Chaim Potok was an incredibly gifted writer. "My Name Is Asher Lev," an intricate story of conflicts in morality and social acceptance versus personal desires, is one worth telling to an audience.
On the morning that the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) sent out its "Conversations: Photography from the Bank of America Collection" press release, a representative from the bank stepped up to a podium at the MFA to present the new exhibit. Her speech began with, "Don't you love waking up early in the morning to hear from a corporate sponsor?"
Danny has wife problems: she beats him, she is addicted to crack and she flirts shamelessly with every man she meets. The biggest issue of all, however, is that she isn't real.
She came in an egg, which was pretty weird, but the Daily Arts Department knows she could have done better. Without further ado (no waiting 72 hours!), here are the top ten things that Lady Gaga should have arrived in/on to the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards this past Sunday.
Breaking news, Tufts: Starting tonight at 8 p.m., you can spend two hours ogling tuxedo-wearing men with means and British accents in the Balch Arena Theater. Oh, and if you're not into that, there's a play happening, too — it's opening night for "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1895), written by Oscar Wilde and performed by the Tufts Department of Drama and Dance.
Oh, the '80s. Copious synth lines, tight leggings, nightclubs and Cut Copy … wait a second.
Rob Resnick and Cal Shapiro are very excited about Timeflies, and they want everyone else to be excited, too. And it's easy to be excited about it — this two-man band really seems to be on to something.
Some TV comedies measure greatness in terms of jokes per minute. For instance, funnier equals better for Tina Fey and company on "30 Rock," even if it means cutting corners when it comes to plot and characterization. Other comedies can be good without being laugh−out−loud funny. "Scrubs" (2001−10), although it certainly had its humorous moments, was always at its best when it threw more serious dramatic elements into the mix.
Genre mashups may be in vogue — check out "Zombieland" (2009), a fantastic horror−comedy, or Quentin Tarantino's entire filmography — but it's not often the pairing of two disparate storytelling approaches yields anything more than an interesting experiment.
There's a certain magic to films that champion acting, storytelling, complex characters and even subtlety — the unlikeliest of Hollywood virtues. Hunkering down in the comfort of a warm theater to watch these kinds of movies presents a world far from the big, loud and brash summer box office. Tent poles are replaced by prestige pictures, in which the only aspects that might be considered "big" are the reputations of the starring cast and the hands behind the camera.
One question is on every "Glee" fan's mind: will the show get back on track this season? After a Golden Globe win for Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical) and a semi−successful start to its second season, it seems the answer is yes, as "Glee" returned from its winter hiatus in nearly full force.
Known for their innovative approaches to all things Internet−related, the Silicon Valley aficionados at Google have broadened their horizons into the world of art. Their latest endeavor, the Google Art Project, is now up and running. With the help of a branding company called Schematic, Google has now provided the world with virtual access to 17 of the most internationally renowned art museums on the planet.
Some people shy away from small theater companies producing lesser−known works because they don't believe in unknown entities. A historical tragedy with jolting anachronisms, on a stage in an old piano factory in Boston that seats 49 audience members? Why would I go to that?
Crime doesn't pay, but it sells quite easily on TV. So it's no surprise that Fox selected "The Chicago Code," the new police drama from "The Shield" creator Shawn Ryan, as a midseason replacement. It's also no surprise that every scene involves at least one — and often two — of the following: a gun, a high−speed car chase, yelling, death and/or sex. What is surprising about this series, though, is that it really can't be lumped in with all the other cop riffraff. Shockingly, "The Chicago Code" is actually a worthwhile television series.
Most people don't give electronic musicians enough credit: Eking vibrant, expressive sounds out of a panel of knobs and sliders takes a unique skill set. James Blake proves he has those skills — over and over — on his self−titled debut, "James Blake." In an eclectic mix of dubstep, minimalist techno and soul music, Blake has carved himself a unique niche in an overcrowded scene.
How much food did you leave behind on your plate at Dewick this afternoon? Was it just your banana peel or the bones from your chicken wings? Or did you take a few too many spicy fries and overestimate how much salad you were going to eat? The latter is an occurrence that happens far too often, according to Jonathan Bloom, and we should all be trying our hardest to cut down on our food waste before it is too late.
An international superspy date-raped by a sixteen year-old princess from Gstaad; a sex robot named Fisto Roboto; a scientist who doses his secretary with LSD to induce love — all of these delights (and more!) are the plots driving this season's funniest R-rated animated show, one that is surprisingly not airing on Adult Swim. Yes kids, "Archer" is back and — as if it were even possible — cruder than ever.
George Carlin famously explained modern censorship in his comedy act: "There are 400,000 words in the English language, and there are seven you can't say on television … You know the seven, don't ya? That you can't say on TV? S---, piss, f---, c---, c---sucker, motherf---er and tits."
