Arts

Arts

Emotional extremes, vibrant imagery make cinematic exploration of childhood 'Wild'

October 19

Childhood is a lot of things. It's fun, sad, dark and wild — and "Where the Wild Things Are" exhibits every one of those qualities. The much-anticipated new film adaptation of the 1963 children's book by Maurice Sendak is about childhood, but it is not necessarily a children's movie. Director Spike Jonze brings the lens down to the level of one young boy — Max (Max Records) — without patronizing his story. Jonze instead respects Max's reality and all of the whirlwind emotions that come with it.

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Arts

Exempla' artist takes technology to artistic realm

October 19

The Daily sat down with Brian Knep, whose current exhibit "Exempla," at the Tufts University Art Gallery, examines the inextricable force of change in life through interactive projections — and, surprisingly, humor. Knep spoke about his recent exhibit, his artistic beginnings and the reasoning behind his work. Anna Majeski: When did you first start experimenting with art? Brian Knep: Art has always been a part of my life as background, but I didn't take it seriously until 2003. The gallery where I first showed was the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln. My whole identity had been as an engineer, so I didn't take [art] seriously. I came from a family that appreciated art, but where it wasn't considered a career. I also had no formal training. I didn't go to art school, so I had no language for it … no context for it. I was scared to show [my art], but I got feedback from some creative friends, and they liked it. AM: What was the work from your first show? BK: My first show was actually one piece, "Healing #1" (2003). It was a floor projection, about size of a carpet, nine by six feet. It was an organic pattern. As you walked across the pattern, you wounded it, you erased it. The pattern then healed itself behind you, but whenever it grew back, it never grew back the same way. It left a scar where you walked. Over time, other people's lines erased your line but your interaction changed it forever. Every interaction causes a permanent change. AM: Do you always use interactive projections in your work? BK: I often do interactive work, but only when it makes sense. I also do non-repeating videos, regenerating videos which are responsive to time — as time changes, the video changes. But I've done prints and photographs as well as some sculptural work. AM: What are you interested in communicating through your art? BK: All of my work is somehow about change, impermanence, how everything changes, how everything is connected. In life there is only one constant, the fact that everything changes — your thoughts, your age, weather — everything changes, and one of the struggles in life is how you deal with that. People are actually quite scared of change. One of our struggles is how you change ... with the piece "Healing #1," it was really about idea that you interact with piece and that changes you. [Change] also continues forward, and I'm very interested in how those changes continue. So my work is all about how nothing is permanent, how everything changes and is connected. AM: How did you come to decide on a digital medium? Do you think it conveys what you have to say more effectively? BK: I was an engineer first, [I] worked in computer science. I worked in the film industry, so I've always been interested in technology. So it seemed natural to use [technology]. I could express myself with that. Painters are good at paint; they know how to mix the paints, use them. Sculptors understand their material, so my craft is technology. So that's one answer. The other answer is that I love and hate technology. I have a lot of fun with it, but often what we consider progress — email, etc. — actually [disconnects] us with our environment, and that creates a less rich experience. Technology is powerful, but it can be used in a bad way. I sort of thought, how can I use technology to create a richer experience with the world? I make a program where you interact with the piece, with each other. You become aware of your environment through it. AM: What is the main concept behind "Exempla?" BK: A lot of pieces are about futility, running around on walls, not getting anywhere. [The figures in the pieces] are doing things: running around, building towers and, from their point of view, they are constantly getting somewhere. From our point of view, it's obvious that they are just cycling, but they can never see that. It's hard to get perspective on your own life — actually it's pretty much impossible. There are moments where we can break out, but mostly it's impossible, so it's sort of about trying to accept that. I get up, go to the gym, go to work, meditate. Who knows if the things we do will make us better? AM: In "Exempla", you are talking about  mindless forces in humanity, the way that we go through the motions with little or no thought. Do you think you're combating that through your work? Or do you feel that you're participating in it also? BK: [I think I'm] accepting it … Accepting it, and trying to get other people to accept it and laugh at it, and then maybe take a step to get perspective on it. If you accept it, then you can make small steps.

