It’s true that Hollywood puts out some great movies every year, and it’s certainly true that one of those great movies is occasionally crowned Best Picture by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
There was an orchestra in my kitchen the other night. To the fury of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, I sliced and diced onions like I had something against them. Minced prosciutto and ground beef sizzled over flames, my cheeks flushed and my belly growled in anticipation of the reward. Outside, unforgiving wind chills made their way into insulated coats. Inside, the oven and radiator were the most trusted companions. I splashed dry red wine into the pan and it hissed as it bathed the meat. Tomato paste dribbled out of a glass jar, painting the sauce a vibrant red. These are the sights and sounds treasured most to a cook. But the most rewarding? An empty plate with the fork clanging down on it from blissful satiation.
Heartbroken? Lonely? Lovesick? No matter what kind of hurt you are feeling, Fitz and The Tantrums has a song for it that will make you dance instead of cry.
For dancers there was “Black Swan.” For mathematicians, “A Beautiful Mind.” Now, for musicians, there is “Whiplash.” The tale of the devoted genius driven to the point of crazed obsession has been tried and tested on the big screen for years, and it never fails to captivate.
Entry of the Week: Sunday, Nov. 23
Although the Ebola scare in the US has mostly calmed down, you can still help raise money to aid countries that are not so lucky. Northeastern’s Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice will host Dodge Ebola, a fundraising dodgeball tournament with proceeds benefitting Doctors without Borders. Teams consisting of three to five Northeastern students, faculty or staff can sign up with a minimum donation of $5. Both the team that wins the tournament and the team with the most spirit will win a prize. If you don’t want to play, you can still come watch and support the cause, with a suggested donation of $5. All participants and spectators must wear athletic attire. Marino Center, Court 2; 2:30–4:30 p.m.; suggested donation of $5.
Depending on who you talk to, the GamerGate controversy – characterized by the Internet slogan #GamerGate – is either about ethics in game journalism or harassment of women in gaming. Whatever the definition, one thing is certain: it’s personal.
The word “biopic” far too often refers to those stodgy, overwrought yawn-fests that most moviegoers avoid like the plague, but not all of them fall into that trap. In “The Theory of Everything,” director James Marsh demonstrates that the best biopics are those that avoid sanctifying their subjects, and instead embrace the grimy, sweaty, passionate truths too often left out by the history books.
My alarm repeatedly blares at me as I swiftly swing a punch to shut it off. A bright, gray light leaks through my window shades to tell me the day has begun, whether I like it or not. I twist into my covers more tightly, hoping the bed will just swallow me whole, searching my mind for a reason not to go to class today. I can’t think of anything, so I plant my cold feet on the ground and let out a tired sigh as I brush wisps of hair away from my face. The routine has begun.
Entry of the Week: Monday, Nov. 17
Enjoy a free visit to the newly renovated Harvard Art Museum, which is reopening after its 2008 closure. This Monday and Tuesday, the museum is opening its doors free of charge to the public. New galleries include paintings, sculptures, ceramics, drawings and photographs from all around the world, and masterpieces from the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger and Arthur M. Sackler collections. Tickets must be reserved ahead of time, with up to six people per reservation. Reservation times are set for 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Plan your visit at tickets.harvardartmuseums.org. 32 Quincy St., Cambridge; free.
Hip-hop dance crew Kinematix brought the funk to Blackman Auditorium with its annual showcase, FUNK’tion. The show incorporated performances by 16 dance groups, including fellow Northeastern crews, college groups from other campuses and hip-hop groups from around Boston. To close out the night, headliners Ade Willis, Sorah Yang, Keone and Mari Madrid and Choreo Cookies took the stage, greeted by the same tidal wave of energy that resonated throughout the building all night long.
“The Last Five Years” is neither romance nor comedy, nor anything specific, really.
“It kind of fits its own category,” director Jonathan Carr said of the two-character show with two timelines and six cast members, which opened at Northeastern last night.
At 7 p.m. the night of Nov. 7, Northeastern students began running and biking all over Boston searching for Hello Kitty alarm clocks, doing push-ups by the reflecting pool and completing a wide range of other obscure tasks. Husky Hunt had kicked off and would run for the next 24 hours, taking 50 teams on a journey across the city, all in the quest to be crowned champions.
