“Your student body is so white.”
Italian dramatic-comedy Mia Madre finds very little humor in the serious topic of caring for the elderly, and maybe that’s a good thing.
Finding a summer internship isn’t easy, especially for those students majoring in things like creative writing and philosophy. But it is possible to find an internship within the arts, and a good internship at that. The News-Letter reached out to two upperclassmen who were able to make it happen.
Perhaps a quick preface: drugs aren’t cool–mostly– and it would be difficult to argue that cocaine, the esteemed schedule I narcotic, has offered anything positive to the human race. However, its nefarious trade makes for great cinematic context, as the creators of the Netflix original series Narcos have shown their many avid viewers. The show’s first season was met with largely positive reviews and drew a following amongst Netlfix users. Riding that wave of success, creators Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro released the second season of the show Sept. 2.
Don’t Think Twice is a bittersweet film about the breakup of an improvisational comedy group, as well as a smart and earnest look into the lives of funny people. A serious comedy infused with heart and honesty, the film is a tribute to improv, as written and directed by Mike Birbiglia. The film offers an honest reflection on the uncertainty, frustration and ambition of striving to make a life in a creative field.
Chance the Rapper refuses to stay inside the lines of conventional rap music in his latest release, Coloring Book. The Chicago rapper’s third mixtape that dropped May 12 guides listeners through both a playful and spiritual journey. Are you ready, Big Fella?
For his sophomore album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, Travis Scott really tries to forge his unique identity as an artist by trying to invent a new genre of music and make it all his own.
The third annual Moonrise Festival returned to Pimlico Race Course for two days (Aug. 6 and 7). The festival’s focus on electronic dance music (EDM) with the occasional rap act proved successful, with the Race Course being packed for both days. The headliners for this year’s festival were Bassnectar, Tiesto, Zedd and The Chainsmokers (who played at last year’s Spring Fair).
This year’s Sweetlife music festival jam-packed headliners The 1975, Halsey and Flume, as well as 14 other diverse artists, into a single day. The performances ranged from the full-on, energetic pop of popular singer-songwriters Grimes and Shamir to an 80’s throwback performance from rock band Blondie.
The 18th annual Maryland Film Festival took place in Baltimore from May 4 to 8. Each year the festival showcases approximately 50 feature-length films and 75 shorts in addition to one film selected and hosted by cult film director John Waters, a Baltimore native.
1. Controversy (1981)
Rou Reynolds is the lead vocalist for the English post-hardcore four-piece band Enter Shikari. Their most recent release was 2015’s The Mindsweep. Reynolds answered The News-Letter’s questions via email prior to Enter Shikari’s May 6 performance at the Baltimore Soundstage.
Music Dynasty held its spring show last Sunday night in Bloomberg. One of the many a cappella groups on the Homewood campus, Music Dynasty is the University’s first and only Chinese a cappella group. The group performed to a full crowd, sharing their passion for Chinese music and culture through eclectic performances. This spring concert featured a number of pop songs with Chinese and English lyrics, including songs from artists like Jay Chou, Pentatonix and Meghan Trainor.
The Arthouse is a restaurant, bar and art gallery in Hampden. It is about a 30 minute walk from Homewood campus, located on the west end of W. 36th St.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War is a fantasy action film directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, the man responsible for Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and partially involved in Maleficent (2014). The film is something of a follow-up to his Snow White film, following the backstory and later exploits of the titular Huntsman, played by the ever-popular actor Chris Hemsworth.
The Contemporary is one of Baltimore’s most unique arts institutions and perhaps its most innovative museum. It does not collect art, nor does it have a central location for displaying works. Instead, it is a nomadic museum, commissioning works to transform specific Baltimore spaces into nouveau-galleries.
The world celebrated the ninth annual Record Store Day on Saturday, April 16. The festivities, which occur on the third Saturday of April, honor independent record stores. This year, The News-Letter decided to mark the occasion by reaching out to Celebrated Summer Records, a local store, for an interview and some insight into independent music culture. Owner Tony Pence spoke about the store and his relationship with music.