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Arts

Gliding through history on a song

October 19

Bob Dylan. Joni Mitchell. The Beatles. James Taylor. Simon and Garfunkel. What do these artists have in common? Right now it's the Huntington Theatre Company's production "A Long and Winding Road," an autobiographical tribute to Grammy Award-nominated singer and actress Maureen McGovern. McGovern's voice is the strong and stirring vessel through which this captivating performance celebrates and pays respect to the musicians and music that defined a generation.

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Arts

Audiences love 'New York'

October 18

Paris may be the city for lovers, but New York has a je ne sais quoi that can't be beat. Based on the French film "Paris, Je T'aime" (2006), "New York, I Love You" paints a gritty and often witty picture of the ups and downs of love in New York City. With its myriad of quirky, bittersweet love stories featuring a star-studded cast, "New York, I Love You" is the perfect feel-good movie for romantics and city dwellers.    

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Arts

Gaslight Anthem drummer discusses fame, influences and playing with Springsteen

October 18

The Gaslight Anthem played to an enthusiastic audience at the Boston House of Blues this past Saturday night, with openers Murder By Death, Jesse Malin and Broadway Calls. The New Jersey soul-punk band has been receiving more mainstream attention since the release of their critically acclaimed second album, "The '59 Sound" (2008), which ranked among "New Musical Express'" (NME) 50 Best Albums of 2008. The Daily sat down with drummer Benny Horowitz before the show to talk about Jersey, Bruce Springsteen and soul-punk. Josh Zeidel: 2008 was a big year for your band. "The '59 Sound" represented a huge step forward for Gaslight, and it catapulted you into a wider spotlight. How has your live show evolved to fill larger venues? Benny Horowitz: I think just through the process of playing together for a few years we've adapted our style … We like going from song to song, not wasting a lot of time. We play a lot longer, but we feel a responsibility to do that as well, because these are our shows now, and whatever the ticket price is, if it's a sh-t show, that's on us … So we want to make sure that people are getting their money's worth. JZ: This past summer, you were joined on stage twice by fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen — what was it like for you to play with a rock musician who has been so influential on your band? BH: It was really surreal, you know? But in a way, it kind of humanizes him, someone you've been seeing on TV your whole life … He was really relaxed, didn't seem to want to talk about himself at all, he was interested in what was going on with us … He was just a really nice guy. In retrospect, looking back, I'm still having a hard time believing we met him. JZ: How did The Gaslight Anthem form? What does the name mean, and how did you settle on it? BH: Brian [Fallon, guitar, lead vocals] had a project called This Charming Man. They were signed to a label and did a tour, and I guess a couple members combusted on tour. So he needed a new rhythm section … and he started playing with his brother-in-law Alex [Levine, bass, backing vocals]. One of the guys he was working with … was an old friend of mine from the hardcore scene who knew that I was … playing with whoever at the time. So he hooked me and Brian up, and I went up there to practice … We got Alex Rosamilia [lead guitar, backing vocals] who I had previously played with in other bands, and that's when we formed for real, in late 2005 … I was thinking some of the songs were coming out anthem-ic and big, so I suggested "The Anthem," which would have been totally cliché. The Gaslight was this folk bar in New York back in the '60s, which [Bob] Dylan and Joni Mitchell used to play [in], that was Brian's idea, and it was sort of the combination of the two things. JZ: The music, lyrics and recording process of "The '59 Sound" are influenced by an older generation of musicians, from Tom Petty to Otis Redding. How do you reconcile these influences with your New Jersey punk roots? BH: It was a process. There were times when the combination of those elements was difficult to put together. That EP we did, "Señor and the Queen" (2008), was sort of like us learning how to write "The '59 Sound." It was a semi-conscious effort, because we all love [soul] music and it was an idea to see how it could happen, how you could mix the two [influences]. JZ: Many of your songs contain references to the New Jersey region you call home. How much would you say your music is a product of your environment? BH: Quite a bit. All four of us were born and raised and still live in that area. It happens to be a pretty unique place with a lot of glory and a lot of struggle … When you're from there, it makes your life more trying, but in a way it kind of solidifies a lot of things in yourself, just being able to get through it. Not to say that we all grew up with massive struggle, but it's what you see and what you listen to. Even if we're not struggling, we're watching other people struggle. JZ: What bands or artists have you been listening to recently? BH: A ton of stuff, and if you looked at all of our iPods, there'd be some pretty singularly different things. A lot of the bands that we reference are bands that all of us love: The Clash, Hot Water Music, The Bouncing Souls, The Descendants, a lot of the soul stuff, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson … We're all pretty big Constantines fans, those guys are a big band for us right now. JZ: When can your fans expect to hear the next album? BH: By the middle of January we're going to start recording in New York with producer Ted Hutt who did the last record. It should come out by the middle of next summer, barring any major catastrophes.

