Leisure

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

Leisure

Subversive Polk Street is filled with seasons of love

A hustler wrestling with addiction, a transvestite dancer struggling to conquer her “mind and body” problem, a successful businessman trying to salvage what is left of a crumbling neighborhood, and an “indestructible” Reverend tired of identifying bodies of the ones he loves. These are just some of the stories celebrated in Polk Street, written and directed by T. Chase Meacham (COL ’15). A co-production between Mask & Bauble and Nomadic, Polk Street is inspired by Joey Plaster’s “Polk Street Stories,” a special radio broadcast sponsored by NPR.

By March 14, 2013

Leisure

Fragmentation deconstructs reality

If you happen to be one of the many people who decry abstract art to be nothing more than blobs of paint haphazardly splattered on canvas, then the Morton Fine Art Gallery’s newest exhibit, Fragmentation and Integration, probably isn’t for you. If you have an appreciation for the form or a mind open to exploring new mediums, however, the exhibit offers a thought provoking experience for both art-enthusiasts and newcomers alike, largely due to its laid-back environment and the relative accessibility of some of the works.

By March 14, 2013

Leisure

It’s hard to deny a mandate to Chilean political film No

After taking Cannes 2012 by storm and snagging an Oscar nomination, director Pablo Larraín’s No is finally stateside. Following the media campaign launched against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet during his 1988 plebiscite election, Larraín’s film also presents a fascinating critique of mainstream media and a harrowing tale of survival and victory under the repressive regime.

By March 14, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Mindless Behavior, All Over the World

It’s not difficult to imagine the kind of drunken scenario in which teen band Mindless Behavior was named, and their latest album fails to indicate any deeper thought. Though promising addictive tracks that perfectly fit the definition of “ear candy,” All Around the World offers the kind of forgettable music that we see flit across pop charts on a daily basis.

By March 14, 2013

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Critical Voices: Eric Clapton, Old Sock

As the only three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Eric Clapton has little left to accomplish. Already described as one of the most influential guitarists of all time, the British rock and blues artist can look on his 51-year career with a certain pride, but he does so with tremendous gratitude directed toward the early influences that brought him to the top of the music world. Clapton’s 20th studio album, Old Sock, pays tribute to these giants by respectfully drawing on their repertoire while injecting his unique Clapton-esque style into every note.

By March 14, 2013

Leisure

Under the Covers: Laura makes the sun shine

I was having one of those days. It was nauseatingly bright all morning and dreary when the afternoon covered the sky with clouds. No one was saying the right thing, and to the friend that asked if I was “sick or tired or something”: yeah, don’t even say that when I’m in a good mood. On the way back from class, prepared to hide from the world in a shuttered room with only Netflix for company, I got the unfailingly splendid email from the RHO announcing a package.

By March 14, 2013

Leisure

Reel Talk: That’s some funny shit

Tommy Wiseau: a name that sends a shiver down the spine of scrupulous movie critics. This heavily-accented film auteur came into the spotlight when audiences took note of his pet project The Room. What should have been an easily dismissed shitty two-hour soap opera gained an instant cult following precisely because its inane script, sloppy acting, and lurid sex scenes appealed to audiences’ craving for that rare “incomprehensibly bad” movie.

By March 14, 2013

Leisure

Writing on the wall: Roger Gastman pumps up the Corcoran

Sterile, white-washed walls of art galleries often eclipse the very artwork they present, sending the comparatively insignificant pieces into a void beyond the reach of memory and effortless appeal. Pump Me Up: D.C. Subculture of the 1980s, the Corcoran’s latest exhibit running through Apr. 7, evades this danger and becomes a vibrant work of art in and of itself while cataloguing the tumult of the D.C. underground scene.

By February 28, 2013

Leisure

Curb your enthusiasm about Stoker

A mother tells her daughter, “Personally speaking, I can’t wait to watch life tear you apart.” The mother proceeds to flirt with her recently deceased husband’s brother. You think the daughter’s going to just sit there and let this happen? Probably not.

By February 28, 2013

Leisure

aCHORDance and University fail to achieve harmony

With a cappella groups an established fixture on college campuses everywhere, Georgetown students are hardly unique in their desire to belt. Though the Hilltop isn’t typically known for the arts, it nevertheless boasts nine University-recognized a cappella groups.

