‘Tree of Life’ Roots Itself in Confusion

by Leah Schroeder ’13 Cinematography-wise, it was magnificent, but conceptually, there still aren’t words to express the full extent of my persisting confusion. Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life,” simply left me, and the rest of the audience, perplexed and slightly disturbed. Even now, I’m not entirely sure what the plot was. There is a 1950s family headed by a … Read More

‘Game of Thrones’ Offers Plenty for the Attentive Viewer

by Christopher Jou ‘12 A medieval fantasy series? Mature audiences only? It’s about time. With the majority of television shows either family-friendly sitcoms or reality television, I had been waiting for a series that makes me want to watch TV again. “Game of Thrones” premiered on April 17 and so far has been met with critical acclaim. A fairly amazing … Read More

Paisley Accurately Claims ‘This is Country Music’

by Ryan Coulter ‘12 One of country music’s most prominent singers is back with more stories to share. When naming an album “This is Country Music” you need to deliver on that promise and Brad Paisley does exactly that on his eighth studio album. “This is Country Music” offers 15 tracks of love, loss, family, sunshine, partying, hurt, hope and … Read More

Death Cab for Cutie Fuses Vintage Roots with a New Vibrant Sound

by Sam Farrell ‘12 In just about every sense, Death Cab for Cutie has represented the Indie platform and everything it has stood for the past six years. Even before they had their coming-of-age, before radios were blaring “Soul Meets Body” and “Crooked Teeth,” they were honing their indie roots with three gold albums from 1998 to 2001 that many … Read More

Latest X-Men Prequel Will Fly Far

by Cal Wilson ‘14 Let’s get straight to the heart of the matter. “X-Men: First Class” blows away any comic book based science fiction movie preceding it. Everything from its plot to the acting performances to special effects contributes to a action film that enthralls the audience. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, who also contributed to the screenplay, “X-Man: First Class” … Read More

Lady Gaga: This Generation’s Madonna

by Whitney-Marie Halaby ‘14 The notorious Lady Gaga, known for her unique choice of dress, her provocative songs and her outspokenness for gay and transgender rights, is continuously evolving into something new. But, as she becomes this generation’s Madonna, controversies follow her. The most recent uproar surrounded her song “Judas,” a single from her second album “Born This Way.” The … Read More

‘Hangover 2’ Generates Laughs, but Plays it Safe

by Brett Melnick ’12 Stolen tigers, kidnapped comrades, lost teeth, Mike Tyson and the Vegas strip: this was the formula to what some call the best comedy of the decade, “The Hangover.” The movie, directed by Todd Phillips, took audiences by surprise by earning critical acclaim and winning the Golden Globe award for best comedic motion picture. The original movie, … Read More

Café Rio Offers Nice Atmosphere, But Disappointing Food

by Abby Inwood ’13 When Chipotle opened a few months back to compete against California Tortilla, students probably believed they had all the Tex-Mex options they needed. Not only did they have the two national franchises, but also local restaurants such as Sol Azteca and El Andariego. Surely, four restaurants within a mile or two of each other qualifies as … Read More

Panera Takes Olney to Healthier Level

by Taylor Fernandes ‘14 With the help of its neighboring grocery store Harris Teeter, Olney’s new Panera Bread has been a success in more ways than one. Panera has found a way to satisfy lengthy lines of customers and keep them healthy at the same time. Surrounded by other new restaurants and stores, Panera Bread gets a lot of business. A … Read More

‘Source Code’ Explodes with Intrigue

  by Leah Schroeder ’13 If at first you don’t succeed, die, die again. In Duncan Jones’s “Source Code,” Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) re-lives and manipulates the last eight minutes of the life of another man, Sean Fentress, through an experimental program called source code. His goal is to identify the bomber of a Chicago commuter train and determine … Read More