The conception, production, and release of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is truly a whirlwind story in its own right. With an exceptional cast consisting of Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, and Jessica Biel, Hitchcock is the definition of Oscar bait. Director Sacha Gervasi’s innovative telling of Alfred Hitchcock’s story sets[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
Fear of the feminine captured by an entirely female cast, McGill English department’s production of The Revenger’s Tragedy by Thomas Middleton adds a layer of gendered irony to the Jacobean-era tragedy. This directorial choice by Patrick Neilson illuminates the period’s anxiety regarding women’s sexuality, bringing together a variety of lively[Read More…]
Lincoln: moral progress has never looked so glorious
The vote to finally abolish slavery in the U.S. was so very close—shockingly close, in fact. Two more votes could have continued to condemn an entire class of living, breathing human beings to the status of property. If the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, Abraham Lincoln is[Read More…]
Monkeys vs. Adam and Eve: Players’ Theatre holds court
Society generally accepts Darwin’s theory of evolution. Nevertheless, there remain pockets that deny its validity—the state of Tennessee, for instance, recently began teaching creationism in schools. With the origins of man still a controversial topic, McGill student Annabel Raby decided to direct Inherit the Wind: a play examining both sides[Read More…]
A ‘must-see’ that lives up to the name
This is what the much-lauded American meritocracy looks like: urban, moral, and spiritual decay; an existence battered by the cruelty of Lady Luck, who wields the Sword of Damocles—always one misstep away from the abyss of abject poverty. Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, who received the Pulitzer Prize for Rabbit Hole (2007),[Read More…]
Could Be Good
COMEDY: Comedy in Biblical Proportions Comedian Robby Hoffman explores the world’s most popular book—The Bible—with a perspective that only a honed comedic edge can provide. Friday Nov. 23, 9:30 p.m., Theatre Ste. Catherine (264 St. Catherine East). Tickets $14. FILM FESTIVAL: Image+Nation LGBT Film Festival The oldest LGBT film festival in Canada[Read More…]
Twilight surpasses admittedly low expectations
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2, the conclusion to the popular vampire franchise, is a good movie. Not great—this is Twilight we’re talking about—but good. Yes, I’m just as surprised as you are. The final Twilight film, directed by Bill Condon, is by far the best of the series. It’s[Read More…]
Books on books: award-winning authors share their insights
In his youth, Julian Barnes’ bibliophilia took on near-pathological proportions. Much like the shoe-obsessed, 2011’s Man Booker prize winner would spend the vast share of his disposable income on books, driving from town to town in search of secondhand treasures. “I bought with a hunger which I recognize, looking back,[Read More…]
From protests to poutine, ABC:MTL introduces the city
There are the usual famous attractions—the view from Mount Royal, a stroll through Old Port, the obligatory late night poutine. Yet Montreal is a city of multiplicities that extend beyond its tourist tropes. The Canadian Centre for Architecture’s (CCA) newest project, ABC: MTL, offers an invitation to the deeper realities[Read More…]
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2 Official Soundtrack
The press release promised “an intriguing and irresistible line-up of artists” including Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding, and Feist. But the soundtrack to Twilight—Breaking Dawn Part 2 could leave even the ‘Twihards’ disappointed. The mood of the album is—for the most part—mellow: the majority of tracks are the sort of slow-building,[Read More…]