Scene

Coming to DPAC: "The Classic 100"

Weekend Events Calendar

Keep Calm and Style On

Friday marked the closing of the ever-so-long-awaited first week of school. On that day, I woke up well rested to the sounds of birds chirping and without the help of the unwelcomed marimba chimes of my iPhone alarm. Once I managed to lazily maneuver out of my loft, I began to consider the positive prospect of a day left entirely unscheduled, minus a single hour-long Spanish class standing in my way. With plenty of time to spare before I had to leave my room, I began searching through my closet for an outfit as great as the day before me. I pieced together a look of bright colors, beautiful patterns and feminine cuts. I accessorized with a thin pair of silver hoop earrings, salmon shades and a pair of beaded bohemian sandals. I threw in a touch of confidence before I grabbed my acid-washed denim backpack and headed out the door.

Easy Eats by Claire

Let's face it. We all get chronically lazy in the dining hall. Why wouldn't we? The cafeteria is often too busy to bother to try something different, and there's plenty of food already made for us. We either eat the closest thing we find, or go back to the same old stuff. Not anymore. Fellow students, I challenge you to try something new, to find something you didn't know was there and use the dining hall to put your culinary skills to work. Want to feel the creative thrill of make-your-own pizza all the time? It's time to spice things up (literally).

El Paraiso disappoints

Energy and action in 'Premium Rush'

New Fall TV Shows

 Beauty and the Beast

Boys Like B1

After a quiet start with live music from student bands and artists, B1 Block Party headliner Boys Like Girls and opening act Breathe Carolina took the stage to give a musically entertaining and fun show. Though this year's block party was not as visually stunning compared to acts in years past, neither band needed anything more than their good music and engaging personalities to put on a great show.

Download. Listen. Discard

Don't be fooled by the name: Imagine Dragons is not a cheesy kid's cartoon show from the 1990s, nor is it a board game played by balding, four-alarm man-children in the comfort of their parents' basements. It's an alternative band from Las Vegas, and a darn good one too. I didn't stumble upon "Continued Silence," the band's new EP, until last May, but it didn't take long for it to become the soundtrack of my summer. Imagine Dragons' style is diverse and hard to pin down, at times combining folk rock with surprisingly heavy bass lines, but frankly that's what makes the band so enjoyable. The songs "On Top of the World" and "It's Time" are upbeat, yet out of the box, using a variety of instruments, from whistles to ukuleles, in strangely tasteful fashion. My personal favorite track, "Radioactive," has a dubstep-inspired beat that never fails to shake the walls. If you're searching for a great workout song, or just a way to quickly tick off your entire hall staff, find some nice speakers and turn it up. "Continued Silence" is a fresh offering from a band with a lot of potential. I would definitely recommend a download. When I first listened to The Lumineers last March, shortly before the April release of their self-titled album, all I could think was, "Why the heck aren't these guys famous?" Checking YouTube, I discovered that most of their videos had less than 1,000 views, with the only comments coming from rabid hipsters saying things like "This just made me spill my latté," and "If these guys go mainstream, I'll never shower again." Well, not really, but you get the idea. With their album now sitting high on the iTunes top-seller list, the Lumineers have finally hit the big time, and I couldn't be happier. Hailing from Denver, The Lumineers combine the boot-stomping rhythm of Mumford and Sons with thought-provoking lyrics and truly powerful story telling. For instance, "Stubborn Love" is told from the perspective of a young man who can't forget the woman who broke his heart, standing on her porch and refusing to "leave until you come downstairs." The more lighthearted song "Submarines" tells the story of a man who spots a Japanese submarine out at sea and frantically attempts to convince his fellow townsfolk of their imminent danger. His efforts in vain, the narrator gives some parting words about the importance of being trustworthy, saying, "In the end it boils down to credibility/I had none so I will die with the secrets of the sea." If you like Mumford and Sons, or music in general, give The Lumineers a listen. I promise you won't be disappointed. I've listened to plenty of bad music during my life, but Nicki Minaj's new album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" takes the term "unapologetically terrible" to new and exciting extremes. While Nicki's stage antics, weird clothes and an alleged set of buttock injections (that's right, buttock injections) have brought her money and fame, the fact remains that her music is still the audio equivalent of being water boarded. I'll admit it, when "Starships" comes on at a party I'm the obnoxious guy who belts out every word at the top of his lungs. I know for a fact that most girls are fans of the song too, because I can't check Facebook without seeing some photo album titled "Hands up and touch the sky." However, one catchy song can't save this album from being designated the worst of all time. Allow me to explain why. First of all, the beats are uninspired and sometimes downright weird. Second, the song lyrics are often mind-numbingly repetitive and stupid to the point of being funny - musical genius at its absolute finest. My recommendation would be to avoid "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" at all costs. If you do come into contact with the album, remember to wash your hands with copious amounts of soap and cold water.  

Keep Calm and Style On

Though summer is coming to a close, the start of school does not mark the season's final hoorah! Summer styles are still out and in full effect all around campus. I've tracked down a few Notre Dame students who are rocking some of summer's biggest trends. Here's the breakdown on why these trends are so hot, why they work so well for your fellow Irish classmates, and how to transform them so that they'll work for you!