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Arts

Sleep' awakens theatergoers

October 18

Palming the walls for guidance, the audience filters through a narrow, dark hallway lit only by a few strategically placed candles. The hallway leads to an antiquated dressing room; some audience members pause to rifle through the drawers of the fussy bureau, while others round the corner to find themselves before a heavy crimson curtain, reminiscent of those that drape over the stage. A brave hand dares to part the dense folds, revealing a spirited bar where the guests are embraced by an expensively-outfitted hostess, delighted that her guests could attend her soiree. Presently, the baffled members of the audience have stepped onto the stage and into the heart of "Sleep No More," a unique, immersive experience that calls into question the passive nature of traditional dramatic theater.       

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Arts

Game' plays well, doesn't always win

October 18

Most current and former student athletes won't soon forget the raw emotion expressed in locker rooms after a big win or loss. Friendships forged on bus rides and during long hours in the gym are similarly forever fixed in memory. "More Than a Game" captures the intensity of team experience as it documents the journey of the St. Vincent-St. Mary high school boy's basketball team, which featured a young LeBron James.       

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Arts

Green history packs punch, but lacks inspiration

October 15

    Signs of a growing environmental consciousness are increasingly evident across America — and the Tufts campus is no exception. On the Hill, recycling receptacles are available in almost every corner of every building, teachers use the Blackboard Web site to minimize extraneous printouts and innovative projects like the Solar Decathlon are commonplace.     One might wonder exactly when this concern for a green lifestyle began. This year's documentary "Earth Days" is a thoughtful reflection on the origins of the American environmental movement but ultimately one that fails to motivate viewers to take action.     British filmmaker Robert Stone takes audiences back to the mid-20th century, to explore the inception of environmentalism. Stone highlights the shift in societal ideals, exemplified by the thriftiness of the Great Depression and the middle-class prosperity of the '50s, to show how the '20s norm of unemployment and food lines gradually led to an age of grandiose mass production and conspicuous consumption.     Stone depicts this post-depression extravagance through flashy lines of Model T cars and home refrigerators large enough for Dewick-McPhie Dining Hall, tying modern American wastefulness back to the these historical images.     The documentary features interviews with nine influential Americans who participated in the environmental enthusiasm of the '60s. The interviewees range from a woman named Stephanie Mills, who spoke of the dangers of population growth in her college commencement speech, to Denis Hayes, a chief organizer of the original Earth Day in 1970. All of the interviewees convey a strong sense of passion for the environmental cause, but the audience cannot help but register a sense of disappointment — the dogged efforts of these past pioneers have proven to be mostly ineffective.     The film incorporates incredible aerial footage into its hour-and-a-half narrative. One panoramic view of the development of Los Angeles is truly astounding, as it emphasizes the city's gross industrialization. Stone uses breathtaking views from outer space to juxtapose the immediate, fast-paced world of consumption with the serene and vulnerable vista of our home planet as seen from orbit. If nothing else, the film is a testament to the inherent beauty of the natural world.     Throughout the film, Stone exhibits his frustrations with large corporations and fickle governments. He showcases several presidential speeches, including one by President Richard Nixon. In his speech, Nixon promised to support renewable resource projects and legislation promoting environmental safety. Stone then notes how, immediately after the speech, Congress instead appeased big businesses. To underscore the way this capriciousness relates to consumer culture, Stone cleverly transitions environmental protection logos to larger business logos, featuring the notorious brands of GM, Ford and ExxonMobil.     In his director's statement, Stone said he hoped the film would enhance general understanding of the origins of environmentalism. He writes, "In all the contemporary agonizing about climate change, so much of the environmental movement's past successes have been almost completely forgotten, particularly by young people, most of whom see their efforts at environmentalism as starting from scratch. They have little or no knowledge of their own history."        The film does give a rough history of environmentalism, but it is clear that the sustainability of those early efforts is problematic. The individuals interviewed were active within the green movement in the past, but many of them now pursue careers that are not related to environmentalism; one man is building a clock in the cave of a mountain, while another is designing plan to prevent stray asteroids from hitting earth. As the credits roll, the audience cannot help but feel as if the film interviewed burnout environmentalists. They ask themselves, "Is the goal of environmental balance simply too lofty?"     Unfortunately, the film does not adequately address the difficulties and frustrations associated with enacting environmental change, making it hard for audiences to connect with the overall message. "Earth Days," despite Stone's high hopes, misses an opportunity to motivate the young generation to take up the work of their forebears.

