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The Setonian
Arts

Adaptations of "Lovely Bones," "Where the Wild," "Mr. Fox" bode for a lively fall and winter

September 1

    The fall season usually brings a mixed bag for moviegoers, as the leftover blockbusters, big-studio award bait and small indie films finally make their way onto the big screen.     Compared to last fall, this particular season has stirred up a lot of anticipation for more than a few films. Whether or not these films can live up to their frenzied hype will be the main question for audiences during the next couple of months.     Starting with the biggest and the boldest: James Cameron's "Avatar" will finally be released on Dec. 18. The film has been Cameron's pet project for nearly two decades, and he's spent a lot of that time building new cameras for its 3D technology and raising the nearly $250 million that the film's budget required. Initial footage Cameron displayed at Comic-Con left some viewers lukewarm.        Another big-name director returns this fall on Dec. 11 with "The Lovely Bones." Director Peter Jackson based this film on the dazzling, melancholy book of the same name. The story follows a young girl who is murdered and watches her family from heaven. "The Lovely Bones" promises a balance of grounded human emotion and fantastical imagery that Jackson knows well how to concoct.        One of the most publicized upcoming films is Guy Ritchie's updated "Sherlock Holmes," with Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams. One might wonder why "Sherlock Holmes," set for a Christmas release, didn't fit in with the summer blockbusters. Hopefully it's because "Holmes" will be a bit smarter than the average summer flick.     Another favorite director, Wes Anderson, strays from his normal filmmaking path with an adaptation of Roald Dahl's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," set for a Nov. 25 release date. With a precious trailer and a voice cast including George Clooney and Meryl Streep, the film should have no problem finding followers, even with Anderson's polarizing reputation.     Coming out the same day is director Rob Marshall's newest musical, "Nine," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Dame Judi Dench and Kate Hudson. With a star-studded cast, fabulous music and costumes and an intriguing story focused on a tortured man and the women in his life, the movie is already rumored to be the front-runner at the Oscars.     For those who like their weirdness prepackaged and pretty, Spike Jonze is releasing his take on Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, "Where the While Things Are," on Oct. 16. Taking a work of merely ten sentences and fashioning a feature film complete with dysfunctional families, nightmarish landscapes and loveable creatures, this film promises to be a must-see for more than just those with a penchant for the strange and unusual.     A film that could be wildly entertaining or equally nauseating is Diablo Cody's sophomore effort, "Jennifer's Body," premiering on Sept. 18. Starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, the film is about Fox's character, Jennifer, who starts eating boys after she is improperly sacrificed and a demon takes over her body. Considering Cody's success writing "Juno" (2007), her newest film's script is bound to be witty, but there has been some controversy over director Karyn Kusama's interpretation of the screenplay.        Many moviegoers are also anticipating the second installment in the "Twilight" series. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" is set for release on Nov. 20. While the first installment disappointed many fans, a larger budget and a new director may make "New Moon" bearable outside the preteen crowd. Director Chris Weitz has more experience with special effects than the previous director, something the introduction of Jacob (played by Taylor Lautner) and his pack of werewolves should put to good use. Once again, Kristen Stewart will star as Bella, a high school student in love with a vampire, but there will be a lot less of heartthrob Robert Pattinson as her love-interest Edward, since this novel focused primarily on the budding friendship between Bella and Jacob.        In terms of good comedy, the pickings are slim. One film that will hopefully not disappoint is "Couples Retreat," coming out on Oct. 9, which is a story about four couples who go to an island in order to mend their marriages. Starring Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman and Kristen Bell, the film features a hilarious ensemble cast, but it remains to be seen if these stars can keep the laughs coming.     A few other interesting films include Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, "Whip It!" with Ellen Page as a roller derby player, coming Oct. 9; an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" with Viggo Mortenson on Oct. 16; the story of Amelia Earhart, "Amelia," starring Hilary Swank on Oct. 23; Richard Kelly's "The Box," with Cameron Diaz, on Nov. 6; and "Invictus" with Morgan Freeman starring as Nelson Mandela on Dec. 11.  

