As Exhibit Opens A Career Winds Down

A double amputee guards the entrance to the Del Ray Artisans (DRA) gallery. His arms bleed and bones protrude. It is hard to feel sorry for him though: a hairy beer gut juts out from below his rainbow striped sweater and hangs over the top of his tight black jeans, and he appears to be wearing blue eye shadow. And to top it all off he wants to know, “Anyone else suing the petting zoo?”

Fortunately for all parties involved, this character exists only in 2D; he is stuck to the wall. He is a posterboard creation from the mind of Travis Poffenberger, a senior in the T.C. art program. Until May 17, art created by Travis and his classmates will hang in the gallery next to Mt. Vernon Elementary School. Read more

Prom Dresses To Impress

For seniors, prom is a night of romance, elegance and timelessness. It is a night that marks the end of the high school experience and it is a last chance to spend a memorable time with their friends. The styles of prom dresses have changed over the years, but most recently large ball gowns, sparkling dresses and short length dresses have proved popular. Girls try to find the perfect dress and spend hours getting prepared while guys search for the right tuxedo. Read more

Concerts and Music Festivals in Virginia

Now that spring has finally arrived, it brings with it the promise of live music. Whether heavy metal bands or country stars, spring concerts bring out the best in music.

            Y & T is scheduled to perform at Jaxx nightclub on Saturday, April 18. Well known for their hard rock, Y&T have toured the U.S., Europe, and Japan playing for stadiums of fifteen to sixty thousand.  Y&T specialize in high speed rock music and is better known for their albums Earthshaker and In Rock We Trust. Y&T will be playing at 8:00 pm along with bands like Switched at Birth, Gate 1, and Sinners Trail: Metal Reborn. Admission is $25 in advance and $28 at the door. Jaxx will open for the show at 7:30 pm.

            Taylor Swift will perform at the Charleston Civic Center in West Virginia Saturday, July 18. Famous for her country singing, Taylor Swift is known for her self-titled debut album Taylor Swift. She toured with other famous country musicians such as Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts. The concert will begin at 7:30 with Taylor Swift as well as Kellie Pickler performing. Tickets can be purchased at the Charleston Civic Center along with www.TaylorSwift.com and ticketmaster for $20 to $50.

            The Haunted is scheduled to play at Jaxx Wednesday, April 22. The Haunted is a heavy metal rock band that is best known for their album The Haunted Made Me Do It, which combined aspects from older more melodic heavy metal with speed metal, a combination which is rarely see but is masterfully executed earning them their reputation. The Haunted will be preceded by Marauder and The Agonist. Admission is $18 when purchased in advanced and $20 when purchased at the door. Jaxx will open for the show at 6:00.

            Boyz II Men is scheduled to perform at Birchmere Music Hall Tuesday, May 5. Boyz II Men is the most successful R&B group in America having sold over 60 million albums as well as record breaking songs like End of the Road which broke the record for the longest time spent at #1 on Billboard Hot 100. Boyz II Men is scheduled to begin their performance at 7:30. Tickets can be purchased at the Birchmere Music Hall as well as on ticketmaster for $20 to $50.

            Mastodon is booked to perform at the 9:30 club Tuesday, May 12.  Famous for their blend of hard rock with slightly progressive tones they have recently released their new album Crack the Skye. Mastodon will be touring the U.S. from April 14 until May 15, after which they will go on tour in Europe with other well known bands such as Metallica and Lamb of God, so this is one of the last opportunities to see Mastodon live.

            With all of these different venues premiering, this spring promises to be great for the musical community.

Cinco de Mayo

       Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for the fifth of May and is a regional holiday in Mexico, celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla. However, that tradition has now been spreading through the United States too. This holiday honors the Mexican army’s unlikely defeat of the French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

      Now that it has spread through the United States it has inhabited a new significance beyond that celebrated in Mexico. In the United States it is a day to celebrate the culture of the American of Mexican ancestry. Commercial interests have captivated the markets. It advertizes the Mexican Products and services and empasizes on beverages, food as well as music.

     One does not have to be Mexican in order to enjoy the Cinco de Mayo. There are many ways to enjoy this holiday.

• Dress up and Fight it out: In places like Mexico cities, people like to re-enact the battle scenes to get a better feeling of what happened during the real battle. Men dress as French and Mexican soldiers. Women took care of the injured men and even fought alongside them.
• Eat: There are many types of foods that Mexicans like to make during this holiday. From Quesadillas to tacos, the possibilities are endless.
• Rock It Out: Music is a big thing during this holiday as well as food. There are a lot of different types of music that Mexican’s listen too that they love to play during festivals.

