On the cold, wet night of Feb. 4, the Boston Museum of Science hosted “The Beyoncé Experience” in the Charles Hayden Planetarium. According to the museum’s website, the show “redefines nightlife in Boston” and “engages audiences in a sensory journey full of innovation, artistry, and imagination.”
The Boston leg of Kacey Musgraves' "star-crossed: unveiled" tour went off without a hitch as soon as Musgraves took center-stage at TD Garden on Jan. 27.With Muna and King Princess as opening acts, the bar was set high for Musgraves. Muna's opening set included well-known hits such as "Stayaway" (2019) and "Silk Chiffon" (2021). Katie Gavin, the lead singer of the act, performed phenomenally, often vocally outdoing the studio version of tracks. Soon to follow was King Princess. Equally captivating, King Princess also performed their greatest hits including "Talia" (2018) and "1950" (2018) as well as unreleased tracks from their upcoming album, such as "For My Friends" and "Let Us Die."
Netflix has taken some pretty big swings and invested in a pretty wide variety of genres and subcultures. Still, the streaming service recently released content in a fairly new and ultimately consequential dimension: self-satire.Last week brought the release of “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” (2022), a television series farce commenting on trends in modern film. The show mocks the deeply oversaturated market for psychological thrillers surrounding white women in the suburbs who drink wine and solve crimes. The genre attempts to subvert convention: How could such twisted, heinous crimes happen in such pristine, wealthy suburbs? Though the show may be entirely too long and often disengaging, its existence in and of itself asks the broader question of origin: How did this happen? A market has to be so deeply full, so noticeably overplayed, that a big corporation like Netflix is able to mock its own role within it. In discussing more deeply the market play-by-play of this genre, one may more deeply understand the process of filmmaking and the economic feedback loops fueling it.
As a celebration of Lunar New Year,Italian luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta covered part of the Great Wall of China in a digital installation of their brand name and the Mandarin New Year's greeting, “新春快乐.”The brand paired their signature green with the lucky color of the new year: a tiger orange. Along with this art installment, the brand has pledged a donation to the maintenance and reconstruction of the segment of the wall titled the “First Pass Under Heaven.”
The new ABC mockumentary-comedy show, "Abbott Elementary" (2021–), has been shooting to the top of everyone’s watchlist this winter and making waves in on-screen representation. The show follows a group of educators at Abbott Elementary, an underfunded public school in Philadelphia based on the realities of the American public educational system. The show is shot in the same style as the American "The Office" (2005–2013), with the educators being the center of an in-universe docuseries following their careers and lives.
It is a rare sight to see a young artist brought to tears on stage and say, “this is one of the greatest nights of my life,” and to truly believe her. Samiasold out the Paradise Rock Club in Boston on Jan. 25. The musical lovechild of Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift (with a hint of Mazzy Star), Samia’s unusual and charming performance proves her promise as a new talent.
It’s the end of Oscars season, meaning it’s time to predict which pretentious movies from 2021 that few people watched will win the coveted awards. The official nominations are scheduled to be announced on Feb. 8, but here’s a list of what to look for in the big five categories: picture, director, screenplay, actor and actress.
Sometimes artists can release music, and instantly, everyone knows it will be impactful. The artistry, themes, visuals and production are all key signs of a successful release. However, success can be subdued. Impact can be unprecedented. Legacy blossoms out of retrospect. This is true for Lana Del Rey, who is the titan of alternative sound, the goddess of indie pop and the empress of Hollywood sadcore. Her sophomore album "Born To Die" (2012) left an impact on the industry far greater than any critic could anticipate at the time of release.
Carl Bernstein’s newest memoir “Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom” (2022) was released Jan. 11. Bernstein is known for his contributions to investigative journalism, specifically his part in revealing the scandal surrounding Watergate in the 1970s. He reported on this event with journalist Bob Woodward for the Washington Post. Later, the two released their findings in the acclaimed co-authored memoir “All the President’s Men” (1974).
