It’s a good thing the heart of Lee Daniels’ The Butler is Forest Whitaker, because the movie has a great story to tell but gets in its own way. Whitaker keeps the movie centered amid the barrage of huge star cameos, corny dialogue, and choppy storytelling—plot threads come and go, unresolved—as Cecil Gaines, a White […]
It’s a good thing the heart of Lee Daniels’ The Butler is Forest Whitaker, because the movie has a great story to tell but gets in its own way. Whitaker keeps the movie centered amid the barrage of huge star cameos, corny dialogue, and choppy storytelling—plot threads come and go, unresolved—as Cecil Gaines, a White […]
Forbidden lovers cross under the starry sky in a live theatrical production of The Dark of the Moon inspired by the timeless folk favorite, “The Ballad of Barbara Allen.” A mountain backdrop provides the perfect setting for this eerie story of an unusual young man who becomes enraptured with the beauty of his beloved. Laden […]
Swinging just comes naturally with the exotic rhythms from local musicians Humberto and Madeline Sales, known as the Beleza Duo. Drawing from their Brazilian roots, they mix traditional samba and flamenco with funk and a touch of soul, set off by virtuoso guitar playing and sensual, playful vocals. The dance floor awaits, and the evening […]
In a world of hit singles, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals shed new light on the art of the LP. The ’70s rock-inspired group is touring on its latest release, The Lion The Beast The Beat, a profoundly conceptualized tapestry of songs that, although strong enough to stand alone, weave together in a refreshing musical […]
Ian Svenonius has been one of the major figures in D.C. punk for the past 25 years. He began in the late ’80s with Nation of Ulysses, who along with other Dischord label contemporaries like Fugazi, was rethinking what a “hardcore” band was supposed to sound, look, and act like. Ulysses was simultaneously backward-looking and […]
An Op-Ed style manifesto and general response to the McGuffey Summer Show Art in Charlottesville can be characterized by a sort of conservative tameness. Local artists combine quaint country craft with universally pleasing aesthetics to create an experience that is enjoyable but limited to a limbo world of perpetual charm. Limitless talent is channeled into oil, […]
Sarah Miles One/Rock Ridge Music One, the debut full-length album from Sarah Miles, is an engaging debut. It has a lot of great melodies, the production value is top-notch, and Miles fills the record with gorgeous vocals and considerable insight into the human condition. The folk-pop opener “Middle of Nowhere” states, “If I could run […]
Embrace the last of the lazy August days with the Summer Camp Series at the Packard Campus Theater in Culpeper. Ten movies, including two double features, will celebrate all things campy throughout the latter half of the month. From summer sleep-away comedies to sci-fi schmaltz, you can get your fill of over-the-top entertainment with silver […]
We’re the Millers has the kind of story that can be hammered out in about 15 minutes, if its writers follow the “Save the Cat” formula. (Read this outline before you see it and you’ll actually see the story beats play out when you watch the movie.) The central plot—a pot dealer recruits three people […]
The Bard is back with All’s Well that Ends Well, in a cunning adaptation of everyone’s favorite story, Cinderella. Though the title seems to hint towards “happily ever after,” this dark fairytale adopts elements of comedy and tragedy for a bittersweet study on the fickle human heart. Filled with clever wit, trademark soliloquies, and fun-filled […]