Arts
The Vampire Diaries' is ghoulish fun for viewers
October 18Get your garlic out and be ready to ward off vampires as "The Vampire Diaries" returns for its fourth season.
McLaughlin's 'Now Here This' is homogenous, heartless
October 18Few jazz musicians today have as much clout as guitarist John McLaughlin. His incendiary flair and virtuosic skill have made him one of the most influential instrumentalists of his generation. His style has segued effortlessly between genres as diverse as jazz fusion, flamenco and classical Indian music with his revolutionary group Shakti. While McLaughlin has always been renowned for his speedy licks and technical accomplishment, most of his career saw him balancing his penchant for meticulously?executed runs with thoughtful phrasing and an emotive playing touch. Unfortunately, John McLaughlin and The 4th Dimension's latest album, "Now Here This," comes off as a one?track platform for displaying his virtuosity and lightning?fast precision, often at the expense of the expressive value of the music itself.
Mae Humiston & Sara Gardner | Let's Talk About Food
October 17Last week we talked about distribution in the sense of how food travels from the field to the consumer. This week we will focus on another dimension of distribution: equity. "Food equity" refers to the idea that access to fresh and healthy foods should be universal. In this sense, proximity to a grocery does not determine or restrict the idea of access. People may be deprived of fresh and healthy foods because of a multitude of geographic, economic, cultural and educational factors. Because it is so multifaceted, food equity is a common goal for many groups in the food movements. We think it is important for you to understand food equity issues if you want to learn about today's food systems.
Weekender | Film: The forgotten art
October 17Sometimes we forget film is an art. With mindless flicks flooding the cinemas every weekend, herding us there in eager droves, it can certainly be difficult to remember this fact. We're often content with explosions and recycled jokes, and there's nothing wrong with that, per se. But once in a while it wouldn't hurt to widen our scope of cinematic interest and absorb film as many filmmakers have intended for it to be absorbed: as an art.
Substance unsurprisingly lacking in 'Real Housewives' reunion episode
October 17Season five of "The Real Housewives of New York City" wrapped this Monday with Part II of the season's reunion. This is an episode fans looked forward to, giddily anticipating half?hearted - or heartless - apologies, quick zingers and a parade of Louboutins and statement dresses. But this season's reunion left us wanting more. It felt like the reluctant gathering it probably was, as none of the women seemed particularly interested in rehashing old problems or reopening wounds.
The Artsy Jumbo | Junior artist Mia Greenwald explores printmaking
October 17Mia Greenwald has been interested in art since before she can remember.
Megan Clark | Where's the Craic?
October 16Filmed in 2006, "The Wind That Shakes the Barley"(2007) is a nuanced study of the national and social factors behind the Anglo?Irish War and the Irish Civil War.
Concert Review | Boston Symphony Orchestra shines under Marcelo Lehninger's conducting
October 14Boston Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor Marcelo Lehninger directed an outstanding rendition of PyotrIlyich Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" at Symphony Hall on Oct. 4, despite his overly extravagant conducting style. It was a refreshing return to Tchaikovsky since Lehninger's failed performance of the composer's Sixth Symphony "Pathetique" last fall.
How to Dress Well releases instant indie classic
October 14R&B continues to infiltrate the world of indie music, with bands like the xx listing Aaliyah as a major influence and Frank Ocean rising to superstardom with his pensive tracks. How to Dress Well's second album, "Total Loss," furthers this phenomenon by using the R&B framework to create an artistic and somewhat challenging work that has become an overnight indie classic.
Inauthentic 'Taken 2' falls short of its predecessor
October 14Every few years, that special kind of film comes around - the kind that, despite being indistinguishable from other movies in its genre, still manages to become a hit. It's the kind of film that will be quoted and watched repeatedly, with its absurdity enjoyed rather than ridiculed. "Taken" (2008) was that kind of film. Its sequel, however, has missed the mark altogether.
Elizabeth Landers | College Chic Report
October 14The outskirts of St. Petersburg fulfill every notion you've ever had of a former communist country: cruise ship?like buildings of monolithic proportion and approach, with identically cut windows, traffic circles flowing around forged metal temples that pay homage to Swedish?Russian battles from the 19th century and even an airport split in half by domestic and foreign?bound flights. The periphery's appearance reflects the ever?evolving steps being taken towards modernization.
Seven Psychopaths' is black humor and it knows it
October 11It's hard to review writer/director Martin McDonagh's latest film, "Seven Psychopaths," without comparing it to his feature debut, "In Bruges" (2008), another black comedy starring Colin Farrell. While there are vast differences between them, such as setting, plot and the level of humor, certain themes pervade each film that, when compared side?by?side, make the two appear quite similar.
