Leisure

Reviews and think pieces on music, movies, art, and theater.

Leisure

Lez’hur ledger: The Dilophosaurus shall rise again

A summer road trip is one of the best ways to appreciate the beauty of our great nation. Long drives down lost highways offer snapshots of the ever-changing landscape—the vast Pine Barrens of New Jersey, the dreary bays of the Maryland coast, and the rolling Appalachian foothills all colored my most recent excursion, an outing to Natural Bridge, Virginia.

By August 27, 2010

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A whole lotta pasta

Carmine’s D.C., the newest location of the New York-based Italian eatery, seats almost 700. That’s more than any other restaurant in D.C., and it was packed at lunch hour this Tuesday. Since there’s nothing particularly adventurous on the menu that could lure such crowds, the number of patrons is surprising.

By August 27, 2010

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Piranha pandemonium

Piranha 3D does not suck, and that is already a lot more than most people would ask of it. Of course, as a remake of a ‘70s horror comedy, Piranha 3D lacks any real plot or character development, opting instead to spend 89 minutes reveling in delightfully graphic carnage and terrifyingly large breasts, all presented in gloriously tacky 3D.

By August 27, 2010

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Critical Voices: The Sword, Warp Riders

Since their 2003 debut, Age of Winters, The Sword has gained a reputation as the loudest band in Austin, Texas, and with its new sci-fi concept album Warp Riders the band reminds its fans why it earned that reputation.

By August 27, 2010

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Critical Voices: Ra Ra Riot, The Orchard

Nobody ever cuts poor Ra Ra Riot a break. Although only four years old, the band has already been signed and subsequently parted ways with their label, V2 Records, and suffered through the mysterious death of drummer John Pike in 2007.

By August 27, 2010

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Literary Tools: Over 100 million doorstops sold

Stephen King has called him “a terrible writer.” Patrick Anderson of Washington Post thinks he is the “absolute pits, the lowest common denominator of cynical, skuzzy, assembly-line writing.”

By August 27, 2010

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Suffer for Fashion: Getting dressed to impress

This Wednesday, dear freshmen, will be your first day of college classes ever. Totally exciting, I know. Aside from athletes and legacies (kidding!), it’s assumed that you all have the SAT scores, experience with leadership-oriented extracurriculars, the intellectual vigor to thrive during the four years of challenging academics that await.

By August 27, 2010

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Lez’hur Ledger: Get those kids off my lawn

Getting out of bed on a weekday is always hard for me, but this Sunday it was almost impossible. I was hung-over, sure, but with The Roots, John Legend, and Sting playing for the Climate Rally on the National Mall, I found my inner strength. Plus, it was free.

By April 29, 2010

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Banksy makes bank in Exit Through the Gift Shop

There is a scene about halfway through Exit Through the Gift Shop in which notorious street artist Banksy shows filmmaker Thierry Guetta to the loft above his studio. He pulls a dusty cardboard box off of a shelf and pulls out a stack of bills–British pounds with Princess Diana’s head where the Queen’s should be.

By April 29, 2010

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Not senioritis, senior-artists

To most, “springtime” means blooming flowers, warm sunshine, and an all-around appreciation for the beauty that winter has been hiding. For us jaded Georgetown students, though, our sunshine is blocked by the looming shadow of finals, and the cramming, writing, and preparation that they’ve foisted upon us.

By April 29, 2010

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Summer sequels

In 1975, Jaws mangled his first co-ed, terrified the nation, and gave birth to the summer blockbuster. Since then, Hollywood execs have always seen summer as the season to snatch up big bucks.

By April 29, 2010

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Critical Voices: The Hold Steady, Heaven is Whenever

Whenever The Hold Steady is brought up in conversation, someone almost always references their “authenticity” and “gritty realism.”

By April 29, 2010

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Critical Voices: The National, High Violet

After struggling through years of anonymity, the mainstream success of Boxer and Alligator anointed the band as the voice of the brooding everyman.

By April 29, 2010

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Rub Some Dirt on It: Can you hear me now?

Admit it: at some point you were seduced by an old iPod commercial.

By April 29, 2010

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Warming Glow: Seriously, I am so damn Lost

I only need to be told to shut the hell up a couple of times before I get the message.

By April 29, 2010

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Psychotronia and D.C.’s B-movie lovers

Romeo Montague scrambles around Verona, searching for the object of his true desire while fleeing the manhunt of a rival bloodthirsty clan.

By April 22, 2010

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Leh’zur Ledger: A descent into chicken madness

A strange power has overcome me, and I fear my time is short before I succumb. With my waning strength, it is incumbent upon me to document my tale, so that it may serve as a warning.

By April 22, 2010

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An unholy, laugh-less Funeral

Let’s get this out of the way first: Death at a Funeral isn’t funny.

By April 22, 2010

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Critical Voices: Josh Ritter, So Runs the World Away

For his seventh studio album, Josh Ritter was faced with a daunting challenge: follow up two of modern folk music’s mini-masterpieces, 2006’s The Animal Years and 2007’s The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter.

By April 22, 2010

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Critical Voices: Dr. Dog, Shame, Shame

Dr. Dog makes some of the most inoffensive music around—straight-up rock ‘n roll that echoes every classic rock reference you want to throw out there—but the Philadelphia band tends to be pretty polarizing.

By April 22, 2010