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Arts & Entertainment


A&E

Sequel from Ransom Riggs continues to impress

“Hollow City,” the second novel in Ransom Riggs’ best selling series, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” continues to please its readers as well as those jumping into its universe for the first time.


A&E

The Last Five Years flops

The latest movie-musical to hit theaters is Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years,” starring “Pitch Perfect” star Anna Kendrick and renowned Broadway star, Jeremy Jordan.


A&E

Big Sean’s latest LP is massive standout

Big Sean’s latest studio album comes at a pivotal point in the rap music industry. Drake recently surprise released an album and Kendrick Lamar is making waves with new music, while newcomers like Rae Sremmurd and O.T.


A&E

“Sponge Out of Water” stuns fans

Everyone’s favorite yellow sponge from Bikini Bottom is back in “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.” This film, directed by Paul Tibbitt, is essentially an extended “SpongeBob” episode that transports the audience to an altered state of consciousness.


A&E

An Ode to “Parks and Recreation”

Originally intended as a spin-off of “The Office” with Ed Helms or Craig Robinson playing a lynchpin part, “Parks and Recreation” was so unsure of itself during its first season that even the all-star cast couldn’t have saved it.


A&E

The intersection of literature and history

Last week, author Caryl Phillips read a section of his new novel “The Lost Child” to an audience on Grounds. Phillips is known for his post-colonial style of writing — characterized by a passage of time and space as well as insight into how history dwells on names and people.


A&E

Inside the mind of Thomas Struth

Last week, photographer Thomas Struth participated in a discussion with Assoc. Architecture Prof. Nana Last, who is is currently writing a book about Struth, and Art Prof. William Wylie.


A&E

“50 Shades of Grey,” uncountable shades of terrible

Forget the fact that “50 Shades of Grey” is an awful piece of filmmaking and that I almost left within the first ten minutes. Forget that its script is laughable, its actors’ chemistry unbearably dull, and that its supposed sexiness is about as sexy as an itchy wool turtleneck.


A&E

Surprise release from Drake delivers respectable results

Last Thursday, Drake pulled a Beyoncé, tweeting a link to a project entitled “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.” It arrived with no singles, no marketing campaign and minimal immediate fanfare. This isn’t to say the LP-cum-mixtape went under the radar – that’s been unthinkable for Drake for half a decade now – but it’s certainly a far cry from the Canadian artist’s past releases. The difference goes beyond release style, however.


A&E

Inside the U.Va Drama Department’s “Vodka Variations”

Visiting one of the final dress rehearsals for the “Vodka Variations,” one immediately gets the sense that a play of this size has not been performed in a while. A spiral walkway acting as the major set piece coils around Culbreth Theatre, with just enough space for a live string quartet to sit in the middle.


A&E

Zoso performs at The Jefferson, almost mistaken for a Led Zeppelin show

Led Zeppelin is easily one of the most iconic bands in the history of rock ‘n roll. Not only are all four members considered among the best musicians of all time, but they successfully combined their talents to create a unique style of blues-influenced hard rock Tribute band and perennial Jefferson Theater visitor Zoso, named after Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page’s identifying symbol, replicated the atmosphere of a 1970s Led Zeppelin show.


A&E

Main Street Annex’s wild pre-Valentine’s showcase

Set inside Main Street Annex’s cozy, blacklight-illuminated venue, “Unlucky in Love” combined the themes of Valentine’s Day and Friday the 13th to offer a unique showcase of four bands: Dude ‘n B----, Paul Waggener and the Howling Grimness, The Upper Deckers, and headliner Drunk Luke and the Broken Bottles. The show kicked off with Jenny Rhubright and David Lee Archer performing in an alternative country duo they refer to as Dude ‘n B----, accompanied by two musicians from the upcoming Howling Grimness band.


A&E

Fifty Shades of Disappointment

Despite an attempt to reflect the edginess promised to fans in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” the movie’s media campaign fell short of producing an enticing soundtrack.

Latest Video

Latest Podcast

With Election Day looming overhead, students are faced with questions about how and why this election, and their vote, matters. Ella Nelsen and Blake Boudreaux, presidents of University Democrats and College Republicans, respectively, and fourth-year College students, delve into the changes that student advocacy and political involvement are facing this election season.