Articles

Conservative theater-an oxymoron?

An interesting Wall Street Journal piece (read it here) asks why we don’t see conservative political theater. Apart from Tom Stoppard and David Mamet, the writer of the piece “can’t think of a single well-known American or British playwright…

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You-review-it Monday

So, did you go Spirit-and-Place-ing this weekend? (I got to the “Madness and Creativity” conversation at Butler University and the remarkable “Whirl of the Divine” performance at the Central Library.)

Do some First Friday gallery hopping? (Maybe we crossed paths at IMOCA or the…

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Review: B.J. Novak at Clowes

At his strongest when addressing the largely student audience on generationally-specific subjects, stand-up B.J. Novak–best known from his role as Ryan on NBC’s “The Office”–riffed smartly on OnStar, iTunes, Bill Nye, Wikipedia and GoogleMaps during his Thursday night set at…

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IBJ movie nights: Bond, etc.

In the past, I’ve hosted a wide range of IBJ Night at the Movies screenings.

The next two, however, are a little different. The tickets I’m giving away are, to be accurate, for IBJ LATE Nights at the Movies. Midnight, to be specific. 

First…

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Cultural two-fers

One of the more convenient excuses given for not going to cultural events is the cost.

Well, with the 25th anniversary Zoobook now in release, that excuse has once again been mitigated.

Yes, I know that there are those of you…

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Fictional Presidential match-ups

Here, for your entertainment, some fictional election match-ups (ignoring party affiliations). Who gets your vote?

Peter Sellers in “Dr. Strangelove” vs. Michael Douglas in “The American President” vs. Morgan Freeman in “Deep Impact”?

Next round:

Martin Sheen on “The West Wing” vs. Donald…

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Fitbrains.com offers games to keep your memory sharp

Vivity Labs has developed a Web
site called
Fit Brains (www.fitbrains.com), which features engaging games and activities that exercise the five key cognitive
areas of the brain: memory, language, concentration, executive functions, and visual and spatial skills.

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You-review-it Monday

For me, the weekend included catching up with shows at the Phoenix and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It also involved stealing moments to read, flipping between David Wild’s goofy new “He Is…I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying…

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Random tricks/random treats

Some random thoughts on cultural horrors.

 –Boris Karloff may be Hollywood’s most underrated golden-era star. Watch him in “Son of Frankenstein” if you get a chance (although the film itself isn’t as good as the perversely fun “Bride of Frankenstein”).

–When we…

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Bookstore booze to be tested

According to the Western Michigan Business Review, Schuler Books and Music in Grand Rapids (an outstanding locally owned chain) is looking to go beyond the cafe-and-sweet-treats ammenities that have become stapes in bookshops.

The downtown store has applied for a…

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Film: Can ‘best’ = ‘most popular’?

Interesting stat in today’s New York Times: The last four winners of the Academy Award for Best Picture (“No Country for Old Men,” “The Departed,” “Crash,” and “Million Dollar Baby”) combined didn’t bring in the box office money of 2003’s…

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On celebrity interviews

Peter Bart, one of the smarter guys in Hollywood, has an interesting blog over at Variety. His topic: Celebrity interviews. (Find it here.)

In the piece, Bart elequently points out something I’ve felt for a long time now: That most…

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You-review-it Monday

There was a lot to choose from this weekend.

Did you pick Hubbard Street Dance or David Byrne at Clowes? Or Gregory Hancock’s “Oh My Goth”? Stop in at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, or the…

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