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Arts

Couples Retreat' creators were on a mental vacation

October 15

    One would think a vacation in Bora Bora, with its romantic jungle getaways and picturesque bungalows built over crystal-clear, blue water, could do nothing but help a couple's relationship — and "Couples Retreat" ultimately proves this assumption exactly right. What isn't right is requiring audience members to sit through two hours of sitcom-variety comedy merely to get confirmation of that supposition. The only surprise "Retreat," the new film from child-actor-turned-director Peter Billingsley, has in store for viewers is its complete waste of comedic talent.     Written by Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, this battle-of-the-sexes romantic comedy centers around four couples whose problems threaten to overwhelm their relationships.     Jason and Cynthia (Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell) recruit their friends for a group-rate vacation to the renowned Eden Resort in an effort to save their marriage, which is on the rocks because they haven't been able to conceive a child. Dave and Ronnie (Vaughn and Malin Akerman), a seemingly happy, suburban couple with two boys, tag along to support their friends only to discover tension underlying their own marriage. Shane (Faizon Love), who has already split from his wife, brings his shrill, 20-year-old girlfriend Trudy (Kali Hawk) along just to impress her and show her that he's still young.     Joey and Lucy (Favreau and Kristin Davis), the last couple on the retreat, have been sweethearts since high school. Their teenage daughter is about to leave the nest, and thus, like every other married couple in the movie, their marriage is strained. Their reasons for attending the retreat, though, along with clearer reasons for their impending divorce, seem to have been left on the cutting-room floor.     "Retreat" veers back and forth between crude sexual humor, awkward physical comedy and what are supposed to be poignant moments. The couples must endure forced nudity, uncomfortable therapy sessions and a wildly erotic, yet surprisingly comical yoga class, amid other mildly entertaining shenanigans. All activities are presided over by the braided, housecoat-wearing Monsieur Marcel, the "couples' whisperer," a paltry character played by the overqualified French actor Jean Reno.     Don't expect too much in the way of plot development from the film; it is essentially a series of disconnected skits. The only good thing that can be said about "Retreat" is that it milks humor out of these non sequiturs. Most of the scenes are funny, even if they don't ultimately mesh together in any meaningful way. "Retreat" even finds time for an extended Guitar Hero product placement scene, which pits Vaughn against a sleazy hotel manager antagonist.     While the humor scrapes by, the film's acting leaves something to be desired. Typically, Vaughn does not play his character, he plays himself, and the entire cast fails to make their respective loves believable. Still, a few funny lines hit their mark thanks in large part to Vaughn and Favreau. That gives the story just enough comedic weight to tie the haphazard scene progression together.     There is no character development in "Retreat," either. This stems from both the absence of any discernable plot and the atrocious acting. The same paper-thin characters occupy the screen in each scene; they never truly connect with each other. In what seems to be a desperate attempt to make up for the stagnant characters, toward the very end of "Retreat," each character changes radically over the course of one night, experiencing individual epiphanies that make them all more communicative, patient and loving. It's a hasty, lazy attempt at wrapping up the film.     To its credit, "Retreat" is a refreshingly tame chuckle-fest, which elicits lots of laughs without having to resort to the mean-spirited insults that have become the staple of the battle-of-the-sexes genre. The film is a pleasant romantic romp likely to delight, provided one is willing to put one's brain on pause for a couple of hours and just go with the flow — the island way.

