Moonrise Kingdom; PG-13, 94 minutes; Regal Downtown Mall 6

The new Wes Anderson movie is certainly a richer pastiche than anything else you’ll see at the multiplex this season. And in its Andersonian manner, Moonrise Kingdom is a nourishing regressive pleasure, a sort of summer movie for grown-ups. Yes, the manner is mannered, but the intention is noble: to affirm the dignity of escapism […]

The Storyline Project fosters creative connections

Monticello Road is an odd part of Charlottesville. It was once literally the road to Jefferson’s house, but the construction of I-64 and Route 20 have truncated it to a short stretch that cuts through southern Charlottesville’s Belmont neighborhood. Though it’s only a mile in length, Monticello Road is a cross-section of residential homes, fancy […]

Albemarle upgrades county trails and recreation space

Dan Mahon has one of the coolest jobs in Virginia. While other Albemarle County staff are stuck behind desks, this ponytailed child at heart spends most of his days running around Albemarle’s parks and trails, which serve as both his office and his backyard. As Albemarle’s Outdoor Recreation Supervisor, Mahon’s duty is to develop and […]

T.V.: “Trust Us with Your Life,” “Political Animals,” “Breaking Bad”

 “Trust Us with Your Life”  Tuesday 9pm, ABC This comedy series from the creators of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” brings back the televised improv concept, but with a celebrity talk-show spin. Each episode will feature a different famous person—Serena Williams, Jerry Springer, Florence Henderson, and Ricky Gervais among them—being interviewed by host Fred Willard, as […]

Rob Tarbell and Douglas Boyce fuse visual art and musical composition

A collaboration between visual artist Rob Tarbell and composer Douglas Boyce, “Bird-like Things in Things Like Trees” was conceived two summers ago during an artist residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Auvillar, France. While there, both men became captivated by a distinctive birdsong. Their unsuccessful quest to identify the bird became […]

The Amazing Spider-Man; PG-13, 136 minutes; Carmike Cinema 6

Odd that a movie about an arachnoid teenager coming of age and falling in love and doing battle with a lizard-man to save Manhattan should be so forgettable. What to blame but reboot-itis? Sam Raimi’s trilogy of just a few years ago was after all just a numbered series of spider-men, but this new movie […]

Funk DJs Grits n Gravy want to rock your soul

Robin Tomlin has one of the most recognizable voices in local radio. He barks a mile a minute in a rapid British accent, breathlessly reading back a list of obscure soul and funk songs on The Soulful Situation, his Monday afternoon radio show. Colin Powell (no relation to the former Secretary of State) is comparatively […]

Green Scene: Steps to Sustainability

Teri Kent (far left) with members of the staff of Woodard Properties, where employees propelled themselves to a win in the Charlottesville Better Business Challenge by transitioning to a paperless office. Photo by John Robinson. Challenge reveals ways businesses can trim waste More than 100 Charlottesville businesses recently wrapped up the year-long Better Business Challenge, a […]

Best power lunch spots in the city

Charlottesville’s power lunch scene’s a far cry from D.C.’s, but there’s still plenty of wheeling and dealing being done over the midday meal. Here’s where our town’s most influential go to discuss, deliberate, decide—and eat.

Pie in our eyes: Seven ways to get your fill

Dessert trends come and go, but a good slice of pie stands the test of time—especially when it’s filled with seasonal fruit and served à la mode. Here’s a deep dish worth of local choices of America’s most classic dessert. The individual peach pies at Albemarle Baking Company might be small, but the double-crusted delights […]