by Ellen Kirkness ’12 Lady GaGa has 13,515,266, Barack Obama has 10,080,687, Daniel Tosh has 3,392,389 and Wiz Khalifa has 2,950,588. Followers on Twitter, that is. Next to each of their names, a small blue check appears. This check verifies, for the sake of the follower, that the tweeting celebrity that a follower wishes to monitor is indeed that person … Read More
SuperHeavy’s debut album generates the return of the supergroup with an unconventional but winning mixture of Bollywood, Rock, and Reggae. by Christopher Jou ‘12 Given the abundance of album releases this autumn, it is difficult for any band to stand out in the crowd, but when such high-profile celebrities release an album, it is almost impossible to fade into the … Read More
by Briana Applewhite ’13 There is a thin yet important line between meaningful violence and violence that is simply unnecessary. “Straw Dogs” falls into the latter distinction. Intended to be a suspenseful thriller that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, the movie instead repels viewers with cliché scare tactics and a ridiculous plot. Set in Blackwater, Mississippi, … Read More
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
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
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
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
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
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
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