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Arts

Relying on stereotypes, 'Family Guy' sticks to its formula, 'Cleveland' shows a softer side

October 15

    It seems today that all you see are Seth MacFarlane cartoons and jokes on Fox TV. That could be an apt theme song for the Fox network's Sunday night "Animation Domination" lineup. Save for "The Simpsons," the entire night is dedicated to MacFarlane programming: "Family Guy," its new spin-off "The Cleveland Show" and "American Dad!"     Let's focus first on the one about the fat guy whose wife is much more attractive than he is … and who has a few kids, including a young boy who's much snappier than he should be at his age … and who has wacky neighbors and talking animals. It's easy to see how this could be confusing, since both "Family Guy" and "Cleveland" contain all of these elements. For now, though, "Family Guy" still uses them best.     The show kicked off its eighth season with another entry in the now-classic "Road to …" series, which allows for many different sight gags and opportunities for a wide range of humor. This episode, "Road to the Multiverse," was no exception, as Stewie and Brian (both voiced by MacFarlane) traveled through multiple parallel universes catching glimpses of different versions of Quahog, where the show takes place. MacFarlane and his crew were able to show off their range, especially with a Disney-universe parody that included a musical number and a vicious dig at Walt Disney's purported anti-Semitism.     Since this season's premiere, "Family Guy" has been more uneven. The second episode, "Family Goy," took aim at religion. Lois (Alex Bornstein), the family's matriarch, discovered her true Jewish roots and found herself at odds with Catholic husband Peter (MacFarlane, again). It had its funny moments, but it lacked any strong subplot or much involvement from the supporting characters that help the show thrive. Last Sunday's "Spies Reminiscent of Us," which featured guest stars Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd as secret government agents, felt too much like a random story for the sake of a story, even by this show's standards.     Although not as consistently funny as in past seasons, "Family Guy" has been sticking to its formula of immature humor mixed with smart satire and random cutaway gags. Hot off an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series (making it the first animated show to receive this distinction since "The Flintstones" in 1961), "Family Guy" is unlikely to change its formula any time soon — so the best thing to hope for is that the jokes just get a little funnier.     "The Cleveland Show" is the newest MacFarlane program, a co-creation with Mike Henry and Richard Appel, and it uses many of the same story devices. The show follows mild-mannered Cleveland Brown (Mike Henry) and his son, Cleveland Jr. (Kevin Michael Richardson), as they leave Quahog in search of a new life. They find it in Cleveland's hometown of Stoolbend, Va., where he rekindles a romance with high school sweetheart Donna (Sanaa Lathan) and moves in with her and her family.     "Cleveland" is unique in that it focuses on a black family in a primetime schedule that has far too few characters of color. Unfortunately, though, this seems not to be much more than a platform for the writers to indulge in stereotypes and clichés. Donna's kids, Roberta (Reagan Gomez-Preston) and Rallo (Henry again), are portrayed respectively as the sassy black girl and the oversexed black male (even at age five), and the show also throws in redneck neighbors, since they've set it in the South.     It's not all racial humor, and when there are overtly racist jokes, it is usually more satirical and sharp than flat-out offensive. It will be a tricky line to walk, though, and it certainly doesn't help that Cleveland is voiced by a white actor.     All this aside, "The Cleveland Show" certainly presents a likeable protagonist. Cleveland makes a much more sympathetic main character than Peter Griffin, and he cares about the people who surround him, even if they are mostly one-note. Tim the Bear (voiced by MacFarlane, in a Russian accent) continues the MacFarlane tradition of making talking animals the most interesting characters, after Brian in "Family Guy" and Roger and Klaus in "American Dad!" While he hasn't been featured much yet, he could be a strong point for the show if the writers can make him more than just one of Cleveland's bar buddies.     "Cleveland" isn't bad. It just isn't that great, and it seems a little unnecessary. It feels more like a real sitcom and is a little less endearingly random than "Family Guy" — although it still uses its creator's trademark non-sequiturs. Fox has already ordered two full 22-episode seasons, so at least the writers have time to really develop their show.     "Family Guy" is pretty much the same show it's always been. The humor is rapid-fire, hit-or-miss and often quite offensive. But by now, people know MacFarlane's brand; they know what to expect. The only question is whether they delight in being cleverly offended.

