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Doc Talk: Fascism Then and Now — At the Arlington International Film Festival

November 1, 2023
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A pair of documentaries featured in this year’s Arlington International Film Festival take a cold look at the death cult of fascism — past, present, and to come.

November Short Fuses — Materia Critica

November 1, 2023
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Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, television, film, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.

Jazz Album Review: “Pastor’s Paradox” — Paying Homage to Martin Luther King, Musically

October 31, 2023
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The intent of this fine album to dramatize the enduring legacy of Martin Luther King: no justice, no peace.

Opera Album Commentary: Maria Callas — Believe Her

October 31, 2023
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A massive, comprehensive new box set once again shows us the diva’s indomitable place in the history of opera.

Arts Remembrance: Robert Brustein — A View from the Seats

October 31, 2023
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The late Robert Brustein’s shadow is long. But his legacy is problematic.

Film Preview: The Boston Jewish Film Festival is Back and All Over Town

October 30, 2023
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Under the guidance of Artistic Director Lisa Gossels, this year’s fest has, in her words, “something for everyone.”

Doc Talk: Jewish Values Celebrated in This Year’s Boston Jewish Film Festival

October 30, 2023
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In a time of outrage and grief, a trio of documentaries at the BJFF serve as a reminder of the traditional Jewish values of compassion and inclusion, reaffirming the power of activism, art, and simple acts of human kindness.

Television: “Goosebumps” — Disney’s Subpar Version of “Stranger Things”

October 29, 2023
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Goosebumps is pretty much a failure as a series because it lacks most of R.L. Stine’s entertaining alchemy.

Concert Review: My Morning Jacket at Roadrunner — Interesting and Overly Diffuse

October 27, 2023
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My Morning Jacket remains one of rock’s best live acts, and a stylistically broad one. And more bands should be so generous in not only representing their entire catalog but mixing up the song selection every night.

Book Review: “Lena Horne — Goddess Reclaimed”

October 27, 2023
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One might conjecture that  Lena Horne’s career was something like a mink-lined minefield: the promise of wealth and fame went hand-in-hand with the possibility of annihilation.

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