Erin Espe

Leisure

Living purgatory In Bruges

The opening shots of In Bruges—sweeping views of the eponymous Belgian town’s brick houses, lush countryside and cobblestone streets, accompanied by streams of obscenities by Colin Farrell—set the tone for a smart black comedy filled with comedic juxtapositions.

By February 21, 2008

Leisure

High School Musical, the Musical!

I spent one week babysitting my cousins over winter break. And so, by no fault of my own, I just so happen to know every single word to the High School Musical soundtrack by heart. I even might have it on my iPod. Okay, okay—I just may be a secret HSM fanatic.

I love the utter corniness of Disney’s uber-simplistic version of high school, where the main characters don’t even kiss until the sequel. So when given the option to see High School Musical live, I hauled out to the National Theatre.

By February 7, 2008

Leisure

One too many dresses?

As you would expect from the writer of The Devil Wears Prada and the director of Step Up, 27 Dresses is a romantic comedy we’ve all seen before: within the first few minutes, you’ll recognize the formula and be able to predict most of the plot. The clichés are numerous—the unrequited love, the beautiful and bratty sister, the sharp-tongued best friend and the irksome acquaintance turned love interest. Original, this movie is not. But enjoyable? Surprisingly, yes.

By January 24, 2008