Leisure

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

Leisure

Ejiofor breaks chains and fourth wall in 12 Years a Slave

Full disclosure: I am a descendent of slave owners. However, it doesn’t take a sordid family history to be struck by the stark anguish of Solomon Northup’s (Chiwetel Ejiofor) captivity in 12 Years a Slave.

By October 17, 2013

Leisure

Under the Covers: When coming out is a crime

Born in 1973, Abdellah Taia is the first openly-gay Moroccan author to address the gay scene in North Africa. During OUTober, a celebration of LGBTQ culture here at Georgetown, I saw a friend post on Facebook about Taia’s new movie Salvation Army, an adaptation of the eponymous novel featuring a young, gay Moroccan boy.

By October 17, 2013

Leisure

Idiot Box: Primetime has gone brain dead

There’s something about zombies. I’m not sure if it’s the palatable idea of flesh-eating corpses or the escapism that a zombie apocalypse offers citizens of a government shutdown, but Americans just can’t get enough of The Walking Dead. Apparently, we like it even more than Sunday night football. This is a big deal for me, since I’m the kind of quintessential American that knows exactly what those cactus-shaped posts on either side of the field are for and wouldn’t dream of ignoring the Super Bowl until Beyoncé comes on. In short, zombies are huge.

By October 17, 2013

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Critical Voices: The Avett Brothers, Magpie and the Dandelion

“Let’s find something new to talk about / I’m tired of talking about myself,” Seth Avett sings in the opening lines of his band’s most recent release, Magpie and the Dandelion. Candid as always, the Avett Brothers confess in this moment the fear that keeps any well-established band up at night: How do we create something new, but stay true to ourselves?

By October 17, 2013

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Critical Voices: Paul McCartney, New

Paul McCartney is the only artist on earth who could get away with calling a new album “New.” New is not even all that new, as the album is pervaded by classic McCartney sounds and visions from his pre-Beatles days. But does this matter? Of course not. What does matter is that this is one of Sir Paul’s best solo works to date.

By October 17, 2013

Leisure

The District’s record stores will spin you right round, baby

If you’re fed up with pseudo indie, overpriced, and pretentiously displayed record collections, despair no more. The Voice has uncovered some gems that are sure to satisfy your craving for... Read more

By and October 10, 2013

Leisure

Newton’s Noodles proves derivative

Newton’s Noodles just added two items to the District’s gastronomic lexicon: the Fuzu and the Chork. No, this isn’t a culinary fable, but the new joint may be able to leave you with a lesson on how to do Asian-infused, fast-casual dining right.

By October 10, 2013

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Like half of American marriages, A.C.O.D. ends in failure

The day-to-day struggles familiar to children of divorce—like scrolling through a voicemail list only to find alternating angry messages from mom and dad—are fodder for comedy in the cute and sappy new film, A.C.O.D. (Adult Children of Divorce).

By October 10, 2013

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Comic relief hits D.C.

Midterm season is upon us. That means late nights in Lau, struggling to stay awake while reading “The Clash of Civilizations” for the eighth time, and gulping down that fifth cup of Corp coffee. Spirits are not so high around the Hilltop, but starting Oct. 10, the Bentzen Ball Comedy Festival offers a way to fix that.

By October 10, 2013

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Plate of the Union: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Breakfast was never big on my radar. In high school, it was a major accomplishment for me to remember to eat a Pop Tart, let alone actually put it in the toaster. Cold pizza was a go-to breakfast item. Occasionally, if I felt especially ambitious, I would crack an egg (and a few pieces of shell) into a cup of Bisquik in an attempt to make pancakes.

By and October 10, 2013

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Reel Talk: Honey, I brainwashed the kids!

