In the past year, a red, white and blue image of President Barack Obama has become nearly synonymous with the word "hope" and an iconic symbol of his campaign. Now, its creator is getting a chance to share the rest of his work with the world. Shepard Fairey's first museum exhibition, "Supply and Demand," opens today at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (ICA).
"Chocolate Fest is the best!" proclaims sophomore Jessica Noble during the Whole Foods event, which took place yesterday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the store's Medford branch. At Chocolate Fest, Whole Foods offered an array of free chocolate samples ranging from fruit dipped in a chocolate fountain to chocolate cakes to a Colombian chocolate drink.
Can the global economic crisis inspire a dance? Can the effects of globalization be captured in a poem? This Saturday night, challenges confronting the global community will be taken out of the lecture hall and expressed artistically. The second annual "Issue as Muse: A Night of Inspiration," sponsored by the International Relations (IR) Program, has once again challenged students to create performances inspired by global issues of their own choosing.
Bruce Springsteen's latest album, "Working on a Dream," marks a new chapter in his long career. In each successive album, Springsteen has departed from the style of his previous one, constantly modifying his music. "Working on a Dream" is no exception.
Dear Christian Bale, We've all heard your little … speech. You had a moment and it passed and everything is good. Yeah, sure, you threatened to "kick" his "[expletive deleted] [expletive deleted]," but he had it coming. We got your back. What right did he have to look at that light? So what if he was the Director of Photography? We hope the light was "[expletive deleted] good," too, because he ruined what could have been the best scene ever. If it really was the most emotional scene in McG's "Terminator Salvation" (2009) there is no excuse. That Shane Hurlbut has some nerve. And some name. Hurlbut. You, Sir, are a master of your craft. A true artist. All joking aside, we believe that you are one of the most talented, dedicated actors working today. We've seen "The Dark Knight" (2008) about a dozen times. And "I'm Not There" (2007). You played Bob f'n Dylan, man. Bob Dylan! Not to mention "Reign of Fire" (2002) where you fought about a million dragons. And "American Psycho" (2000). Hurlbut was lucky you didn't go Patrick Bateman and hurl an axe at his butt! Actually, did you try to kill him? It really sounds like you shot the guy about two minutes in. Good. He deserved it. Punk. It isn't easy being a famous Batm?erm … movie star. There is pressure involved. Lots of pressure. Back in July, when you were recorded teaching Shane Hurlbut how to do his job, something he was obviously very unqualified to do, your Batman film was in the process of becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. You had to worry about paying the bills! Fame comes at a high price, and people need to realize that it isn't all private jets and chauffeured limos and free lunches. It's mostly private jets and chauffeured limos, but sometimes there are other things, too. Here at the Daily Arts Department, we know what it's like to be famous and have to deal with the little people. When everyone is blowing you blowing something out of proportion out of proportion, we promise not to dance to the dance remixes. Your friends, The Daily Arts Department
I'm by no means breaking new ground when I refer to greater Boston and its outlying hamlets as a rock-driven music culture. The list of famous Bostonian bands literally reads like your favorite 1996-1999 modern rock radio playlist. Aerosmith, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Staind, Godsmack, Dinosaur Jr, The Pixies, Guster and, perhaps deceptively, Boston, all hail from Boston-area towns, and this regional legacy of loud guitars, louder live shows and generally traditional popular music aesthetics leaves little room for electronic music. In some ways, the area's music climate bears this out. While comparably sized cities like Baltimore and Seattle have cobbled together diverse, vibrant popular music cultures rich in all kinds of electronic music, Boston's accomplished and promising producers have moved out and moved on to locales more friendly to their music. In other ways, I'm a complete moron. For over a year and a half, Boston's BASSIC Crew -- Dabu, Pandai'a, C-dubs, and Damian Silva -- have helped local electronica blossom from the forgotten corners of a rock-heavy music scene to a small clique of castoff drum and bass, house and breaks DJs to a broad and truly exciting music culture rooted in Dubstep but splintering into anything that bumps. It's a culture that, whether Powerman 5000 likes it or not, is now an inseparable part of the city's musical identity. As Dabu tells it, the evolution was pretty natural: "I was spinning at this weekly in Mission Hill, and whenever I played any Dubstep, people would always come up to me afterwards and want to know where they could hear more." I, and tens of thousands of people worldwide, can relate. The first time I heard a Dubstep record played out live (it was "Midnight Request Line" by Skream if you're keeping score at home) was literally dumbfounding. The moment when the beat dropped -- a wobbly, propulsive explosion dripping with sub-bass that the bar's sound system could just barely handle -- was unlike anything I had ever heard or felt (as in physically felt in my body) before. After the requests for more Dubstep, Dabu said he "thought we should try and put something together." So was born BASSIC, Boston's most successful live electronic event featuring two of BASSIC's resident DJs and the kind of national and international talent that Baltimore and Seattle wished they could get. Though the event started out as an ostensibly Dubstep party, BASSIC has changed as its members and the genre have. "For the first year or so, we were stepping on each other's toes," struggling to both find records with the massive bass drops that Bostonians craved but also play new and exciting tracks each month, he said. "Now, its just a place to play different things that fall under the umbrella of dubstep." This makes BASSIC parties kind of like a circus: there's something for everyone, but all of it is totally absurd. On a given night, you can hear deep, decaying techno-leaning Dubstep, rootsy, reggae Dubstep, Dubstep with hip-hop, or the darkest, most evil, most bizarrely sexy music your virgin ears can handle, plus whatever electronic music all-star they bring to town. BASSIC's January installment, hosted again at The Good Life, pitted Pandai'a's all-vinyl set of dark, downtempo Dubstep against Dabu's laptop set of experimental hip-hop beats, both of which set the stage for New York electro hip-hop kingpin Eliot Lipp, mixing a range of electronic music as broad as it was good. Blending the pummeling sub-bass of Dubstep heavyweights like Rusko with smooth hip-hop tracks by Tufts' own Obey City, Lipp put together a murderous set drawing on all electronic music genres. It was a fitting achievement for a BASSIC event, and one that encapsulates the legacy this production company is carving into Boston's live music culture, one month at a time. .
