The Tribune

This month, men have been wearing their charitable aspirations on their upper lips, sporting Movember ‘staches of all sizes and descriptions. Meanwhile, across the globe, a vast cohort of people have been letting their imaginations, rather then their facial hair, run wild. Less visible than sporting a ‘stache, but no[Read More…]

I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas music, but A Very She & Him Christmas has some renditions so refreshing and sweet they actually make me excited for a holiday I don’t celebrate. Zooey Deschanel’s charming voice is at the forefront accompanied by minimal instrumentation, mainly guitar and ukulele from[Read More…]

Usually the movies that come out during the holiday season fall into one of two categories: Big budget blockbuster flicks sure to draw in restless crowds emancipated from work and school, or last minute Oscar bids hoping to become critical darlings. Either way, December is a good month for movies.[Read More…]

Many of us would define success by how recognizable our face is. Imagine how puppeteers must feel, since their main responsibility is to stay entirely out of their audience’s eyesight. Kevin Clash, the innovator behind the world’s most popular puppet—Elmo—doesn’t seem to mind.  Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey documents Clash’s[Read More…]

Emily Doyle / Players’ Theatre Dark comedy is a perplexing concept. Though initially a contradiction in terms, most people understand the subtlety involved in such a label. The work may make upsetting issues “lighter”; perhaps, conversely, it may convey typical subjects of comedy in acidic, disturbing ways. In both of[Read More…]

eraziel.com The Artist is cinema for cinephiles. Set at the dawn of the Golden Age of Hollywood, it’s at once a post-mortem and celebration of the silent genre. Director Michel Hazanavicius crafts a rich, beautiful world using minimalist cinematic strokes by today’s standards, and in his effort takes the viewer[Read More…]

filmofilia.com On the all-time stoner comedy list, A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas doesn’t sniff any of the classics—Up In Smoke and Half Baked are safe—nor does it approach the charm of its White Castle predecessor; however, no one’s going to argue that this movie isn’t a good time.[Read More…]

You recognize success in mixing genres when connoisseurs on either side think the music is beyond their field. My friend, a venerable bluegrass expert, recommended Goat Rodeo Sessions to me, saying he failed to understand the classical nuances. After I listened to this album, I wanted to give it back,[Read More…]

Drake is living proof that not every rapper has to resort to insipid, vapid rhymes about dollar bills and girls in order to still talk about dollar bills and girls. Returning strong with his second studio album Take Care, Drake continues to rely on his articulate, straightforward lyrics and his[Read More…]

straight.com The first thing to note about Immortals is that it’s not 300, at least not entirely. Directed by the remarkable Tarsem Singh and produced by 300 frontmen Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari, Immortals brings an eclectic blend of stunning visual and creative elements together fairly successfully. Set in the realm[Read More…]