entertainment


Disney gives "Cinderella” a refreshing update

By Amalia Chiapperino | March 19, 2015, 2:05 p.m. | In Movies »

Director Kenneth Branagh creates a true fairy tale experience with his modernized "Cinderella.” He updates the film from its 1950s animated counterpart by adding depth to what has always been seen as a rather superficial storyline. By focusing on character development, beautiful visual effects and costumes, he proves that he can excel in any film genre.


"The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" lives up to its name

By Eleanor Linafelt | March 12, 2015, 5:19 p.m. | In Movies »

Heart-racing, haphazard driving; colorful textiles and beautiful costumes make watching "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" feel like going on a two-hour, jam-packed trip to India.


"Chappie" will not leave you happy

By Harini Salgado | March 10, 2015, 9:07 p.m. | In Movies »

What looked like a movie dealing with artificial intelligence versus man-controlled machines also investigated themes such as parenting, big corporations, human morality and feelings of separation. There's a lot going on in writer/director Neill Blomkamp's ("District Nine," "Elysium") third feature film. Unfortunately, weak characters and plot holes prevent these ideas from making an impact.


"Go Set a Watchman" for the "To Kill a Mockingbird" sequel

By Harini Salgado | March 8, 2015, 2:08 p.m. | In Books »

Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" is pretty much the required book in high school. Here at Blair, most students read it in ninth grade.


"McFarland, USA" is another standard Disney movie

By Robert Pfefferle | Feb. 27, 2015, 9:56 a.m. | In Movies »

The plot of "McFarland, USA" brings nothing surprising or extraordinary to the table, not to mention that Kevin Costner is yet again playing the "clueless mentor searching for answers" role.


"Kingsman: The Secret Service" takes the throne

By Nicholas Shereikis | Feb. 23, 2015, 6:31 p.m. | In Movies »

"Kingsman" somehow manages to pull off the trickiest of effects, remaining lighthearted and fun while staying true to the classic structure of espionage films.


Sankofa full of talent and tradition

By Ellie Struewing | Feb. 21, 2015, 4:30 p.m. | In Plays »

Sankofa—Blair's annual celebration of Black History Month that includes a stunning variety of song, dance, spoken word and more—brought history, culture and tradition to life Friday night, in its last year with Vickie Adamson as director.


Ground left unbroken

By Sarah Trunk | Feb. 21, 2015, 11:35 a.m. | In Books »

The concept of supernatural happenings in teen books is not a bad one, even if it is alarmingly common. But "Unbreakable," by Kami Garcia, just doesn't bring anything new.


Celebrating Nutella Day, one spoonful at a time

By Zoe Johnson | Feb. 4, 2015, 11:18 p.m. | In Food »

As you may or may not know, tomorrow is the most important day of the year. I am referring, of course, to the illustrious holiday World Nutella Day.


"Clockwork Scarab" is a waste of time

By Sarah Trunk | Jan. 21, 2015, 1:47 p.m. | In Books »

"The Clockwork Scarab," by Colleen Gleason, has an interesting concept. Evaline Stoker, the sister of "Dracula" author Bram Stoker, and Alvermina Holmes, Sherlock's niece, are sent on a mysterious mission by Irene Adler to investigate the deaths of rich white girls.


"Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb" shows signs of life

By Nicholas Shereikis | Jan. 21, 2015, 1:15 p.m. | In Movies »

In the newest addition to the series, "Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb," the tablet begins to be marked by an unknown force. Searching for answers, Daley and company are forced to unravel the mystery of the tablet's beginnings.


Who's strong and brave, here to save the American way?

By Harini Salgado, Sarah Trunk | Jan. 12, 2015, 9:05 p.m. | In Television »

It's a story unlike any other superhero story, because Peggy is unlike any other superhero.


"Into the Woods" doesn't go as deep as original

By Neida Mbuia Joao | Dec. 31, 2014, 12:07 a.m. | In Entertainment »

The much-anticipated film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's beloved 1986 musical has finally arrived. It follows the familiar stories of the fairy tale characters we've grown up with, with a big twist that makes them fresher and darker. The main problem with the adaptation, however, is that it doesn't deliver the same amount of bite and depth as the source material.


