CD REVIEW Synth-Heavy and Self-Aware
Do you remember the goodie bags you used to get as party favors after an extravagant birthday party? It was usually a grab bag of treats: an obligatory shiny toy along with jelly beans that everyone tried to throw away. <i>Hot Mess</i>, Cobra Starship’s newest album, is akin to those grab bags. While there are a couple of catchy tracks and a few really good songs, others run the risk of being repetitive, and the dance-punk-synthpop style wears one’s patience thin.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Boston’s Finest (and Most Affordable) Al Fresco
Boston has had more than its fair share of rainy days this summer, but during its few sunny days, I managed to explore some of the city’s best outdoor dining options. Whether you are looking for a full meal or just a light afternoon snack, you can be sure to find an outdoor restaurant in one of Boston’s many neighborhoods. Here are some of my top picks.
CONCERT REVIEW A Wild and Wet Performance: Downpour Adds Organic Effect to Wilco Concert
There’s no better way to spend a cool summer night than at an outdoor concert featuring one of your favorite bands. On July 11 I stood among excited fans at Wilco’s performance in Lowell, Massachusetts. The evening began as one of those rainless nights we seem to be getting so few of this summer in Boston, and I could only hope that the lack of precipitation would last through the performance.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★ Men Are Pigs and Women Think Too Much: Is That All There Is to ‘The Ugly Truth’?
In the movie poster for “The Ugly Truth,” there are two stick figures, icons ripped straight from a public restroom door. They are adorned with hearts. The woman’s heart is in her head. The man’s heart is in his crotch. How original.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ ‘Summer’ Is Love Shattered, Put Back Together
5<i>00 Days of Summer</i> is not a love story. The narrator, in his rich public radio voice, warns of us this right away. It is about a boy who meets a girl. What? <i>500 Days of Summer</i> is not a love story? A clever indie film, it is a lovely thing that delves deeper into relationships and their complexities than most stories. While at a glance a simple love tale, <i>500 Days</i> triumphs due to its poignancy and dedication to detail.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★ It’s Funny, Bruno, but We Don’t Really Care
The next character in Sacha Baron Cohen’s arsenal of disguises is the flaming fashionista Bruno. Born Austrian and “forever” 19, Bruno falls from international prominence as a fashion TV host when he arrives at a Milan fashion show wearing a suit made entirely of velcro. Predictable but amusing antics follow, at which point a dramatic montage exhibits Bruno’s pain at the rejection by his once loving and familial community of fashion-conscious celebrities. Thus begins Bruno’s journey to America to become a celebrity, and the audience’s journey through a generally hilarious but often extremely awkward film.
CONCERT REVIEW At Tanglewood, Merry Mozart and Moody Mahler
During the summer, the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs in bucolic western Massachusetts in the Tanglewood Music Festival — essentially a concert series on steroids of mostly classical music. A couple of weeks ago, I made the pilgrimage for a night of Mozart and Mahler. I was shaken.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★ ½ ‘Harry Potter’ and The Magic of Adolescence, Which Is Quickly Wearing Thin
It’s never a good sign when you have difficulty remembering what happened in a movie soon after you leave the theater. And by soon, I mean before you hop on the subway after the film ends. I had been quite excited to watch <i>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</i>, the sixth movie in the series, especially after reading some very positive reviews. Perhaps they set my expectations too high; I should have known not to get my hopes up.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★ ½ Beautiful Backdrops, but Little Intrigue, Little Plot, Little to Care About in FBI Thriller
If ever a movie could capture the romantic and roguish atmosphere of the ’30s, <i>Public Enemies</i> has done it. Directed and produced by Michael Mann (<i>Hancock</i>, <i>Miami Vice</i>, <i>The Aviator</i>), the film is based on the non-fiction book <i>Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34</i> by Bryan Burrough. Johnny Depp plays notorious Depression-era criminal John Dillinger, a role in which his suave manner rather than his quirky humour finds the spotlight. Since every criminal anti-hero needs a brooding man of the law to oppose him, a grave and focused Christian Bale plays FBI agent Melvin Purvis. The film focuses on Purvis’s attempts to stop Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd, while also following Dillinger’s life more closely.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★ Guinea Pigs on the Loose; Funny but too Predictable
Recent years have seen a surge of rodents on the big screen, in the most unusual and diverse roles. Thanks to Disney’s Mickey Mouse legacy, mice have always had an easier time being featured; the newest fad focuses on another type of rodents. Movies like <i>Ratatouille </i>and <i>Alvin and the Chipmunks </i>have been extremely successful at introducing to the public endearing new rodent species. Disney’s newest rodent adventure, <i>G-Force,</i> attempts to do the same for guinea pigs, yet it falls a bit short on substance. Nevertheless, the movie is extremely funny and the fluffy protagonists are quite delightful, especially for the very young audiences.
Desfina
The location of the Kendall Square Theatre seems to provide a limited choice of dining options for a pre-cinema dinner date. But for those willing to explore the back streets, there are a number of interesting options. Desfina, a neighborhoody Greek joint, is only five minutes from the theatre.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★★ UPlifting
You know any movie that stars a grumpy old man and a chubby Asian Boy Scout has to have some potential. Up defies labels and spans all demographics. It is for those who seek entry into a different world, a world that only the minds of Pixar/Disney can create. As director and co-writer Peter Docter (WALL-E) admitted in an interview, “The initial kernel was based on that desire that I feel a lot to escape the world.”
MOVIE REVIEW ★★ ½ Yeah, Smashy-Smashy, Whatever, So Over It
Watching Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is a bit like seeing a plane full of bacon and supermodels smash into a fireworks factory: Even though the explosions are awesome and there are awesome things everywhere, it is still pretty much a tragedy. As Shia LaBoeuf himself has found time and time again, looking good does not really compensate for being excessively dumb.
West Side Lounge
A weekend brunch can be the perfect start to the day. Hence, we headed over to the West Side Lounge (WSL), a pleasant five minute walk along Massachusetts Avenue from either the Harvard or Porter Square T stop.
Central Kitchen
Where to eat in Central Square? A bevy of new eating options has accompanied the gentrification of this gritty neighborhood. But on an overcast Saturday evening in May, after a lengthy day in the lab, we chose to return to an old favorite — the Central Kitchen. This small bistro-sized space has been drawing Central Square hipsters and guidebook-clutching tourists alike for 11 years and seems to continue strong. The restaurant describes itself as “devoted to the rustic Mediterranean style,” particularly of France, Spain and Italy, although French influence seems to be the strongest at present.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ A Poignant and Conflicted Playboy
The International Playboy is a short interlude into an individual’s journey towards self-discovery and strips away the glamour of what everyone envisions as the ‘perfect life’. The whole span of the movie is a mere 92 minutes.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ In Spite of Anachronisms, Ice Age 3 Exceeds Expectations
The new installment of the Ice Age franchise is a wonderful surprise for kids and adults alike, successfully overcoming the dilution effect that commonly plagues many sequels. Although the anachronistic premise — mammoths facing off dinosaurs — is quite hard to forgive, the movie is imbued with delicious humor, snappy dialogue, and a freshness of ideas that is bound to satisfy even the pickiest audiences.
Addis Red Sea
The adventurous date would love the idea of Addis Red Sea: enjoying Ethiopian cuisine with your hands, huddled on stools around woven tables called mesob.
28 Degrees
After hearing that oysters are an aphrodisiac, I decided to give them a shot at 28 Degrees during the one dollar oyster special, which runs 5-7 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, and 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.
Franklin Cafe
At first glance, Franklin Café seems like a safe choice for a first date. With its black leather booths and deep red walls, the ambiance is spot-on.