Arts & Culture - The Daily Tar Heel

Back in Black

By Nick Parker | Feb. 7, 2002

After more than 30 years away from his alma mater, comedian Lewis Black is returning to UNC on Feb. 11 for his first on-campus performance. Indeed, Black is back -- and he has plenty to say. Since his graduation in 1970, Black has been furiously ranting about everything that boggles his mind. Best known for his energetic segment "Back in Black," which airs on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," Black is revered for his witty criticism and intense diatribes. Black will be bringing all that anger to Memorial Hall.

Freedman Plays Cave With Uninhibited Pure Emotion, Raw Talent

By Caroline Lindsey | Feb. 7, 2002

Four Stars At the Cave on Friday night, Skott Freedman's one-man performance made the audience members put down their beers and just listen. Seated at a small, rustic-looking piano, the 22-year-old piano prodigy wowed the crowd with graceful and precise fingerwork dominated by rapid, pulsating sequences. All too often, singer/songwriters are extremely musically talented or more adept in their songwriting -- leaving them to compensate for mediocrity at one or the other. But when he began to sing, it was clear that Freedman is an exception to this generalization.

See Black Live; Skip The Album

By Trafton Drew | Feb. 7, 2002

Lewis Black The White Album

dive recommends

By Joanna Pearson | Feb. 7, 2002

"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" This grotesque film stars real-life rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as an aged child star and her dependent paralyzed sister. Includes choice moments such as when Baby Jane decides to serve rats for dinner. Digable Planets, Reachin' An absolute essential to anyone's music collection. Smooth jazz-hip-hop-socially-conscious blend by a bunch of early-'90s hipsters who will remain perennially "cool like dat." Joanna Pearson can be reached at jkpearso@email.unc.edu.

Alumnus's 'Ding-a-Ling Less' Film Handles Phallic Material Well

By Michael Abernethy | Feb. 7, 2002

"Ding-a-Ling Less"

Stone Unleashes Air Banjo; Hefner Dives Into Techno

By Staff Editor | Feb. 7, 2002

Gordon Stone Band Red Room

Cake to Bring Flavor to Raleigh

By Michelle Jarboe | Feb. 6, 2002

Cake has always been just a bit off-kilter. From enigmatic album titles to a strange mix of the playful and the pensive, the band has never been afraid to shake things up a little. Consider the pig on the cover of their third album, Prolonging the Magic. "McDonald's will have an arch ... so we're sort of going along that line of thought with one simple image, and the pig just seemed to be a strong image at that point and that's how it made it on there," said Vince DiFiore, Cake's trumpeter and keyboardist.

Film Festival Celebrates Capra's Life

By Jenise Hudson | Feb. 4, 2002

RALEIGH -- The N.C. Museum of Art kicked off the Frank Capra Film Festival on Friday night by screening "Frank Capra's American Dream," a documentary produced by the influential filmmaker's son. The festival is the part of the art museum's Winter Film Series and consists of six Capra films in addition to the documentary. Capra Jr., president of Screen Gems Studio in Wilmington, presented and answered audience questions. He received extended applause as he walked to the front of the screening room to address the crowd and gave his reasons for making the film.

Passion for Pharmacy, Writing Can Coexist

By Brooks Firth and Nick Parker | Feb. 1, 2002

While other students lament writing seven-, 10- or 20-page papers, fourth-year pharmacy student Simba Wiltz published his own impressive number of pages -- 320. The Dec. 10 publication of his debut novel, the sci-fi adventure "MainFrame- Beginnings," was the culmination of balancing studying for his pharmacy degree and writing a full-length novel. "It's a hard balance," Wiltz said.

Influential War Films

By Staff Editor | Jan. 31, 2002

Our nation's wars have been revisited in film throughout the years. Here is a short list of notable war movies, the year in which they were released and the wars that came between them. WWI 1914 1918: "Shoulder Arms" Charlie Chaplin 1927: "Wings" William A. Wellman 1930: "All Quiet on the Western Front" Lewis Milestone WWII 1939 1949: "Twelve O'Clock High" Henry King 1949: "Sands of Iwo Jima" Allan Dwan 1951: "The Red Badge of Courage" John Huston Korean War 1950

Dresden Overpowered by Inconsistent Vocals

By Kristen Williams | Jan. 31, 2002

Sorry About Dresden Cat's Cradle Jan. 25 Three Stars With powerful music, commanding stage presence and Budweisers resting on their amps, Sorry About Dresden provides a high energy show. Sorry About Dresden visibly enjoys its craft, and the group's musical talent and lyrics give them credibility, but its vocals can be lacking. Varied and sometimes funky melodies are overpowered by the lyrics and raspy vocals. They break away just when a jam is getting interesting, leaving you wanting to hear more of where they were headed.

