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(10/31/14 5:18am)
At times, it’s hard to tell exactly how to feel during “Art and Craft.” The protagonist, Mark Landis, is a mentally handicapped man from a small town in the Midwest who becomes one of the most prolific art forgers of the past century. During a career that spans 30 years, Landis forges copies of hundreds of pieces of art and donates them to museums across Middle America. Curiously, although he could dupe just about any high–profile art collector with the quality of his forgeries, Landis decides instead to donate them, almost just for the fun of it. However, all good things eventually must come to an end, including Landis’ run. An enterprising museum registrar eventually comes across his scam and doggedly pursues him, eventually bringing him to the attention of the art community.
(09/02/14 9:38pm)
Gone are the days when Maroon 5 wrote bluesy rock songs. Adam Levine and Co. have fully embraced poppy dance rock. Despite this massive change in formula, the group still knows how to write a catchy single, as evidenced by “Maps”. Layers of Levine’s silky vocals slide easily over bright and infectious pop riffs on songs like “In Your Pocket”. He remains the real star of the show, showcasing an impressive vocal range throughout the tracklist. While the middle of the album does drag at points and some songs get lost in the process, “V” is still a solid offering from the veteran band.
(09/02/14 9:34pm)
If you have heard “Problem,” “Bang Bang,” or any other of Ariana Grande’s smash singles this summer, then you have already heard her entire sophomore album. Her collection of unassuming, mid-tempo songs run together so easily that it’s almost impossible to tell them apart. The tracks from album opener “Intro” to title track “My Everything” sound digitally polished to perfection, with no room for experimentation. A collection of guest stars occasionally help to break the monotony, but none have a particularly great effect. Ariana Grande has a massive set of pipes, but until she’s able to use more than one chord progression, no song will really stand out.
(03/27/14 12:52pm)
“Shakira:” Shakira
(01/30/14 2:35pm)
“RESTORING FORCE”
(11/12/13 5:23pm)
The newest entry in the Marvel cinematic universe gives us reason to believe in gods again. “Thor: The Dark World” is easily one of the funniest, most action packed and watchable Marvel films to date. Director Alan Taylor of “Game of Thrones” fame brings a new fantasy element to the franchise, exploring new locations not seen in the first movie starring the god of thunder and the home of the dark elves.
The plot is relatively straightforward: there’s evil out there, and the hero with a hammer (Chris Hemsworth) has to go smite it. As such, the focus is not so much on the plot as it is on the script, especially the interactions between Thor and Loki, whose bromance is one for the ages. Seriously. They’re adorable. Speaking of Loki, fan–favorite Tom Hiddleston turns in another powerful performance, stealing scenes whenever he appears on screen.
“The Dark World” also lives up to its title, adding plenty of tragedy to the mix, which so far has been largely absent from the Marvel movie canon. To the film’s credit, however, the tragedy is not overstated and greatly adds to the depth of the storyline. Overall, while it may not break any real ground in the superhero genre, “Thor: The Dark World” never bores and turns out to be an improvement from its predecessor.
Grade: A-
Rating & Runtime: PG-13, 120 mins.
See if you liked: “The Avengers”
(10/31/13 9:31am)
With their new remix album “Recharged,” which includes only one new song, Linkin Park has finally eliminated all doubt that there is any rock left in their sound. What the listener is left with is a set of poorly thought out, overproduced songs that seem to be inspired by subpar Skrillex. There is no heart left in the band’s music, if they can even be called a band anymore, since all one hears is processed, electronic beats. “Recharged” is the sound of a band who is desperately trying to stay relevant, ride a trend and make a buck at their fans’ expense.
(10/23/13 9:15am)
Marc Vetri moves from prix fixe to pizzeria.
(10/17/13 9:01am)
Sleigh Bells has been described as a “noise pop” group, and they do nothing if not live up to exactly that description. Their latest offering, “Bitter Rivals,” is a perfect example of the sound that brought them to fame: loud, brash and volatile. Enjoyable in a throw away sort of way, the album features lead singer Alexis Krauss crooning, shouting and belting over a pack of distorted guitars and pounding beats. The duo has developed significantly more melody than on previous albums, as evidenced by standout tracks “Young Legends” and title track “Bitter Rivals.” The album’s aggressive nature might not be for everyone, but it will prove to be a lot of fun for those who let it.
(10/15/13 1:13am)
Don’t take your kids to see “Machete Kills.” Seriously. The sheer amount of blood, gore and violence is enough to send any parents group into a frenzy. As an homage to the exploitation flicks of the past, Robert Rodriguez’s franchise follows an ex–Federale named Machete (Danny Trejo), who is out for justice and vengeance, usually with a bloody touch. While I wasn’t a big fan of the first film, the second installment proved to be enormously entertaining. It was, in a word, ridiculous. In fact, it was the single most ridiculous movie I have ever seen. But in a good way.
(10/11/13 6:35pm)
Penn students may not be able to enjoy “Runner Runner” for one reason: Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake), the protagonist, goes to Princeton.
Despite this particular unsavory detail, the movie proved to be a pleasant surprise. Let me quantify: “Runner Runner” will not be hailed as a classic anytime soon. Its lead is weak, and clichés riddle the script. However, for every bad thing in the movie, some good balances it out. That cliché-ridden script runs wild with great one-liners and trots along at a brisk pace, never getting bogged down in too much drama. It focuses on the plot and refuses to let Timberlake try to act too much. Truthfully, the only real word to describe JT in the film is “meh,” but Ben Affleck more than makes up for it as the villain, Ivan Block. His menacing presence throughout the movie is not lost on the audience, who tenses up whenever he appears on screen, not sure what he’ll do next.
Although much of the third act turns out to be very, very predictable, the end still proves to be a satisfying finale. The film is short, sweet and to the point, not dragging its conclusion out any farther than it needs to. For its hour and a half run time, it’s well worth the price of admission.
Grade: B
Rating & Runtime: R, 91 minutes
See if you Liked: “Ocean’s Eleven”
(10/03/13 6:00pm)
An absolute pressure cooker of a film, “Parkland” presents an intimate and visceral look at events following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The film’s action begins in the titular building, Parkland Memorial Hospital, where both President Kennedy and assassin Lee Harvey Oswald died, and then expands to encompass new players. It examines the events that transpired in Dallas from completely new vantage points and follows characters that the public never thought to consider.
(09/26/13 9:20am)
After three years without new music, Tennessee–based rockers Kings of Leon have returned to the spotlight with their latest album, “Mechanical Bull.” Overall, the album disappoints more than it excites. The band has not experienced much growth on this album; their formula has remained too much the same to make for engaging listening. Despite this, there are some highlights, including the groove–laden opening track “Super Soaker,” the more atmospheric “Wait for Me” and the U2–esque “Coming Back Again.” Although it doesn’t break much ground, Kings of Leon’s southern–tinged rock and roll is never an unpleasant listen. It just never becomes memorable.
(09/20/13 2:00pm)
The fast–paced trailer for the action movie “Homefront,” based on a novel by Chuck Logan and due in theaters Nov. 27, was released this week, and it looks to be a treat for fans of the undercover–cop–fights–meth–dealers genre.