There is a lot of talk about connection and unity in John Burnside’s “The Glister,” but ultimately the plethora of quasi-intriguing themes are never fully developed, leaving the reader with too many superfluous passages, unoriginal plot elements, linguistic nuances and an overall sense of vagueness as the author becomes engrossed in his own manipulation of language, neglecting clarity along the way.
Today, tomorrow and Saturday the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art will host an event that, despite being an annual occurrence, has a relatively small profile amongst even the film-savviest Madisonians: The Romanian Film Festival. The emergence of the so-called Romanian new wave, a young cinema born nearly 30 years after similar movements popped up throughout eastern Europe, is one of the more curious developments in recent film history.
There are myriad forms of laughter. Laughter can indicate unbridled joy, like the laughter friends share, the kind that is paired with misplaced idioms or flatulence or whatever. Diametrically, laughter can also be the first sign of a mind spiraling downward; a laughter that indicates outward signs of delirium tremens and an inability to cope with our particular reality.
A singer-songwriter, by traditional standards, depicts a bard-like guitar player who can interweave abstract or direct tales of social, personal or political commentary. The most common image behind this phrase has to be a young Bob Dylan, crafted in the mold of Woody Guthrie and singing with a similar country flavor and “This Machine Kills Fascists” political motivation.
The infamous 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner developed the idea of the gesamtkunstwerk (commonly translated as “total work of art”), a multimedia form of artistic production that, he argued, was more effective and affecting than any of the arts on their own.
French developer Quantic Dream has raised the bar high for what they tout as a new genre of storytelling in their latest PS3 exclusive crime-drama game, “Heavy Rain.” The basic premise is this: As he triangulates the identity and whereabouts of a serial killer and his victim, the player controls four characters, alternating between a caring father, an insomniac photojournalist, a drug-addicted FBI criminal profiler and a private investigator.
Brits love soccer, at times to an unhealthy degree. They love it so much that they have been known to kill, maim and disembowel each other in the name of football—and that is just the fans. The coaches and players, if anything, are even more vile, vicious and vitriolic, as shown in “The Damned United,” a biopic of former English Premier League coach Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) and the lead-up to his disastrous 44-day stint as head coach of league juggernaut Leeds United.
It’s easy to assume that “Bioshock 2,” a sequel that many fans and even original game designer Ken Levine wanted little to do with, is all about the Benjamins—a pointless entry diluting the purity of the original’s story and characters.
Umphrey’s McGee is a Chicago-based band known for their energetic live shows and impressive improvisation. Since their formation in 1997, they have kept a busy touring schedule, playing over a hundred shows each year. Long sets, stage banter and excellent lighting are some of the things that make an Umphrey’s McGee concert great.
“I’m destroying everything that wouldn’t make me more like Bruce Springsteen” If the Hold Steady brought bar rock to the arena, Titus Andronicus brought arena rock to the bar. Their latest, the comically ambitious Civil War-themed opus The Monitor, presents broad-stroke grandeur and unabashed zeal packed like sardines and dragged through the kind of muddy terrain most bands’ PR teams vow to avoid.
Madison movie theaters are being bum-rushed by recent releases from filmmakers commonly considered to be auteurs—directors whose distinctive artistic personalities are inscribed all over their respective oeuvres. Werner Herzog’s “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans,” Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon,” Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer,” John Woo’s “Red Cliff” and Noah Baumbach’s “Greenberg” will all enjoy runs on local screens this month.
With soft waves, a gentle breeze and some easy feelings, the introduction track of Gorillaz’ newest album, Plastic Beach, immerses you into a world of tropical peace. The next song, “Welcome to the Plastic Beach,” features Snoop Dogg, and as its title suggests, the song drives this beachy point home.
On my one-woman march to educate every single living person about the greatest things books contain, I was enlightened by a friend who told me she “didn’t have the time, y’know, to sit and read stuff.” This statement got me thinking: How do I make the time to “sit and read stuff?” For me, the idea of an afternoon curled up in a comfy armchair surrounded by unread books sounds just as good as relaxing on the Terrace in the sunshine with friends.
Many die-hard Lifehouse fans and music buffs alike remember the 2001 hit single “Hanging by a Moment” from the band’s debut album, No Name Face. Back then, the members of Lifehouse—original members Rick Woolstenhulme Jr. and Jason Wade—were unrecognizable faces.
Is it so wrong for me to like Beck’s Record Club recording of Oar better than Alex “Skip” Spence’s original cult classic? Well, I’m not willing to make that declaration, and even though that’s not entirely because of the (lack of) merit in liking a cover better, it made me wonder, should it be? In this instance, Spence’s original is just so heavy.
Something must have clicked in the minds of Frightened Rabbit over the last two years, because their latest album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, is one wrecking ball of a challenge compared to their previous two LPs. Only traces of their immature but always entertaining witticisms of old (“You’re the shit, and I’m knee deep in it,” “You must be a masochist to love a modern leper on his last leg,” etc.
Overhyped and over-“Johnny-fied” are the first two words that come to mind after seeing Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” done in collaboration with Disney as a sequel to the original cartoon. After months of anticipation, fans were finally welcomed this weekend to enter the gothic and fantastical adventure through the imagination and, ultimately, through oneself.
The Daily Cardinal Arts Staff makes their Oscar predictions.
BEST PICTURE Who will win: “Avatar” Who should win: “The Hurt Locker” Who was snubbed: “Fantastic Mr. Fox”/“Two Lovers” Because “Avatar” made so much goddamn money and because, for reasons beyond me, James Cameron’s name automatically connotes prestige.
The Daily Cardinal Arts Staffers take you through each of the Academy Award Nominated Shorts.
ANIMATED “French Roast” Despite being set in a Parisian coffee shop, fluency in French is unnecessary to gather that the protagonist of “French Roast” is an uptight jerk. He blithely ignores both the server waiting on him and the beggar tapping at his table for change.
What to make of the mystical and suspicious German filmmaker Werner Herzog? His oeuvre is as diverse as it is reliant upon the ineffable power of found images. For each precisely staged and framed composition there’s a shot whose effectiveness is largely a product of the essential strangeness of the natural world.
Determined to prove that I don’t entirely hate America, the global stage and the majesty of curling, I turned on the closing ceremonies of the Olympics Sunday night to make an honest effort at patriotism. And boy, did those goofy paperboy outfits worn by our U.
The Second City is a Chicago tradition, conceived in 1959 in the city’s Old Town neighborhood. Since then it has grown into a comedy enterprise, gaining increasing amounts of fame and respect for its improvisational sketch comedy. This past year marked Second City’s 50th anniversary.
Suppose the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, a group of African tribal drummers and a Mexican folk group were put in a recording studio together. The end result might be something close to the sound of the Ruby Suns’ 2008 release, Sea Lion. From the shimmering glockenspiel on “Kenya Dig It?” to the thumping ukuleles on “Oh, Mojave,” the Ruby Suns defined themselves with their global approach to sunny pop.
Have you seen the Coachella poster with the festival’s full lineup on it, including “Thom Yorke ????” scheduled as a headliner? What does that mean? Well, remember how Yorke had been noted performing new songs and Eraser material with an above-average crew? It turns out those shows were the answer to that series of question marks.
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