Children experience a handful of formative moments: the first sleepover, the birth of a sibling, joining the Boy Scouts, getting kicked out of the Boy Scouts … the list goes on. But, today, our offspring are increasingly shaped by the media we subject them to. Parents face a constant stream of decisions about the shows and movies their children watch, the video games they play, the music they listen to, and the websites they visit. These are not decisions that should be taken lightly. They may ultimately determine whether your child grows up to be a Ron Howard or a Clint Howard.

By October 10, 2013

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Critical Voices: Miley Cyrus, Bangerz

Four months ago, when the music video for “We Can’t Stop” was uploaded to YouTube, the newest iteration of Miley Cyrus was presented to the world—and it was weird. On Tuesday, this changed version of the pop star we all knew and loved released Bangerz, and like the new version of Cyrus, it’s weird.

By October 10, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Glasser, Interiors

Glasser’s second full-length release, Interiors, shows no evidence of the structure its name might suggest. Instead, the expansive hollowness of this album gives Cameron Mesirow the freedom to drift through her musical dream world, but it leaves her audience yearning for something tangible to hold on to.

By October 10, 2013

Leisure

Latin American Film Fest redefines ‘Nuestra América’

A special screening of Matías Piñeiro’s Viola opened the 24th AFI Latin American Film Festival last week. At sixty-five minutes long, Viola is on the shorter side. Yet, like many of the films showcased at the festival, it requires a substantial emotional investment from its audience by accumulating small moments and glimpses into an intimate narrative of the characters’ lives.

By October 3, 2013

Leisure

Farbiarz illustrates the art of war

Georgetown is a maze of shops and stores that cover every street like a well-worn sweater. Students flock to Safeway for their groceries and to Sweetgreen, Georgetown Cupcakes, and Baked & Wired for their meals and snacks. But there are also thrift shops, used book stores, and art galleries that represent the small, local businesses that reside in the D.C. area. These shops each have their own flare, and Heiner Contemporary—with its newest exhibit “Take Me With You”—is no exception.

By October 3, 2013

Leisure

Inequality for All: Cash rules everything around me

Inequality for All is kind of like An Inconvenient Truth if Al Gore were approximately four-fifths his height and the environment were the economy. Both documentaries aim first to distill highly complex societal maladies into digestible graphics and memorable stories. In this respect, the film’s creator Robert Reich finds success. Unfortunately, like Gore’s Truth, Inequality for All ends up being as much a victory lap for its star as it is a case for a more just economy.

By October 3, 2013

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Under the Covers: Cyber goes post-modern

It’s 3:00 a.m. You’re in desperate need of some Chunky Monkey to finish your essay and a latte while you’re at it, but you can’t bring yourself to get up. (Plus, nothing is open at this hour but CVS.) Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door, and an angel wearing a “Kozmo” logo hands you the aforementioned treats. Is this heaven, the far future, the cutting edge of technology, perhaps?

By October 3, 2013

Leisure

Idiot Box: My star, my perfect silence

There’s something paradoxically satisfying about watching a great hero’s tragic downfall. Every tumble down a slippery slope confirms our expectations, even as that character manages to draw our sympathies on the road to perdition. Over the narrative arc of its consistently glorious five seasons, Breaking Bad has accomplished that difficult task of getting the audience to root for the bad guy throughout his descent into monstrosity. The problem is deciding whether or not to play to those sympathies when the end is nigh.

By October 3, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Blitzen Trapper, VII

It seems impossible for a band to be together for over a decade, release seven records, and still be considered “off the radar.” Nevertheless, Blitzen Trapper makes the impossible possible. The Portland-based quintet has been around since the turn of the century, showing off their offbeat style to a small but loyal following.

By October 3, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Lorde, Pure Heroine

Lorde isn’t old enough to drive. This detail is relevant not as incontrovertible proof that the New Zealand songstress is an astonishing prodigy, but because her songs are so concerned with movement: The shrinking distance between her and the world of fame and fortune, as she travels through her own unknown town on the back of a story she’s telling for the people unaccustomed to being the protagonists.

By October 3, 2013