem rapper, is just now re?emerging after his initial stardom to the delight of fans and critics alike. Lauded by many as a promising rapper to watch in coming years, Rocky has not disappointed with his most recent release, "Long.Live.A$AP." An album marked by clever beats, lyrical dominance and unique style, "Long.Live.A$AP" is the long awaited album following Rocky's mixtape "Live.Love.A$AP" that was released to rave reviews in 2011.
Concert Review | Mission of Burma still strong after 30 years
January 23Boston locals Mission of Burma performed a solid show along with opening band Reports at The Sinclair in Cambridge last Saturday. Though opening band Reports was a tad disappointing, Mission of Burma more than made up for the concert's slow start.
Indians soars on debut album 'Somewhere Else'
January 21"Somewhere Else," the debut album of the new group Indians, is an eclectic mix of sounds and styles. Favoring sprawling electronic jams as well as more accessible acoustic melodies, Indians' "Somewhere Else" is a uniquely familiar album that blurs the line between indie pop and contemplative electronica.
Film Review | Failures shoot 'Gangster Squad' in the foot
January 21The best way to describe director Ruben Fleischer's new film, "Gangster Squad"? Ridiculously violent. We're not talking an occasional scene with gunfire or fist fighting. We're talking 110 minutes of gruesome, graphic - and often gratuitous - slow?motion violence. If value of a film were directly correlated to the amount of on?screen violence, "Gangster Squad" would succeed with flying colors. It's a shame that this isn't the case.
TV Review | 'Girls' premiere promises engaging second second season
January 17Young adulthood can be scary, and Lena Dunham's hit HBO series "Girls" isn't afraid to admit it. Since its first season last year, the comedy?drama has unapologetically conveyed the simultaneous awkwardness and exuberance that accompanies the transition into the "real world" by following aspiring writer Hannah (Lena Dunham) and her group of friends: Marnie (Allison Williams) is Hannah's responsible best friend, Jessa (JemimaKirke) is an unpredictable hippie traveler and Shoshana (ZosiaMamet) is Jessa's naive, quirky cousin. It would seem that all the girls would clash with their conflicting personalities, yet Dunham kneads the characters into a cohesive group. All the characters share the same struggle in finding who they are as individuals and in surviving the harsh and unpredictable realities that they face as young women in New York City.
Restaurant Review | North End's 'Oceanaire' reserved for indulgent seafood lovers
January 17The Boston restaurant scene is globally renowned for its emphasis on fresh catch, and some of the world's best seafood can be found in local eateries and markets. Neptune Oyster, the perennially packed oyster enclave in the North End, draws businessmen and women who figure extra hours into their work travel schedules in order to pop in for a plate of fresh Maine and Massachusetts raw oysters. But if you're not one for long lines and no reservations, drive a little further into downtown Boston to The Oceanaire Seafood Room. Situated in the Financial District, this upscale restaurant offers an exhausting menu filled with plates that live up to their descriptions.
1600 Penn' predictable, yet to hit stride
January 15Ultimately, "1600 Penn" is a standard dysfunctional family comedy. This particular dysfunctional family just happens to live and work in the White House.
Louis C.K. delivers dark but hilarious comedy
January 15Although 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.
Zero Dark Thirty' evades audience expectations
January 15Even 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.
Raime debuts ethereal, monotonous album
December 9Equal 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.
Tyler and Wallach provocatively examine notions of times past
December 9There'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.
Elizabeth Landers | Campus Chic Report
December 9A 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.
Crossword: Campus Tour
Daily Newsletter: October 6, 2026
