Playlists

If you thought a medical student's talents were limited to Biology and standardized test-taking, you might be surprised to see the Art of Medicine. This exhibit, created exclusively by Medical students and faculty, runs through June 13 in the Fox Gallery of Logan Hall. Combining paintings, etchings, photography, and other types of media, the works of the Art of Medicine generally fall into two categories: those reflecting the Medical School experience, and those depicting emotions and events completely removed from Medicine altogether. "I do it as kind of an escape," said Elena Rosenbaum, a first-year medical student and artist explaining why she paints.
June 9, 2001 at 12:00 am

The greatest irony of Steven Sondheim's musical Passion, is that passion is the one emotion the show completely fails to evoke. Inspired direction and exquisite design are fleeting distractions, but ultimately not enough to rescue the Wilma Theatre's production from the clutches of a weak script and desperately slow plot. The play, set in 19th century Italy, opens with a rather risqu‚, although very tastefully done, sex scene between lovers, Army Captain Giorgio Bachetti (Christopher Innvar) and the otherwise married Clara (Kate Baldwin). The evolution of their all-consuming, seemingly perfect romance begins when Giorgio is sent away to a distant camp and quickly captures the heart of Fosca (Maree Johnson), the terminally ill cousin of the Colonel Ricci (Mark Jacoby), who proves to be the lovers' first obstacle (strangely Clara's husband does not prove himself to be a challenge to their love until much later in the play). The potential for the musical to depict the power and passion of true love is great, but falls short in a plot that wanders through sappy lyrics and repetitive scenes at a snail's pace.
June 9, 2001 at 12:00 am

Swordfish * * (two stars) Swordfish, director Dominic Sena's follow-up to Gone in Sixty Seconds, is the latest installment in the techno-thriller-action genre invading theaters with dizzying frequency. John Travolta plays Gabriel Shear, a rogue spy involved in his own game of cyber-dysfunction in which he plans to steal over $9 billion in government funds, an effort he claims will save the world from the threat of war With exactly that meager explanation, he approaches Stan Jobson (Hugh Jackman), a world-class hacker and cyber-criminal who once leapt from the cover of Wired magazine on to the FBI's most-wanted list. The Matrix-inspired visuals in the film's action scenes are impressive, from massive explosions with whirring bullets and shrapnel to a tour bus dangling from a helicopter over the Los Angeles skyline.
June 7, 2001 at 12:00 am

Thank goodness that Coldplay's lead singer lost his voice last time he and his bandmates took a stab at a US tour.
June 7, 2001 at 12:00 am

Shrek Soundtrack Various Artists * * (two stars) DreamWorks has a long way to go before it can catch Disney.
June 3, 2001 at 12:00 am

"Bizarre" isn't the right word, but it's the first that comes to mind." Victor Mancini, the latest creation of Chuck Palahniuk (see also: Fight Club), never seems to have the right words to eloquently explain his upturned life.
June 3, 2001 at 12:00 am

Love and hunger stemfrom the same primal instincts or so we are led to believe in The Baker's Wife. The play tells the story of the small French village of Concorde during the summer of the 1935.
June 3, 2001 at 12:00 am

Sexy Beast * (one star) Gangsters, violence and porn stars will more often than not captivate an audience for some time, unfortunately the formula fails in Sexy Beast. British gangster films have recently fluctuated between extreme violence and satiric comedy.
June 3, 2001 at 12:00 am

The Institute of Contemporary Art has temporarily been converted into an art studio for experimental artists both amateur and on the brink of discovery.
June 3, 2001 at 12:00 am

Fight Club created a cult-like sensation around author Chuck Palahniuk. And why shouldn't it, for the first time in a long time an author had the courage to challenge society's norms and put his balls on the line for his beliefs.
June 3, 2001 at 12:00 am

Moulin Rouge * * (two stars) Suspend your imagination. Let a whirlwind masterpiece of the musical theater enter the film world.
June 3, 2001 at 12:00 am

Chris and Luke are not hulking figures. They neither look like football players nor have an athletic scholarship for college.
May 28, 2001 at 12:00 am

Bensalem, PA Philadelphia Park Race Track By Robin Friedlander It's still dark at Philadelphia Park Race Track and in each of the 25 barns on the backside of the track, Mexican barn hands are muttering in Spanish as they muck stalls and fill water buckets.
May 28, 2001 at 12:00 am

On an autumn afternoon in 1971, two students and two German Shepherds walked into the office of Penn Provost Curtis Reitz. The students explained to Reitz that Penn had a problem.
May 28, 2001 at 12:00 am

There are numerous customs a Penn student may exploit in order to finagle a good grade. If you're into the Zach Morris modus operandi, for instance, you'll get your closest Screech-like friend to hack into the elusive Penn InTouch interior and click your B to an A.
May 28, 2001 at 12:00 am

A Chorus Line Walnut Street Theatre Company 9th and Walnut * * * (three stars) Vying for brand-name banking positions and notable internships, Penn students rarely pause to think of other job markets.
May 25, 2001 at 12:00 am

Several e-mails, one transatlantic flight and a couple of late night phone calls finally put me in contact with Darren Middleton, guitarist for Australia's latest rock sensation, Powderfinger.
May 25, 2001 at 12:00 am

Bleu 227 S. 18th St 215-545-9318 Bleu's location couldn't be better during the summer in Philadelphia.
May 25, 2001 at 12:00 am

1 - Penn's Landing 16th Annual Jam on the River James Brown, George Thorogood and Cheap Trick headline this year's Memorial Day festivities down at Penn's Landing. The fliers promote exotic foods from around the world, but most likely cheesesteaks and funnel cakes will prevail. Saturday May 26 - Cheap Trick, Maceo Parker, Fathead and your mom. Sunday May 27 - "The Godfather of Soul" James Brown and George Thorogood (look for Andrew Wilmot's feature next on life as a George Thorogood groupie) 2 - Dock & Roll Wine Brat joins Dock Street Brew Pub for Summer Wines and Beers.
May 25, 2001 at 12:00 am

Pearl Harbor * * * (three stars) The sappy love story forgiven, Pearl Harbor excels in offsetting periods of intensity with tranquility, seriousness with humor, and war with love.
May 25, 2001 at 12:00 am