Arts -

Businesses welcome Hall's impact

By TANNER SLAYDEN | August 29

Tony Bennett’s performance in September at Memorial Hall will do more than pack the renovated theater — it will get people stepping ...

Memorial Hall waits in the wings

By JIM WALSH | August 29

People have been whispering its name for years, waiting for the time when Carolina would establish itself as the destination for marquee performing arts ...

Ackland presents fresh face

August 29

Following a six-week makeover, the Ackland Art Museum reopened its doors last week, complete with a new exhibit and a host of plans for the future. The ...

Receptions have never been this fun

By JOHN COGGIN | July 21

Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn recently crashed the summer box office with a comedy about two guys who like to crash weddings to pick up girls. While performing ...

Remake is deliciously different

July 21

The 1974 film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” scared the bejesus out of me. I’m not ...

Edgy author's latest is sinister but predictable

By JOHN COGGIN | July 21

Chuck Palahniuk has built a career on exposing the insanity of our culture through disgustingly ironic cautionary tales on American commercialism. His ...

Honest flick shows life on the streets

By JOHN COGGIN | July 14

In director Craig Brewer’s brilliantly authentic new film, street hustler DJay (Terrence Howard) pays the bills by pimping three whores for $20 ...

'Water' fails to make waves

July 14

Midway through “Dark Water,” Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) creeps up to the 10th floor of her derelict apartment building and stops at the door ...

Animated flick an artistic rendition of a love story

June 30

In some ways, Hayao Miyazaki’s new film, “Howl’s Moving Castle,” is a typical love story. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, their ...

Australian pop singer leaves much to be desired

By JOHN COGGIN | June 30

Australia’s newest offering to the American pop charts comes in the form of singer/songwriter Missy Higgins’ new album, The Sound of White. To ...

One-man show explores relationship issues

By JOHN COGGIN | June 30

Relationships get the old college try in a new one-man theatrical production on campus in July. In “A Guy’s Tale,” writer/actor Adam ...

Flick is better than 'XXX'

By WHITNEY ISENHOWER | June 16

We all want to know what it’s like to be on top — and Daniel Craig’s character in “Layer Cake” is no exception. The twist-laden ...

'Brangelina' rocks box office and bed sheets

By MIKE SULLIVAN | June 16

Don’t let Jennifer Aniston see “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Sure, Aniston has probably seen many of her husband’s films, but none ...

Black Eyed Peas slip on fourth LP

By REECE MCGOWEN | June 16

It’s a unique feeling — to put a new CD in the player. After examining the cover, the liner notes and the song titles, the time comes to put ...

11 Tony nods for local author

By WHITNEY ISENHOWER | May 26

Who says Southern charm and European sass don’t mix? Chapel Hill resident Elizabeth Spencer’s 1960 novella, “The Light in the Piazza,” ...

Don't panic, film stays true

By REECE MCGOWEN | May 26

One has to wonder how a movie about the insignificance of human life came out of Walt Disney Studios. Whatever the explanation, they seem to have pulled ...

Thriving music scene lives on collaborations

By JOHN COGGIN | May 26

For many fans of live music, the Chapel Hill music scene is no more than an endless series of concerts at places like Cat’s Cradle, the Local 506 ...

The 'dark side' permeates last flick

By MIKE SULLIVAN | May 26

What was it that made George Lucas’ original “Star Wars” trilogy so successful? Was it the ground-breaking visual effects that realistically ...

Mo' words of wisdom

By JOHN COGGIN | May 19

It’s time you guys made peace with the kids in Durham, Mo Rocca advised seniors in the first Senior Class Address on Friday. “Don’t ...

'Crash' examines racialdivides in urban society

By JOHN COGGIN | May 19

Paul Haggis’ feature debut “Crash” opens with a conversation between two cops (Don Cheadle and Jennifer Esposito) who have just been ...