Hamlet

Big, big disclaimer at the outset: I am not a theatre scholar. I am not a Shakespeare scholar. In fact, 99 times out of a hundred, I spell "theater" like a real American, "er" instead of "re." In a review of a performance of "Hamlet," one of the greatest works of art in history, my approach is that of an outsider looking in on the spectacle, as I imagine most students at the University who view the play this weekend might be. And as an outsider, with limited knowledge of the nuance and true depth, I can say from simple first-person observation that the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's final show of the season, "Hamlet," is a fast-moving, visually striking and overall gripping performance. The opening scene of the play sees almost the entire cast on stage for the funeral of King Hamlet, and the physical presences of the different key actors and visual choreography sets the tone for the whole show. Hamlet is physically apart from the rest of the mourners on stage in the scene, and his stature and physical movements fairly portray the uncertainty and self-doubt that torment the classic character. Andy Truschinski, a veteran of the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, stars as Hamlet, and does a more than adequate job. He looks and feels the part from start to finish, and the audience feels his internal torment. However, because of the lofted status of the role, it's hard to say he was outstanding. With a character as famous as Hamlet, an actor must truly blow away the audience in order to break away from the pack, and good as Trushinski was, he falls just short of spectacular. Jeff Cummings as the antagonist, Hamlet's uncle and stepfather, King Claudius, steals the show. Cummings is delightfully and powerfully wicked on stage, playing both sides of the character - the sickly-sweet traitor and silently tormented soul - with equal force. Claudius is a character sometimes overlooked in the story, as Hamlet dominates so much of the attention. But in this show, Claudius transforms into the most fascinating and eye-grabbing character in the production. Every time Cummings steps on stage, he commands complete attention and delivers a truly fantastic performance. King Claudius was not the only standout either. Ophelia, Hamlet's lover turned mental case, and Horatio, Hamlet's friend and confidant, are both played with surprising strength and soul. The director, David Bell, deserves praise as well. He has choreography in his background, and it shows in the strongly coordinated scenes. Equally impressive is his choice of setting. The characters are dressed in modern clothes, looking like they're taken out of the 1950's, with the title character being dressed in what prep-school clothes throughout. This makes the show more relatable and gives it a much crisper feel than the flowy, old-timey look of Shakespeare's time might have dictated. Bell's most insightful directorial choices come in his abridging of the play. Though a straight reading of the text might take around four-and-a-half hours, Bell's breakneck-paced version comes through in just under three. This accomplishes two things. First, the play moves along at such a quick pace, the audience is constantly on their toes. There is never a dull moment, never a temptation to drift off. Second, and more artistically important, is it captures in a physical sense the rapid and chaotic nature of the story. Hamlet loses his father, sees his mother marry his uncle, kills his lover's father, enacts a plan of reveng, and dies along with his mother and uncle all within a period of a few months. With a play that moves so quickly and slows down for nothing, the audience truly gets a feel for the hectic series of events. Notre Dame students may not be ready to break down the story for a literary journal, but as far as relatable and palatable plays go, this one is one of the best students will get the chance to see this year.  

Weekend Events Calendar

Know Thy Shelf

What's up with Taylor Swift?

Summer Movie Wrap-up

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

Hamlet' Hits DPAC

The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (NDSF) closes this weekend with its production of Shakespeare's classic, "Hamlet."

Style 'n Stuff

Notre Dame is all about stereotypes. Don't let anybody tell you any differently. Everybody here is smart, so get used to that. Everybody is good at something, even you (possible title for a future best selling self-help book, I'm calling dibs on it right here and now). Everybody here had to work hard to get here, and they have to work hard to stay here, no matter what they might claim about never studying. Everyone here may have a different idea of what Notre Dame is and what it means to them, but there is a shared and unifying purpose, an ideal of greatness, that drives this University and all of its students, faculty and staff forward. And on Wednesdays, we wear pink. You're a stereotype from the moment you walk on campus, a positive stereotype reflective of the high standards of academic and personal excellence to which we are held. What does all of this have to do with fashion? The point is you're already a stereotype here; you already fit in. You don't have to carry that into your style. All of that said, there are some common themes on this campus. Just remember that just because everybody has one doesn't mean you have to get one. Everybody has a North Face jacket. Every single person. I have one. Brian Kelly has one. Fr. Hesburgh has one. Mary wears one on the dome when it rains. That's an exaggeration, of course. Don't freak out if you don't have one and don't want to get one. It's sort of an anti-status symbol. You see somebody wearing it and you think, judgmentally perhaps, "OMG, everybody has one of those, lol," and then you remember that you have one and you're currently wearing it because it's cold or raining or snowing here 90 percent of the time and you keep your mouth shut. Every girl has a pair of Uggs, a pair of gladiator sandals and a pair of those black things that pass for pants. Are they pants? Are they tights? Are they leggings? Should I find them attractive? Should I be repulsed by them? I don't know. I don't get it. They're an unclassifiable species. All I know is, they're about as common at Notre Dame as being from "just outside Chicago." Uggs are Uggs. They are what they are. Wear them in public at your own risk. Gladiator sandals are the Leonardo DiCaprio of women's fashion. They all look the same, and they're almost always irritating to look at. On the rare occasion they do work well all I can think about is the other times they don't, and no matter how much I rail against them they don't go out of style. Which leads me to believe I may be in the wrong on this one, but either way, every girl has them. Every guy has a pair of Sperrys. They may be brown, blue, orange or green, but every guy has at least one pair. Sperrys present a number of fashion questions. When are they appropriate to wear? When are they not? What clothes do you wear with them? How beat up is too beat up before you have to get a new pair? I don't know; I don't know the first thing about fashion. But I do know that everybody has a pair. Throw those together with a pair of khaki or pastel shorts and a semi-casual button down, and you've got the general party going style of just about every dude on campus. One other thing, for guys; don't wear shorts pants with bowties or crabs or lobsters or some other stupid logo imprinted all over them. Or if you do, don't act like the kind of person who would wear something like that. Those are the stereotypes of Notre Dame fashion that you'll see on campus on a daily basis. But remember, you're already the right kind of stereotype here. Let your style be you. Your style might be ratty gym shorts, wrinkled t-shirts and completely wrecked Sperry's, and you can still accomplish great things, like becoming the editor of the most fashionable section of the campus newspaper. Contact Kevin Noonan at knoonan2@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.  

Frosh-O Weekend Checklist

You meet someone with at least one Notre Dame alum parent

Scene's I Love The Class of 2012

Freshman move-in and orientation for the class of 2012 began on August 22, 2008. It was a different world back then. Lady Gaga's debut album, "The Fame," hit the stores just three days earlier, to disappointing early sales. George W. Bush sat in the oval office. Britney Spears was too crazy to be good anymore, and Charlie Sheen was just a wacky former 80s star on a television show that nobody really liked. Robert Pattinson was the kid who died in the fourth Harry Potter movie, and people hated vampire movies only because of the "Underworld" series. Larry King and Oprah both had television shows, and the Kardashians only had one. Nobody had ever heard of Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, an iPad, Instagram, Pinterest or "Angry Birds." A lot can change in the span of four short years, and the last four did not disappoint.

Pirates' not perfect, but still funny

In the interest of full disclosure, I must attach a caveat to this review - I am blessed with both the maturity and sense of humor of an eight-year old. With that out of the way, Aardman Animation's latest adventure, "Pirates: Band of Misfits," rides the high seas of childish entertainment for a rollickingly fun experience. "Pirates" follows the pirate captain known simply as Pirate Captain and his crew of similarly-obviously-named buccaneers on their quest for treasure and fame. Pirate Captain, expertly voiced by Hugh Grant, is determined to win the notorious "Pirate of the Year" award, and thus prove his worth. His competition for the award (including the voices of Jeremy Piven and Selma Hayek) makes it clear that the Pirate Captain, despite the way in which in he presents himself, is in fact not much of a pirate, and goads him incessantly. The plot is a little ridiculous, but humorously so. The crew's ensuing misadventures lead them to raid a plague boat, a ghost ship and, finally, Charles Darwin's boat. Darwin informs the Captain that his beloved "parrot" is in fact a dodo, a bird that had been believed extinct for two hundred years. Darwin is also on a quest for an award, the "Scientist of the Year," and believes this bird could do it for him, leading to a struggle for the bird that encapsulates the rest of the movie. The film comes from Aardman Animation, a studio known for a unique "claymation" style of production, as well as fantastic storytelling and humor that often transcends generations. The studio is most famous for "Wallace and Gromit," as the founders of the studio, Peter Lord (who directed "Pirates") and David Sproxton, created the beloved characters. The studio is also responsible for the recent "Arthur Christmas," "Flushed Away" and one of the greatest animated films of the previous decade, "Chicken Run." The previous success that Aardman has enjoyed creates a very standard for its films, but not every movie they make can be "Chicken Run." In this case, "Pirates: Band of Misfits" doesn't quite measure up to the bar set by Aardman's past. The film is clever, but not memorably so. The moments of age-transcendent wit are a little too few, and far between. The message behind the story - always remember that friends and family are what's important in life - isn't quite as poignant as their previous work. But, as Voltaire once said, the perfect is the enemy of the good. The film is still entertaining throughout, and the celebrity voice acting is brilliant. Hugh Grant sells the Pirate Captain and all of his arrogant buffoonery perfectly. And the film's visuals may be unmatched by any of Aardman's previous films. The studio is known for its stop-motion claymation, but in its previous film, "Arthur Christmas," the studio used exclusively computer-animation for the first time. In "Pirates," Aardman used a hybrid of stop-motion and computer animation that makes for a beautifully illustrated world for the pirates to sail and plunder, without losing the trademark clay look that makes the characters feel so unique and enjoyable. "Pirates" might not be perfect, but it makes for fun, lighthearted entertainment, not to mention a spectacularly-illustrated film.