Last Sunday, millions of people tuned in to watch the year's most anticipated game of football, an all-American game celebrated in a truly all-American way. But even viewers for whom the term "down" signifies no more than direction, and who only came for the excuse to drink beer and eat junk food, this Super Bowl was truly entertaining. For some people, the only reason to watch the Super Bowl is to see the new high-budget advertisements. This year, companies shelled out big bucks to reach the nearly 98.7 million Americans who watched Super Bowl XLIII. Estimates put the cost of each 30 second advertisement at about $30 million, and companies did their best to make the cost worthwhile. "Advertisers are struggling to come to terms with new technologies, [such as] Tivo and other devices, [which] allow us to circumvent advertising," Sarah Sobieraj, an assistant professor of sociology at Tufts, said in an e-mail to the Daily. "The Super Bowl is one of those rare remaining moments when advertisers know they will have one, large audience, so they pull out all the stops." Most Super Bowl ads cater to a football audience. Not surprisingly, some of the this year's best, most numerous ads promoted chips and beer. Early on, Doritos claimed the prize for the most entertaining commercial with their ad, "Crystal Ball." It features a man holding a "crystal ball" (which is really a snow globe) who, when a co-worker doubts its powers, wishes for free Doritos at the office. Disappointed that his wish doesn't come true, he throws the snow globe at a vending machine, shattering the glass and giving him access to his coveted snack. Contrary to popular belief, this ad was not created by some suit-wearing genius in a marketing office. Dave and Joe Herbert from Indiana made the ad for under $2000, winning the 2009 Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" contest after narrowly missing the win last year. Budweiser returned with some of its classic ads and its more modern spots for Bud Light. Clydesdale horses and Dalmatians were out in full force, but the spark that once made the brewer's ads special was missing. One Budweiser ad featured a dog fetching a stick and a jealous Clydesdale one-upping the dog by fetching an entire tree branch. While this may be amusing, it cannot compete with similar past clips that included a horse football game refereed by a zebra. Another Budweiser ad focused on a Scottish Clydes-dale immigrating to America. However heartwarming the story was, it probably didn't resonate with Budweiser's target audience. Luckily, the Bud Light commercials easily made up for the mistakes of the Budweiser ads. It should be noted that many Super Bowl ads tried to use star power to attract customers. A Bud Light advertisement featured Conan O'Brien in an outrageously over-produced, Swedish-themed spectacle, and Alec Baldwin starred in an ad for Hulu.com, the popular video streaming website that is sponsored by NBC. In the ad Baldwin exposed Hulu's "true" motive: turning human brains to mush so that he and other celebrities can eat them. But the most ridiculous use of celebrity endorsement came from the gold-melting-scheme Web-site cash4gold.com. It features Ed McMahon and MC Hammer showing off all the gold things they can trade in for cash. The sad part is that both of these men fell into financial trouble recently, and they might actually need to start selling off their gold-plated giraffes and golden hammer pants once they burn through the money they earned making these ads. Another amusing, celebrity-studded ad was a spin-off of Saturday Night Live's digital short MacGruber (a parody of MacGyver). The short guest-stars the actual MacGyver, Richard Dean Anderson, as MacGruber sells out to provide product placement to Pepsi by changing his name to Pepsuber. Super Bowl ad space was also filled with tons of movie trailers for anticipated releases. The trailer for "Year One" (2009), starring Jack Black and Michael Cera, did not show much promise. Going off of what the ad portrays, Black will act like a goofball (surprise) and Cera will play every character he's ever played since George-Michael Bluth. Big name action flicks also made an appearance: "Transformers 2" (2009) and "Star Trek" (2009) both featured clips of explosions and mayhem to excite fans and other viewers. Animated films such as "Aliens vs. Monsters" (2009) and "Up" (2009) were also previewed, although most of the target audience for these movies probably didn't get a chance to see the ads. The most disappointing and over-rated ads of the evening were those by Vizio, Miller High Life and, once again, Godaddy.com. Vizio, the TV maker, made an almost minimalist ad, with just text and a voiceover. For $3 million, it seemed like a waste of time and money. Miller High Life ran a one-second ad that could be interpreted as a subliminal message. While the ad only cost them about $150,000, it's safe to assume that most people missed it since it was so short. Godaddy.com, an online webhosting service, is known for its shamelessly eye-catching ads in past years. Usually, they end with a message advising the viewer to visit their website to see the shocking conclusions that could not air on television. These ads are merely suggestive at best, since the extra material is never what viewers are led to expect. But the cutting-edge ads are not the only Super Bowl entertainment for viewers indifferent to pigskin. The halftime show (conspicuously performed by old, uncontroversial artists since the "wardrobe malfunction" of 2004) is a long-celebrated event. Hundreds of music fans wait outside the stadium for hours, flooding onto the field at halftime for a free, 12-minute concert. When Bruce Springsteen took the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show this year, expectations were, quite naturally, through the roof. This was, after all, "The Boss," a classic rocker who is no stranger to stadium-sized venues. With a super-sized version of the E Street Band backing him, Springsteen warmed up the crowd with an introductory peptalk that segued smoothly into "10th Avenue Freeze-Out," a classic but lesser-known track from the Boss's 1975 break-through album, "Born To Run" (1975). Springsteen engaged the crowd from the get-go, lending the chorus to the crowd of fans to sing, and even attempting one of the most extreme stage-moves in the stadium-rock repertoire: the power-slide. For those