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News

'High Noon' stands against war

By Neora Luria | November 30

The thrill of a Western lies in its guaranteed action and violence. But what if a Western was to speak against the idea of violence? Contemplation, not action, powers Fred Zinneman's "High Noon." The hero, Kane (Gary Cooper), marries Amy (Grace Kelly), but immediately after the ceremony he receives news that old foe Miller is returning to town at noon to seek revenge on a past quarrel they had.

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News

Middle-Eastern food fares well

By Rebecca Shillenn | November 30

Skewers 1633 P Street N.W. (202) 387-7400 Metro: Dupont Circle (red line) Price: $7-$20 Grade: A Skewers is halfway between Dupont's hustle and bustle and Adams Morgan's crowds, but it's more than worth the walk. The restaurant has a comfortable atmosphere, prices low enough for the college budget and food that is shockingly good.

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News

D.C. garage band opens for NY Dolls

By Hilary Crowe | November 30

Local D.C. garage rock band The Hall Monitors never dreamed they would one day be billed with the likes of proto-punk, garage-glam rockers the New York Dolls, until they decided to get "Sirius" - literally. Vocalist-guitarist Sean Crowley and bassist Matt Sullivan tuned into Little Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius satellite radio show and heard Steven Van Zandt announce that his Rolling Rock and Roll tour was holding a contest - the winner of which would be given a 20-minute set to open the show in each city.

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News

Mothers can still shower college students with love, literally

By Blair Bryant Nichols | November 30

When we're very small, our parents do everything for us. If we're lucky, they cook our food, pick our clothes and make sure all our needs are met. As we grow older, we begin to do these things for ourselves. By the time we embark for college we can clothe and feed ourselves, perhaps even without the financial support of family.

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News

Penguins waddle into hearts

By Heidi Davis | November 30

"Happy Feet," which arrived in theaters on Nov. 17, is not the average kid's movie. The proper formula is there: an all-star cast, adorable animated characters, clever lines, a love story and a moral. What one does not expect to see is a little penguin with a political agenda.

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News

'Fast Food Nation' serves up good cast, bad aftertaste

By Sean Silbert | November 30

"Fast Food Nation" does America a service by taking the abuses and disgusting crimes against nature that make up today's fast food industry and making them public. Richard Linklater's dramatic adaptation of Eric Schlosser's 2001 muckraker, about how the burger gets from farm to foil, puts everything that doesn't particularly want to be shown on celluloid.

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News

AU orchestra performs contemporary pieces

By Drew Richardson | November 30

For many casual fans of classical music, the genre is often narrowly defined by names such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Although these composers spanned hundreds of years and several distinct musical epochs, their distance from contemporary composers has elevated them to a status that threatens to leave modern innovators obscured in their wake.

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News

9:30 club loves this kitten

By Marie Bibault | November 30

On Monday night, The Memphis River Band with Cat Power made a stop at the 9:30 club to deliver a moving and personal performance. The band made a discreet entry and faced a surprisingly quiet audience. But the crowd burst into applause when Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, finally sauntered on to the stage.

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News

Holiday season destroys souls

By Benjamin Lozovsky | November 30

I come to you a changed man. I arrive weary and sore yet invigorated and hopeful, bearing simply a tale of discovery and reinvention, faith and celebration and unmeditated violence and airborne swine. This is the story of How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Holiday Season.

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News

Elvis lives at Govinda Gallery

By Christina Fields | November 30

"Elvis at 21: New York to Memphis" Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer Govinda Gallery 1227 34th St. N.W. Through Dec. 30 Nestled between a tailor shop and hair salon in a charming little Georgetown neighborhood, a two-room gallery brings back to life the original King of Pop through a brilliant exhibition of black and white photography.

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News

Classical pianist plays Smith, Radiohead tunes

By Madalyn Wasilczuk | November 30

Christopher O'Riley reached the white-collar crowd the way Elliott Smith and Radiohead usually capture the T-shirts and ripped jeans bunch during his performance in the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theatre on Nov. 19. Indeed, O'Riley did so by playing classical arrangements of these alternative artists' music.

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News

Faded stars fail to shine in 'Legends!'

By Vanessa C. Mueller | November 30

"I guess everyone who puts on a play thinks it's good ... I've never heard of people getting together and saying, 'let's put on a steaming turd,'" says Sylvia (Joan Collins of "Dynasty" fame) in the comedy "Legends!" If only she had taken that advice to heart.

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News

'Master teacher' inspires students

By Ruben Luong | November 20

Anyone might feel intimidated walking next to a man who is a distinguished journalist and historian, has written more than six books and numerous scholarly articles, has served as a Fulbright professor in Russia and China and who has contributed to major news publications such as The Washington Post, The Advocate and Southern Voice.

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News

Joanna Newsom surprised Black Cat with sold out show

By Josh Levitz | November 20

Few artists have carved their own creative niche free from the constraints of modern music quite like Joanna Newsom. The San Francisco-based artist first gained recognition with 2004's "Milk-Eyed Mender," an album that based itself in folk songs but buried conventions in unique harp arrangements and a child-like voice.

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News

Social satire catches 'Beaux'

By Lindsey Marburger | November 20

In a culture of soaring divorce rates and cynical views on love, the themes of "The Beaux' Stratagem" are more than applicable to modern audiences. The playwright, George Farquhar, certainly empathized with the unhappily married. His own wife snared him by claiming independent wealth - a wealth she did not actually have.

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News

Online radio station decodes musical genes

By John Grooms | November 20

Music is a complex science. Like a set of DNA, music is composed of its own genes. Components of music such as rhythm, tonality, instrumentation and vocal style are essentially the traits that create a song or artist's effect on our ears. One type of music may be appealing to one person but revolting to another.

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News

Campus shows 'Big Love' for AU Players production

By Vanessa C. Mueller | November 20

The AU Players, much like their latest production "Big Love," have changed dramatically under the watchful eye and strong encouragement of Executive Director Anne Veal, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. They have moved from a few scattered and relatively unprofessional performances a year to a student-run theater powerhouse producing as many as five shows a semester.

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