Critic pleasers: Six films you don’t want to miss

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Though immensely quotable and every bit as gut-bustingly funny as the day it landed in theaters 50 years ago, one surprising fact about Dr. Strangelove is that it did not begin its life as a comedy. The film is based in part […]

ARTS Pick: The Last Bison

If music is poetry, then the evidence is in the perfect harmonies of The Last Bison. Hailing from the southeast corner of Virginia, the Bison defined its latest album, VA, in a rustic cabin on the edge of Chesapeake Bay’s Great Dismal Swamp—and contrary to the location name, the tunes are bright, sunny, and upbeat. […]

Wonder years: Tribute marks Charlie Chaplin’s debut

On Saturday the Virginia Film Festival will screen a selection of short comedies starring Charlie Chaplin in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the legendary actor-director’s first appearance as the Little Tramp. Accordingly, the festival program eschews Chaplin’s better-known features in favor of five early short comedies. “The program illustrates perfectly his progression as a […]

November First Fridays Guide

  First Fridays is a monthly art event featuring exhibit openings at many Downtown art galleries and additional exhibition venues. Several spaces offer receptions. Listings are compiled in collaboration with Piedmont Council for the Arts. To list an exhibit, please send information two weeks before opening to arts@c-ville.com. First Fridays: November 7, 2014. Angelo 220 E. Main St. […]

Dinner date: And now for some films that really suck

Things I’ve learned from horror movies include: Never say anyone’s name into a mirror more than twice. You’re in trouble if that charming old house you bought has an unfinished cellar or attic. Stripes never go out of style when your fingers are made out of knives. And like all respectful dinner party guests, vampires […]

Right at home: Virginia filmmaking attracts Hollywood attention

From the moment he saw it, Virginia Film Festival director Jody Kielbasa had no qualms about opening this year’s fest with Big Stone Gap, a screen adaptation of the popular novel by Adriana Trigiani, who grew up in the movie’s Southwest Virginia town and now lives in Manhattan. “First and foremost, it’s a really good […]

ARTS Pick: Technosonics XV

Technology and music have a symbiotic relationship. Developments and inventions constantly change the way we write, perform, and listen to music of all styles and genres. Technosonics XV: Found Sound celebrates the latest innovations in music technology by showcasing digital music, electro-acoustic music, and the combination of high profile performers with UVA composers and faculty. […]

A teller of truths: Sixty years on the road with Hal Holbrook

“I think that this film gains its emotional integrity from the fact that everybody is speaking the truth. It was very moving to watch it. The one thing I was hoping that they would get was for everyone to stop acting like Hollywood people, and just tell the truth—about the mistakes we’ve made, the struggle that […]

In transition: Teen queen Kate Voegele explores her mature side

Kate Voegele was miscast—quite literally. Voegele’s career hit the fast track in 2005 when she gained a strong following on the social media site MySpace. That same year, MySpace and Interscope Records teamed up to create MySpace Records, and Voegele became one of the label’s earliest signees. She released her first major label-backed full-length record […]