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(11/26/17 1:53am)
“When I think of the farm, I think of mud ... I dreamed in brown,” laments Laura McAllan (Carey Mulligan) of her life in rural Mississippi in “Mudbound,” a sweeping Southern drama from Netflix. Focusing on the aftermath of World War II, “Mudbound” follows two veterans — one white, one black — as they struggle to adjust to life back home. This slow-moving but compelling drama is boosted by strong performances and fine directing from Dee Rees.
(09/14/17 4:52am)
After the abysmal failure that was “The Dark Tower,” and the largely forgettable 2013 remake of “Carrie,” the stock of Stephen King adaptations seemed to be falling rapidly. Fortunately, “It” proved to be one of the best adaptations of King’s work in recent memory and one of the best movies of the year. Equal parts coming-of-age tale and supernatural thriller, “It” succeeds with a stellar showcase of young talent and smart writing.
(07/05/17 10:51pm)
Charlottesville has a phenomenal music scene. Incoming students should be sure to check out concerts around town early and often during their time at the University. Here, A&E profiles the city’s hottest venues.
(04/27/17 5:34am)
Pop-rock band Parachute brought The Jefferson to life April 23, playing a high-energy set featuring old hits and new on their “Getaway Tour.” Frontman Will Anderson and saxophonist Kit French created the group while both were attending the University in 2007. Since then, Parachute has gone on to be one of the most successful bands to emerge from Charlottesville. The group has toured alongside acts like Kelly Clarkson, The Script and Gavin Degraw.
(03/29/17 5:21am)
Space is the ideal frontier for horror and catastrophe — the claustrophobia of space stations contrasted with the vast emptiness of the unknown provides endless opportunities for terror. “Life” attempts to capitalize on this opportunity, providing a terrifying what-if scenario for the potential of extraterrestrial life in the vein of “Alien.” However, “Life” too often relies on contrived plot devices and weak character development, preventing it from standing out amongst other films of a similar genre.
(01/30/17 2:31am)
The 2017 Oscar nominations were announced Jan. 24, and “La La Land” led the pack with a whopping 14 nominations, tying “Titanic” and “All About Eve” for the most nominations for a single film. As with any year, there were a number of surprising entries in the categories, as well as a fair number of glaring omissions.
(01/19/17 2:41am)
“This show will wreck your evening, your whole life and your day. Every single episode is nothing but dismay,” Neil Patrick Harris sings in the opening credits of “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” one of the latest original series from Netflix. This statement of warning could not be further from the truth — despite the many misfortunes facing the show’s characters, the show itself is a joy from start to finish.
(11/02/16 2:02am)
When watching a film like “Inferno,” it is important to have the right set of expectations. Expecting an intelligent, well-thought-out thriller will only result in disappointment. “Inferno” is implausible and somewhat cheesy, as were the previous films in the series, based on the popular novels by Dan Brown. Taking that with a grain of salt, however, “Inferno” is a perfectly good escape.
(09/30/16 12:24am)
“Bob’s Burgers” is something of an anomaly. It’s certainly not a kid’s cartoon, but it is also nowhere near as profane as shows like “Family Guy” and “South Park.” “Bob’s Burgers” is in a category of its own, and it excels in this uniqueness as it enters its seventh season, which premiered Sunday.
(09/28/16 10:54pm)
On Tuesday at the Jefferson Theater, Virginia Film Festival director Jody Kielbasa announced the lineup for the 29th annual event, which will take place in Charlottesville Nov. 3 to 6. The schedule includes major releases and hits from other festivals like Telluride, as well as movies from Virginia filmmakers and screenings of old classics.
(09/19/16 1:57am)
It was a perfect summer night in Downtown Charlottesville when Rayland Baxter took the stage at the Sprint Pavilion to open for The Lumineers. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the air, which suited Baxter in his self-described “chill” set. Baxter’s songs had a smooth quality with hypnotic guitar riffs, which were aided by his powerful voice. Stand-out songs included the soulful “Mr. Rodriguez” and the mellow “Olivia.”
(08/08/16 5:56pm)
An honest critique of “Sharknado: The 4th Awakens” is somewhat pointless. The movie, like the other three in the franchise, is so blatantly terrible that to treat it as a serious film is downright impossible. Fortunately the “Sharknado” series possesses the important quality of being so bad that it’s entertaining, and when treated that way, it can provide perfect summer escapism. Movie fans looking for a serious science-fiction film will be sorely disappointed, but anyone looking for non-stop absurdity should look no further.
(04/21/16 3:47am)
Disney’s trend of remaking their animated films continues with “The Jungle Book,” the classic tale of the man-cub Mowgli. This version takes a darker tone than the 1967 animated version but still maintains a sense humor and adventure. With stunning visual effects and top-notch voice acting, “The Jungle Book” is a surprisingly good adaptation of the timeless story.
(04/13/16 4:31am)
The return of “Outlander” provided two premieres in one, spanning two countries and two centuries. Last season, Claire Randall Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) traveled in time from the 1940s to 18th-century Scotland, falling in love with Scottish highlander Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) in the process. In this season two premiere, Claire returns to her husband in the mid-20th century, although this return is unceremonious, as Claire longs for the life and love she left behind.
(02/19/16 4:07am)
Fifteen years after the original “Zoolander” became a cult classic, Ben Stiller is back as dim-witted male model Derek Zoolander in a new, equally ridiculous adventure. While it never quite achieves the iconic status of the original, “Zoolander 2” is good for a few laughs and should please fans of the first film.
(02/08/16 2:25am)
Last week’s rain in Los Angeles couldn’t dampen the electric spirit of “Grease: Live,” which triumphed despite the dreary weather. Led by a talented cast and aided by clever set design, “Grease: Live” exceeded expectations and raised the bar for television musicals.
(01/27/16 3:50am)
Dystopian television shows are everywhere these days, and most of them are indistinguishable from each other. A few shows manage to innovate on the tired genre and rise above the pack. “Colony,” unfortunately, is not one of these shows. Although it shows promise, “Colony” is a largely forgettable addition to the vast science fiction catalogue.
(11/11/15 4:20am)
The American Civil war inspires the heart of conflict in “Mercy Street,” an upcoming medical mini-series from PBS, which centers on a hospital in Union-occupied Alexandria. The drama, which screened at Culbreth Theater as part of the Virginia Film Festival, is riveting and brings Civil War-era Virginia to life.
(10/16/15 12:53am)
In an attempt to capitalize on the fairy tale origin trope, “Pan” puts a new twist on the characters from the classic children’s book “Peter Pan” by J. M. Barrie in explaining how Peter Pan came to be. Despite its ambitious effort, “Pan” flounders due to a bizarre, jumbled and completely unsatisfying plot.
(09/28/15 2:38am)
The 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards awarded some of the best and brightest in television and said farewell to the shows and entertainers the industry lost this year on Sep. 20. Hosted by Andy Samberg, the Emmys this year were surprisingly poignant, as several winners broke records and made history.