Arts Fuse Editor

Barbie’s Bubble Burst

January 23, 2006
Posted in

You won’t find these Barbie dolls in toy stores: a darkly humorous exhibit examines the secret side of the plastic princess.

Film Review: The Hidden Michael Haneke

January 17, 2006
Posted in ,

By Thomas Garvey Michael Haneke may be the only living director who really matters, but you might not guess that from “Cache” (“Hidden”), the new film that has finally brought the brilliant Austrian auteur some serious media attention. It’s far easier, actually, to guess from “Cache” why he’s suddenly a press darling: the film treats…

CD Reviews: Progressive Afropop

January 17, 2006
Posted in

In new albums, three innovative African musicians manage to turn what has been called neotraditionalism into a progressive style. Amadou & Miriam, Dimanche a Bamako (Nonesuch); Thione Seck, Orientation (Stern’s Africa); Daby Balde, Introducing Daby Balde (Introducing/World Music Network). By Milo Miles Starting in the late 1980s, the watchword for many leading African-pop performers was…

“Match Point” Missed the Mark

January 13, 2006
Posted in

Woody Allen’s big comeback? His best work in a decade? Genius rivaling “Annie Hall”!? What potent, absorbing, and thoroughly compelling version of “Match Point” were these critics watching? Look, it’s set in London, not New York! Listen, that crackling soundtrack is opera, not jazz! And wait a minute, there is no would-be Woody character in…

Of Madness and Murder

January 10, 2006
Posted in

A brilliant new novel explores how the search for his family’s fate during the Holocaust nearly costs a man his sanity. “Götz and Meyer” by David Albahari. Translated from the Serbian by Ellan Elias-Bursac. (Harcourt, 176 pp., $23) By Tess Lewis “We need so little to imagine another world, don’t we?” asks the narrator of…

Art in Palestine

December 19, 2005
Posted in

By Ken George December 19th, 2005 Given that many American museums fear controversy and distain art that lacks any commercial sex-appeal, it should come as no surprise that contemporary Palestinian art is hard to find. Thankfully, a smattering of shoe-string galleries across the country are accepting the challenge.

Classical CDs Review: New Tricks for Old Ponies

December 19, 2005
Posted in

Recent stand-out classical recordings boast fresh interpretations of familiar works, recordings of little-known repertoire, and some legendary performances by Pablo Casals. By Mark Kroll Harmonia Mundi has an excellent new recording of Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” with Rene Jacobs and his Concerto Koln taking just the right approach to Mozart’s great comic opera. The packaging…

Book Review: What’s Opera, Doc?

December 5, 2005
Posted in , ,

A groundbreaking book explores the music written for Hollywood’s animated cartoons and how the tunes shaped the characters and stories that are now a vital part of American culture.

Combat Classic

November 25, 2005
Posted in

First published fifty years ago, this novel offers a more devastating picture of the physical and psychological toll of ground warfare as any an embedded journalist could offer.

Folk Album Review: Rebel Folk

November 22, 2005
Posted in

Though the last presidential race has faded into a memory, two recent albums from singer-songwriters bring subtle artistry to simmering political anger and alienation. Pierce Woodward, “Blow Them Away” (Long Run Music); James McMurtry, “Childish Things” (Compadre Records) By Danielle Dreilinger A year ago, folk stages were filled with artists like Steve Earle urging people…

Recent Posts

Popular Posts

Categories

Archives