“Call her daddy” — a plea to empower women in the (heteronormative) bedroom. Having trouble with your sex life? Alexandra Cooper, host of the podcast "Call Her Daddy" (2018–), which releases episodes every Wednesday, aims to please — and to provoke. Cooper disrupts placated views of female sexuality, whether dismantling or fueling patriarchy. Call her controversial.
“What’s your favorite scary movie?” asks the iconic question from the original "Scream" (1996), which is answered by itself; the satirical horror classic has become a staple in the genre, kickstarting the popularity of meta-horror comedy. "Scream" is not just a good movie but a bloody love letter to horror as a genre. No other horror satire had hit quite the same as the first "Scream" movie and, despite the newest installment's heavy-handed attempt, no other movie has since. "Scream" (2022), directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, is marketed as an ode to Wes Craven. While the majority of the film is genuinely fun and scary (really milking its R rating for all it’s worth), it is hard to talk about without first discussing the problem within the movie’s very core. As ironic as it sounds when talking about this movie in particular (especially within the larger franchise’s canon), this newest "Scream" remake is too focused on being its predecessor. It is obsessed with telling its audience over and over again, through visuals and dialogue and references and character names, that this movie is meta enough to contend with the original.
Content warning: This article contains a brief discussion of child sex abuse.
Joel Coen’s "The Tragedy of Macbeth" (2021) — a modern cinemascape of the iconic Scottish Shakespearean tragedy — is told in vivid pools of light and sharp-edged voids of shadow. Every point within and throughout the film opposes all other points; it is so expansive and amorphous and yet full of clean cut lines and sharp pointed corners. “Macbeth,” which follows the titular newly appointed Thane of Cawdor as he loses himself to his hunger for power, has been released in theaters and is available to stream through Apple TV Plus. The iconic story has had countless adaptations across film and theater, and here Coen and his team blend those two mediums to create a unique and singular atmosphere which shrouds the story in visual markers that match the emotion and madness central to the story.
Adam McKay has now formed a brand for himself as a political filmmaker, whether it be with his standout “The Big Short” (2015) about the 2007–2008 financial crisis or his follow-up “Vice” (2018) about the political career of Dick Cheney. With even more glitz and stars, McKay returns to the scene with his new big-budget film“Don’t Look Up” (2021). The film tackles the issue of climate change at large, using the allegory of a large comet hurtling towards the earth. With such a broad scope, McKay works to satirize almost every element of our present political and social condition. Though often funny and sometimes even jaw-dropping, the film ultimately comes off as deeply ostentatious, failing to effectively inspire any desire to fix our own political issues.
Over the course of the winter break, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021) became one of the most popular movies of the year. Released on Dec. 17, inroughly two hours and 30 minutes, the movie became a Marvel classic.
On Dec. 10, senior Veronica Stewart-Frommer returned to a city and people she calls her home. As the lead singer for Melt and a current Tufts student, Stewart-Frommer and her six bandmates performed past Friday at Brighton Music Hall, a venue packed to see the group on their last leg of their first headlining tour ever.
Content warning: This article discusses human trafficking.
Winter is not just coming, winter is here — well, in its own fluctuating, New England, under global warming and pre-solstice sort of way. The roads are salted, the wind tunnels are biting and my corduroy Uniqlo jacket is decreasing in utility, no matter how many long sleeves I layer underneath.
Mindy Kaling seemingly holds a monopoly on the quirky youthful comedy. With the smash success of “Never Have I Ever” (2020–), Kaling reemerged onto the comedy scene and found new footing. Now she follows up with “The Sex Lives of College Girls” (2021–), an intricate but laugh-inducing tale of four roommates and their exploits. Though maintaining a similar style and tone, “The Sex Lives of College Girls” brings a more nuanced and socially prudent emphasis to Kaling’s comedy. The series is best when it does just that: use light comedy to comment on the broader traumas and fallbacks of the college experience.
10. "Still Over It" (Summer Walker)