The Setonian
Arts

Third Eye Blind's 'Ursa Major' fails to evolve

September 1

    When Third Eye Blind's eponymous debut album first hit the radio in 1997, it took only a matter of days for the band to become a household name among alternative and mainstream rock fans alike. Fueled by raw, anarchic musical and lyrical energy and a healthy dose of twenty-something angst, the album generated a string of massive hit singles, including such perennial radio classics as "Semi-Charmed Life" and "Jumper." In a music industry dominated by grunge and post-grunge sewage like Bush, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden — all of whom largely spent this part of their careers attempting to replicate Nirvana — Third Eye Blind's upbeat, deftly-produced pop styling was a welcome breath of fresh air.     Despite its meteoric rise to fame, however, Third Eye Blind's second and third albums — "Blue" (1999) and "Out of the Vein" (2003) — were considerably less commercially successful. While they were tremendously popular among the band's condensed and devoted fan base, each album sold far fewer copies than its predecessor, and the pair produced fewer recognizable radio singles combined than the debut album had generated by itself. With dwindling record sales and a departure from its original record label, Third Eye Blind's heyday seemed to be at an end, and the following six years saw no new studio releases as the band faded more or less into obscurity.        Released on Aug. 17, Third Eye Blind's "Ursa Major" is only the fourth studio album in the band's 16-year career. Originally scheduled for release in 2007, the album's completion was delayed for a full two years by band leader Stephen Jenkins' writer's block and perfectionism. The album is characterized by the same signature sound that has driven every Third Eye Blind recording before it: a blend of '90s alternative pop and fuzzed-out heavy metal riffs, backing Jenkins' semi-guttural, in-your-face vocals and dark, uncensored lyrical posturing. All of this is capped off by a pulsing, psychedelic lead guitar, with a tight and laser-like tone unlike the guitar sound of any other band past or present.     The lead single, "Don't Believe a Word," is reminiscent of the band's later hits like "Crystal Baller," while the intense, sexually charged lyrics of "Why Can't You Be" and the instrumental "Carnival Barker" both hearken all the way back to the band's self-titled premiere. In short, the album is perfectly consistent with everything fans have come to expect from a Third Eye Blind album, and they have broken their recording fast in comfortable style.        As delightful as it surely is to the preexisting flock of rabid Third Eye Blind devotees to see their favorite band in the midst of an apparent musical comeback, listeners must consider exactly why Third Eye Blind faded from the spotlight in the first place. The band's first album was tremendously successful because of its comparative novelty in the extant musical climate of the late 1990s. It was sharp, fresh and groundbreaking, conducive to both headphone listening and a little bit of head-banging at the dance club. It was upbeat and poppy when most major rock labels were only interested in perpetuating the grunge sound that had become so infernally pervasive since Kurt Cobain's rise to power. It was, in a word, different.     Sadly, history shows that novelty when repeated ad nauseum gives way to formula, and both of Third Eye Blind's subsequent albums strictly adhered to the same pop rubrics that had led to the band's early success. In the end, both "Blue" and "Out of the Vein" appealed to the fans who had been reeled in by the first album and were looking for more of the same, but the lack of musical innovation across releases prevented the band from expanding their fan base or recapturing the favor of the modern rock radio stations that had so adored them in the past. Third Eye Blind simply wasn't new anymore.     A new album on the coattails of a six-year recording hiatus, then, seems like a prime opportunity for self-reinvention. By broadening their stylistic horizons and diversifying their songwriting portfolio, Third Eye Blind very easily could have rendered themselves once again musically relevant. The fact that they opted instead to doggedly employ the same compositional conventions with which they began their career is a befuddling disappointment.     The key to sustained critical and commercial success, as has been demonstrated time and time again, is evolution: When a band refuses to progress, what started as a distinctive, signature sound becomes simply a cliché, and even the most dedicated fans will eventually drift away. "Ursa Major" is fantastically well-executed, tightly performed, brilliantly produced and almost totally indistinguishable from any other Third Eye Blind album. As a collection of Third Eye Blind songs, "Ursa Major" is decent; as an album, a standalone entity, it has no distinct character unto itself, and — especially in light of the absurdly delayed release — is ultimately a letdown.

The Setonian
Arts

Summer Music Preview | Music fans have lots to look forward to in the upcoming summer concert season

May 18

With the weather warming up throughout the country, concert fans everywhere are gearing up for what promises to be an eventful summer. Several hotly anticipated new albums are on the way, must-see artists have scheduled summer tour dates across the country and large music festivals are expected to gather hundreds of artists and hundreds of thousands of fans together for both day- and weekend-long shows.

