Cliche as it may sound, Denis Villeneuve’s new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s foundational 1965 sci-fi novel, “Dune” (2021) feels as though it shouldn’t exist, much less serve as the overture to an epic that seems poised to be the next “Lord of The Rings.”
Wes Anderson’s films are rarely about the story itself — they’re about how the story can be used as a vessel into the vibrant, fantastical world he creates around it. "The French Dispatch" (2021), Anderson’s latest release, embodies his usual film techniques to the fullest.
“Say cheese! I think nobody blinked,” Lucy Dacus remarked as she squeezed the shutter of her camera, pointing at the hundreds of fans packed into the House of Blues Boston.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for "Scenes from a Marriage" (1973) and "Scenes from a Marriage" (2021).
Content warning: This article mentions depression and difficulties with mental health.
The short story “Dumba Chora”(2021) by author Chandreyee Lahiri was chosen by the Boston Book Festival as the 2021 One City One Story Project.
Content warning: This review contains spoilers and mentions death and grief.
Nearly eight months ago, my brother introduced me to a musician who had just signed with Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Records: SoFaygo. Although his music has not left my ears since, it is his fashion that has interested me most. Like Jaden Smith and Young Thug, who are other gender-bending fashion influences in rap, SoFaygo is one of the newest artists to bring feminine fashion to an otherwise hypermasculine genre. SoFaygo embodies an uncanny rise of music and fashion that subvert the gender norms of both schools.
After hearing some ominous thuds, our protagonist exits the locker room, her naked body still dewy from the shower. A car, the same flame-adorned Cadillac she was dancing on just a few hours ago (she’s an exotic dancer), waits for her outside. She responds to its seductive call by entering the vehicle, and a few tense moments later, the car bounces in sexual glee. We finally get a glimpse inside the car to see our hero tied up in the bondage-esque seatbelts as she, simply put, has sex with the car.
It might be interesting to live forever.
Liz Cooper’s "Hot Sass" tour not only marks her first headlining tour since COVID-19, but also a transformational moment in her career. The tour and accompanying album, "Hot Sass," which was released on Sept. 3, is her first solo album; until "Hot Sass,"Cooper performed under the band name Liz Cooper & The Stampede. Cooper also departs sonically from her previous folk-rock releases. In place of her old sound, Cooper comes into her own with a grittier, soft-rock sound.
As we move into October, fashion houses begin to release their most influential fashion runways of the year for the spring/summer lines, giving us a glimpse of the next trend cycle. This begins with the September issue of Vogue, the most influential issue of the year, and spans to New York Fashion Week and beyond.
This week’s brand, Nynne, is more upscale and expensive than the brands highlighted thus far, but the company’s approach to sustainability is unique since it outlines eight clear focus groups. This tactic makes the sustainability objective clearer for the company itself, but it also helps the brand be more transparent with consumers, because they will have a better understanding of how Nynne is approaching sustainability.
"Mayday" (2021), director Karen Cinnore’s dreamy new steampunked-up feminist escapist fantasy, follows main character Ana (Grace Van Patten) as she stumbles into a chaotic world of female rebellion and redemption. While the film creates an alternate land to which our protagonist can run (or swim), one that is clearly meant to empower and strengthen the protagonist, the film is somehow hollow at its core, as themes of power and control corrupt the freedom, connection, unity and escapism it is trying so hard to portray. While largely entertaining and emotive, the film undermines its message for the sake of plot and narrative foils, a move which greatly wounds the final production.
Content warning: This article mentions suicide.
I want to preface this week’s column by saying yes, I have seen Netflix’s talk-of-the town “Squid Game” (2021–), and yes, it did fracture my heart in many ways that I’d love to unpack. However, I also do believe that there are few worse things than a show spoilt, so for the sanctity and integrity of the series, I shall instead address a less devastating but still emotionally compounded competition: “Top Chef” (2006–).
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “The Many Saints of Newark” and “The Sopranos.”
Cole seems too big to be contained by the word “artist.” He is a producing, lyric-writing, Grammy award-winning music machine who has amassed a cult following since his first release, “Cole World: The Sideline Story”(2011). The album debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and things have only gone up from there. His five subsequent albums would also top the charts (most of these debuting at No. 1). His most recent release, "The Off-Season" (2021), scored Cole his sixth consecutive No. 1 album in the country — so what better time to treat the fans to a concert?
Last year, I observed “the arrival of colorful knitwear with intricate patterns, landscapes and famous artwork” and predicted they would be paired with “’70s printed designs” in 2021. Although I have not seen as many Renaissance paintings knitted into clothing as I would have liked, there has blossomed a homely new connection between streetwear and knitwear. While streetwear was never against knitwear, it hardly employed the material — growing from skater culture, streetwear material primarily comprised denim and nylon. However, streetwear’s appreciation (and borderline obsession) with vintage clothing has burgeoned as the formerly “grandma” material has permeated the community.
In true indie-pop concert fashion, college students lined up outside of the Brighton Music Hall on Oct. 1 to get a glimpse of one of their Spotify discoveries first seen in person when Samia Najimy Finnerty, known mononymously as Samia, traveled to Boston for her fall tour.
