Arts & Culture - The Daily Tar Heel

Black Encourages, Warns UNC Students

By Nick Parker | Feb. 12, 2002

Before his nearly sold-out show at Memorial Hall, comedian and UNC alumnus Lewis Black shared his anger and his experiences with students studying theater -- a field close to his heart. Returning to his alma mater for his first professional performance at the University, Black spoke to nearly 30 students in the Center for Dramatic Art prior to the show. He recounted his years at UNC and ranted about the demanding nature of show business.

Black Unleashes His Anger At UNC, World in Standup

By Elliott Dube | Feb. 12, 2002

From the film "Network" came the famous saying: "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" This quip is comedian Lewis Black in a nutshell. The oft-enraged Black, a UNC alumnus whose success has garnered him a recurring spot on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," chose Memorial Hall as his place to vent Monday night.

Singers Contend With Fan Culture

By Evan Lucas | Feb. 12, 2002

A typical show at Memorial Hall for two of the major a cappella groups at UNC is a sight to see. A sold-out house of screaming fans awaits the talented musicians, and when the singing starts, the screaming doesn't stop there.

Talk to Put Photographer in Focus

By Joanna Pearson | Feb. 12, 2002

Deborah Kogan is the sort of person who if a war, a plague and a tornado were all three about to strike in the same place, she would immediately go there. She's also the sort of person who, once there, would face the situation with humor and aplomb, probably take a lover or two and in the end come back with thoughtful stories and amazing photographs documenting what had happened.

Fiddling Poet Back in Town to Perform

By Michelle Jarboe | Feb. 11, 2002

Ken Waldman, the "Alaskan Fiddling Poet," has returned to the Triangle to perform in the area where he took his first fiddling lesson. Waldman, who will perform in Graham Memorial on Tuesday, waited tables at Pyewacket Restaurant while he attended Duke University before finding his fiddling muse. "(After Chapel Hill), I eventually moved to Alaska," he said. "I don't know why I had to go that far, but the moving allowed me a certain perspective; it was a certain quiet."

Chemical Brothers Score Fourth Big Knockout

By Elliott Dube | Feb. 7, 2002

The Chemical Brothers Come With Us

'Slackers' More Mature Than Genre Standards

By Jenise Hudson | Feb. 7, 2002

Three Stars What's a great dream sequence without a little music, dancing and spanking? Whatever it is, the directors of "Slackers" couldn't care less in this surprisingly clever film about three friends who cheat their way through college. Devon Sawa, Jason Segel and Michael Maronna star as Dave, Sam and Jeff, three college friends who pull out all the stops to run their biggest cheating scam ever before they graduate. The trio's plans seem to be going off without a hitch until a creepy nerd, Ethan (played by Jason Schwartzman) catches onto their scheme.

Black's Biting Humor, Cynicism Date Back to Frat Life

By Caroline Lindsey | Feb. 7, 2002

Lewis Black didn't do a lot of acting onstage during his time at UNC. But the 1970 alumnus's college days were undoubtedly spent flaunting his comedic talent, which proved to be a large step in the direction of his final career. Most of Black's performances occurred in his everyday interactions with good friends. Black was a member of Pi Lambda Phi, a fraternity that during the late '60s had a reputation for its progressive activism and affinity for spontaneous revelry. "When that many nuts get together, something is bound to happen," read the Pi Lambda Phi page in the 1968 Yackety Yack.

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.