unfamiliar with this classy maneuver, it involves getting a running start from one side of the stage and then dropping to one's knees and sliding, preferably while hitting an impressively high note or during the climax of a song. Springsteen might have been a bit overzealous with his lead-up run, however, and most viewers were fairly certain that Springsteen's crotch actually collided with the camera filming his power-slide. Wasting none of their precious 12 minutes of Super Bowl fame, Springsteen and the E Street Band launched into the more famous classic "Born to Run." Bruce demonstrated that despite being on the brink of 60 years old, he can still hit even the highest notes. The number ended with an extended vamp and an impressive pyrotechnics display. Springsteen then covered newer ground, singing the title track of his recent album, "Working On A Dream." For this number, the E Street Band received some vocal reinforcement from the same gospel choir that assisted Faith Hill earlier during her performance of "America the Beautiful" prior to the start of the game. Finally, Springsteen wrapped things up with "Glory Days," off of his massively successful 1984 album, "Born in the U.S.A." Despite a kitschy, mid-song joke about "delay of game," Springsteen and the E Street Band wrapped up their short set with a rousing finale. Overall, the performance was on par with recent Super Bowl halftime shows, which have been much more classic rock-oriented since the famous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction in 2004. Despite Springsteen's reputation for supporting grassroots movements and progressive politics, he avoided political themes with his song choices. The point of the evening's entertainment was to celebrate all things American rather than initiate any sort of rallying cry or call to arms. The Super Bowl is a slice of true American entertainment. From creative advertising to the frenzied concert to the uniquely American game itself, millions of dollars worth of effort is brought to the most ordinary television sets across the country. As a result, all kinds of viewers got a kick out of last Sunday's game.
Sometimes the actors are the only reason to go see a movie. Think how important Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio were for "Titanic" (1997). Unfortunately, Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. fail to save the dismal romantic comedy "New In Town" (2009). With mediocre acting and a predictably insipid plotline, "New In Town" should be a desperate Sunday night movie rental at best. Lucy Hill (played by Zellweger) is a young, successful Miami businesswoman working her way up the corporate ladder. When she is assigned to revamp operations at a manufacturing plant in Minnesota, Lucy is forced to trade in her Manolo Blahnik shoes and cosmopolitan lifestyle for snow boots and blue-collar society. At first, the culture shock is just as unbearable as the frigid Minnesota temperature, but Lucy eventually settles into life in a rural town, even snagging herself a guy along the way. If the plot sounds familiar, that's because it is — to the extreme. "New In Town" joins a laundry list of romantic comedies that involve some variation of a high-maintenance city girl moving to the middle of nowhere and falling in love with the charming small town guy that annoys her in the beginning. "Sweet Home Alabama" (2002) and "The Notebook" (2004) are just two examples. Ultimately, there's nothing new that makes "New In Town" worth watching. The plot is formulaic, and the characters are bland and uninteresting. This is one of the precious few movies set in Minnesota since "Fargo" (1996), and it's doubtful that there will ever be another because even on screen the actors couldn't keep the misery and discomfort caused by the icy temperatures off of their cold, red faces. One of the film's biggest downfalls is its pathetic attempts at humor. In one scene, Hill goes bird hunting. During the hunt, she needs to go to the bathroom and is sent out into the woods with a roll of toilet paper to fend for herself. While it is slightly entertaining to watch Lucy try to unzip the bulky, ridiculous-looking, full-body hunting suit she is in, the whole ordeal ultimately gets nothing more than a mere smirk or chuckle out of the audience. In an attempt to help her, Ted Mitchell (played by Harry Connick, Jr.) unsuccessfully tries to undo her back zipper and wildly flings her around in the process. He eventually resorts to turning her over and cutting a hole in the derriere of her suit. Sadly, that's about as funny as it gets. Not even Zellweger's star power can save her from her unconvincing and overall lackluster performance in "New In Town." Throughout the film Zellweger never seems to connect with her character, causing Lucy to appear awkward and suffer a few missteps in comedic timing. The real problem, however, lies in the fact that Zellweger is out of her element playing the dull, cookie-cutter role of convertible-driving, Manolo Blahnik-wearing Lucy Hill. Zellweger truly shines in quirkier roles like seductive death row inmate Roxie in "Chicago" (2002), or the frumpy but endearing Bridget in "Bridget Jones's Diary" (2001), where her characters not only have more substance, but also more of an edge. While Zellweger fails to entertain, Connick Jr., thankfully, does a respectable job of playing Mitchell, the local union representative for the manufacturing plant workers. To Hill's dismay, she and Mitchell are forced to work together in her reorganization of the plant, which often leads to bickering. At first Hill finds Mitchell to be an uncouth, repulsive man who drinks beer and drives a pick-up truck, but soon enough their "strictly business" relationship turns into something more. Like always, Connick leaves every girl in the theater swooning as his character warms up to Lucy and uses his good ol' Southern-gentleman charm (never mind that the movie is technically set in Minnesota) to win her over. Although a few sparks do fly between Zellweger and Connick, their on-screen chemistry still isn't enough to keep the movie from being one long drag. The unoriginal plotline and lack of comedy ultimately make "New In Town" another romantic comedy disappointment. Zellweger's failure to connect with her role and the bland, one-dimensional quality of the other characters relegate "New In Town" to a probable (and well-deserved) box-office bust.