'Mothman Prophecies' Provides Creepy Thrills

By Elliott Dube | Jan. 31, 2002

"The Mothman Prophecies" Three Stars The town of Point Pleasant doesn't stay true to its name in the good-looking but flawed new thriller "The Mothman Prophecies." One night, reporter John Klein (Richard Gere) finds himself in the West Virginia town, but he can't remember how he got there. He meets a local police officer (Laura Linney) and learns about a number of strange things that are going on. Several of the townspeople have seen a strange figure with red eyes. Others have heard strange voices over the phone.

40oz Makes an Impact; Halstead Goes Solo

By Staff Editor | Jan. 31, 2002

40oz Impacto 4 Stars And you thought 40oz was just a Sublime cover ban. Actually, the ska-based Chapel Hill group has wasted no time releasing an album with its own songs and style. After two years of covering Sublime songs, 40oz has crafted an album of catchy originals that are ideal for live venues. On Impacto, its first album, the band's intermingling of ska, rock and reggae make for upbeat tunes and 11 tracks of high-energy fun.

Caviezel Swashbuckles as Count of Monte Cristo

By Graham Parker | Jan. 31, 2002

"The Count of Monte Cristo" Three Stars Is it possible for a film to have too many sword fights? Apparently the answer is no. Not if it's based on an Alexandre Dumas book. Director Kevin Reynolds has taken Dumas' epic tale of revenge and transformed it into a compelling mix of big-screen action and dark psychological twists. And he very nearly pulls it off. In true swashbuckling form, "The Count of Monte Cristo" opens with riveting, well-choreographed swordplay. And the blades aren't sheathed until the finale.

'In The Bedroom' Surprising Domestic Drama

By Trafton Drew | Jan. 31, 2002

"In the Bedroom" Four Stars

Benson Album Reminiscent Of Mature Beatles Pop-Rock

By Elliott Dube | Jan. 31, 2002

Brendan Benson Lapalco 4 Stars At a time when pop is usually associated with snot-nosed punks, vapid stadium-rock drones and singers who don't even write their own material, it's about time that we get a refreshing blast from the past. Brendan Benson sounds like he came straight out of the pop rock spectrum of the '60s and '70s on Lapalco. It's not a far cry to say that, at some points, he sounds positively Beatle-esque.

The Art of War

By Michael Abernethy | Jan. 31, 2002

Since the terrorist attacks in September and the onset of the war in Afghanistan, America is experiencing a renewed interest in war films. But what has the potential to be a new beginning for the war film genre could turn out to be Hollywood simply repeating itself.

History of War Films Reflects Shifting Public Opinion

By Allison Rost | Jan. 31, 2002

It is widely believed that films have power to influence. But when it comes to portrayals of wars, this influence has been used both to encourage and to criticize. The current conflict in Afghanistan will undoubtedly be portrayed on film at some point, but history indicates that the current trend of rampant patriotism doesn't guarantee a completely positive angle. Late in the 20th century, after Vietnam, the pervading sentiment in Hollywood was skepticism. But during the first era that film and warfare coexisted, propaganda ruled the day.

Beastly 'Brotherhood' Bends History

By Trafton Drew | Jan. 31, 2002

"Brotherhood of the Wolf" Three Stars Wouldn't "Four Weddings and a Funeral" have been infinitely more entertaining if it had less talking and more kickboxing? And who wouldn't have enjoyed "All About My Mother" more if it had included a hefty helping of gratuitous nudity?

'All My Sons' Showing Timely

By Kristen Williams | Jan. 30, 2002

Spring is typically a lighthearted time, but Company Carolina's first play of the spring semester, Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," might take audiences on a heavier emotional ride. The play tells the story of a typical American family struggling with the loss of a son in World War II, leaving the remaining son, Chris, to adjust his idealistic views to the reality at hand. Awaiting the return of her fallen son, his mother finds herself in a country eager to forget the atrocities of war. "All My Sons" opens Friday.