Arts

Madeline Hall | The Tasteful and the Tasteless

The beauty of being someone relatively insignificant in the greater world of pop culture commentary is the distinctly low level of expectation for my critiques. Realistically, writing a cultural commentary column at Tufts does not earn the opportunity to go and report live at the 2011 Academy Awards. Instead, while watching from the safety of my room, I opted to wear my saggy high school sweatpants and an unsightly men's waffle shirt. In short, I donned apparel slightly less professional and glamorous than that designed by Christian Dior or Versace.

MFA documents medium's push for artistic legitimacy

"Modernist Photography 1910−1950," an exhibit currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, covers a critical time period, in which the growth of photography as an art medium was significant in its reflection of the rapid technological developments of the early 20th century.

Foundry On Elm offers typical gastropub fare, unique drinks in a cozy atmosphere

The complications of balancing innate dichotomies could be very real ones for an ambitious gastropub like Foundry On Elm. Contradictory forces are already manifest in the blend of "gastronomy" and, well, "pub," but this upscale tavern faces a bigger challenge than simply providing customers with delicious food and equally delicious beer.

Housemaid' delivers tense setting but thin characters

Melodrama tends to conjure up images of soaps — the iconic mood lighting, a gorgeous cast and confrontations rendered laughable by contrivance, poor acting or, more frequently, both. The genre is frequently shrugged off as the cinematic equivalent of the "airport novel," both deliciously entertaining and indulgent in its simplicity.

Tyra, and a few models, return for 16th 'ANTM' season

The 16th season of The CW's "America's Next Top Model" ("ANTM") kicked off last Wednesday, and this time around, the show is doing all it can to differentiate itself from previous cycles without losing its essence.

Jeff Beck fuses unique aesthetic with traditional rockabilly in Les Paul tribute

Jeff Beck is one of the guitar world's biggest chameleons. His solo albums and work with groups such as The Yardbirds show his aptitude for molding his personal style to a slew of different genres. Beck has covered everything from proto−metal to electronic fusion since he became famous in the '60s.

The Poison Tree' makes for thrilling debut novel

Karen Clarke is a woman who has everything to lose. Indeed, she seems to have a perfect, albeit boring, life as a talented, straight?A English major who has just graduated from university in London. But she is not fond of her boyfriend or her friends and her life seems to lack passion and vitality. As her college career comes to an end, she meets a free?spirited bohemian girl, Biba, who propels her into a new life.

AP Biology changes; effects uncertain for Tufts students

As part of a sweeping overhaul of its entire AP program, the College Board announced earlier this month that it has completed revisions to its Advanced Placement (AP) Biology program that will take effect during the 2012?13 academic year.

Weekender Feature | Tufts alum raises awareness through film

Last year, the Daily had the chance to chat with Will Tiao (LA '96) and discuss "Formosa Betrayed" (2009), a political thriller about the Taiwanese liberation that Tiao wrote, produced and starred in. Tonight at 8 p.m. in the Metcalf Hall Lounge, after enjoying a screening of "Formosa Betrayed" and a free Taiwanese dinner, Tufts students will also have the opportunity to talk to this jack-of-all-entertainment-trades about his film, his experience at Tufts, movie-making and relations between the United States and Taiwan.

Top Ten | The other Oscars

In preparation for the Academy Awards this weekend, we decided to give a little attention to some other noteworthy Oscars.

Ed Helms takes us to the heartland in 'Cedar Rapids,' with gut-busting results

Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), the hero of "Cedar Rapids," is described by his boss as "a kid who's gonna go places and just didn't." Fortunately for us, though, Lippe is forced to go places, traveling outside of his small town of Brown Valley, Wis., and checking his infallible Midwestern small-town values at the door.

Boston University brings accessible Chekhov performance to the stage

It is a shame for English speakers that Anton Chekhov wrote in Russian. He remains one of the most gifted playwrights the world has seen, but his language is often muddled and suffers a loss of meaning at the hands of even the most careful translator.

What's Up This Weekend

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

From the Office of the Tufts Daily

Earth takes on a more refined, musically mature sound in 'Angels of Darkness'

Ever wonder what exactly happened to some of grunge's classic bands? Look no further than Earth.

New CBS sitcom relies heavily on recycled plot lines

If you're looking for the next "How I Met Your Mother," look elsewhere.

Madeline Hall | The Tasteful and the Tasteless

For any honest individual who will admit to watching game shows, "Jeopardy!" has always been regarded as the classiest of the bunch. While game shows like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and "$100,000 Pyramid" also attempt to challenge contestants with questions at a level higher than slight trivia, "Jeopardy!" is the snobby, erudite prototype for broadcasted knowledge competitions. Watchers tolerate this characteristic, knowing that the source of its pretentiousness is largely accounted for by the host, Alex Trebek. Assuming a viewer can stomach the haughty critique doled out by the graying host, "Jeopardy!" represents a highbrow form of game−show broadcasting.

Radiohead earns reputation for unpredictability with 'King of Limbs'

Radiohead's latest release, "The King of Limbs," is a surprise for even the most seasoned fans of the Oxford rock band. Those who have listened to the group long enough know Radiohead's incredible capacity for reinvention. After the band secured international stardom with its alt−rock masterpiece "OK Computer" (1997), it followed up with "Kid A" (2000), an electronic−rock fusion that has since garnered recognition as one of the most important albums of the past few decades.

A.R.T.'s 'Ajax' attempts retelling of classic tale

If there is one lesson to take home from "Ajax," Sarah Benson's disturbing portrayal of the end of the great war hero, currently playing at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), it's to keep pride in check. Unfortunately, while Benson's new interpretation of Sophocles' original story seeks to connect with the aftermath of brutality and violence, it loses everything else along the way.

Mostly positive reactions to Radiohead's latest

Radiohead surprised everyone when they announced on Valentine's Day that they would in just five days release their eighth studio album, "The King of Limbs." Even their most loyal fans could not have predicted that the record would come out so soon, or at all: The band had kept unusually quiet about its production and content.