The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

Arts & Entertainment


A&E

'Thao Nguyen & The Get Down Stay Down' on its way up

The folk rock band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down originated in a town familiar to most University students — Falls Church, Va., or in other words “NOVA.” The group has since moved past its Commonwealth roots and is now based in San Francisco, but still remains relatively unknown after the release of their full length album We the Common.


A&E

And the Oscars go to...

What’s funny about a grown man playing with sock puppets, singing about female nudity in movies and joking about abusive relationships?


A&E

Vive le cinema

The joie de vivre embodied by French filmmakers — especially during the silent era and the dawn of the New Wave — has profoundly altered the course of cinematic history.


A&E

Latest LiveArts production spurs 'speech and debate'

Let’s be honest. It’s pretty difficult to point to a film, play or television show centered around high school that doesn’t present what is colloquially known as “our turbulent years” in a melodramatic, angst-ridden way — looking at you, Perks of Being a Wallflower.


A&E

Marvelous 'Monologues'

I had no idea what to expect when I first attended a performance of The Vagina Monologues, a collection of monologues dedicated completely to — you guessed it — vaginas.


A&E

'Haven' more 'Safe' than spectacular

When I walked into newly released romance film Safe Haven I didn’t have high expectations by any standard, so I wasn’t surprised when the film turned out to be exactly like every other Nicholas Sparks inspired movie — ridden with clichés and marked by low-quality plot development.


A&E

The year of Queen B

Life Is But a Dream, a new HBO documentary exploring the journey of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as an artist, wife and mother, is a rousing and inspiring success story sure to appeal to both die-hard fans and new converts.


A&E

Jeff rocks the Jefferson

Even in a crowd of so-called hipsters, I entered the floor of the Jefferson Theater Feb. 4 with a sense of smugness unparalleled by any other concertgoer there.


A&E

Not a 'belieber'

As a general rule, it’s safe to say acoustic albums are a bad idea. Whether you’re a mainstream chart-topper or a soulful indie crooner, you’re bound to have something to gain from an instrumental or electronic arrangement that consists of more than the endless strumming of guitar strings.


A&E

Midlife-focused movie offers middling entertainment

This is 40 is the sequel to 2007’s Knocked Up, except, this time, Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) try to navigate the complications of turning 40, years after the events of Knocked Up. In pop culture today, the mid-life crisis has become an accepted reality, and sometimes even an indulgence or a moment of spiritual transition.


A&E

A zombie movie to warm the soul

Zombie movies are overdone. You can only take a zombie premise so far, and lately this tired genre, like its antagonists, has been a largely brain-dead affair.

Latest Podcast

From her love of Taylor Swift to a late-night Yik Yak post, Olivia Beam describes how Swifties at U.Va. was born. In this week's episode, Olivia details the thin line Swifties at U.Va. successfully walk to share their love of Taylor Swift while also fostering an inclusive and welcoming community.