By February 28, 2013

Leisure

Pre-Raphael art returns

In his creative manifesto Concerning the Spiritual in Art, the great Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky writes admiringly about the non-materialism of the Pre-Raphaelites—men who “sought for the ‘inner’ by way of the ‘outer.’”

By February 28, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Autre Ne Veut, Anxiety

There’s something unsettling about Autre Ne Veut, a.k.a. Arthur Ashin, and it’s not his inscrutable French. The formerly anonymous indie rock artist known for distorting 1980s R&B on his 2010 self-titled debut has a way of getting under your skin, his superb sophomore effort undeniably stronger proof of this ability to draw from a variety of influences to create an ethereal and dissonant sound. True to its name, Anxiety is marked by a perpetual state of instability, yet it disturbs in the best possible way.

By February 28, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Atoms for Peace, Amok

When a couple of Radiohead members, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and a drummer from R.E.M., get in a recording studio together, it’s difficult to imagine anything mediocre coming out. Propelled by Radiohead singer-lyricist Thom Yorke, the supergroup Atoms for Peace has managed to produce Amok, a strong debut marked by magnetic bass lines and heavily produced electronics, though it doesn’t quite meet the standard expected of such a talented yet motley crew.

By February 28, 2013

Leisure

Paper View: La Revolución de Univisión

February was a bad month for NBC. Two of NBC’s fall favorites, The Voice and Revolution were still on hiatus. Smash debuted poorly in its second season premiere alongside comedic flop 1600 Penn and dreadful dramas Do No Harm and Deception. Pile that on to a weak slate of major sporting event contracts and Ted Turner’s National Broadcasting Company was bound to take a tumble. But no one expected this. NBC fell from first in November to fifth in the February “sweeps” race, a key period for advertisers assessing the impact of their dollars and negotiating new contracts.

By February 28, 2013

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Loose Cannon: The Herman Cain of Gtown

As some who keep up with campus politics may know, I recently ran, and failed spectacularly, in a bid for the presidency of GUSA (Goosa). I plan to share with y’all, my dearest readers, the lessons I learned in the pursuit of Georgetown’s highest office. You might ask, “Cannon, why in the world are you telling me any of this? I don’t give a flippity-floppity-fudge about GUSA.” In response, I would argue that these lessons are extremely relevant to you—yes, you. I cannot stress enough that the most important thing I learned was that everyone should run for the presidency. So consider this column a debriefing on how to, or how not to, run your future campaign.

By February 28, 2013

Leisure

Moving and hilarious, Vagina Monologues hits the spot

The Vagina Monologues are a triumph of abrasive femininity, bluntly delivering those thoughts and experiences that are otherwise expressed with wincing embarrassment and diluted with euphemisms. What is most striking about this delivery is that it is accomplished exclusively by Hoya women. This production of The Vagina Monologues is produced, directed, and performed completely by Georgetown’s own. You might recognize these women from around campus or from your classes, and witnessing their passion and ferocity on stage will both shock and inspire you.

By February 21, 2013

Leisure

Daikaya forecast: It’s raining ramen

After an unbearably long day of walking from class to class in damp and depressing weather, I couldn’t wait to head to Chinatown to grab a steaming bowl of soup at Daikaya, D.C.’s latest ramen joint.

By February 21, 2013

Leisure

Oscar short and sweet

We all know Hollywood loves a happy ending, but the Oscar-nominated short films this year have managed to instill a sense of hope into their tales of struggle without artificially inducing conventional closure of the cheesy variety. In more ways than one, these brief snapshots offer a more valuable insight into the human condition than many of their feature-length counterparts.

By February 21, 2013

Leisure

Mike Birbiglia returns to GU, aims to kill with laughter

Mike Birbiglia (COL ’00) won “Funniest Person on Campus” his sophomore year at Georgetown—let’s see if he’s still got it. His latest one man show, “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” will run for five nights at the Davis Center’s Gonda Theater beginning Monday, Feb. 25.

By February 21, 2013

Leisure

Critical Voices: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away

A band that successfully released 15 albums certainly earns the right to poetic license and work packed with perplexing content, but a limit on such creativity should be observed. The Australian group Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds become an unfortunate testament to this fact with the release of Push the Sky Away, an album so tumultuous in quality of music that the entire LP is nearly unbearable. Wildly swinging between refreshing spiritual revelations and sex-fueled rants by an apparent drunk old man, Push the Sky Away is salvaged only by its soothing instrumentation.

By February 21, 2013