The Setonian
Arts

TV Preview | Television expected to heat up in the month of May

May 18

This month, television networks are pulling out all the stops in order to attract the season's audience, and the excitement starts this month. Shows to watch while beating the heat include reality contests, tense dramas, animated comedies and talk shows. Plot twists and great finales are sure to please fans and captivate viewers on lazy summer nights.

The Setonian
Arts

Last year's glam response to the economic downturn continues into summer

May 18

Fashion is cyclical. As soon as something is hot in the market, two weeks later, it is passé. Then, maybe two decades down the road, it's suddenly in style again. With the recent shifts in the global economy, people have started prioritizing food, water and shelter, forgoing the shinier things in life. Gone are the days when average citizens saunter from boutique to boutique, purchasing everything in sight. Society's dollars are more stretched out than ever, and the entire fashion industry is up in arms.

The Setonian
Arts

MFA reopens its Huntington Avenue entrance

May 18

The entry space of many museums is dramatic and grand, but it is usually devoid of artwork. Visitors often have to go a considerable distance before they actually get to interact with artwork on a personal level. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston's (MFA) recent reopening of the historic Huntington Avenue entrance, however, allows visitors to once again use the museum's most elegant entrance and interact with artwork from the moment they walk in the door.

The Setonian
Arts

Gallery Preview | From Picasso to Donatello, this summer offers a variety of new art in Boston

May 18

With spectacular exhibitions ongoing and a host of new gallery openings, this summer is the perfect time to visit one of Boston's many esteemed museums. Among other special programs, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will be offering visitors free admission to its special show "Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice." The MFA also recently reopened several galleries as part of its ongoing renovation and reorganization campaign, and just across the street, the unique Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will also host a number of special events. The next few months will provide Bostonians excellent opportunities to interact with art, and many of them will be free of charge.

The Setonian
Arts

Boston Independent Film Festival opens with con-artist film 'The Brothers Bloom'

April 23

The Boston Independent Film Festival opened Wednesday night with Rian Johnson's "The Brothers Bloom," a con-artist film with a hint of romance. While the film pays tribute to parts of the traditional con-artist formula (fake blood, girls interfering with plans, and an elaborate heist gone awry), for the most part, "The Brothers Bloom" does its best to reinvent the genre.

The Setonian
Arts

Death Cab gives fans a reason to smile with peppy new release

April 23

Death Cab for Cutie has always been indie rock for the masses, but the band's last full-length album, "Narrow Stairs" (2008), was noticeably darker than most of the music played on pop and alternative radio stations. Luckily, the pale sunlight that is Death Cab's music has returned in "The Open Door EP," which was released on April 14 to fans' open arms.

The Setonian
Arts

Major:Undecided 'Falls' into comedy

April 23

    Tufts' sketch comedy group will wrap up a year of making students laugh tonight with its final show of the semester, "Major:Undecided Falls Out of Everything." And while there will be an opening video dedicated to the title of the show, don't expect just an evening's worth of pratfalls.     "The title of the show doesn't represent the theme. If you had to have a theme, I'd say it's ‘funny,'" said Brian Agler, public relations director for Major:Undecided.     Friday's show will be the last performance for Major: Undecided's large crop of seniors, including president Rachel Chervin, artistic director Patrick Wilson and campus liaison Mark Paglia. The show will include a seniors-only sketch featuring its graduating members. However, fans of the comedy group shouldn't despair; while the show will include writing and acting from its veteran members, there are also sketches by new writers as Major:Undecided looks forward to next year.     The show features sketches about a Navy captain who loves slam poetry, jilted lovers on an airplane, and a comedic take on, of all things, Russian roulette. Rather than a focus on plot, the laughs are driven largely by character work.     "In every sketch, you'll be able to pick out a definable character that's really just hilarious," Agler said, an approach that allows the group to show off both its writing and acting chops.     "Major:Undecided Falls Out of Everything" runs twice tonight in Cabot Auditorium, with a 7:30 p.m. show for $3 and a 9:30 p.m. show for $5. The show will run approximately one hour and 15 minutes.  

