Artsweek

December 3, 2009

Nic Cage Is the Good, the Bad and the Utterly Insane “Lieutenant” ****

By Lance Kosher

A man drives down a dark, empty Louisiana street in an unmarked sedan. He spots a couple coming out of a nightclub heading toward the car. He flips on his red and blue lights and pulls up to the couple. The man flashes h...

December 3, 2009

Timbaland’s “Shock Value” Fizzles Out **

By Lucas Villa

Following up the first successful installment of the Shock Value series, hit-making producer Timbaland presents his new collection, Shock Value II. The 16-track LP includes new collaborations with the biggest names in po...

December 3, 2009

See What All the Madness Is About

By Courtney Schonfeld

Last month, AMC wrapped up its third season of the critically acclaimed series, "Mad Men" with one of the best episodes to date. So, if you've flipped past it on a Sunday night or heard rave reviews from a friend or even...

December 3, 2009

“New Moon” Rises Slightly Above Low Expectations

By Se Young Kang

It is a generally agreed-upon fact that Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels are absolutely god-awful. Through the character of Bella Swan (She's a totally average girl! Really! Except that everybody in Forks automatically ...

December 3, 2009

DV8 Veers From Straight In Santa Barbara

By Karen Urrutia

Melding technology, dance and theater forms into their own, distinct performance genre, DV8 Physical Theatre creates a new picture of homosexuality with its production of To Be Straight With You.

November 19, 2009

UCSB Theater Dept. Presents

By Nico Kiefer

Last weekend saw the very successful opening of David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole, the first main stage production for the Department of Theater and Dance 09-10 season.

November 19, 2009

Annual One-Act Plays Provide Quality Entertainment

By Nico Kiefer

November 19, 2009

“2012” Is the End of the World as We Know It ****

By Lance Kosher

Writer/Director Roland Emmerich is sick, sick man. How he comes up with new ways to kill off the human race is beyond me. Whether it's through an alien invasion, a giant mutated iguana, or global warming, it is safe to s...

November 19, 2009

Lady Gaga Gives Birth to Fame Monster ****

By Lucas Villa

Receiving both critical acclaim and commercial success with her debut album The Fame, pop phenomenon Lady Gaga looks to prove that she’s no one-trick pony with her sophomore effort, The Fame Monster. Originally mad...

November 19, 2009

Norah’s Fall Is No Misstep ***

By Nicole Sands

Singer/songwriter Norah Jones, a modern Billie Holiday who started rocking the modern jazz world in 2002, is back with her fourth album which debuted on Tuesday, November 17th. Ever the eclectic musician with an uncanny ...

November 19, 2009

“Pirates” Is Captivating ****

By Emelie Battaglia

November 12, 2009

Betties Battle It Out

By Artsweek Editor

I found out about last Saturday's season-closing bout between the Mission City Brawlin' Betties and the West Coast Derby Knockouts entirely by chance. At dinner with a VP at Citrix, she casually mentioned that a few of h...

November 12, 2009

Pixies at the Palladium

By Artsweek Editor

Pixies, widely held to be grunge's progenitors as well as early '90s alt-rock darlings, kicked off its Doolittle tour in rollicking style last Wednesday at the Hollywood Palladium. The band's members have lost nearly all...

November 12, 2009

Ordinary “Men” ** (and 1/2)

By Emelie Battaglia

Maybe it's the way the author of the novel, Jon Ronson, wanted it. Maybe it's the all-star cast with the less-than-stellar script from screenwriter Peter Straughan. Either way, Grant Heslov's "The Men Who Stare at Goats"...

November 12, 2009

Mickey Avalon Really Is Mr. Right

By Hunter M. Daniels

When Mickey Avalon took the stage Sunday at Velvet Jones co-eds started making out, tattooed women began to dance on their beau's shoulders and spastic groupies began to writhe and grind up against anyone in sight. Meanw...