Leisure

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

Leisure

Reel Talk: And this is how you beat Shaq

There are many days I cherish throughout the year—Oscar night, Opening Day, Christmas. But nothing can quite match the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament. Even as we mourn... Read more

By March 26, 2015

Leisure

Critical Voices: Earl Sweatshirt, I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside

Emerging from the rambunctious skate rap crew Odd Future, the transformation of 21-year-old Earl Sweatshirt into one of hip-hop’s most cerebral and vulnerable artists has been fascinating to watch. In... Read more

By March 26, 2015

Leisure

The ugly truth: Civilized drags society’s dark side into the light

Tucked away on G Street stands Flashpoint Gallery, an art exhibition space that exemplifies the essence of bare-bones minimalism. Uneven concrete floors, metallic bars and wires and bright, powerful lights... Read more

By March 19, 2015

Leisure

New Divergent fizzles out

The second installment of the best-selling Divergent series continues in a thrilling—okay… well, let’s just say it continues. Insurgent picks up where the last film left off, with the protagonist,... Read more

By March 19, 2015

Leisure

de Kooning daringly distorts portraiture

The average portrait aims for perfection. The artist attempts to flawlessly represent the face, physique, and expression of his or her subject. Yet Elaine de Kooning’s portrait series challenges viewers... Read more

By March 19, 2015

Leisure

Plan B’s food not worth the morning after

Every Plan A needs a Plan B. Unfortunately, Plan B Burger Bar was, at best, a Plan C. As a transfer from a college outside of Boston, I can attest... Read more

By March 19, 2015

Leisure

Under the Covers: Time to rewrite the high school syllabi

After getting back from a week-long hiking trip in the Smoky Mountains last Friday, I sat around with some friends and discussed our respective spring breaks. The topic of reading... Read more

By March 19, 2015

Leisure

Deadbeats: You can’t really collect audio files

In the past decade, music has almost reached a zenith of accessibility. The internet has all but unshackled the industry from the grubby hands of executives and allowed for a... Read more

By March 19, 2015

Leisure

Critical Voices: Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly

That it turned out to be a garden-variety clerical error that To Pimp a Butterfly got released early is irrelevant—only Kendrick Lamar could make us wait three years for an... Read more

By March 19, 2015

Leisure

Critical Voices: Modest Mouse, Strangers to Ourselves

After seven years of silence, Modest Mouse has finally released its latest offering, Strangers to Ourselves, but considering the disappointment that the release brought with it, perhaps continued silence would... Read more

By March 19, 2015

Leisure

Blomkamp’s Chappie short circuits on arrival, fails to come to life

Ever since Hal 9000 uttered the immortal words “I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that,” artificial intelligence has been a hot topic for science fiction movies. Chappie, the... Read more

By March 5, 2015

Leisure

Second State celebrates rustic elegance

The new upscale eatery Second State manages to bring the taste and atmosphere of Pennsylvania to Dupont Circle, even without the presence of a single bearded Quaker. Regardless, Second State... Read more

By March 5, 2015

Leisure

Willem de Looper’s paintings blur lines with color at Hemphill Gallery

“I don’t like abstract art,” muttered one of my roommates dismissively after glancing at photos from the exhibition I had just visited. “I mean, yeah, it’s pretty, but it’s all... Read more

By March 5, 2015

Leisure

Out of Control: Say goodbye to griefers, hello teamwork

Some of my fondest gaming memories happened at my local public library. Every so often, my brother and I would bike there to take advantage of its setup of multiple... Read more

By March 5, 2015

Leisure

Reel Talk: 2015 brings the box office back

This can be a sad, dark time of year for moviegoers. With awards season behind us and blockbuster season waiting for warmer weather, your local cinema’s fare may be looking... Read more

By March 5, 2015

Leisure

Critical Voices: AJR, Living Room

Surprise, listeners: the world is, in fact, ready for more AJR. Brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met gained prominence last year with their single “I’m Ready,” using the memorable line... Read more

By March 5, 2015

Leisure

Critical Voices: The Ripples, The Ripples

Skepticism is often the response when a college band promotes their music, but that shouldn’t be the case with The Ripples. The Georgetown band just released their eponymous second album,... Read more

By March 5, 2015

Leisure

Beethoven’s Eroica triumphs in GU Orchestra’s multimedia concert

  Every song has a story, and classical symphonies are no exception. Take, for example, the origins of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, the Sinfonia Eroica (Italian for “heroic... Read more

By February 26, 2015

Leisure

Focus fails to keep audience’s attention

While it certainly is not going to go down as one of the all time greats, or even as one of the all time goods, Focus has some enjoyable moments.... Read more

By February 26, 2015

Leisure

Orange Anchor makes port, calls all on deck for nautical comfort food

“Is it joy? Is it friendship? Is it experience? Is it a means to survival? What is food to you?” These are the kinds of questions my friend, Katherine, posed... Read more

By February 26, 2015