Aziz Ansari is a comedian, actor, writer, producer and soon-to-be-movie star. Last year he appeared on HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" with a scene-stealing role as a racist fruit vendor. His current projects include MTV's "Human Giant," in which he is the star, writer and executive producer, and a current stint on ABC's "Scrubs." Later this year, Ansari will be appearing in "Observe and Report," "Funny People" and "I Love You Man." Last week Ansari performed for a sold out crowd at The Middle East Downstairs as part of his "Glow in the Dark Standup Comedy Tour." As a young comedian (Ansari is 25), he connected well with the audience comprised mainly of college-aged students. The Thursday night crowd was ready for laughs after a lackluster opening set, and Ansari delivered in spades. His material ran the gamut from race issues to technological problems with his bigoted Blackberry to a tale of messing with his high school-aged cousin via Facebook.com. When he announced he would be trying out some material he wrote for his character, a stand-up comedian named Randy in Judd Apatow's upcoming "Funny People" (2009), the crowd did not know what to expect. The vulgar set lived up to the character's name, and was much different than Ansari's usual material. The audience, however, didn't miss a beat. The Randy act included an improvisational impression section that required the audience to call out suggestions of locations. Randy would then take these suggestions and do an impression of him participating in a sexual act in said location. Most of the locations were relatively mundane, but the crowd's penchant for "Star Wars" references and one particularly politically incorrect historical reference nearly caused Ansari to break character. By the end of the show's allotted time Ansari and the audience had built up a rapport and the comedian decided to go over his usual time. Despite his busy touring schedule, the Daily got the opportunity to ask Aziz Ansari a few questions via e-mail about his career, upcoming projects and various random tidbits. Mitchell Geller: Why did you call this tour "Glow in the Dark," the same name that Kanye West choose for his recent tour? (Besides the reason that there's a little bit of Kanye in all of us.) Aziz Ansari: I wanted a cool name for my tour like the Glow in the Dark Tour. I couldn't come up with one, so I just called it the Glow in the Dark tour. Also, I figured it would increase my chances of Kanye coming to my show, which it did! He came to the first LA date. MG: How did you get into comedy in the first place? AA: I started doing standup in college. MG: According to Wikipedia.[org], the internet's most reliable source, you studied marketing at NYU. Has this background helped you at all with your current career? AA: Not really, but I do use the word synergy constantly. MG: If and when your life is made into an Oscar-baiting biopic, which current actor would you want to portray you? Which actress? AA: I'd be honored if Diddy played the role of Aziz in an Aziz biopic and I simultaneously played Diddy in a Diddy biopic. MG: What's your writing process like for your stand up material and/or for your television show, "Human Giant"? AA: Standup -- I just jot things down in my Blackberry when they pop in my head or in a tiny notebook before a show and then work it out onstage. Usually it takes about 7-10 variations before I really find the best version of a joke. For Human Giant, the four of us and our show-runner Tom Gianas would pitch ideas for sketches with a rotating group of writers. The ideas we liked best would get written up as sketches and refined. MG: On your blog, azizisbored.com, you've been on a quest to get on a Burger King commercial. How is this going? AA: Well, to be clear, I want to be in the Diddy Burger King commercials. Thus far, no response from the Diddy or BK camp. MG: What are your current media obsessions (music, movies, video games, internet videos) or big artistic inspirations? AA: Music - TV on the Radio Video Games - taking a break Internet Videos - Mr. Chi-City! TV ? "Lost" and "24" MG: What projects do you have in store for 2009? AA: I'm going to be in a new show on NBC with Amy Poehler and the producers of "The Office" that will be on in April. I did a movie called "Observe and Report" with Seth Rogen which will also be out in April. It's about Seth being a mall cop. I play a guy that runs a lotion stand. I also did a small part in "I Love You, Man" with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. That movie comes out in March. I'll also be in Judd Apatow's new movie, "Funny People," which comes out end of July. MG: What's your secret? AA: Pomegranate juice.
