Scene

News

Three directors prove cinema still has a future

By Donny T Sheldon | April 21

I’ve been ranting, raving, reviewing and, as of recent, trashing “Avatar” for four years now, but my time has finally come to an end with The Eagle. Before I bid this fine publication farewell and we enter the second decade of the 21st century, I want to take a look back at the past 10 years and spotlight a few directors I think you should all trust in the future.

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News

Dance/Metro DC discovers ‘Dance is the Answer’

By Olivia Stitilis | April 21

Do you love watching different types of dance? Have you always wanted to go outside your comfort zone and try a hip-hop or African dance class? Then “Dance is the Answer,” simply put, is the answer for you.

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News

Vampire Weekend, Lady Gaga reinvent music videos for Internet

By Maggie Hollander | April 21

Some might say that earlier this year — when MTV officially took the word “music” out of their logo — is the day the music video died. Although Web sites such as YouTube allow fans to watch a music video as many times as they want, music videos no longer define an artist. In fact, they seem to have very little impact on our lives compared to a decade ago when Britney Spears was doing full-fledged routines rather than just sitting there, naked.

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News

‘Middlesex’ observes family unit through intersex lens

By Katrina Casino | April 21

“Meehdlesex? What ees Meehdlesex?” This is the question I was asked one day at work when I left the book I was reading out on the register. I had taken the plunge to read “Middlesex,” a 500-plus page behemoth, for two reasons. First, I couldn’t possibly read “The Virgin Suicides” one more time. “Suicides” and “Middlesex” are author Jeffrey Eugenides’ only two novels, and the latter had always seemed too daunting. Which brings me to my second reason: HBO is adapting the novel into a miniseries produced by Rita Wilson and writer Donald Magulies.

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News

Mission Improvable seniors laugh off farewells to AU

By Linda Barnhart | April 18

Mission Improvable, AU’s premier improv group, presented their last hilarious show of the semester in the Tavern Thursday night. Graduating seniors performed the group’s favorite skits like “Dating Game” and “Good Cop, Bad Cop” for their last time, bidding the university farewell while cracking jokes and relieving pre-exams stress.

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News

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ stays true to tradition

By Ben Schwartz | April 18

When playing a part as beloved, well-known and demanding as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” there are definite dos and don’ts. It is important not to subtract from the character that has given it universal appeal. Tevye is such a cultural icon that it is of paramount importance that he remain recognizable. On the other hand, a large part of what makes Tevye so beloved in the first place is that those who have played him (Topol and Zero Mostel) have imbued the character with so much of themselves. It is important that the part be distinct and reflect the actor, with neither the role nor the player overwhelming the other.

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News

Middle East opens eyes to unknown

By William F Zeman | April 18

Dear Reader, This is my last abroad column. I’ve been abroad since last June, and have been writing this column since August. I’ve submitted a lot of articles to be published — most of them terrible, but hopefully a passable one or two managed to slip in. I maintain no illusions about my readership. I’ve only ever received two comments — one when I misspelled “Frankfurt,” and a response from AU Abroad when I revealed some less than estimable actions taken by a study-abroad provider. (I apologize for misspelling Frankfurt. Not sure how I missed that.) I imagine that you, dear reader, have come across this column the same way I did - waiting for someone at the University Center, skimming the tattered remains of a Scene section, looking for some hilariously uninformed pseudo-intellectual posturing you can mock when your friend arrives.

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News

MUTEMATH pops bubbles, breaks rock ‘n’ roll mold

By Maggie Hollander | April 18

The Grammy-nominated alternative rock band MUTEMATH have their own style and their own groove. Even the band members themselves have difficulty defining what makes them so unique. The band’s tour with 30 Seconds to Mars will bring them to AU’s Bender Arena April 23. They are also just beginning to record their third album.

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News

Director Derrick Borte’s debut knocks consumer obsession

By Bryan Koenig | April 18

Modern American society is a consumer culture where everything is bought and sold in a never entirely truthful relationship between buyer and seller. “The Joneses” takes that culture to the next logical conclusion in an emotional, funny and eye-opening movie about the blurred lines between customer and salesmen.

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News

HBO series keeps music alive in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans

By Maisie Hooper | April 18

The new HBO drama “Treme” follows the residents of a small New Orleans neighborhood three months after Hurricane Katrina. The pilot of the series, “Do You Know What it Means,” opens as locals prepare for the first second–line parade, a New Orleans tradition, since the storm. Musicians warm up as others dress themselves in feathers and prepare to walk. Many of the city’s residents have not returned, but those who have are determined to continue in the character that New Orleans is known for.

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News

Family-focused art exhibition transforms trash into treasure

By Stephan Cho | April 18

Before you even make your way to the entrance of the Hillyer Art Space, you’re greeted with what artist Clarke Bedford likes to call an “art car” — a mangled family van cluttered with chicken wire and scrapheap protrusions.

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News

Dead jokes hold back ‘Death at a Funeral’ from laughs

April 18

The new “Death at a Funeral” film is the perfect example of America taking wry British humor and royally screwing it up. While it’s not the worst comedy of the year, “Death” was a remake that had no business being created in the first place, and what’s worse is that the script was written by the man who created the original, Dean Craig.

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News

Music notes

April 18

Reviews of Neil Diamond's "Hot August Night/NYC," Patrick Park's "Come What Will" and Dr. Dog's "Shame, Shame."

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News

AU music club Spinoza plays in silence for charity

By Michael W. Richardson | April 14

The members of Spinoza will prove more than practice makes perfect. This study group of musicians meets once a week to learn how to perfect their instruments. Spinoza’s Practice-a-thons promote dedication while raising support for the Sitar Arts Center, an organization that provides arts education to at-risk youth.

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News

Hipsters: reject over-the-counter culture

By Katrina Casino | April 14

When the Three 6 Mafia told us that it was hard out there for a pimp, they had no idea what it was like being a hipster. And while it’s no longer safe to say that hipsters don’t have the benefit of sporting pimp things like gold chains, teeth or goblets of drank, we all have to admit one thing: it’s expensive to be a hipster.

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News

Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock resurrect 'Death at a Funeral'

April 14

Loud-mouthed comedian Tracy Morgan and comedian/actor/producer Chris Rock prove that they are two birds of a feather in their latest comedic film, “Death At A Funeral.” The movie is a remake of a 2007 British film of the same name. While both scripts were written by Dean Craig, Neil LaBute (“Lakeview Terrace,” “The Wicker Man”) took the director’s chair this time around. Aside from Morgan and Rock, the film boasts an ensemble cast of talented actors and actresses like Zoe Saldana, James Marsden, Danny Glover and Columbus Short.

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News

Carey Mulligan proves abilities in complex, deliberate ‘The Greatest’

By Lydia Field | April 14

The process of grieving is commonly broken down into five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But what happens when your grief cannot be categorized into such clear-cut categories? The movie “The Greatest” shows us that loss is too personal to fit any formula. It is the story of a family trying to understand not only their own grief, but also how their dead son’s pregnant girlfriend fits into their lives.

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