A darkly comedic twist on the revenge genre
Branded as a “dark comedy,” the film leans heavily on the genre’s first word, but scatters subtle pockets of chuckles at incredibly random moments throughout.
Everybody’s got the right to be morbid
Framed as a macabre carnival game, Assassins delves into the stories of men and women who attempted to assassinate presidents of the United States.
The Light Between Oceans is a journey of romance with many crossroads
In Derek Cianfrance's romance drama, The Light Between Oceans, Janus is an isolated island lighthouse overlooking two oceans and the setting for an intriguing story of love and loss, a journey worthy of the lighthouse's namesake.
Harry Potter, Book Seven and Three-Quarters
The Cursed Child is well worth the trip to your local Muggle Flourish and Blott’s, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get what you expect. The new play is not quite a stand-alone sequel, but it's not truly the eighth book of the series either, despite being advertised as such.
Blonde or Blonde on Blonde?
I anticipated a grandiose effort with diverse sounds, layers of synergistic texture, and a more focused vision. Instead, Frank Ocean has produced an album that is withdrawn at the first listen, but novel and emotional when you ditch your preconceptions.
Restaurant roundup
Parts of this article were first published on the author’s blog, Spilling the Beans.
Kubo and the Two Strings strikes a wonderfully balanced note
Kubo’s ‘misses’ are slight and the ‘hits’ are smashing. Excepting the occasional awkwardly timed line, the characters are well written with personalities that play well together. Beetle and Monkey share a few cute, if unoriginal, ‘old married couple’ moments.
The pains of reality
Natalie Portman, in her debut as a director, has adapted Amos Oz’s A Tale of Love and Darkness, a coming-of-age memoir by one of Israel’s most celebrated authors.
The restoration of a tarnished icon
Even though it features a couple of big names in the cast, the film has the feeling of an indie production, albeit a very good one.
As genuine as it is funny, Florence Foster Jenkins hits the right notes
Meryl Streep wins hearts in director Stephen Frear's latest film about a singing socialite.
Neon doesn't disguise the shabby spectacle of Suicide Squad
There's no joy in Suicide Squad. There's only the loss of hope and a feeling of emptiness, regret, and filth like the one that follows a greasy Chinese buffet. You were drawn inside by the bright neon signs to feed, but the meal leaves you wondering whether you have any sense of self-respect.
1776 delivers patriotic, playful production
In the midst of oppressive August heat, the MIT Gilbert & Sullivan Players took audiences back to another sweltering summer in a different northern city.
Star Trek Beyond falls short of warp speed
In attempting to portray the Federation and Starfleet as anything less than a galactic utopia, Star Trek Beyond falls short. Director Justin Lin is clearly comfortable with breaking out of Trekkies' comfort zones (he destroys the Enterprise in the first act!), but he doesn't do enough to convince us that the Federation is actually vulnerable.
Artbeat brings Cambridge together
Artbeat offered even more by providing a stage (or two) to rising musicians, celebrating local food entrepreneurs, and opening doors for unique artistic talents. This year’s theme ‘Roots’ attracted many sustainability and green-awareness organizations and community projects.
Shakespeare meets Star Trek
The MIT Shakespeare Ensemble’s rendition of The Tempest was an infusion of the Bard and Star Trek. I’m usually not the biggest Shakespeare fan but I am a sci-fi nerd, and I enjoyed the many tributes to popular science fiction franchises throughout.
Ghostbusters remake is smart and hilarious
Ghostbusters is a hilarious action-filled remake of the critically acclaimed 1984 version. This one casts four women to compose the team of sharp Ghostbusting badasses. With Ghostbusters, MIT gains another notable fictional alum, Erin (Kristen Wiig), who sports a gold brass rat throughout the film.
Phantom Boy
The dialogue leaves much to be desired, and the plot is about as predictable as it gets. The film is for children, but unlike some other kids’ movies, this one might be best left for the PG audience.
The Porch Yellers lament the "Dormpocalypse"
It’s official: we’ve entered the songwriting stage of the pervasive discontent among students about the state of dorm life on campus.
Climate change, foreign policy, and mass surveillance
Shifting her work, which was previously rather pastoral and orchestral, to pop-inspired electronic music, Anohni focuses on politics this time in an attempt to make a protest album.