Although other former Beatles members have moved away from live performances to focus solely on crafting masterful studio records, Paul McCartney's newest release, "Amoeba's Secret," proves that the wonders of modern-day technology can translate anything on the stage into the studio. Of course, having half a century of experience and a brilliant mind for songwriting helps a bit as well. "Amoeba's Secret" is a rocking, energetic EP cut from a live show at the Amoeba Music store in Los Angeles, Calif. in 2007. The gig was arranged in support of McCartney's last album, "Memory Almost Full" (2007), his first outing on the Starbucks-owned record label Hear Music. "Amoeba" proves that Sir Paul McCartney can still captivate an audience with a very solid, ever-evolving performance. In addition, it also speaks to the marketing techniques of the Starbucks label. The EP was originally sold on vinyl only, and was hyped as a limited edition release with no plans for a CD version. The cover of the album, a pixilated photo of McCartney in concert, is another marketing ploy. It makes "Amoeba's Secret" seem like a rare bootleg. Some collectors who bought up the vinyl copies may not be pleased now that the EP has been released in digital formats, but rarity is swiftly becoming a thing of the past in this modern age. McCartney is probably as famous as he is because he so easily adapts to new technology and new trends in music. The quality of the recording proves that "Amoeba" is no bootleg. Despite having only four tracks, the entire EP is a fantastic mix of sound that carries McCartney's music into the modern era like never before. Screaming guitars, pounding drums and McCartney's signature bass tone drive the short EP from start to finish. The music in "Amoeba" transforms some of McCartney's recent studio work as well as a couple of older tunes into harder, more upbeat arrangements that are not only more suited for a live audience but are actually more suited for the songs themselves. Two songs from "Memory Almost Full" (2007) made it to the disc including the opener, "Only Mama Knows." Both songs capture every nuance of feeling and layering from the full record while cranking up the energy. The lengthy string introduction from the original "Only Mama Knows" has been shortened to get straight to the heavy guitars that drive the track. McCartney has always paid attention to the details of tone, variety, and arrangement, and "Amoeba" does not disappoint in these areas. The clarity of the guitar work is very impressive, especially for a live recording. The entire EP has a consistent, modern edge to it despite its diversity of song styles. After the rocking "Mama" comes "C Moon," an upbeat reggae song featuring a fairly amusing Jamaican impression. The track keeps the energy of the opener moving forward despite a shift in style that keeps everything fresh and interesting. The third song, "That Was Me" also from "Memory," replaces the studio cut's prominent acoustic guitar rhythm with a jangly rock n' roll electric. The drums here are also more interesting than those in the laid back studio version. Halfway through the song, McCartney sings along to the guitar solo. This serves as an engaging transition into the heavier second half of the song. When the guitar solo ends, McCartney lets loose his screaming vocals after keeping his singing pretty low-key. While he may never be able to replicate the sheer power of the screaming in old Beatles tracks like "Oh! Darling," he certainly doesn't stop trying. His voice has definitely aged and lost some of its presence and clarity, but what's left is still pretty impressive considering all the decades of work he's done. The vocals are the only piece of the EP that doesn't immediately stand out. McCartney's voice may have grown a bit weaker, but a producer as experienced as the one McCartney is surely using should have been able to make use of his million-dollar rig to give the vocals the same treatment he gave to the rest of the instruments. Aside from this minor complaint, "Amoeba's Secret" is a solid EP. The closing track, a revitalized version of "I Saw Her Standing There," continues the trend of overdriven guitars and an enervating modernization of the entire arrangement while still staying more or less close to the 1963 original. While some might consider it too short of a release, what's included on "Ameoba" is very good, and iTunes sells the EP for under $4. For any McCartney fan, especially those that never got a hold of the original vinyl, "Amoeba's Secret" is a must-buy.
Recently, actor Mickey Rourke, star of Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" (2008), entered into WWE's WrestleMania 25, a pro-wrestling competition scheduled for early April, only to pull out at the last minute. We got our hopes up imagining Rourke's character, Randy "the Ram" Robinson, in real life. This led us to discuss which characters we wish were real, and this week's Top 10 was born. 10. Lara Croft: She kicks butt and takes names, all the while looking good and having fun. While she probably wouldn't be your best friend, she would definitely have your back in a fight. 9. Paul Blart: Our malls will never be safe without him. 8. Mrs. Doubtfire: Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire is the nanny we all wish we had. She brings families together, provides comedic relief, and is perhaps the best person to ever "Do It Like A Lady." 7. Harry Potter: Even before we saw his junk, he was still the best catch in all of fantasy history. And nobody said anything about making Ginny real... 6. Wall-E: With no viable solution to global warming in sight, it would be nice to have an adorable and sensitive little trash compactor around to help rebuild ecosystems. On lunch breaks he could teach everyone "Sunday Clothes" with Gene Kelly choreography. 5. Mary Poppins: Every child deserves a jolly holiday with Mary. Plus, she'd make a killing if she mass-produced that purse of hers. 4. Jack Sparrow: Not only is he a pirate, but he's also the only pirate that can pull off more eyeliner than Kate Moss and braided beard hair. Jack also manages to solve the movie's mystery while still being oblivious to everything around him. While some think his effeminate walk shows he's spent too much time aboard ship with his mateys, the ladies know the real truth. 3. Doc Brown: Anyone who can convert the most impractical car ever made into the most ballin'-est floating-time-machine-ever-that-needs-to-go-exactly-88-miles-per-hour-so-that-its-flux-capacitor-can-send-it-back-in-time-but-oh-wait-it-runs-on-garbage-so-we're-all-set-now-it's-a-train-that-floats-too car should be real. Roads? Phooey. Where we're going, we don't need roads! God bless those arbitrary old scientists. 2. Chewbacca: This trusty Wookie is a fantastic side-kick for any dangerous space adventures. He's pretty handy with that laser-shooting crossbow, and he's also fairly useful as a walking carpet or gigantic sponge. 1. James Bond: Let's face it: The world would be a much safer and sexier place with 007 working in the shadows. Evildoers and mad scientists, beware. This smooth-talking Brit has more gadgetry and flippant remarks in his arsenal than you'll be able to handle, no matter how many "shaken, not stirred" martinis he's downed.
