Checking in with UVA's Judith Shatin

What are you working on right now? Right now I’m working on two projects. One is Jefferson, In His Own Words, which is a piece for narrator and orchestra that has been co-commissioned by four orchestras. It’ll premiere in Illinois in March and then it will be performed here in Charlottesville by our wonderful symphony […]

Oh, Brothers, where art thou?

In Brothers, a cadaverously thin Tobey Maguire plays an upright Marine gone missing and presumed dead in Afghanistan, leaving his wife to be looked after by his delinquent kid brother. But the wife is played by Natalie Portman, and the brother is played by Jake Gyllenhaal. So that’s some easy looking, both before and after. […]

Going Gaga

“Barbara Walters: 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009” Wednesday 10pm, ABC News maven Barbara Walters unveils her annual list of people she deems “fascinating.” This year’s selections range from the obvious tabloid/pop culture fixations (Kate Gosselin, Adam Lambert) to the curiously still-relevant (Brett Favre, Tyler Perry), to people who don’t know when to shut the […]

Capsule Reviews

2012 (PG-13, 158 minutes) It’s the end of the world as we know it, and John Cusack feels fine. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6 Armored (PG-13, 88 minutes) In this actioner from the director of Vacancy, Matt Dillon plays an armored truck driver who gets caught up in a big heist. Columbus Short co-stars. Playing […]

An Education’s lessons in class

What a mixed blessing that Carey Mulligan’s stardom should begin here, with the transitory pleasure of an awards-season dido, veiled in the nostalgic mist of inevitable Audrey Hepburn associations and other more current modes of media infatuation. Certainly Mulligan wears the burden well, carrying An Education without hoarding it, and giving off enough dimpled radiance […]

Down the rabbit hole

“Alice” Sunday 9pm, Syfy Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is super-hot right now, between the anticipated Tim Burton/Johnny Depp flick coming out next year and this mini-series premiering this week on Syfy. Much like last year’s “Tin Man” extrapolated from L. Frank Baum’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz, “Alice” uses many of the themes and […]

First Friday — December 4

December 4 Art Upstairs Gallery An all-members show, 5-8pm. BozArt An all-members Christmas show, featuring works in multiple media, 5-9pm. The Bridge/Progressive Arts Initiative The “Anniversary Wall” is on display, 6-8pm. C’ville Arts “Just the Perfect Thing for…” an all-members show featuring handcrafted holiday items, 6-9pm. Charlottesville Community Design Center “Neighborhood ReGeneration,” a collection of […]

Capsule Reviews

2012 (PG-13, 158 minutes) It’s the end of the world as we know it, and John Cusack fees fine. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6 Armored (PG-13, 88 minutes) In this actioner from the director of Vacancy, Matt Dillon plays an armored truck driver who gets caught up in a big heist. Columbus Short co-stars. Opening […]

The apocalypse less traveled

At last, the long-delayed, Viggo Mortensen-intensive adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, about a man and his young son wandering through a glumly gritty post-apocalyptic world, has arrived. Just in time for the holiday season! Here is a movie to remind you that you’ve got a lot to be thankful for. From Lord of the Rings […]