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Arts

Organization 'shapes up' Somerville restaurants through approval system

October 15

    Even if you only intended to grab a coffee and yogurt when you stopped for a quick breakfast at that café the other morning, chances are that you were tempted by the buttery croissants, double chocolate muffins and oversized cinnamon rolls as you waited by the display case.     Many restaurants and cafés, with their heaping portions and full-fat, sugar-laden foods, do little to stem the obesity epidemic hitting the nation, but one organization in Somerville is working with local eateries to promote healthier eating in the community.     Shape Up Somerville launched in 2003 as a way to educate children and families about nutrition, exercise and healthier lifestyles. The organization was founded in response to a Tufts study which found that 46 percent of first through third graders were overweight or at risk of being overweight.     Shape Up initially worked with the Somerville School Food Service Department to increase the quality and quantity of healthy foods in local schools. It then branched out with after-school programs, a local road race and a project called Shape Up Approved Restaurants.     "We realized that restaurants have a big influence on healthy eating, which led to the restaurant program," Nicole Rioles, a Shape Up Somerville coordinator, said. "We thought that restaurants should offer and market healthy options, [and] have smaller portions."     The restaurant approval project, which was originally developed in 2004, grants "approval" to local food establishments that meet certain healthy eating standards developed by Shape Up Somerville. The requirements include encouraging customers to take half of their meal to go, promoting healthier meal options and offering smaller portions, low- and non-fat dairy options and fruits and vegetables.     "The whole goal is to encourage people to make healthier choices … including going to restaurants with healthier options, while encouraging restaurants to promote these options," Tufts senior Anna Pierson said. She has been working with Shape Up Somerville as part of her community health internship, focusing on the Shape Up Approved Restaurants project.     "We look at a restaurant's menu first and assess how [it is] doing [according to] Shape Up requirements," Pierson said. "If they meet the standards, or if they're close, we approach them."     As part of the project, Pierson has been working with the 18 approved restaurants in Somerville, including two cafes — True Grounds and Teele Square Café — right near Tufts' campus.     Teele Square Café, which opened last March on the corner of Broadway and Curtis St., proudly sports its Shape Up Approved sticker right by its front door.     According to owner and chef Jonathan Adelson, the café prides itself on cooking "homemade comfort food from scratch." He said that the café didn't have to change anything to meet the Shape Up standards.     "[The program] approached my wife, and we wanted to get [involved] in the community," Adelson said. "Shape Up Somerville really appealed to me, because I think people should be a little more conscious of what they put in their mouths."     Adelson, who has been a chef in the Boston are for over 15 years, has a background in fine dining and French bistro. He opened his first café in Cambridge eight years ago. "I'm always focused on healthy options, not necessarily diet options, but healthy options cooked from scratch ... [We're not] just opening up frozen food, but bringing in raw food and cooking," he said.     While the café does not skimp on delicious croissants and other tempting baked goods, fruit and other healthy options are offered and prominently displayed.     According to Adelson, while Teele Square Café has always had a "secret, backdoor" kids' menu for his son as well as his wife's friends' children, the eatery is working with Shape Up to coordinate an official kids menu.     "[We're] thinking about what would excite kids that's not necessarily bacon," Adelson said, joking around about his two-year-old son's eating habits.     Pierson has been helping out with kids menus at Teele Square Café as well as at other restaurants. "I've been designing healthier menus for kids, since many of these places don't have kids menus, even if they are family oriented," she said. "I'm looking at their menus and coming up with meals I remember eating as a kid or served in restaurants I've worked in, then working with managers to see what will work for them logistically."     Shape Up Somerville will soon be making appearances in the Mayer Campus Center.     "The Commons and Hotung are going to become Shape Approved," Pierson said. "It's more of a publicity thing to get the word out there … a lot of people don't know about the campaign, and there are a lot of restaurants that are approved that Tufts students go to all the time."

