The Tech - MIT's Student Newspaper

The Tech - MIT's Student Newspaper http://tech.mit.edu/img/small-flag.gifThe Techhttp://tech.mit.edu/ http://tech.mit.edu Headlines from The Tech, MIT's Student Newspaper en-us Copyright The Tech 1881-2009 MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ A Cataclysmic Production Devoid of Emotion http://tech.mit.edu/V129/N56/2012.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N56/2012.html

By Bogdan Fedeles

STAFF WRITER

It is the year 2012. The end of the world as we know is fast approaching. Due to a rare planetary alignment, an unprecedented solar flare is heating up the Earth’s core to the point that the crust will destabilize. The ensuing seismic and volcanic activity followed by gigantic tsunamis are bound to wipe out all life from Earth. There is no way to stop the cataclysm. But there may be a way to weather it out. Or is there? ]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ ‘Precious’ Will Leave You Speechlesshttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N56/precious.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N56/precious.html

By Emily Nardoni

STAFF WRITER

Emotionally, physically, and sexually abused by both her mother and father, Clareece “Precious” Jones is born into a life that no one would ever want to be born into. As the terribly child-like and misspelled opening credits scrawl across the screen, it’s difficult not to gasp at the horror of her illiteracy. “Who let this happen?” you ask. “Who could possibly be so heartless?”]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts MOVIE REVIEW ★★ ½ Werewolves, Vampires, and Love Triangles, Oh My!http://tech.mit.edu/V129/N56/newmoon.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N56/newmoon.html

By Maggie Liu

ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR

The Twilight scene is a cult. This is a fact. Granted, about 95 percent of the cult is female, so perhaps a “far-reaching fanbase” would be a more appropriate description. According to my friend, who did a headcount, out of the 196 viewers in my theater, there were only 12 male audience members.]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts CONCERT REVIEW BSO Presents Saint-Saëns and Stravinskyhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N56/bsolise.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N56/bsolise.htmlBy Tina Ro

STAFF WRITER

An anxious group exited the Symphony T stop at the Green Line, bee lining to the greeters at the door of Symphony Hall. Exactly at 8:03 p.m., the symphony finished tuning and welcomed the rushed audience with a sweet poem: “Pastorale d’été,” a symphonic poem by Arthur Honegger. Honnegger’s style in “Pastorale d’été,” generally associated with the 1920s avant-garde, contrasts with his peers’ — coined the “Groupe des Six” — in that Honegger believed that the new era of music resulted from transitioning from the traditional, as opposed to cleanly breaking away. He embraced the value in balance and virtue, which is exhibited in “Pastorale d’été.” One flute, an oboe, a clarinet, a bassoon, a horn, and strings create a lyrical song of a pleasant summer day in the fields.]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts CONCERT REVIEW Grab Your Studded Belts, Kids…http://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/tbs.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/tbs.html

By Kevin Wang

STAFF WRITER

Have you ever seen an eight-year-old child headbanging? Ever had a bearded, screaming stranger claim that he could be your own personal therapist? Ever seen an eleven-year-old wearing a shirt declaring that “The All-American Rejects Are Really Good Looking”? If so, you probably need professional help, but you might also have attended Taking Back Sunday and the All-American Rejects’ concert at the intimate Showcase Live last week.]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts INTERVIEW Matthew Fazzi Tells Allhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/tbsinter.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/tbsinter.htmlBy Kevin Wang

STAFF WRITER

Taking Back Sunday guitarist and backup vocalist Matthew Fazzi took a minute to talk to The Tech about joining the band and the current tour.]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts INTERVIEW Synthetics to Shalimarhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/perfume.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/perfume.htmlBy Nina SinatraArt is a sensual experience in each of its forms.]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts INTERVIEW Expanding on Minimalismhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/felipe.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/felipe.htmlBy Sudeep Agarwala

STAFF WRITER

The Boston Choral Ensemble prepares for its 2009–2010 season featuring Thomas Jennefelt’s Villarosa Sequences on Friday, November 20 at First Church in Cambridge and Sunday, November 22 at Old South Church in Boston. The Tech interviewed conductor Miguel Felipe about the upcoming program. More information about this performance and the Boston Choral Ensemble can be found at http://www.bostonchoral.org/]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts MOVIE REVIEW Daring Director Explores the Perception of Godhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/ohmygod.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/ohmygod.htmlBy Yü Linlin Huang What is God? The question begs an answer for which generations of human beings have waged war against one another to prove themselves correct. And yet, the answer is still out there, waiting for the reconciliation between beliefs before making a universal debut. ]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts INTERVIEW ‘Oh My God!’ Director Talks with ‘The Tech’http://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/ohmygodinter.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/ohmygodinter.htmlBy Yü Linlin HuangPeter Rodger is an award-winning British director whose unique photo-imagery craftsmanship makes him one of the most sought-after artists in the British and American advertisement industry. Oh My God! is the three year, life-changing non-fiction film that explored peoples’ perspectives about God which debuted on November 13.]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts CONCERT REVIEW Hi-fi, Lo-fi, Faux-fihttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/dirty.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N55/dirty.htmlBy Matt Fisher

STAFF WRITER

The sold out Paradise Rock Club filled up early in preparation for Tuesday night’s Concert. The youngish crowd, a veritable hipster-bingo board of plaid, alt-girl headbands, and greasy faux-hawks, could probably have contributed enough optical strength with their combined square-rimmed glasses to focus the death star. Similarly hip, the Brooklyn-based Dirty Projectors took the stage to crowd calls of “let’s get dirty!” and vigorously belted out their unique, soaring rock music. ]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts THEATER REVIEW Side Show Puts Singers On Displayhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N53/sideshow.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N53/sideshow.htmlBy Michael T. Lin

STAFF WRITER

The MIT Musical Theater Guild opened their Side Show (book and lyrics by Bill Russell, music by Henry Krieger) last weekend, and in keeping with a long-standing sideshow tradition, offered an experience that was different and unforgettable. Of course, the metaphor collapses when you realize that, contrary to being the stuff of nightmares, MTG’s Side Show is not only enjoyable but is one of those rare musicals that elicits drama without resorting to character death (not that there’s anything wrong with that, Mr. Whedon) or deux ex machina.]]>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts CONCERT REVIEW I Am a Rock. I Am An… Islandshttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N53/islands.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N53/islands.htmlBy Matt Fisher Looking a little like I’d imagine a Jedi-Elvis impersonator might, Nick Thorburn, (a.k.a. Nick T, formerly Nick Diamonds) lead singer of Islands and vanguard of the Montreal music scene, took the stage, and, with an aloofness characteristic of his interviews and performances, enchanted Wednesday’s audience. ]]>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts CONCERT REVIEW Opening to ‘The Complete Symphonies’ Garners Applausehttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N53/symphony125.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N53/symphony125.htmlBy Sarang Kulkarni Conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos led the Boston Symphony Orchestra to a fabulous performance in a sold-out program featuring Beethoven’s Symphony Nos. 1, 2 and 5.]]>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts CONCERT REVIEW Lorin Maazel Leads a Worthy Finalehttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N53/symphony89.htmlhttp://tech.mit.edu/V129/N53/symphony89.html

By Sarang Kulkarni

In the final concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s The Complete Symphonies series, celebrated conductor Lorin Maazel led the orchestra to a remarkable performance of Beethoven’s Eighth and Ninth Symphonies. Maestro Maazel, former Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, conducted the orchestra in the last two episodes of the series in place of Maestro Levine.]]>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500Arts