Focus on films, not awards
So the Oscar nominations came out, and I am honestly disappointed, but not surprised. Already, there have been multiple pieces online lambasting the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for upholding the norms of straight, white, cisgender men getting all the attention. This is fair, as “Selma” was the only Oscar-worthy movie from 2014 […]
LTS provides easy password changes
This week, Brandeis’ Library and Technology Services (LTS) department finished the creation of free programs designed to help students change their passwords more easily, LTS Chief Information Officer Michael Corn told The Brandeis Hoot. The mechanisms are available on the LTS web page, and allow students to access locked accounts and change their passwords voluntarily. […]
Burton disappoints with plotless film
The easiest way to start this review would be to ask me to criticize the career path of Tim Burton. Perhaps I could lament his recent Johnny Depp/Helena Bonham Carter-starring “reimaginings” of things nobody wanted to be reimagined, before discussing my nostalgia for his older films. I am not going to do this, because it’s […]
Rape Crisis Center offering student positions
Student activists Samantha Daniels ’16, Victoria Jonas ’15 and Ava Blustein ’15 outlined the responsibilities and application process for “peer advocate” positions at the soon-to-be implemented Brandeis Rape Crisis Center (RCC) to interested students on Tuesday. The Rape Crisis Center, an extension of Brandeis’ Peer Counseling Center and the Office of Prevention Services, was first […]
Social media campaign rallies community
Brandeis students rallied around the university in an online campaign this winter break, using the hashtag “Brandeis Is Our House” to title positive stories about their experiences at the school. Kelsey Segaloff ’15 started the campaign following social media reaction to an article written by Daniel Mael ’15, on Truth Revolt, a conservative news and […]
‘Selma’: a must-see film of great importance
Full, immediate disclosure: I cannot promise that this review will be utterly free of any white cisgender male privilege that I carry around with me because of my race and gender identity. As anyone will tell you, there is no way to completely leave these behind without ending in a position where I’d simply be […]
'The Imitation Game' highlights unsung hero
Ah, another movie featuring a likely awards nominee, so soon after “The Theory of Everything.” And it just so happens to be another biopic! Why, it’s almost as if there’s some sort of season upon us, an Oscar season if you will. OK, in all seriousness, “The Imitation Game” is a movie that, like “The […]
Darkmatter performance stuns
Alok Vaid-Menon and Janani Balasubramanian, poets and activists known together as the trans South Asian political performance art duo Darkmatter, delivered an incredible performance at Chum’s Coffee House last night that blew the roof off. The event was organized by the media club Brandeis Television (BTV) and Triskelion, Brandeis’ student resource for empowering LGBTQ members […]
‘Lost Girls’ tackles tough themes
This weekend, Brandeis Ensemble Theatre premieres its latest production, “Lost Girls,” a two-act drama about obstacles and trauma faced by women in all walks of life. The play was written and directed by Charlie Madison ’15. “Lost Girls” explores its themes through five women, each representative of a specific archetype of survivors of trauma. The […]
Run the Jewels puts out a satisfying sophomore effort
Way back in May 2012, Atlanta hip-hop agitator Killer Mike released “R.A.P. Music,” his sixth album, to significant critical acclaim. The album was entirely produced by Brooklyn underground rap legend El-P, and this connection introduced Mike to hipsters and new popularity. Later that same month, El-P released “Cancer 4 Cure,” his third album to similar […]
‘Fury’ offers a realistic WWII experience
There is an argument in the halls of pop culture criticism that every story relating to World War II has been told and that audiences are tired of seeing new ones. This argument was principle in the move of the “Call of Duty” video game franchise from a series of boring pro-America war fantasies set […]
‘Dracula Untold’ lacks bite
I find the existence of “Dracula Untold” genuinely perplexing. Did anybody ask for this movie? According to Universal Studios, “Dracula Untold” is the first in what will be a series of modern monster movies that will eventually connect, a la the Avengers franchise. Why? By the time all these movies are released it will be […]
BTC gives inspiring performance of ‘Dead Man’s Cell Phone’
It is clear from the very beginning of “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” that this play wants to say something. Countless bits of dialogue reference the emotional metaphysics of technology and communication and assure us, the audience, we should listen to what it is saying. “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” tells the story of Jean, who decides […]
‘The Equalizer’ is unfortunately uneven
At some point, probably after the massive success of the Christopher Nolan “Batman” trilogy, Hollywood decided that action movies weren’t allowed to be fun anymore. Radical concepts like humor suddenly disappeared, and every hero had to be a permanently scowling ex-something-or-other out for revenge. Gone was the time of the wisecracking everyman, and in came […]
Code Orange’s ‘I Am King’ lacks creativity
Code Orange (formerly Code Orange Kids) is a band that wants to be taken seriously. It has toured relentlessly over the two years since the release of its first album “Love is Love/Return to Dust,” its name change and recruitment of Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou to produce its new record. It is also signed to […]
Avant-garde artists provide unique Chum’s experience
On April 11, just before the Brandeis community took its second spring break, students packed into Chum’s Coffee House for a musical experience unlike any other presented this year. The concert, originally scheduled to take place outside The Rose, was driven inside by the rain, and was set up by WBRS, the club’s final show […]
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ outdoes predecessor
If there was ever a comic book character who faced terrible odds of getting a real, good big-screen adaptation, it was Captain America. As the series of cheesy late-’80s and early-’90s TV movies showed, it is very difficult to take a man dressed like a flag who throws a giant Frisbee seriously. And from a […]
Chum’s gets funky
Last Friday night, students packed themselves into Chum’s Coffee House for a musical celebration they called “Fat Friday,” referring to Mardi Gras. WBRS hosted and organizaed the event and featured music by Philadelphia funk band Swift Technique and Brooklyn’s Turkuaz. The Facebook event described the bands as “large and exhilarating,” paying specific attention to Turkuaz, […]
Lunar New Year performance draws large crowd
Last Friday, the Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection (BC3) hosted a celebration of the new Lunar New Year, welcoming the Year of the Horse with a host of student performances and showcases. Featuring nine parts and two videos celebrating the hard-working board members of BC3, the celebration drew laughs and cheers from the crowd of nearly […]
Boston band release intense and polished debut
In the fall of 2013, I saw Boston punks Lovechild by accident. I was running sound for a four-band show of local acts but not really paying attention, as the first band wasn’t really my “thing.” But as I stared curiously at the multitude of high school kids and Bostonians gathered in front of me, […]
