By Alesha Bradford, Contributing Writer This is perhaps the first book interview to start with a live guitar performance. Loudon Wainwright III is better known as an actor, prolific songwriter and folksinger. On Thursday, September 7th at The Strand, he treated his audience to one of his more famous songs, “Surviving Twin”. Across from Wainwright sat…
Footnotes Creates Engaging, Yet Temporary Musical World
By Jillian Harrington, Contributing Writer The Hollywood musical may be one step closer to resurgence. “Footnotes” is a French film full of singing, dancing, high-heeled leather shoes, romance, economic insecurity–and not much else, but that’s okay. The star, Julie (Pauline Etienne), is introduced as a young woman floating aimlessly in southeastern France, her only goal…
Tete-A-Tamasha
By Pragya Gianani, Staff Writer Welcome to Tete-A-Tamasha, your weekly dose of a brown girl playing into the brown girl stereotype of incessantly talking about Bollywood. “Tamasha” is Hindi for “a great disturbance” or “a grand performance”, which I think sums up the contradictory nature of South Asian film quite succinctly. I don’t know what a…
Afro Trap Pioneer, Viral French Rapper MHD Headlines in Times Square
By Aïcha Fall, Contributing Writer Last Thursday, French Afro trap artist MHD headlined at the PlayStation Theatre in Times Square, placing him alongside a small list of French artists to headline a US Tour. A pioneer in his own right, 22-year-old Mohamed Sylla is often referred to as the king of Afro trap, a term he…
“mother!” is Aronofsky’s Boldest and Best
By Tyler Stevens, Contributing Writer Darren Aronofsky, the bold, brash, and often unclassifiable auteur behind such modern classics as “Requiem for a Dream”, “The Wrestler”, and “Black Swan”, has never been known for his subtlety. The aforementioned films, all heavy and masterful in their own right, hit with the power of an eighteen-wheeler and leave…
A Tribute to Adam West: The Batman
By Carter Glace, Staff Writer One of the reasons I wanted to start this semester talking about “Wonder Woman” is to give me more time to put my thoughts into words for this. Over the summer, Adam West, most well known for his role as Bruce Wayne in the 1960’s Batman television series, passed away….
Arcade Fire Commences U.S. Tour at Madison Square Garden
By Nicole Rosenthal, Contributing Writer Indie rock legends Arcade Fire kickstarted the American leg of their tour Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in what proved to be a gorgeous, extravagantly executed performance. The Montreal-based group, known widely for their lavish and multi-layered instrumentation, implemented a career-spanning set which ranged from their 2004 debut album…
Hump Day Update 9/20/17
By Rachel A.G. Gilman, Staff Writer Welcome back to Hump Day Update, the place to find out everything you need to know about what’s been going on in the entertainment world for the week. I’m Rachel A.G. Gilman. But enough about me, let’s get to the news. In local music news, Sir Paul McCartney took…
“Woodpeckers”–Communicating Through Bars
By Woojung Kim, Contributing Writer The Dominican Republic’s Oscar entry for foreign language film, “Woodpeckers,” directed by Jose Maria Cabral, is a story of love within the unconventional confines of a prison cell. Though “Woodpeckers” has its flaws, it is a charming film that presents the perseverance of love even under loveless circumstances. The film…
“Greed Is Good” Turns 30
By Daniella Nichinson, Film Editor Few films define the decadent decade of the 1980s as accurately and with such brutal honesty as Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street.” Not only did Stone introduce audiences to a name now synonymous with greed—Gordon Gekko—but he also crafted a film that captured the turbulence and consequences of the corrupt, cocaine-fueled…
Technology or Drugs. Love and Basketball.
By David Wagner, Contributing Writer Vulfpeck are known not only for their good music, but for throwing the funkiest shindigs around. This ebullient group of old classmates from the University of Michigan have made a name for themselves for having the tightest rhythm section in the game. On Sunday at Brooklyn Steel, Vulfpeck lived up…
“The Big Red One: The Reconstruction” – A Rough But Solid War Film
By Jessica Ji, Contributing Writer Samuel Fuller was one of the most influential American filmmakers of the 20th century. To commemorate his work addressing the subject of war, the Museum of the Moving Image will be hosting a series called “Film Is Like a Battleground: Sam Fuller’s War Movies,” including his World War II epic,…
