Arts

Chelsea Stevens | Loud Noises

Exactly two weeks and 25 minutes from the moment I am banging out this last column — Dec. 20, 6 p.m., for those of you who aren't reading over my shoulder — I'll be passing in my last final paper and packing up for a relaxing winter break of family, friends and skiing. I am quite literally giddy with anticipation for the opportunity to put my brain on power−save mode and render physiological processes such as breathing, eating and maintaining homeostasis the most cognitively demanding tasks that I need to tackle for a month. Hallelujah, mazeltov and happy f−−−ing New Year to that.

House' can't cure formulaic structure

Hugh Laurie first graced TV screens as Dr. Gregory House in November 2004, and the good news is that he's as crude and sarcastic as ever. Unfortunately, this constant is not enough to salvage the "House" audiences have come to know and love as it continues to erode in quality.

Bully Boy Distillers move past Prohibition

Drinking in college is often an unpleasant experience. Hard alcohol, most often vodka, is purchased for the cheapest price available, then mixed with soda, juice or Kool−Aid mix — anything to mask that bite. Some discerning souls appreciate a gin and tonic or particular brand of jungle juice, but most desperate college students are just drinking to get drunk.

Over the Rainbow' celebrates life

Tonight's production of "Over the Rainbow," the usually gender−bending Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps) cabaret to raise HIV/AIDS awareness, will be given a fresh spin.

Tufts grad offers anecdotes and advice to theater hopefuls

Mitchell Maxwell (A '75) and his wife, Carol Castelli, spoke about their experiences in the entertainment industry on Friday, Dec. 2 in the Balch Arena Theater. Over the last 35 years, the award−winning producer's work has graced the arenas of Broadway, off−Broadway and film, and with his recently published "Little Did I Know" (2011), Maxwell can add "author" to his list of accolades. Castelli works with her husband and was the marketing director for several years at Disney Theatricals.

Alexandria Chu | Hit Li(s)t

Adele's voice shines on latest live album

Vocal music has changed in the last few decades. The advent of digital music production and programs like Auto−Tune has made it a lot easier to turn a mediocre vocal performance into a good one through various techniques. While this might make a few people cynical, there are still some reliable benchmarks for judging the talent of a singer without worrying about alterations his or her work might receive in the studio. Live performances have always been one of the best criteria for judging talent, and Adele's latest live album, "Adele Live at The Royal Albert Hall," shows she has it in spades.

Advertising takes the spotlight at Boston's ICA

You might hate commercials. Sure, those ads during the Super Bowl are awesome. They're way better than, say, the most recent McDonald's commercial, but at the end of the day, it's just another burger, and you've got that jingle stuck in your head.

Chris Poldoian | Extra Butter

As the weather gets colder and our workload gets heavier, Tufts students get more stressed out. And when Tufts students get stressed, they tend to do one of two things. One: whine to all of their friends — on Facebook, no less! — about their assignments. Two: take off their clothes. There's an inverse causal relationship between the number of hours spent in Tisch and the amount of clothing the average student wears. For me, final exams are an inglorious abyss with one bright spot: the Naked Quad Run.

Grammer gives an impressive performance as Chicago mayor in 'Boss'

Starz's original programming has gained a new series, "Boss." The show stars Emmy−winner Kelsey Grammer, who plays Tom Kane, Chicago's corrupt mayor secretly dealing with his declining health. While the series has many strengths and Grammer handles the role admirably, "Boss" falters by prizing melodramatic storytelling over strong characterization.

Top Ten | Other ways to celebrate nudity in December

Like the rest of you, we at the Daily Arts Department had quite some time to mourn the loss of Naked Quad Run (NQR) — so much time, in fact, that we've decided to stop whining and start being constructive. With WinterFest approaching, we compiled a list of fun activities that, if done in private or off-campus, should allow you optimal use of your birthday suit without running (get it?) the risk of suspension.

Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Rapini with Spiced Pumpkin Puree

Serves four

Torn Ticket II tackles Sondheim's challenging score

There are two things every good musical needs in order to be successful: a talented cast and a dedicated director. Musical theater group Torn Ticket II's upcoming production of "Merrily We Roll Along," directed by senior Elizabeth Sharpe−Levine, has both of these elements and more.

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.