Arts

Arts

The decadent world of Toulouse-Lautrec

December 1

Parisian Café Society generally evokes images of glamour and extravagance blended with that certain "je ne sais quoi" that has made the French the epitome of chic. This same exoticism would be expected from "Café and Cabaret: Toulouse-Lautrec's Paris", an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). Unfortunately, the exhibit diminishes the brilliance of Parisian nightlife that Toulouse-Lautrec so famously portrayed.

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Arts

Caryn Horowitz | The Cultural Culinarian

December 1

Unlike many of my fellow college students, I did not go out to a bar or a party on Thanksgiving Eve. I was informed that T-Day Eve is actually a pretty big deal a day late. I did, however, spend Thanksgiving night talking about alcohol. It was via Gchat — I was in my pajamas and ready to go to sleep by midnight at the latest due to a very deep food coma — but there was still some T-Day Eve spirit in my holiday celebration nonetheless.   

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Arts

Rock supergroup swoops in

December 1

Supergroups have been a common fad in the music industry over the past decade. Unfortunately, though most of these conglomerations of superstars seem like great ideas (Rage Against the Machine's instrumentalists plus Soundgarden's singer, anyone?), they've usually imploded after one or two mediocre albums — largely due to the huge egos at play. Them Crooked Vultures, on the other hand, seeks to legitimize the concept of the supergroup with their eponymous debut album.

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Arts

Anderson's foxes slyly tackle human problems

December 1

Being a fox in Roald Dahl's world is much more complicated than it might seem. It's not all animal activities for Mr. Fox. Instead of just basic survival — waking, eating, killing, sleeping and reproducing — Mr. Fox must deal with the consequences of thievery and tackle the very human dilemma of not knowing oneself.   

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Arts

Red Cliff' is all spectacle, no substance

November 30

Anyone who has played a game in the "Dynasty Warriors" series will have a good idea about what happens in "Red Cliff." This film is touted as being the most expensive Asian production to date, with a budget of $80 million. Directed by John Woo, the film features an ensemble cast of high-profile Asian actors. This film also marks Woo's return to Chinese cinema after 15 years in Hollywood — and perhaps a bid to get back to the roots that made him so successful. Unfortunately, the film's big budget means big battles but not much else.

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Arts

Derek Schlom | I Blame Pop Culture

November 30

A band called The Selmanaires was the opening act at a concert I attended not long ago. I was intrigued not by the compulsive dance-ability of their songs, nor their impressive meshing of post-punk influences with the trends of modern indie rock, nor the intense sweating of the lead guitarist. I wondered instead about their college majors, or if they even went to college, and if they ever considered giving up and getting day jobs. I wondered how long they'd been traversing the country, searching for … what? Mass appeal? A major-label signing? Neither is particularly likely, so what was the point of the effort they exerted in entertaining a packed, overheated crowd that wasn't even there to see them? Art for art's sake? Could it be?

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Arts

Stale themes, tired rhymes make 50 Cent's latest album 'Self-Destruct'

November 30

50 Cent enters the second decade of the new century as an artist who lacks his former commercial appeal. Fans' shopping behavior indicates that his newest CD, "Before I Self Destruct," will sell a little over 100,000 copies. Sales don't necessarily correlate to the quality of an artist's music, but as rapper Jay-Z famously said, "Men lie, women lie, numbers don't." Numbers certainly have a lot to say about the trajectory of popular hip hop as we know it, and are particularly telling in the case of "Before I Self-Destruct." 50 Cent returns to his roots with a ferocious and fiery album, hoping to reignite his wayward career, only to find that people are no longer interested in his art — even when it's in top tier form.

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Arts

The Simpsons' still going strong after over 20 years

November 30

There's something very wrong with America's favorite family. The father suffers from obesity, alcoholism, sub-standard IQ and anger management issues. The mother is a doting homemaker barely able to control her children. The son routinely commits acts of juvenile delinquency stemming from his severe ADD and limited parental attention. The oft-overlooked, idealistic middle daughter has stunted her growth due to a vegetarian diet of her own design, setting herself up for disappointment at every stage of life. The youngest daughter is criminally endangered and quite possibly mentally disabled. The whole family displays symptoms of extreme jaundice.