The Setonian
Arts

Interview | Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine | Stars of 'Star Trek' speak about reviving a classic

April 23

The Daily got the opportunity to speak with Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine, two stars of the upcoming film "Star Trek," directed by J.J. Abrams, who has been involved in projects such as ABC's "Lost" and the film "Cloverfield" (2008). Abram's vision of the Star Trek universe is different from the original, as the film follows Captain James T. Kirk (played by Pine) and Spock (Quinto) in their early years. The film opens May 8. Question: You both are living up to a pretty big legacy left behind by the original actors William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Given that fan boys are obviously going to be comparing the two, what sort of pressure did that put on you when making the film? Zachary Quinto: I didn't really feel that pressure because Leonard was involved, actually, and was so supportive of me from the beginning, and because I had such faith and trust in J.J. and the creative team behind the movie. I sort of just chose to focus more on my task at hand, which was doing my work -- which was really the only thing that's in my control. Chris Pine: I think it's really a credit to J.J. that he always created an atmosphere on set where I don't think any of us ever felt encumbered by a sense of responsibility or living up to expectations even though protecting the legacy was always on our minds, but it was never at the forefront. It was always about making this particular version of the movie as best as we could make it. Q: What was the biggest challenge about ... preparing for the film or working on the film? CP: I think for me it was just the physical aspect of it. I don't think I was really prepared for the physical toll. I mean, when you read the script and you know there are all of these pages of description of these action sequences, you fail to realize that what takes ... minutes to read on the page will take like months of actual shooting. ZQ: I think for me it was a matter of finding the emotional life of this character with the restrictions of not really being able to express that emotion as freely as human beings do. Q: What kind of research did you do to prepare for your respective roles? CP: In the beginning, I got the box set of the series, so I was midway through watching the first season of the original series when I kind of realized that what I was doing was really setting myself up for disaster because what Mr. Shatner did was so unique and specific and wonderful. And what he did was such a great job. I just felt that it actually served me more to just really pay attention to the wonderful script we were given by [Robert] Orci and Alex Kurtzman and really trying to live up to the great writing that they gave us instead of trying to immerse myself in the minutiae and the details of the original series, as great as they are, and as much as they might have helped other actors. ZQ: I obviously utilized Leonard to a great extent and engaged him in many, many conversations about the character. And I also had the advantage of being cast really early. So I immersed myself in a lot of reading about the world of Star Trek and the mythology and worked with a good friend who has subsequently become my business partner who is arguably one of the biggest Star Trek fans certainly that I know, to sort of help guide me through the questions that I had in preparation for starting. Q: What was it like working on set with J.J. Abrams? ZQ: J.J. has really incredible energy. He could not be more professional, could not be more open, could not be more supportive. And he's also really sure about what he's seeing and what he wants to see. And he has a tremendous capacity to communicate that and sort of blend it with a sense of humor that makes it incredibly enjoyable. I would very much hope that I get a chance to do it again. CP: Yeah ... there was an incredible amount of pressure inherent in doing Star Trek, not only because it's a big tent pole movie, but also because it is Star Trek with a very passionate and protective fan base. And so really what I appreciate about him is that he always created an atmosphere on set that was fun, that was easy, that was all about the day's work and never about ... the bigger picture which, I think, if we looked at it when we were doing it could have been ... disastrous and heavy.

The Setonian
Arts

From the Office of the Tufts Daily

April 22

Dear Susan Boyle,     Wow.     You'll have to forgive us when we say that we didn't see that coming. Your performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables" on "Britain's Got Talent" was truly amazing and heartwarming. And when you walked out on that stage, we were just about as skeptical as the bratty teenage girls and other stuck-up audience members who jeered at you. But we got you all wrong.     No matter how ugly you are, or how deeply, horribly disturbing your gyrating hip dance was, you totally owned that song. Heck, even Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell were blown away, and Cowell isn't known for giving out grandiose compliments. It's almost like you're the British William Hung, except you can actually sing, and you could make a career for yourself out of your talent. Wouldn't it be great if you could get that same standing ovation five nights a week to a sold out crowd of thousands? We at the Daily think this is a definite possibility. But we would like to offer several humble bits of advice that may help you sell out places like TD Banknorth Garden — should you decide to hop across the pond one day — even faster.     Number one: Get a makeover. Seriously. We aren't trying to be rude, but we don't want you to become one of those singers that are only around to make recordings for younger, hotter stars to lip sync to. Remember Milli Vanilli?     Number two: Get a quality songwriter who can show off the pipes you have, and don't settle for the easy songs. Do something that will blow your audience away.     Finally, number three: Don't do drugs. It may seem cool when all the other rock stars are snorting crack in the bathrooms, but, seriously, don't. We don't think you'd last long in prison. Love, The Daily Arts Department

The Setonian
Arts

Mikey Goralnik | Paint the Town Brown

April 22

Former New York Yankees pitcher David Wells wrote of pitching in Yankee Stadium, "I can't begin to adequately tell you how thrilled I am just standing here on this little clay hill, knowing that I'm once again a small part of this incredible tradition."

