God Bless Sweden
lykke li makes me go gaga
God bless Sweden. From meatballs to Ikea to Alfred Nobel, it’s no secret that the Scandinavian Peninsula is a veritable hotspot of epic cultural contributions. Music is no exception. Although for many, the idea of a “Swedish pop star” may conjure images of ABBA and gold lamé jumpsuits, it is the edgy, strong Swedish dancing queens…
Blame It on the Alcohol
opera, in layman’s terms
The alcohol is flowing freely. Music is blaring. Inebriated partiers scramble to match each other shot for shot. Between frenzied bouts of dancing, everyone tries to get laid. No, I’m not talking about Spring Weekend at Brown. I’m describing a typical scene from Brown Opera Productions’ Die Fledermaus (The Bat), which channeled all the comic, carnal,…
Get Out of my Warlock Brain
why two and a half men can’t win, duh
Until two weeks ago, I knew exactly three things about the Charlie Sheen: he’s Jed Bartlet’s son, Gordon Bombay’s brother, and Duckie’s on-screen counterpart. But after the violent eruption of all things Sheen following his controversial spate of televised, drug-induced outbursts, I can’t get the sunken-eyed drug addict with Adonis DNA off of my…
But, Grandmother, what terrible films you make!
putting the grim in grimm brothers
It’s like Snow White, except Snow White actually does die at the end. Like Hansel and Gretel, except our pint-sized heroes are roasted and whipped up into a batch of succulent kid-kabobs with a side of meat sauce, Ratty-style. Twisted as it sounds, such scenes of gloom and gore would hardly be out of place in…
Of Mice and Men
Farewell to a Beloved Friend
Perhaps, in childhood, you encountered an author who understood the unspoken yearnings of your little elementary schooler heart. Chubby, bespectacled, and as yet unaware of your crippling nerdhood, you disappeared into a literary world chock-full of swashbuckling adventure and characters who struck a chord of kinship in your soul. Brian Jacques created one such…