Leisure

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

Leisure

Of sound mind

Nowadays new music genres pop up as frequently as Sarah Palin changed her clothes ON the campaign trail. (Gotta keep those pants suits crisp for charity, eh?) Out with the... Read more

By December 4, 2008

Leisure

Turn me on…

As the end of the year approaches, the internet will be inundated with “best of” lists for everything from books to inventions. Simply look at this week’s feature story in... Read more

By December 4, 2008

Leisure

Going beyond bangers and mash

You don’t get much British food over here in the United States. That’s probably because jolly old England’s starchy, overcooked culinary offerings tend to be something less than transcendent. However,... Read more

By December 4, 2008

Leisure

Framing humanity in a snapshot culture

America is a snapshot culture. A single still frame is enough for the viewer to get lost in a remembrance of the past, however fleeting. Thus, a professional photographer’s goal is to draw attention to a piece of history with each frame he takes.

By December 4, 2008

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Critical Voices: Kanye West , “808s and Heartbreak”

Much has been made of Kanye West's transformation from gloating hip-hop megastar to brooding synth-popper. Would 808s and Heartbreak be a disposable gimmick or a real artistic statement? Surprisingly, the answer leans more toward the latter.

By November 20, 2008

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Gaming for a girl

The Who Wants to be a Millionaire? song used to mean so much to America. The lights went down, Regis Philbin spun in his chair, and we were thrilled by the beginnings of reality TV. Most of all, though, the song heralded promise-the promise that by spending an hour in Philbin's spaceship of a studio, a regular person could use luck and determination to win a whole lot of money. Slumdog Millionaire, a movie based around the Indian version of the show, asks us to believe in that innocent hope-and a whole lot more.

By November 20, 2008

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A shaky, not stirring, Bond in Quantum of Solace

Avid James Bond fans were once skeptical about Daniel Craig's abilities to pull off one of the most iconic cinematic characters of all time. Complaints ranged from his apparent lack of debonair charm to rumors that he could not drive a stick shift Aston Martin. Casino Royale, however, proved to be one of the most acclaimed Bond movies to date, inspiring comparisons to Connery and exclamations that Craig had managed to do the impossible-reinvent Bond for the better. Unfortunately, not only does Quantum of Solace not measure up to Casino Royale's standard of cinematic excellence, this time around, Craig's Bond is Bond in name only.

By November 20, 2008

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Fritz Scholder’s American Indians, past and present

"Indian, not Indian," an exhibit of Fritz Scholder's work at the Smithsonian Institute's National American Indian Museum, challenges the very idea of who the American Indian was while demonstrating how Scholder revolutionized the depiction of the American Indian, replacing the classical romantic depictions with a modern, pop-art realism.

By the November 20, 2008

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Critical Voices: The Samuel Jackson 5, “Goodbye Melody Mountain”

When a band names themselves after both Samuel L. Jackson and the Jackson 5, we expect great things. Perhaps the name of The Samuel Jackson Five speaks to a love of both ferociousness and pop sensibilities, which is exactly what Goodbye Melody Mountain has to offer. A breath of fresh air, they have taken the stale tendency of post-rock towards sleep inducement and made it something worth listening to.

By November 20, 2008

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Chug a-long

With the onset of blustery snow flurries, chafed cheeks, and depressed economic conditions, this drinking columnist, like so many others at this time of year, cannot help but yearn for her home on the shores of Lake Erie. And while not everyone is so fortunate as to hail from the crown jewel of the Rust Belt, all of us put on our underpants on one leg at a time (with the possible exception of Mormons, who, I believe, must actually gird their loins before leaving the house), and we all know that the comforting concept of home is much more than a physical locality. It is a collection of unique intangibles. For me, it means a certain sound, a musical expression dear to my heart, veritable poetic food for the soul: the drinking song.

By November 20, 2008

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As Justin sees it

For my last column of the semester, some predictions and superlatives. Lil Wayne released his Dedication 3 mixtape last week, and it's pretty bad. Whether you like auto-tune or not, Weezy has clearly become so infatuated with himself that he considers even his turds worthy of release. The whole mess is uninspired and not worth your time. It's sad to say it, but it's looking more and more like he peaked with 2006's Da Drought 3-I predict he'll never make anything that exciting again.