      There are many things to do and many ways to enjoy the Cinco de Mayo, whether it be food, music or dressing up. The Cinco de Mayo is a great holiday to bring out your creativity as well as your Mexican Pride.

“State of Play”: Almost Front Page Material

A murder almost always makes for a good inciting incident. Two murders and one witness hospitalized in critical condition makes for an even better one. Countless other movies or pulpy spy novels have started with very similar situations, but not many take the directions that State of Play does. Sure, as far as stories concerning political intrigue and corporate malfeasance go, this movie is not impossible to predict. However, the thing that sets this one apart is director Kevin Macdonald’s execution and style. This being his most notable release since 2006′s Last King of Scotland, Macdonald brings viewers an intense visual experience, even if it only lasts through the second act. Read more

America Watches the “Watchmen”…But They’d Be Better Off Reading It

Ever since DC comics published Alan Moore’s 12 issue series Watchmen over the course of 1986 and ’87, it has been a general consensus among fans and critics alike that the work was unfilmable. As we can see, this did not stop Hollywood from trying. However, it should be known that this movie has been attempted since as far back as the early ’90s. Several screenplays had been written, including a treatment by Sam Hamm (writer of Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989), and a slew of directors such as Terry Gilliam, Paul Greengrass, Darren Aronofsky, and even the likes of Michael Bay had been considered to take on the project. Alas, Warner Brothers decided to keep it on the backburner until they decided to place it in the hands of someone truly capable and worthy. Apparently, this was Zack Snyder, director of the outrageously over-the-top and overrated slow motion clunker that was 2006′s 300. And so came the film adaptation of Watchmen, a movie that, in the long run, does not do the comic (yes, readers, if you are looking for a 12 issue comic book mini-series from DC that happened to later be compiled into one collection to be called a “graphic novel” or any other variation of the word “novel”, you will have to look elsewhere. If one wishes to engage in such an arduous semantics argument, this critic will be more than happy to oblige) the justice it deserves. Read more

Oscar Predictions: What You Can Expect to See at the 81st Academy Awards

2008 was a year full of many great movies. There were countless entertaining and interesting films of every genre. From Milk to The Dark Knight to Slumdog Millionaire, there was something for everyone. On February 22, these films and many more will be recognized at the 81^st Academy Awards.

Now the nominations are all in and, as usual, there is much debate about which films were snubbed and which were most deserving. Many believe that the Academy purposely robbed such films as The Dark Knight, WALL-E, The Wrestler, Doubt, and Revolutionary Road of nominations in the major categories such as best picture. Nevertheless, all votes have been cast and there is nothing left to do but wait and see. Not surprisingly, predictions for the Oscar winners have been spreading steadily ever since the nominations were announced. Many of the top film critics of the country have shared their opinions on what the winners should and will be. Still, there is much disagreement about what the results of the 81^st Academy Awards will be. Read more

“Slumdog Millionaire”: Destined For Greatness

Danny Boyle’s latest film Slumdog Millionaire has just won four Golden Globe awards and is nominated for ten Oscars including Best Picture. How did this happen?  A: The awards were fixed, B: Luck, C: Danny Boyle is a genius, or D: It is written.  For the sake of a cheap reference to the film in question, we will say the answer is D.  However, it is completely inconsequential, as Slumdog (based on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup and adapted by Simon Beaufoy, original writer of The Full Monty) stands among the best films of 2008, with or without the help of destiny. Read more

09 Movie Preview

2008 was a great year for movies. Many immediate classics, such as The Dark Knight, Wall-E, and Milk startled viewers with their amazing quality. As the New Year kicks off, it is time to search for 2009’s potential greats.

Tyler Perry has been making great comedies ever since he started directing, and his most famous character, Madea, has brought laughs to Americans in her past films and plays. Now it is time for another installment of the southern grandmother’s story. In Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail, scheduled for release February 20, Madea ends up in front of a judge after a high speed freeway chase. She fails to control her anger and lands in jail. Meanwhile, a young prostitute and former drug addict named Candace also lands in jail. Madea takes the young woman under her wing as only she can. The movie is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, drug content, some violence and sexual situations. Read more

“Taken”: A Painfully Good Time

Before anything is said about Taken, it should be known by all who are interested in seeing it that this movie is violent. Really, really, violent. For any action fan (and please understand that this humble critic is nothing less than a die hard fanatic, so to speak) this is no problem in the slightest.  This is especially true given writing duo Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen’s body of work, most notably the Transporter series. However, those who do not usually watch action movies may be surprised by what Taken has in store. In short, audiences should try to overlook the PG-13 rating in preparation for some R rated action. Read more

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