While perusing the magazine selection at CVS a week ago, I noticed that almost every publication basically had the same cover: a photo of President Barack Obama with the headline "Special Keepsake Inauguration Issue of (insert magazine title here)!" My personal favorite was a gossip rag that had "Oh-Bama-Rama" in block letters over the president's face. Every periodical from Vogue to Rolling Stone to Us Weekly urged readers to save this special issue of their magazine as a memento. Don't forget inauguration! You need to know what was happening to Britney and Lindsay on Jan. 20, too! So, in keeping with the theme of the Oh-Bama-Rama that is sweeping our nation, here is my "Special Keepsake Barack Obama Edition of The Cultural Culinarian!"
Mention the Middle East and many things come to mind. Indie rock, however, is not usually one of them ... at least not for people outside of the Boston area.
The Oscars: They're stupid, pointless, overblown and mean nothing about a film's quality or importance (look at 1958 and marvel at the near-complete absence of Hitchcock's arguably greatest work, "Vertigo" (1958)). Yet I can't help but care. They are the ultimate example of "the Ugly." So let's weigh in on a few things, shall we?
A keyboard-and-drum duo is certainly a novel approach to indie rock, and the fact that such a group could produce catchy dance-punk songs without the aid of a guitar or bass is downright impressive. But two instruments can only accomplish so much together, especially within such a unique sound, and Matt & Kim's second release, "Grand," fails to build upon the band's previous success.
The annual symposium orchestrated by the year-long Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) class is only about two weeks away, beginning on Feb. 19. To promote the event on campus, members of EPIIC have divided into committees, each with its own strategy for spreading the word. One of these committees is sponsoring a film series that shows movies relating to the theme of their EPIIC class, "Global Cities." Last Thursday, members of the committee screened "Wall-E" (2008) in Braker Hall. Sophomore Meera Pandit, a member of the committee, explained how "Wall-E" related to the theme of "Global Cities."
As the founder of indie-pop super-group The New Pornographers, Canadian songwriter A.C. Newman was crowned as hipster royalty long ago. Newman gained a reputation as the sunny, upbeat counterpoint to the often-dour indie scene of the early 2000s. On the strength of the success of the first two New Pornographers albums, he released his first solo effort, "The Slow Wonder," in 2004. The disc, which didn't stray too far from the Pornographers' signature power pop style, sold modestly and earned critical acclaim. Five years and two more Pornographers albums later, Newman has released his follow-up, "Get Guilty," and it seems like he's finally running out of ideas. "Get Guilty" has a lot in common with Newman's previous work. Newman's reedy vocals are, as usual, supported by a shouting, harmonizing chorus of female voices (usually featuring Kori Gardner of Mates of State). The orchestration echoes of instruments from electric guitars to drums to pianos to violins pop in and out as needed. Ponderous beats power through every track, often monotonous and unchanging. Unfortunately, where his melodies used to be joyous and energetic, they've calmed down to being borderline lethargic. Some songs sound so similar, they are nearly indistinguishable, making parts of the album blur into one long, beat-driven track. Newman's song structures have always been mildly repetitive; he tends to use a few musical phrases over and over between verses. Now those phrases overwhelm anything else a song has to offer. Newman is wise to hold the bombastic opening track, "There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve…," to two-and-a-half minutes, and the rhythmic pattern of "Get Guilty" consumes "Elemental," which, with its quirky meter and few repeated phrases, comes off like a skipping record. In "Thunderbolts," atypical vocals are hampered by an endlessly recurring drum beat. The album does have more successful moments, though, such as the subdued crescendo of "The Heartbreak Rides," which breaks up the repetitive chorus with a rollicking guitar hook. "The Palace at 4 A.M.," "Get Guilty's" most pop-influenced offering, ratchets up the tempo with a galloping beat. The rhythm of the album changes again with "Young Atlantis," which is more low-key and meditative than previous tracks. As usual, Newman's work oscillates between off-kilter pop melodies and more cacophonic indie-rock efforts. "Like A Hitman Like A Dancer" and "The Changeling (Get Guilty)" fall under the former category, showcasing back-up vocals and instrumental solos. Rockers include "Submarines of Stockholm," which uses staccato piano and guitar chords to drive the limited melody, and "The Collected Works," which combines low piano chords and distorted guitar with a single violin to create a uniquely textured indie-rock sound. "Get Guilty" closes with "All of My Days and All of My Days Off," the sing-along chorus of which hearkens back to Newman's earlier, happier work. Regrettably, though, not much substance is seen in this or any other song on the album. It's as if Newman skipped over the creative work that went into his earlier releases, relying on one idea to create an entire album. Truthfully, "Get Guilty" is often monotonous and at times overwhelmingly boring. It's not outright bad but merely mediocre. It seems as though Newman has used up the kind of dynamic songwriting material that made "The Slow Wonder" such a pleasant surprise five years ago. Newman's work has always been invigorated with an addictive rhythm and a certain unpredictability. That hasn't changed. He has an enviable ear for unconventional harmonies, melodic pivots and layered instrumentation. Indie fans especially fans of The New Pornographers' 2007 release, "Challengers" will still find something to like in "Get Guilty," but those familiar with Newman's oeuvre will know that he can do much better.