"Unbroken" good but overdone

By Robert Pfefferle | Dec. 30, 2014, 8:26 p.m. | In Movies »

"Unbroken" is the remarkable true story of Louis Zamperini (Jack O'Connell), featuring Olympic games, World War II plane crashes and torture in Japanese prisoner of war camps. Based on Laura Hillenbrand's 2010 best-seller, director Angelina Jolie struggles to recreate the smoothly paced plot of Hillenbrand's book. Instead, Jolie creates build-ups and climaxes for each segment of Zamperini's story, which ultimately causes the story to lose its fluidity.


In "Annie," the sun is always out

By Maximillian Foley-Keene | Dec. 24, 2014, 2:06 p.m. | In Movies »

"Annie" is two-dimensional, goofy and very cheesy. This film will not be sweeping at the Academy Awards. But if you're ready to embrace the feel-good silliness and fall into a world in which it really is always better tomorrow, "Annie" is for you. Be ready to sing along.


No happy endings for TV rom-coms

By Harini Salgado | Dec. 19, 2014, 2 p.m. | In Television »

It's unclear why there were so many new rom-coms this fall. But one thing's for sure: they haven't been very successful.


Underachievers, Flatbush Zombies electrify the Fillmore crowd

By Sasha Tidwell | Dec. 14, 2014, 11:33 a.m. | In Music »

The Zombies' positive messages and unique take on life combined with their masterful musical abilities has shot them from rapping in small basement studios in Brooklyn to performing at venues like Coachella.


Samantha's Restaurant: more than just 'fine' cuisine

By Brian Le | Dec. 9, 2014, 5:47 p.m. | In Restaurant Reviews »

At first glance, it looks like nothing out of the ordinary – it's a small place that sits innocuously off University Boulevard between two shady-looking parking lots. Yet, Samantha's serves some of the most delicious Latin American food in the DC area.


"Mockingjay" dips and soars

By Ellie Struewing | Nov. 25, 2014, 9:59 p.m. | In Movies »

The first Hunger Games film adaptation, which premiered in 2012, took the movie industry by storm and paved the way for a burst of formulaic dystopian movies ("Maze Runner," "Divergent," etc.). But the Hunger Games series itself is far from formulaic, and that's what made Suzanne Collins' books and their movie adaptions so popular


"Interstellar" shoots for the stars

By Kalin Vassilev | Nov. 17, 2014, 5:12 p.m. | In Movies »

"Interstellar" is an audacious space epic on a grand scale—a behemoth that is overwhelming in every sense of the word. From cinematic greatness to dramatic intimacy, the film refuses to be simple and stay put.


A "Thousand Words" wasted

By Amalia Chiapperino | Nov. 7, 2014, 7:24 p.m. | In Books »

There is nothing more disappointing than a book with potential that falls flat. Unfortunately, prominent teen fiction writer Jennifer Brown's "Thousand Words" does just that.


A pirate's life for them

By Sarah Trunk | Nov. 5, 2014, 1:54 p.m. | In Plays »

The complex story, talented cast and spellbinding set make for an exciting and whimsical pirate adventure.


Logic performs well "Under Pressure"

By Aidan Keys | Nov. 5, 2014, 1:28 p.m. | In Music »

The paradoxical relationship of Hall's underprivileged life and his bright outlook, as well as his astounding journey to success, compiles nicely into the refreshing debut, "Under Pressure," which debuted October 21.


Fall desserts: November nourishment

By Zoe Johnson | Nov. 1, 2014, 12:13 a.m. | In Food »

Whatever the reason—and whether you like November or not—SCO has some baked goods for you to make the month even better.


"Ouija": the only scary part is its quality

By Brian Le | Oct. 24, 2014, 10:21 a.m. | In Movies »

Films often take advantage of the whole "this is based on a true story" or "this could happen to you" theme to make their stories more engrossing and frightening. "Ouija" attempts to do this too, but it completely drops the ball.

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