Arts

Director of 'Boy' discusses his influences

The Killing' back on track after mediocre first-season finale

New Zealand vistas, naive fantasy mingle in 'Boy'

Critically acclaimed New Zealand director TaikaWaititi's latest film, "Boy," is a hilarious and heartfelt coming of age story, spiked with a twist of '80s island pop culture. Not only has the film been greeted with much critical success, but it is also currently the number one all?time box office performer in New Zealand.

Happy to You' lacks carefree abandon of band's debut

At the end of March, electro-pop act Miike Snow dropped its sophomore album, "Happy to You." Miike Snow has enjoyed growing popularity since the 2009 release of its eponymous debut, making this album one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The trio is comprised of American songwriter Andrew Wyatt and Swedes Christian Karlsson and PontusWinberg. The latter two are more often known as the powerhouse production team Bloodshy and Avant and are responsible for Britney Spears' megahit "Toxic" as well as tracks by artists such as Madonna, Kelis and Jennifer Lopez. "Happy to You" delivers the masterful production, clean melodies and introspective lyrics listeners have come to expect from Miike Snow. The album has some good songs, even a few great ones, but none that emerge with the same kind of immediate accessibility as hits like "Animal" and "Black & Blue" from their first release.

Chris Poldoian | The Gourmand

I live to eat. I don't mean that in a pseudo?philosophical way. I'm not waxing poetic about primitivism when I say that food is the key to my existence. When you are getting your jollies off on some website, I'm salivating (and, if I'm feeling frisky, masticating) over recipes and restaurant menus. I couldn't give a damn about the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees - talk to me about Alice Waters versus Anthony Bourdain. I spend plenty of time ruminating on eating. (Ten points to whomever got that pun.) In other words, I am a cliche. I am a foodie.

The Allure of Japan' explores America's fascination with East

The River' brings found footage to small screen with a spooky success series set in Amazon

"There's magic out there." That's Dr. Emmet Cole's (Bruce Greenwood), a Steve Irwin?esque explorer out to find all that nature has to offer, catchphrase. He captivated millions with his wildlife show "The Undiscovered Country" and last set out to find one more piece of magic, hidden deep in the Boiuna region of the Amazon. That is where he went missing.

Music Review | Minaj's latest smoothly bounces between styles

Nicki Minaj aims to please all her fans with her latest release, "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded." The first third of the tracks are Minaj in full "rap?bitch?nightmare" mode. She employs her "Roman" persona and her notorious rapid?fire verses that are original and strange in both their lyricism and delivery. This release is Minaj at her most compelling; she commands every second of the listener's time. The rest of the album is pretty evenly split between catchy euro?pop tunes and more standard pop ballads that wouldn't feel out of place on a Rihanna album.

Dance Show Preview | Sarabande's 'Shake It Out' promises eclectic evening

Tufts' Sarabande Dance Ensemble will be putting on its spring show, "Shake It Out," tonight at 9:00 in Cohen auditorium. For all of the dancers, choreographers and group members involved in the production, tonight marks the culmination of a semester's worth of work. The entire show is student?produced, with all of the planning, choreography and music decisions made by the group's participants.

Jack Webster and Hannah Furgang | A Piece of Advice

Dear Jack and Hannah,

Niki Krieg | Queen of Cibo

Though we have been back from spring break for almost two weeks now, and the weather isn't exactly cooperating with us, I'm definitely still in spring break mode. I'm feeling lazy, excessively (but wrongly) relaxed, and I'm (again, wrongly) not thinking about my projects, papers and homework assignments, but rather what lies ahead in May, the summer and the future.

What's Up This Weekend

Looking to make your weekend artsy? Check out these events!

Greek Festival II lovingly serves up cheap, high-quality Greek fare

For as long as there have been cars, there have been food trucks. Once the unglamorous mobile cafeterias of workers and laborers, food trucks were counted on to provide cheap meals and drinks to the hardworking hungry. But now, food trucks are witnessing a glory age. Ironically, it was the Great Recession that really kicked things off, as it resulted in the unemployment of many food truck regulars. The resulting surplus of trucks, paired with the number of chefs being laid off from high quality restaurants, led to food trucks' emergence as a new urban food source with high mobility and low overhead costs.

Top Ten | Things to find in an Easter Egg

Easter egg hunts are probably the greatest thing to come out of Jesus' resurrection. Little kids duking it out in the backyard for little plastic capsules filled with goodies? You don't have to be Christian to appreciate this G-rated version of Hunger Games.

The Artsy Jumbo | Actor, mime, director Jonny Hendrickson is one man show

Among his other drama?relatedinvolvements, Tufts senior Jonny Hendrickson serves as the current president of Tufts 3Ps. His responsibilities include leading the executive board, running the group's weekly meetings and being the student face of the theater program. Hendrickson has been heavily involved in acting at Tufts since his freshman year and won many prominent parts, including the role of Oedipus in this past fall's acclaimed production of "Oedipus Rex."

Formaggio's Kitchen brings gourmet European specialties to Boston

Not too long ago, there was a series of advertisements sponsored by the American Dairy Association that peppered primetime television. These messages always concluded with the baritone narrator intoning, "Ah, the power of cheese." Formaggio's Kitchen offers its patrons access to some of the world's most amazing cheeses. Those of you who are lactose intolerant, just stop reading now.

Unbelievable premise, underdeveloped characters tarnish 'Touch'

Ever since the huge success of "Lost" (2004?2010), major broadcast networks have been working to find another science ?fiction drama capable of garnering the same type of acclaim. The past few years have seen numerous attempts at shows with overarching, complicated plots and interconnected storylines, including ABC's "FlashForward" (2009?2010) and NBC's "The Event" (2010?2011). The series that came closest to replicating such levels of success was "Heroes" (2006?2010), which fizzled out gradually after a successful first season. Now, the creator of "Heroes," Tim Kring, returns with another serial television drama, the new Fox series "Touch.".

Elizabeth Landers | Campus Chic Report

A s with other things in my life, I was attracted to "Mad Men" purely on a style and fashion basis. The addiction to the plotline followed shortly after. Despite the rampant misogyny, racism, xenophobia, drug use, philandering and alcohol abuse, the ad men of Madison Ave. and their whirling social sphere execute all of the above with stylish panache. Costume designer Janie Bryant rose to the top of everyone's uber?stylist list after just the first few episodes of "Mad Men," and for very good reason. The clothes, impeccably sourced, help define the roles of the characters, from Betty's icy blue silk dresses to Sal's slightly flamboyant suits.

Odd Future better collaboratively than individually

Odd Future is more than just the sum of its parts. Together these twelve rappers, producers and singers have a spark and pulse that haven't been evident in any of their solo projects. While the group is mostly known for its humorous and often offensive raps, its sound actually covers a wide range of musical genres including atmospheric, soul, R&B and rap.

James Barasch | Barasch on Books

Often, a biography is a retrospective project, compiled when the person's life and actions can be viewed through the clarifying lens of history and the passage of time. But "The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin," by journalist MashaGessen, tells the life of one of today's most important political figures in the midst of a turbulent time in Russia.The result is a passionate and vivid yet potentially unbiased account of Mr. Putin's early life and ascent to global prominence.