Bored in class? Could be worse

I went to a boarding school in New England, much like the one in Never Let Me Go, but whose mascot was the pelican. The pelican, while not exactly an intimidator on the sports field, is a perversely charitable bird known to feed its offspring with its own blood when no food is available. That […]

Checking in with John Casteen IV

Casteen was among the mentors for the Southwood Photo Project, an arts outreach project that produced a book of photographs and poetry, which will be released at the Bridge/PAI on November 1.

Hereafter; Pg-13, 129 minutes; Carmike Cinema 6

It’s strange to think that the famously adamantine Clint Eastwood should be so easy to brush off nowadays. But somehow his movies have become wishy-washy.  Clint Eastwood gets philosophical, directing Matt Damon (pictured) in this supernatural drama about a psychic who can—but refuses to— communicate with the dead. Fitting, then, that it’s a tsunami that […]

“Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Fair Jobmother,” “The Walking Dead”

“Grey’s Anatomy” Thursday 9pm, ABC The doctors of Seattle Grace have spent the first few episodes of this seventh season dealing with the aftermath of last season’s shocking finale, when a gunman shot up a bunch of docs in the surgical wing. Tonight’s episode, shot in documentary style, is designed to bring closure to many […]

RED; R, 111 minutes; Carmike Cinema 6

RED stands for “Retired, Extremely Dangerous,” and refers to a once-elite team of aged and variously cuddly trained killers. The comedy comes from Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner’s graphic novel for DC Comics. There is oldness even in its adolescent fixations: the soundtrack rawk throb and stunty slo-mo set pieces, the squall of semiautomatic weapons […]

“Raising Hope,” “Family Game Night,” “Dexter”

“Raising Hope”  Tuesday 9pm, Fox Nobody paid much attention to this new comedy by the creator of “My Name is Earl,” but it has quietly emerged as one of the few bright spots in Fox’s fall schedule. Much of that has to do with the strong “Glee” lead-in, but the show has its own charms. […]

Checking in with Rob Tarbell

What are you working on right now?  Artist Rob Tarbell harnesses the power of smoke with tools of his own design to create images that boast a surprisingly rich pallette. Tarbell’s work is currently showing at Mary Baldwin College and Hunterdon Art Museum in New Jersey. I figured out how to capture smoke on paper. […]

Conviction; R, 107 minutes; Opening Friday

Yes, the title has two meanings: Conviction refers to the guilty verdict that put a man in prison for many years, and to the certitude with which his sister then devoted her life to proving his innocence. But that just makes things doubly obvious. Well, if this ain’t love: Hilary Swank goes through the trouble […]

“30 Rock,” “Fatal Attractions,” “Sanctuary”

 “30 Rock”  Thursday 8:30pm, NBC This should be fun. My favorite comedy is putting on a live episode, and who better to conquer live television than that UVA alum and former “Saturday Night Live” head Tina Fey? I have no doubt that Fey, co-star Alec Baldwin, and Broadway vet Jane Krakowski can pull off a […]