Like many of you out there, we spent this past Sunday evening with our buddies consuming obscene amounts of pizza and watching TV; more specifically, a series of 30-second snippets interrupted occasionally by a football game. While some of the commercials were great (Oh, Conan, at least the Swedes love you!), what really intrigued us was the abundance of mesmerizing movie trailers. For us, movie trailers can be just as exciting as the movies themselves. By stylishly presenting a few key scenes, trailers give us a general idea of what to expect while leaving us thirsting for more. In order for a trailer to successfully hook viewers, it must stray away from some hackneyed tendencies. Trailers often give away too much information. "Gran Torino" (2008)'s trailer not only revealed the movie's premise but force-fed plot-points down our throats. Whet our appetites, don't drown them. In a trailer, less is more. "Cloverfield" (2008) seized our attention by turning a seemingly wild party into a scene of chaos and destruction without ever revealing the face of its monster or even the film's title. Regarding comedies, advertising teams must be careful not to waste all of a movie's punch lines, because viewers can sense a dearth of comedic diversity. For example, one might chuckle at Kevin James' rotund nature in the trailer for "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" (2008). Yet, if fat jokes become boring after 30 seconds, how could an audience survive 90 minutes of James precariously riding a Segway? Sound can also make or break a trailer. In trailers for "Pineapple Express" (2008), slow motion footage of James Franco breakdancing is synced to MIA's hip-hop ballad, "Paper Planes." The catchy tune and presence of cannabis-related humor baited viewers to see the film, only to find that "Paper Planes" was, ironically, MIA from the actual film. "The Strangers" (2008) trailer made us cringe by excluding sound. No, you did not accidentally sit on the mute button. During one pivotal point in the trailer, a montage that included Liv Tyler screaming and crawling away from a masked pursuer omitted sound and left our pants wet from silent terror. On Sunday, the trailers were mixed. The trailer for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009) succeeded in emphasizing action-filled scenes without disclosing too many plot details, almost making us forget all about the fact that Shia LaBeouf went on a drinking binge, totaled his car and made the writers adjust the script to incorporate his mangled hand. Meanwhile, the "The Year One" (2009) trailer, while lacking in substance, accentuated its venerable cast, concentrating its time on actors Jack Black and Michael Cera, and even flashing a glimpse at "Superbad's" (2007) McLovin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse. This trailer also acted as a prelude to Black's steamy love scene with the raunchiest 82-year-old in Hollywood, Cloris Leachman, in the subsequent episode of "The Office." "Up" (2009), on the other hand, was borderline boastful. The trailer actually recited Pixar's previous triumphs. For the last time, we already know you guys made "Finding Nemo" (2003). So next time you go to the movies, make sure to get there early enough to catch the trailers. Who knows? Maybe you'll catch a glimpse of a goateed Will Ferrell battling giant computer-generated crabs in a preview for "Land of the Lost" (2009).
