“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Tuesday 9:30pm, Fox “Survivor” and “Apprentice” mastermind Mark Burnett came up with this new quiz show. And if anybody knows how stupid adults are, it’d be him. The concept is pretty obvious: Well-meaning adults and actual fifth graders are asked questions taken directly from basic elementary curriculum. Can […]
“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” Tuesday 9:30pm, Fox “Survivor” and “Apprentice” mastermind Mark Burnett came up with this new quiz show. And if anybody knows how stupid adults are, it’d be him. The concept is pretty obvious: Well-meaning adults and actual fifth graders are asked questions taken directly from basic elementary curriculum. Can […]
The Abandoned (R, 94 minutes) This audience choice favorite from the recent “8 Films to Die For” Horrorfest tour now gets its own solo theatrical release. It’s your basic ghost story about an orphaned girl who returns to her biological parents’ isolated Russian farmhouse. Director Nacho Cerda, known for his transgressive underground shorts (Aftermath, Genesis), […]
Dave Matthews’ place behind the bar at Miller’s is not the only draw for musicians to Charlottesville. In 2003, rocker Zaba Grace (www.zabagrace.com) moved here from Toledo, Ohio, to work with sometime DMB engineer Chris Kress. Grace credits Debbie Gibson as an influence. “I dreamed when I was 12 of putting something together that sounded […]
Abundant Life Gallery “People and Petals,” paintings by Eliza Evans and Virginia Rieley, 6-9pm. Angelo “The Observed World of a Right-Handed Painter,” stills by Tim O’Kane, 5:30-7:30pm. Art Upstairs Recent works by Michael McGurk and James Nemer, 6-9pm. Batteau Custom Framing Work by Karina Goldstein, Ken M. Nagakui and Joanne Coleman, 5:30-8:30pm. Ben Around Tattoos […]
“Aqua Teen Hunger Force” Weekdays midnight, Cartoon Network A few weeks ago Boston went into a panic when flashing devices were discovered in subway tunnels and bus shelters. Turns out, they weren’t bombs—they were promo items for this Adult Swim cartoon featuring the villainous “Mooninite” characters giving people the finger. The city fined Cartoon Network […]
I once played in a band where members lived in Virginia, Baltimore and New Orleans. The long distance relationship may be hard, but it can be done. Adam Smith of Truman Sparks (www.myspace.com/trmnsprx) has been figuring out where he wants to live. He recently checked out Philadelphia, where former locals The Extraordinaires have found a […]
The Astronaut Farmer (PG) From oddball indie auteurs Mark and Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho, Southfork) comes this surprisingly straightforward feel-good flick about a former-astronaut-turned-rancher (Billy Bob Thornton) who wants to build a rocket ship in his barn. Everything you expect to happen in this “don’t give up on your dreams” heartwarmer does, but you’ll […]
One night last year, I was standing backstage at The Gravity Lounge listening to Paul Curreri and Devon Sproule together on stage.
“The Amazing Race: All Stars” Sunday 8pm, CBS I’m generally against “all-star” seasons for reality shows. As seen on “Survivor,” the contestants are typically so changed by their previous experiences that there’s almost nothing “real” left, just blatant posturing for the camera. But I’ll make an exception for my beloved “Race”—this is a kick-ass idea. […]
Babel (R, 142 minutes) Alejandro González Iñárritu (director of 21 Grams and Amores Perros) contributes another weighty ensemble piece. This complex, occasionally sluggish rumination on communication (or the lack thereof) in modern-day society takes place in three places at once. In Morocco, a couple (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) gets involved in a shooting crisis. […]