Artsweek

C’mon, Get Happy ****

November 20, 2008 by

Poppy (played in a beautifully nuanced performance by newcomer Sally Hawkins) is an optimistic person. She is a 30-year-old elementary school teacher and lives a somewhat carefree life in London with ...
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Art Imitates Life ****

November 20, 2008 by

Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's characters have always been insanely neurotic and self-obsessed, but his directorial debut, "Synecdoche, New York," takes the unrelenting self-examination to new heights...
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Out and About

November 13, 2008 by

One of the first films screened at OUTrageous! was "20 Straws: Growing Up Gay," directed by Liv Gjestvang and the Youth Video OUTreach Collective. The short film documents the experiences of nine gay ...
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Dance Dance Revolution

November 13, 2008 by

To the throng that waited outside the Thunderdome at 6 p.m. to be let into the concert, I tip my hat and shake my head. The doors opened at 6:30 p.m., but Lupe Fiasco didn't take the stage until aroun...
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Ronstadt Brings Retro Charm to State Street

November 13, 2008 by

Linda Ronstadt's performance at the Arlington Theatre last Tuesday was shamelessly cheesy, but it was more on par with aged, quality Swiss than with Kraft Mac in a box.
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Slumber Party

November 13, 2008 by

Oklahoma synthpop, electroclash, electronica-rock band Shiny Toy Guns attempted to rock the stylish - if a bit too small - club Velvet Jones on State Street, but Sunday night is no match for even the ...
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Theater & Dance’s ‘Reckless’ Isn’t Your Typical Holiday Play

November 13, 2008 by

Murder, suicide by champagne, and insanity... doesn't exactly sound like the average Christmas-themed play. Unlike most holiday plays, which tend to be unusually sappy, Craig Lucas' "Reckless" is funn...
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The Lineup

November 13, 2008 by

As part of its annual fund drive, KCSB-91.9 will present the Santa Barbara premiere of the Flaming Lips' 2008 feature film, "Christmas on Mars." The screening will be held in I.V. Theater this Saturda...
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California Girls

November 6, 2008 by

On Oct. 29, the University of Art Museum here at UCSB opened its doors on its most recent exhibition, California Biennal 2008, which will run through Mar. 1, 2009. The exhibition was mounted by the Or...
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Jack’s Mannequin Delivers a Lively Performance in the Hub

November 6, 2008 by

I always imagined Jack's Mannequin's fans to be just like the music: calm, cool and relaxed. I never would envision that they would be so intense that during the course of last Thursday evening's conc...
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Missing Pieces **

November 6, 2008 by

Clint Eastwood, the minimalist director who last brought us 2007's harrowing set of films, "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima," is a master at portraying the desperate individual caught...
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Porntastic ****

November 6, 2008 by

"Zack and Miri Make a Porno" sees Kevin Smith doing lots of things that he has never done before -- moving out of his favored New Jersey locale and into a slightly different but equally industrial cor...
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From the Heart ***

November 6, 2008 by

Solo albums are a tricky thing. How does an artist "do their own thing" and manage to make a relevant and enjoyable record without sounding like an ego gone awry? Luckily for lead singer Tom Gabel of ...
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Solar Meltdown ***

November 6, 2008 by

Irish rock group Snow Patrol is too often unfairly compared to Coldplay, but both bands are cut from the same cloth. Sensitive lead singer? Check. Striving for universal truths? Check. Over-done senti...
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Lupe Fiasco To Raise Havoc Monday

November 6, 2008 by

It's an event many UCSB students have been waiting for: One of hip hop's most popular commercial artists infecting radio today, Lupe Fiasco, will be playing at UCSB's Thunderdome on Monday evening, in...
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