By November 20, 2008

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Raised in Captivity is mired in the madhouse

AIDS is tough to deal with. It's sad and horrible. So is murder. So too are rape, prostitution, alcoholism, depression, and pretty much every other theme found in Nicky Silver's Raised In Captivity, Mask and Bauble's fall offering that opens tonight. While the play is purportedly a comedy, it deals in dark hues, which cast shadows over its characters, all of whom are unhappily searching for something more, in themselves and in others.

By November 20, 2008

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Lookin’ for soul food and a place to sleep …

With the perspective of time I can see these endeavors for what they were-pretty gross to the untrained eye-but still, the desire for just a couple French fries with my milkshake has stayed with me. With friends graduating or even worse, getting real jobs, the impulse to disregard these concoctions as childish can be tempting. But in the face of growing up, the food that makes us smile is the food to hold onto. Like keeping songs in your playlist in the face of a breakup even though they remind you of your ex, some things you just need to keep with you.

By November 13, 2008

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Synecdoche: A story of its own

In the first film he's both written and directed, Synecdoche, NY, Charlie Kaufman employs one of the most common archetypes of our time: the sad, unattractive, pot-bellied, middle-aged husband who doesn't feel like his life has a drop of significance. But where other films find the usual fixes in new jobs or women, Synecdoche enters into a different reality altogether. Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Caden Cotard watches his body deteriorate and his world become less and less like the one we actually live in, as Kaufman creates an alternate world where the normal laws of society, time, and physics don't apply. The viewer must likewise abandon logic and reason, but the reward will be an emotionally challenging and visually astounding journey.

By November 13, 2008

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Critical Voices: Love Is All, “A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night”

The good news is that Love Is All's follow-up, A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night, mostly retains that sound, though there is considerably more space in its mix. The bad news is that while it retains some of the band's high points, it's missing the same sense of hyperkinetic energy that made the debut so compelling. But though the group feels tighter and seasoned in a way that most bands strive for, it's a maturation that can actually work against their strengths.

By November 13, 2008

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Street fashion on the web

As much as I love clothing, I've never been one for fashion magazines. Leafing through pages and pages of gorgeous clothes that I can't afford is a torture akin to window-shopping. Plus, the fact that the photo spreads look exactly like the ten million ads they're sandwiched between makes it no secret that they're just trying to buy you. I want more. I thirst for real creativity that I can approach without feeling unworthy.

By November 13, 2008

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Behind the bearded wonder

"For me, Abraham Lincoln exemplifies the possibilities of America," David C. Ward, a historian at the National Portrait Gallery said in his gallery's new exhibit. In celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the 16th president's birth, the museum has unveiled "The Mask of Lincoln," an exhibition of the mystery that lies behind the portraiture of the man.

By November 13, 2008

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Breadsoda sandwiches it all together

Breadsoda is an establishment with a split personality. By day it looks and sounds like a hipster coffee shop, with rich amber walls, dim dangling lantern lights, free WiFi and soulful indie music emanating from the speakers. But every day at 4 p.m., Breadsoda's happy hour begins and it transforms into a modern take on the bar in Cheers, a friendly neighborhood establishment complete with a jukebox, shuffleboard, pool tables, and even a Wii.

By November 13, 2008

Leisure

Goes down hard

I'll let you in on a little secret: she's definitely faking it. It's really illogical to expect anyone to enjoy something that lasts only two seconds and burns like hell. And yet, the sad fact of the matter is that almost every college-aged woman is obsessed with taking shots. While in the midst of the act, every one of them pretended it was the most exhilarating moment of her life, as if God himself had coated her throat with ambrosia, squeezed by angels from the flowers of his celestial garden.

By November 6, 2008

Leisure

Everything good about Europe

If you love the European lifestyle, you'll love Vapiano. At least, that's what the restaurant's website claims. And while the fast-growing, upscale chain of Italian restaurants can't offer you month-long vacations or exquisite cashmere jumpers, it does provide its customers with a swanky, tasty experience for a fraction of what it would cost to hop over the pond-$7.95 for a huge bowl of pasta and bread.

By November 6, 2008