Entertainment - Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:45 - 4 Comments
An Interview with the Filthy Minds Behind @NYUBobstLibrary
It turns out that the @NYUBobstLibrary Twitter account is actually the brainchild of two bored Tisch sophomores, but the students didn’t want to give us their full names. “We think it would take away from the mystery of it. It wouldn’t be funny anymore,” said the first, C. “We’ll reveal our identities if you do a high fashion photo spread featuring us,” joked the other, K. “Nothing cheap now, we want David LaChapelle or Annie Leibowitz.” However, they did agree to sit down for an interview over burritos at Chipotle. A transcript of this interview doesn’t quite do justice to the hilarity of the conversation that took place — the two friends banter with each other at a nearly scientific level. But it does give you a bit of insight into the people who pretend to be the architectural equivalent of Kanye West on a daily basis.
Local: Why did you start this twitter account?
“I mean, it was really my idea,” K starts, looking at C. “Because I’m funnier than you.”
“But I have a bigger dick.” They laugh. C turns to me: “It started — well, that was J-train week.”
Entertainment, Featured - Monday, November 9, 2009 15:08 - 1 Comment
NYU Alumna’s Documentary Contender for Academy Award Short List
Think that plastic bottle of Poland Spring water you get at Kimmel is just another beverage? Journalism alumna Stephanie Soechtig wants you to think again. Soechtig (B.A. ‘98) is a contender for the 2010 Academy Award for her documentary Tapped. The film, produced by some of the same people who helped create other socially-conscious docs like “Who Killed the Electric Car” and “I.O.U.S.A.,” is a multi-faceted examination of the bottled water industry. Soechtig and her fellow filmmakers cover everything from bottling practices at plants to the production of plastic bottles to the scare tactics used by large corporations to turn people away from tap water.
“You can’t watch this movie and still think it’s o.k. to drink bottled water,” Soechtig told me by phone last week.
It’s already a well-publicized fact that many brands of bottled water (most notably Dasani and Aquafina) are simply selling bottled municipal tap water back to consumers who have already paid for it with their taxes. Tapped calls bottled water the “greatest advertising and marketing trick of all time.”
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Entertainment - Friday, November 6, 2009 9:00 - 1 Comment
Winter Movie Preview
In the midst of Fall, it can be quite difficult to find a good movie to see — studios have already released most of their Fall movies, and holiday/awards season movies don’t come out for another month at least. You can still catch some good ones before you run home for winter break, though, and they are:
Up in the Air – George Clooney stars in this existential movie about a disaffected corporate reaper with no human connections. It’s only going to be in limited release in LA and New York, so you should take advantage of the city (yeah, how many times have you heard that one) and go see it. If anything, it will make you feel better about your social life once you realize you have more friends than the main character.
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus – Terry Gilliam’s latest directorial project looks like it was made on an extended acid trip. In other words, it looks amazing. It’s the last movie Heath Ledger was working on when he died, and has a star-laden cast, so it’s going to get a lot of attention solely for those reasons. But I’ve heard from people who saw the movie in advance that the story is really great, too. (Unfortunately, the film’s press division has placed an embargo on all advance reviews, so you can’t actually read about how awesome it is until after it comes out.)
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Entertainment - Thursday, October 29, 2009 11:09 - 1 Comment
Books That Are More Interesting Than Your Calculus Textbook
Considering the sheer amount of book nerds that comprise the NYU Local staff, it’s surprising how little book coverage we do. We’d like to change that by bringing you a few good book recommendations every month. We know that you’re all probably too busy recovering from midterms to bother reading anything that isn’t strictly required for class — but if you happen to find yourself with some free time on your hands, consider neglecting statistics to pick up one of the following books.
Netherland: Joseph O’Neill
Review by Kenneth Hsu
As the City section editor, I feel obliged to recommend O’Neill’s uber-introspective novel, often referred to as a modern Great Gatsby. Granted, I’m not much of a fiction reader, but I was recommended the novel multiple times since the story almost entirely takes place in — you guessed it — New York City. The novel’s plot appears simple: the romantically-troubld Dutch narrator works in post-9/11 Wall Street and befriends a sketchy Caribbean man through cricket, apparently his only passion in life. Through their relationship, O’Neill reaches far (sometimes too far) into abstract themes: fatherhood, youth, America! In sum: a perfect mellow read, especially for New York City lovers. (Also, President Obama told the New York Times he’s read it, so you know it’s good.)
On Campus - Thursday, October 22, 2009 13:44 - 0 Comments
NYU Will Gladly Poke You With a Needle for Free
Given that finding anything valuable for free at NYU is rare, we feel compelled to cash in on any and all freebies just on principal. Join us in our freeloading ways by taking advantage of the free flu shots being offered at the following locations:
Entertainment - Thursday, October 15, 2009 10:15 - 2 Comments
Dear Yahoo: That Awful Advertising Campaign is So Y!ou
Dear Yahoo,
You must have missed the memo, but this happens to be the 21st century.
