Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil […]

Births and deaths

The gods that pass judgment on each Live Arts season were benevolent during the community theater’s April 21 season announcement. Seated in the balcony, members of the reading committee—including J. Hernandez, fresh from a brilliantly two-sided turn in The Voysey Inheritance at Culbreth Theatre; critical carving knife and Daedalus bookstore owner Sandy McAdams; directors Kay […]

Baby on board

Success has many parents, but failure is an orphan. Given that truism, it’s easy to trace the lineage of Baby Mama back to today’s reigning queens of comedy, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Some things are better left to the stork: UVA grad Tina Fey (left) and Amy Poehler play the Gallant and Goofus of […]

Wax on, wax off

The Karate KidTuesday 8pm, AMC It tickles me that Ralph Macchio’s magnum opus is now considered an “American Movie Classic.” (Although, Species is showing on the cable channel later this week, so maybe that designation is a little more, er, flexible than I imagined.) Relive all those wonderful moments when wee Danny became the knight […]

First Friday, May 2, 2008 [With Photo Gallery]

Angelo “The Conference of the Birds,” new paintings by Cynthia Burke, 5:30-7:30pm. Art Upstairs Gallery “Moments Seen,” works by Sue Sensor, 6-9pm. BozArt Gallery “Unsere Bunte Welt,” paintings by Ucky Light, 5-9pm. The Bridge/Progressive Arts Initiative Photography by Jamie McCelland, Vincent Mendiola and Uyen-Vi Tran, 6-9pm. C’ville Arts Collages by Diane Goodbar, 6-9pm. enoteca “Reclaiming […]

Movies playing in town

Movies playing in town21 (PG-13, 123 minutes) Inspired by the book Bringing Down the House, this fact-based (let’s not go all the way to “true”) story introduces us to hotshot young M.I.T. student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe). Our boy Ben’s a math wizard, but he’s too poor to afford tuition. Enter evil […]

The $8,900 Receipt

Ah, “low budget”—the most bogus term in filmmaking! A phrase used as justification for a poor movie and as an obstacle overcome by a great film, one that runs the gamut from…