The Setonian
Arts

Disney's 'Earth' celebrates life in all forms

April 22

The film's opening tone is typical for a Disney film about animals. The screen fills with majestic aerial views of desert dunes, birds swarming over lush forests and dolphins bursting from the sea. Instrumental music blares, highlighting the subtle movements of the wondrous creatures that frolic across the screen. As the sun careens over the smooth curve of our planet and the trademark of the famed nature television series, "Planet Earth," it is clear that the audience is about to witness something extraordinary.

The Setonian
Arts

Rockus Battle of the Bands victors win recording deal

April 22

The band called Sex! won last Tuesday's Rockus Battle of the Bands final round, held at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. Sex! represented the Berklee College of Music in this intercollegiate competition, which also featured bands from Boston College, Boston University, Emerson College, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tufts. The Rockus competition

The Setonian
Arts

New comedy is a walk in the 'Park' for 'Office' producers

April 21

    NBC has a new addition to its Thursday night comedy lineup: "Parks and Recreation," from creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. As executive producers of the American version of "The Office," Daniels and Schur are no strangers to "Comedy Night Done Right," and the influences of "The Office" are certainly noticeable in "Parks" — from the mockumentary filming style to the oblivious boss — but the new show seems to be heading in its own creative direction to avoid being a mere carbon copy.     In "Parks," the oblivious boss is Leslie Knope, deputy director of the Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation Department. Played by Amy Poehler (who recently ended a seven-year run on "Saturday Night Live"), Knope is delightfully cheerful and passionate but hopelessly unaware that nobody else shares her passion.     Knope has high political aspirations and compares herself to Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton, whose pictures can be seen on her cabinet during the confessional shots. She also remains continually optimistic, describing people yelling at her during town meetings as "people caring loudly at [her]."     Knope's work team is filled out by Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari); boss Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) who hates everything government; college intern April (Aubrey Plaza) and city planner and one-time fling Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider).     None of these supporting characters has been developed so far, save for the sleazy Haverford. He is shown accepting gifts under-the-table and provides some laughs when he shamelessly flirts with a woman in the middle of a town meeting.     That woman is local nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones, an "Office" alum), whose presence provides the premise for the episode and presumably the rest of the six-episode first season. Her deadbeat musician boyfriend fell into a large pit on an abandoned neighborhood lot, and she wants the city to fill it in. Knope has bigger ideas, though, to turn the lot into a new park.     Knope's determination to have Swanson establish a park sub-committee for her is played with so much excitement and enthusiasm by Poehler that it is hard not to root for her, even though everyone around her thinks it is a bad idea. When Swanson tells her he'll definitely think about it, Leslie replies, "I like the sound of that ‘definitely!'" as she runs out of the room grinning.     Poehler is perfect at playing Knope's naiveté with charm. She has spent years perfecting that wide-eyed grin on "SNL," and now, she will finally have the chance to fully develop a character rather than play multiple characters in short sketches. But unlike her "Office" counterpart (Steve Carell's Michael Scott), Knope doesn't want to succeed just for herself. She aims high because she truly believes she can help people through her job.     The show has used a simple premise thus far to showcase the humor in the bureaucratic workings of small-town government. Knope's excitement about any small responsibility she gets (like the town meeting she runs, which no one else wants to help with) is funny enough itself, but her coworkers' mocking her behind her back adds even more of a punch.     Where "The Office" draws much of its appeal from the relatable and awkward "I've been there" workplace situations, "Parks and Recreation" takes the audience to a new and unfamiliar setting. At a time when the proper scope of government is being hotly debated, "Parks" could provide the perfect comic send-up of a public servant who wants so much, but whose goals may ultimately prove to be too lofty.     "Parks and Recreation" isn't perfect. It currently relies too heavily on Poehler's image and comedic aptitude but luckily has a talented supporting cast to develop into more fully formed characters. And just as "The Office" took a few episodes to find its footing, "Parks" should be able to get past the stylistic similarities and firmly establish itself as another great Thursday night comedy — some of the only quality programming NBC has left.

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