It’s great that you’ve been trying to improve yourself, but your new ad campaign looks like it came straight out of the 1980’s (the internet barely existed then, so how is that even possible?). The bright colors, the stupid hats, the statements about the internet being “personal” again – what were you thinking? Are you really stupid enough that you believe you can win me back like this?
I mean, sure, you’re the [PDF] “second most visited home page” on the internet (and at one point were the first!). But let’s be honest with each other: the only reason that’s true is because of your email service, which actually sucks and is one of the reasons I dumped you.
Featured, On Campus - Tuesday, October 13, 2009 9:29 - 7 Comments
A Tale of Red Tape and Useless Swipe Cards
On my first day of jazz class this semester, I arrived at the Tower Building on Lafayette only to discover that the door required a card swipe for access. Because I’m not a music major, my ID didn’t work, and I had to wait around until someone in the department arrived and let me in. Forget for a moment the fact that not being able to access NYU facilities for class even though I’m a student is kind of ridiculous. Instead, assume that NYU has a good reason for making its students’ lives more difficult, and that this is a minor problem that can be easily solved.
At first, I really believed those things. I would have to contact 7 different people in 3 different departments before being disabused of that overly-optimistic notion.Welcome to a tale of red tape and excruciating obnoxiousness. Continue…
Entertainment - Monday, October 12, 2009 14:24 - 2 Comments
Spotlight on The Brothers Frank, This Year’s Battle of the Bands Winner
Both from Ithaca, both NYU students, both musicians, The Brothers Frank are a double threat. Do you like them yet? Well you should, because they just won NYU’s Battle of the Bands, and will be playing at CMJ’s NYU Showcase next week. Hayden, a sophomore in Tisch, plays bass, and Chris, a senior in CAS, plays guitar. They both sing. They were backed by a recorded drum track on Friday, but will have a drummer at their next show.
The Battle of the Bands was only their second live performance as the Brothers Frank. Although they were both into music from a young age, they didn’t start playing together until last year. “We fought a lot as little kids, and then as teenagers we were friendly but never that close,” Chris said. “It wasn’t until last year, when [Hayden] came to NYU, that we really started hanging out.”
Now they live together, and have started writing music with each other. You might think sibling rivalry gets in the way of creativity, but that isn’t so: “Since we’re brothers, we don’t have a problem telling each other, ‘I don’t like that.’ We don’t bring our egos into it,” Hayden said.
Entertainment - Monday, October 12, 2009 13:50 - 1 Comment
Battle of the Bands Showcases Some Serious NYU Talent
Last Friday marked the NYU Battle of the Bands, organized by CMJ and MEISA. Held at Kimmel, the bands were an impressive testament to the fact that NYU students have some serious musical talent. Prog-metal band Amadeus was a shock to listen to, and an interesting change from the indie I usually favor. Pianist Natti Vogel blended many musical genres in an act equal parts vaudeville, classical, and pop. In a creative move, he brought string players to back him at the concert, but they got lost in the sound mixing and almost couldn’t be heard in the audience.
Second runner-up Analogue Transit, a duo from Brooklyn, played an interesting mix of electronica and rock. First runner-up was a band called Bad News Babe. They played two fun, solidly crafted pop songs.
The Brothers Frank, winners of the Battle, also played two well-written pop songs. Despite the lack of a drummer (they were backed by a recorded drum track), they kept things together nicely, and even sang some solid harmonies. We’ll have a full interview with them later today.
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Entertainment - Thursday, October 1, 2009 13:18 - 3 Comments
Battle of the Bands Tomorrow Friday 10/9 at Kimmel
MEM, Photo Courtesy of Alex Beckmann
Ed. Note: This piece originally stated that Battle of the Bands is tomorrow. It’s actually NEXT Friday, 10/9. Sorry for the confusion!
Nothing to do on Friday night? If you’re near campus, stop by Kimmel’s E&L Auditorium for the 2nd annual NYU Battle of the Bands. Organized jointly by CMJ and NYU’s MEISA chapter (Music and Entertainment Industry Students’ Association), Battle of the Bands is a chance for NYU bands to showcase their talent for rocking out. The bands will be judged by a panel of music industry suits, and the victorious act wins passes to CMJ Music Marathon, and a spot in the NYU CMJ Showcase on October 24.
Tickets are $5 for MEISA members, $6 in advance, and $8 at the door. Really, people, this is a no-brainer: why pay $25 to see one band when you could pay a quarter of that to see 7 (plus 2 DJ’s)? The performers are:
