Arts

The quest for Boston's best burger

It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone." Man lives on bread, meat and cheese stacked mightily, the pinnacle of American culinary brilliance — the cheeseburger. Often seen in its basest form, the cheeseburger has populated the menus of diners, fast−food joints and taverns for decades. In its most highly evolved form, this mouthwatering creation pummels the Hulk to the ground, outsmarts Sir Isaac Newton and beats Zoolander in a walk−off. In the epic quest for cheeseburger glory, these two reporters ventured from your friendly neighborhood food truck to city−wide restaurants in their search for Boston's best burger.

Talk That Talk' never quite walks the walk

Sex sells. Even the faint whiff of sex sells, and celebrities have known this for a long time. After listening to Rihanna's latest album, "Talk That Talk," it's pretty clear that she's hopped onto the sexy pop star bandwagon, but with mixed results. "Talk That Talk" is a slick pop record that glows with high production values and catchy synth hooks, but its content leaves a bit to be desired.

Journeyman bites off more than it can chew

Is cooking an art? To many Tufts students, a meal is nothing more than sustenance. Sure, there's skill required in rolling a super burrito from Anna's Taqueria, but that doesn't make the kitchen staff artists or storytellers.

Jordan Teicher | The Independent

I did not get to write a typical holiday column last week giving thanks to all of the great movies out in theaters. With class canceled on Wednesday, I was more concerned with recovering from the traffic I encountered on my way back to New Jersey than putting together 600 words for The Daily. I had almost forgotten how awful it is to drive in and out of Massachusetts. New Jersey drivers are not perfect, but drivers from Massachusetts are by far the worst I've come up against, and criticizing them in a public forum is pleasantly cathartic.

Thanks to Jason Segel and lovable puppets, audiences are sweet on sugarcoated 'Muppets'

Like a former Hollywood heavyweight who finds himself typecast in made-for-TV movies, the Muppets believed they had lost all relevancy. Miss Piggy found herself working long hours for French Vogue in Paris, Gonzo gave up his stuntman gig for a corporate office at a plumbing company and Fozzie Bear took his stand-up act to a downtrodden casino in Reno, Nev. But with a little help from funnyman Jason Segel, the Muppets have made a triumphant homecoming to cinema and the public eye.

A Dangerous Method' plumbs emotional depths

Biopics have always been a difficult genre. Making a film about the life of a famous figure is a balancing act. Bad biopics do little to expand on the figure's established reputation, often coming off as stuffy or obsequious in their celebration of his or her character. Good biopics, like David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method," look at the person in the context of his times and probe beneath the veneer of his legacy to reveal genuine aspects of his persona.

Film proves Marilyn will never go out of style

It has been said that even Marilyn played Marilyn Monroe. After all, beyond that one picture, a rendition or two of "Happy Birthday" and a conspiracy theory, how much do you really know about the actress synonymous with sex appeal? Probably about as much as Colin Clark, before he became Monroe's go-to during filming in London.

Big Bang' implodes in its fifth season

For a show about highly intelligent people, CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" requires viewers to use very few brain cells. The show often uses jokes and storylines aimed at the lowest common denominator. To a degree, that approach seems to work, as "The Big Bang Theory" is consistently one of the most watched programs on television. Sadly, as the show's degeneration proves, "most watched" is not a synonym for "highest quality."

The Good Wife' heats up, keeps sensible feel

It would be easy and not entirely incorrect to write off CBS' "The Good Wife" as, well, an old−person show. The pithy legal procedural centers on late 30− and 40−somethings, features '90s−esque hair and makeup that no millennial would dare venture near — who is plucking JuliannaMargulies' eyebrows and lining Christine Baranski's lips? — and lacks the swift pacing and relentless conflict supposedly needed to keep younger viewers hooked.

Movie magic permeates Scorsese's 'Hugo'

Though the magic of movies is a phenomenon seen and referred to less and less often, viewers of "Hugo" will rediscover cinematic magic in its full force in legendary director Martin Scorsese's latest.

Sweet Cheeks features sweet food, sour prices

FX sitcom is a 'League' above the rest

Von Trier's nuanced 'Melancholia' dazzles

Disaster movies occupy a certain spot in contemporary cinema. They usually conjure images of gridlocked city streets, wailing crowds and lots of fire. Lars von Trier's latest film, "Melancholia," refreshingly subverts the genre by focusing intensely on a small group of people in the days that precede the apocalypse.

Keep Shelly rocks small, dedicated crowd

Greek quartet Keep Shelly in Athens played at the Brighton Music Hall last week to a small but enthusiastic crowd. The opening act, a Brooklyn quartet called Body Language, got the crowd warmed up with their up−tempo, occasionally eccentric electronic tunes. Using xylophones and various types of drumsticks, Body Language had the crowd dancing maniacally on the rather empty dancefloor.

Hip-Hopera' places fresh spin on Shakespeare

A first-time reader of William Shakespeare's plays is bound to voice one famous, 21st century complaint: "Is this even English?" Well, tonight, toss your 14-year-old self a bone with Bare Bodkin, Pen, Paint & Pretzels and Torn Ticket II's production of "Hamlet, the Hip-Hopera," running tonight for one night only. The piece, directed by senior John-Michael Sequeira, lays out Shakespeare's classic tragedy of familiar power struggles in the accessible format of hip-hop.

Chris Poldoian | Extra Butter

Remember the show "The Brady Bunch" (1969−1974)? Of course you do! It was on Nick at Nite after episodes of "Hey Arnold" (1996−2004), "Catdog" (1998−2004) and other horribly deformed cartoon characters. And do you remember the character Jan? Of course you don't! She was the bespectacled middle child who forever lived in the shadow of her older sister, the super−popular Marcia. Other than the time Marcia got hit in the face with a football and her nose swelled up, Jan could never compete for the spotlight.

Real Housewives of Atlanta' strikes it rich

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" (RHoA) women are no strangers to new money. With the exception of Grammy winner KandiBurruss, it seems that the other women are living Bravo paycheck to Bravo paycheck. With Birkin bags, one−hit wonders and catch phrases galore — my personal favorite is Sheree Whitfield's season two "who go'n checks me, boo?" — this season featuring Georgia's ripest peaches started as juicy as ever.

Drake's new album probes emotional depths

For some reason, it has become cool to hate Drake. The common wisdom on the Toronto−born rapper is that he's the "softest rapper in the game," in Kanye West's words — a weak phony who represents everything that's wrong with the rap industry.

The Artsy Jumbo | Bowe finds solace in music and memories

What was your most recent excuse for missing school? Maybe a cold? Maybe a hangover? Maybe sheer laziness? Unlike senior English major Justine Bowe, you probably couldn't claim to be polishing off your first studio−recorded album.

Crazy Clown Time' wavers between compelling and flat

"Crazy Clown Time," released on Nov. 7, is the first solo album by the 65?year?old filmmaker David Lynch. Lynch's trademark dark wit and esoteric creepiness shine through in many of the atmospheric tracks. His music evokes the complex and precise sound design evident in many of his films.