"Taken" is the type of film that could only be made in America: There are fistfights, chase sequences and shootouts throughout — and naturally, an enormous body count. All of this is at the expense of believable characters, emotional depth and most importantly, an interesting plot. This makes it all the more curious that its director, Pierre Morel, is French. Morel, whose directorial debut was the parkour-infused beat-'em-up "District B13" (2004), doesn't stray far from what he knows best. "Taken" has a lot less parkour but only marginally more intelligence. The story follows a retired spy, Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson), whose daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) finds her European vacation cut short by a gang of kidnappers with an eye for human trafficking. Her father, who happens to be on the phone with her at the time of said kidnapping, vows to do anything in his power to find her, and he promises some very nasty retribution. Kim's abduction, however, is little more than a plot device and its emotional impact is almost entirely glossed over. Yes, the mother and stepfather (Famke Janssen and Xander Berkeley) act as distraught as could be expected, but "Taken" doesn't play to emotion; it goes straight for the jugular. Accordingly, Bryan's reaction isn't one of helpless mourning as he takes the first flight to Paris and puts on his brass knuckles. The film's early attempts at character-building not only suffer from contrived, bland writing, but one scene (in which Bryan tries his hand at concert security) is so absurd that it's unintentionally comic. The script deserves the majority of the blame, but Grace isn't doing herself any favors here. Her portrayal of the 17-year-old Kim isn't just distractingly bad; she plays the character far younger than she should, and Kim comes across frustratingly immature as a result. Poor acting aside, the major flaw here doesn't lie with the story itself but with its execution. The plot has been designed to maximize the potential for action sequences in favor of creating authentic characters. At a slim 93 minutes, the film has to choose one or the other. The result is a fairly one-dimensional cast that awkwardly steps out of the way to let the action take over. The problem is that once it does, it's not all that impressive. Sure, the gunfights are serviceable, and Bryan's one-punch knockouts are entertaining at first, but there is not a memorable scene to be had here. It could be said that one month from now, "Taken" won't even be worth a second thought because everything it does has been done before and done better. The "Bourne" series, which has a similarly kinetic style, has "Taken" outgunned in terms of storyline, believability, interesting characters and pure visceral fun. A significant underlying factor here is that "Taken" tries to force its basic storyline, which has plenty of dramatic potential, into the narrow mold of an action film. Morel clearly understands how to shoot an action sequence; he doesn't understand drama. He never succeeds in making the audience empathize with his characters in large part because he doesn't try to. He's content with using stock characters because they allow him room for more chase scenes, more fistfights and more nameless henchmen to be offed. It is a shame, really, because "Taken" could have been so much more. Its central idea, the story of an estranged father seeking redemption by finding his daughter, could have been the subject of a compelling drama. This could be best accomplished by taking away the car chases, the dead bodies and the breakneck pace and by slowing things down, allowing the man to show how he's feeling and giving Neeson a chance to act. Morel, however, never takes his finger off fast-forward, and the film is all the worse for it.
Only creative masterminds like Steven Spielberg and Diablo Cody could come up with Showtime's newest program, "United States of Tara." The show portrays a middle-class woman's struggle with dissociative identity disorder, which causes her to morph into different alter egos when she is stressed or upset. The odd premise actually works since Cody's writing lends a certain humor and tenderness to an extremely serious condition. Tara Gregson (played by Toni Collette) has decided to go off her medication in order to live a more involved life with her husband and two children. The drawback is that her medication was the only thing suppressing her "alters:" T, Buck and Alice. Tara's supportive husband Max (John Corbett) does his best to hold together his family when Tara's alters wreak havoc. He must fend off the sexual advances of T, a fun 15-year-old girl who, in the pilot, comes out when Tara discovers that her daughter Kate (Brie Larson) has a prescription for morning-after pills. He also must protect his gay son Marshall (Keir Gilchrist) from the homophobic Buck, Tara's male alterego. When Tara sees Kate being physically abused by her boyfriend, Buck comes out and starts a fistfight in front of the entire school. The series follows Tara's struggle to control and understand her alter egos while dealing with the everyday stresses of being a working wife and mother. In the hands of a lesser actress, Tara Gregson and her three alter egos could seem silly, making "United States of Tara" just another bizarre television show without any internal drama. Collette, however, has perfected the role of an emotionally fragile mother in movies like "The Sixth Sense" (1999) and "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006). Here, not only is she playing her choice role, but she also gets to have fun with the alters, and her acting is never unbelievable or over-the-top. Collette easily changes from Tara to T to Buck with nothing more than a deep breath; she changes her facial expressions, her voice, her walk and her mannerisms to give life to each character separately. The show's supporting cast holds its own next to Collette, especially Gilchrist as Tara's son. Gilchrist takes on one of the more difficult roles in the show since he is playing an adolescent boy embracing his homosexuality. Larson as the hormonal teenage daughter is funny to watch, and she can carry an emotional scene, while Corbett falls into the nice-guy role he played in "Sex and the City" quite easily. Rosemarie DeWitt, who received critical acclaim after starring in "Rachel Getting Married" (2008) with Anne Hathaway, makes an appearance as Charmaine, Tara's skeptical sister. She is clearly the voice for skeptics who do not believe Tara's disease is real, but Cody portrays her as whiny and selfish, clearly establishing her views on nonbelievers. Cody's writing shines and can be considered the other star of the show. The woman can make an audience laugh and cry, all the while creating a modern vocabulary to suck in younger viewers. Sometimes, however, Cody's writing can seem too cool, forcing the viewer to question if the world Cody lives in really exists for the rest of us. She deals with a lot of dark, intense issues in just the pilot episode of "United States of Tara": abuse, mental disease, teenage sex and birth control and adolescent homosexuality. Cody seems to live in a world where family members take all of these problems in stride with only minor arguments and tantrums. If the audience somehow doesn't get the family love message, Marshall's line, "We're lucky, Mom. Because of you, we get to be interesting," hammers it home. Cody does create many tender moments, such as a family bowling outing during which Buck teaches Marshall how to bowl and then wrestles him into a headlock. She also manages to make the audience laugh with T's sexual antics with Max, Buck's distaste for Marshall's baking, and Marshall tagging in for Buck to beat up Kate's abusive boyfriend. The show combines all the right elements; the fresh concept of "United States of Tara" is intriguing, and the cast members create a group of simultaneously moving and entertaining characters.
