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Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category

The *Tough* Life of Ben Mezrich Continues

In the March 2008 issue of Boston magazine, we profiled Ben Mezrich as 21, the movie based on his bestselling novel Bringing Down the House, hit theaters. Despite the continuity problems, moviegoers seem to be happy with the result. The film has made more than $100 million since its release.

The good times have continued for Mezrich. The Globe reports today that two more of the author’s books have been optioned.

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Black Hole for the Milky Way

There are precious few places in Boston where one can rent a pair of wretched shoes and get his or her bowl on. Or sing karaoke with a live band. Soon these activities will be even harder to find. The Jamaica Plain Gazette reports that the Milky Way Lounge and Lanes has been forced to close.

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Stupidity at 75 Cents a Pop

1209743201I’d like to say I’m surprised by today’s Globe editorial — “Nihilism at $60 a pop.” But I’m not. It’s just more of the same lazy, reflexive, homogeneous, faux outrage about Grand Theft Auto IV that seems to be so very popular right now.

While it says that “no defender of free expression…can easily support censorship,” the Globe nevertheless rants that GTA IV is “particularly insidious.”

Lock up your children! Video games will be their ruin! Also, hip-hop music is loud and scary!

I suppose it’s too much to ask for the paper of record to do a little original thinking. Or, I dunno, some research.

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Errol Morris 24/7 = Standard Marketing Procedure

1209491845Talk about a media blitz. After years of work and months of screenings, Errol Morris‘ new documentary, Standard Operating Procedure, is now engaging in weeks of publicity. This harrowing film about the Abu Ghraib prison scandal just premiered in New York — it opens here on May 2 — but you’ve probably already heard about it by now through any number of magazines or newspapers.

While Morris has not been press-shy in the past, he’s hardly had this kind of blanket exposure with his previous films. But, with the controversial subject matter and the fact that this is his first feature film since he won the 2004 best documentary Oscar for The Fog of War, it’s no surprise that Morris and Sony Pictures Classics are doing the full marketing push.

We’re just glad that this strategy included a long conversation with us. (more…)

 

Harvard Kids Laugh At Karl Rove

1207846731You know who’s fun? Karl Rove.

I’m not kidding. Ever since he dropped his day job as a torture enabling evil genius, not only has he emerged as an ace TV analyst, but he just seems like a swell guy. A friend of mine still in college reported that when Rove was on campus giving a speech recently, he dropped by to sit in on her political journalism seminar—”and he couldn’t have been nicer!” I think that means he didn’t threaten to waterboard anybody.

It was apparently in that spirit that Krazy Karl agreed to sit down for an interview with On Harvard Time, a student-run online comedy news show. (Yes, it goes as badly as you’d expect.)

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TNR’s Preview Review of 21

Earlier this month, Boston Daily got to see 21, the movie based on Ben Mezrich’s bestselling book, Bringing Down the House, which opens nationally tomorrow. We evaluated the film based on how accurately it captured Boston, but didn’t give away much of the plot.

If you’ve seen any of the previews, you probably know all there is to know about 21. The New Republic’s Christopher Orr suspected as much, and wrote a review based solely on the trailer and the cast list on IMDb, and it’s pretty freaking accurate.

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Keep Off the Grass, and Everything Else

1206030612Boston Common is one of our favorite outdoor places in the city. During the winter, it’s fun to watch college students sled on stolen cafeteria trays. We stroll through the park on the first warm days of spring, and watch the tourists feed the obese squirrels during the summer. Even the crinkling leaves that line the sidewalks during the fall make us happy.

Apparently, we aren’t alone in our love for the Common. City officials are considering ending large-scale events in the park because the huge number of visitors are ruining it.

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Ricky Gervais Makes Fun of Lowell

1205956489Boston Daily has a lot of love for town newspapers. Not only do they pick up important stories that the big papers miss (Godspeed, Mr. Gobbles), but many of us got our start writing for local papers.

So you can understand our indignation when we heard that the creator of The Office was hurling insults at the Lowell Sun.

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Close Encounters During On Broadway

1205419372Last night’s special screening of On Broadway reminded us that despite its big-city status, Boston is a surprisingly small town. As we entered the lobby of the Regal Fenway Cinemas, we caught a glimpse of our first love, Joey McIntyre, as he mugged with writer-director Dave McLaughlin and fellow costar Mike O’Malley. And when we took our seats in the theater, we saw a woman who looked oddly familiar.

As it turns out, we’ve been close to Joey Mac for months and never even knew it.

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Your St. Patrick’s Day Alternative

It’s become a tradition for Bostonians to try and catch the Dropkick Murphys on St. Patrick’s Day. But much like trying to get Red Sox tickets the day of a game, it’s nearly impossible. You find yourself saddling up to the bar at the Cask, humbled and defeated.

1205344792But you have another option this St. Patrick’s Day. Don Imus is coming to town for his 9th Annual “Kiss Me I’m Imus” broadcast.

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