Animal Aussies

Drugs, guns, and bank robberies abound in Animal Kingdom. But don’t expect an action film. Animal Kingdom, the debut film from director David Michôd, is a slow-burning drama that just happens to involve action tropes.

By Chris Heller September 2, 2010

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Critical Voices: Interpol, Interpol

Interviews with members of Interpol preceding the release of their self-titled fourth studio effort may have caused some confusion about the album’s sound. Frontman Paul Banks alluded to something grand and orchestral, while drummer Sam Fogarino saw the album as a reminiscent of their 2002, debut and fan favorite, Turn on The Bright Lights.

By James McGrory September 2, 2010

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Critical Voices: Hostage Calm, Hostage Calm

Most album releases live and die around the blogosphere buzz they generate, so when Hostage Calm missed their July release date this summer, things looked grim.

By Matthew Decker September 2, 2010

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Rub Some Dirt on It: Not your grandma’s vaccine

In 2006, young women around the country were bombarded by TV commercials, billboards, and glossy magazine ads urging them to be “one less”—as in one less woman to contract human papillomavirus. The method? Gardasil, a new vaccine manufactured by Merck.

By Sadaf Qureshi September 2, 2010

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Warming Glow: Shut up, Ryan Seacrest

Georgetown, it’s time for a pop quiz. Take out a pen, eyes on your own paper—you know the drill. Your question is: Who won this year’s Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series?

By Leigh Finnegan September 2, 2010

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20 years later, East German artists break through

A pair of inviting hands extends from a body, perched above a disordered sea of line and color. Close by, a man falls backwards, plunging downwards towards certain demise.

By Leigh Finnegan August 27, 2010

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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 Brendan Baumgardner 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 Matt Kerwin 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 Brendan Baumgardner 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 Nico Dodd 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 Matthew Decker 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 James McGrory 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 Keenan Timko 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 Nico Dodd 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 Brendan Baumgardner 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 Leigh Finnegan 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 Joe Mancino 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 Dan Newman 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 Chris Heller 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 Sadaf Qureshi April 29, 2010