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Arts

Zach Drucker and Chris Poldoian | Bad Samaritans

October 14

This past weekend, we heeded critics nationwide and went to see "Zombieland" (2009). We screamed. We laughed. We felt the strange urge to down a box of Twinkies. What impressed us most was the hysterical employment of a cameo appearance. Don't worry, we won't mention names.

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Arts

Amreeka' stays light-hearted despite controversial themes

October 14

"Amreeka," a movie about Palestinian immigrants moving to the United States at the dawn of the 2003 Iraq invasion, should be praised as much for what it is not as what it is. The movie depicts the story of a mother and son looking for a fresh start in suburban Illinois and is a wonderfully heartfelt movie about human resilience and the power of family.

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Arts

Lost and Found

October 14

Although fashion is known to take more risks in cosmopolitan cities like Paris and New York, vintage shops have slowly been making their way to Boston over the last couple of years. In fact, vintage stores seem to have found their niche in Davis Square, which is now home to consignment and thrift shops like Poor Little Rich Girl, Goodwill and more recently, Artifaktori Vintage and the Buffalo Exchange. In with the old, make it new.

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Arts

Capitalism: A Love Story' profits from creative direction, insightful message

October 14

"Capitalism: A Love Story" (2009) can be seen as the crescendo of documentary director Michael Moore's film-making career. He attempts to examine and critique America's — or more accurately, corporate America's — economic practices. The first part of the film recounts the United States' economic history since the last half of the 20th century, looking at how the U.S. descended from its economic golden age into the hole it's in now. This downward spiral is traced back to former president Ronald Regan and the members of the Treasury Department, which is depicted as a thinly veiled cartel run by Goldman Sachs ex-executives.

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Arts

Rock supergroup delivers fantastic live show

October 13

These days, there are few rock bands that can sell out a gig in mere minutes. Fewer still can inspire ticket-holding fans to line up four blocks from the venue before doors open, and even fewer can inspire such anticipation that audience members will heckle the opening act before they even start. But the House of Blues in Boston played host to no ordinary band on Sunday night, nor even an ordinary supergroup. With nary a single to their name, Them Crooked Vultures brought their first-ever tour to Boston and stunned the audience with a lean, mean set of never-before-heard songs.

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Arts

Caryn Horowitz | The Cultural Culinarian

October 13

I had been waiting for this past weekend since 4:49 p.m. on May 27. At that precise moment, my mother received an e-mail update from the Food Network's New York City Wine & Food Festival telling her that tickets for the event would go on sale June 15. We immediately circled the date on our calendars — this was not going to be a repeat of last year, when the unthinkable happened: Tickets sold out before I even heard that Food Network was finally hosting a festival in NYC.

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Arts

No 'Lie': Fox crime drama hits the mark

October 12

From white lies to malicious distortions of the truth, the things people say often do not reflect reality or their feelings about it. But the protagonists of Fox's show "Lie To Me" are able to see beyond individuals' attempts to conceal the truth by noticing minute details of their body language.   

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Arts

Say 'Oui' to the energy and color of 'Paris'

October 12

To feel the spirit of a place after living there for just a month is a near-impossible challenge; to feel it through a brief movie is even more difficult. Yet "Paris" comes close to reveling the heart of its  featured city in the space of two hours, thanks to the efforts of the talented director Cédric Klapisch and an extraordinary group of actresses and actors.

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Arts

Williams wails on 'Brand New Eyes'

October 12

If pop enthusiasts have seen Paramore as a guilty pleasure since the release of the group's first album four years ago, then they'll be feeling slightly guiltier about "Brand New Eyes". Paramore's latest album, though adequate on its own, simply pales in comparison to the group's sophomore album, "Riot!" (2007).

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