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Arts

At ICA, war becomes a virtual reality

November 29

The war in Iraq hits close to home for many people in this country. But the experience of living in the United States during the war has undoubtedly been very different from that of fighting in Iraq. Polish artist Krzysztof Wodiczko intends to bridge this gap through his piece "…Out of Here: The Veterans Project," now on view at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston (ICA).   

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Arts

Charles Laubacher | Ears Open

November 29

As frightening as many of us undoubtedly find the idea, the first decade of the 21st century is coming to a close. A whole lot has changed since the end of 1999. Technology has advanced with exponential speed. Our nation weathered and survived eight difficult years of Dick and George. MTV and VH1 left behind music and video hits in favor of 60-minute segments about the carpooling trials of Rev. Run.   

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Arts

Cinematic version of "The Road" spotlights familial love in a dark, apocalyptic world

November 29

The world has ended. Ash blankets the ground, wildlife has vanished and human civilization is no more. This is the dreary reality of "The Road," but do not mistake it for a "Day After Tomorrow" (2004) disaster-thriller. Despite the oppressive bleakness of the setting, the film is a poignant tale of a father's love.

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Arts

Mediocre music for Mayer is still easy listening

November 29

The good thing about "Battle Studies," John Mayer's new album, is that fans will instantly love it. The bad thing? If his previous album "Continuum" (2006) failed to convert any remaining skeptics, "Battle Studies" won't get the job done either.

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Arts

The Killers pat their own backs with latest CD/DVD release of live performance

November 23

Those already hypnotized by The Killers' pop-rock spell will likely swoon over their latest release. But for the less fanatic, a DVD of the band's best tracks set to dramatic lighting and screaming fans won't impress.

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Arts

Precious' is bleak, but rewarding

November 23

It's nearly impossible to accept the idea that people live like the characters in "Precious" do, and even harder to do so knowing that they're just a subway ride away from the bright lights of Times Square and Neiman Marcus.

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Arts

Without Out' explores the distinction between art and architecture

November 22

The boundaries between architecture and art are often unclear, and though architecture has a more practical use, many buildings are akin to large-scale artwork. What actually distinguishes the two? Is it aesthetics? Is it function? Tobias Putrih explores the fine line between architecture and art in his current exhibit at the MIT List Visual Arts Center, "Without Out."

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Arts

Charles Laubacher | Ears Open

November 22

I have a confession to make: I have, on occasion, not infrequently, checked the Twitter.com page of one John C. Mayer. Unhappy though I am with his most recent release, I remain a big John Mayer fan. Several years ago, I would never have admitted this. It started with the viewing of a few YouTube.com videos of his guitar solos and ended with a full-blown obsession. I think John is not only a brilliant guitar player but also a wise and gifted songwriter and musician.

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Arts

Hellish housing situation leaves characters with 'No Exit' from each other

November 22

Tonight at 7 p.m. in the Balch Arena Theater, Pen, Paint and Pretzels presents the forced triple from Hell.   

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Arts

Wale successfully moves from the mixtape scene to the mainstream with album 'Attention Deficit'

November 22

 Although "Attention Deficit" is his first major-label LP, Washington, D.C.'s Wale is no newcomer to the hip-hop world. Long a fixture on the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) hip-hop and go-go scene with five strong mixtapes under his belt, Wale has been hailed as one of hip hop's rising stars.

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Arts

Exploring new ground, band loses footing

November 19

For nearly a decade, Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba has managed to keep his emo lyrics and singing interesting and relatively fresh. Dashboard's new album, "Alter the Ending," finds Carrabba's old emo style, packed with his signature whiny tone and occasional screaming, alive and well. While the vocals may not be soft on the ears, Carrabba's voice is emotional and raw.

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Arts

McDonell's latest falls short

November 19

Nick McDonell's latest novel, "An Expensive Education," weaves together several tales as the most recent entry into the spy-thriller genre. McDonell has been critically acclaimed ever since he released his first novel, "Twelve" (2002), at age 17. Now, though, he seems unable to live up to his past work. "An Expensive Education" is simply not worth its cost.   

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