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[28 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Black Friday: your survival guide | ]

It’s almost that time again, shoppers! It’s the busiest shopping day of the year. Time to hustle our way through large crowds of screaming people and get those deals we’ve been waiting for.
Black Friday traditionally kicks of the shopping season and it’s also a great way for students to score some cheap gifts for Christmas.
Finally, Canadians can get a true taste of the Black Friday experience without having to travel to the U.S., since this shopping tradition has moved across the border this year.
Michelle Plant is a mother of two …

Arts & Entertainment »

[28 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Artist profile: Danielle Beaudin | ]

“I started playing piano when I was eight years old, and after that just sort of picked up more and more instruments. I learned guitar, then started learning the clarinet in school,” says 23-year-old local singer/songwriter, Danielle Beaudin.
The former Mohawk student was inspired by the creative minds of Joni Mitchell and The Beatles as she developed her own way of writing and singing. Beaudin released her first album in October. “I was a co-op student at a recording studio, and in my spare time when I wasn’t working I would …

Arts & Entertainment »

[28 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Review: Wii Party U | ]

This is one of those games designed to level the playing field between gaming enthusiasts and those who just showed up at the party for the liquor. When you play WiiParty U it doesn’t matter if you have logged over two hundred hours in Skyrim: it won’t help you. The over 80 mini-games don’t respect your game prowess, they are designed to make you look foolish if you think you are in for a cake walk.
WiiParty U has a few main games to choose from. They are set up board game style, with characters …

Arts & Entertainment »

[28 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Review: foreverly | ]

A project featuring Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and singer Norah Jones seems almost unfathomable. It’s even less likely they would put together a fascinating tribute to the Everly Brothers’ 1958 album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us. As a result, foreverly is beautifully unexpected.
The two singers put their spin on traditional tunes about outlaws (“Roving Gambler”), cheating lovers (“Long Time Gone”), and murder (“Down In the Willow Garden”). The simplicity of the music masks the dark stories in the lyrics. On “Put My Little Shoes Away”, Armstrong and Jones sing the Everly Brothers …

Arts & Entertainment »

[28 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Holiday style trends | ]

Tis the season… for holiday gatherings. From office Christmas parties to family get-togethers, here’s some style trends to help you put together that perfect holiday outfit whether festive or professional.
Winter White
Whoever says you can’t wear white after Labour Day is wrong–It all depends on how you wear it. Opt for textures: they add dimension to a basic white garment. Try to accessorize boldly, wear a large gold necklace or a dark plum lipstick. Don’t worry about the old maxim, your outfit will be chic, clean and crisp—and more importantly match the snowy …

Arts & Entertainment »

[24 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Catching Fire | ]

Twenty or 30 years ago, film adaptations usually didn’t have to worry about aping their source books exactly. The recent influx of book series with rabid fan bases being adapted into films, though, has led to filmmakers being afraid to cut scenes that worked in the book but don’t in the movie. Catching Fire is a better movie than The Hunger Games was, but it still ultimately falls into the same traps by treating its source novel as gospel.
A year after the events of The Hunger Games, victors Katniss (Jennifer …

Arts & Entertainment »

[24 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on All is Lost | ]

All is Lost is about a man alone at sea whose sailboat springs a leak when it hits an adrift cargo container. Through a series of misfortunes, his situation slowly gets worse, despite his every knowledgeable efforts. His tenacious battle to survive as every element turns against him is the crux of this marvellously thrilling movie.
It’s hard to imagine how All is Lost got made. The entire movie takes place at sea, either aboard a sailboat or in a life raft. Only one actor is seen during the entire movie. …

Arts & Entertainment »

[24 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Dallas Buyers Club | ]

Matthew McConaughey doesn’t get enough credit. Yes, he’s done he’s share of stinkers like Sahara, but he’s also done gems like A Time to Kill and Contact. Over the last few years, McConaughey has refocused himself and delivered a string of complex performances in The Lincoln Lawyer, Bernie, Magic Mike, and Mud. His acting in Dallas Buyers Club is the apex of his career so far.
Set in 1985, when misinformation about AIDS polluted the national conversation and most associated it purely with gay people, Dallas Buyers Club centres on a …

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[24 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Blue is the Warmest Colour | ]

The French coming-of-age drama Blue is the Warmest Colour has been making headlines, but not for the right reasons. The story involves two young women who fall in love. Like any movie about a realistic romance, there are sex scenes, which have become all that news articles and the PTC have been able to talk about. It’s a huge disservice to a movie that deserves to be talked about because of its quality, not because of its content.
Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) is a high-school girl trying her best to be happy …

Arts & Entertainment »

[22 Nov 2013 | Comments Off on Rock without borders | ]

The Casbah on King Street enjoyed a successful concert Thursday night as a handful of McMaster University students joined forces with indie musicians for a night of ‘Rock Without Borders’, raising funds and awareness for ‘Doctors Without Borders’, formally known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
MSF is a humanitarian aid organization of volunteer doctors, nurses and journalists who battle neglected diseases in countries torn by war and provide basic health care needs to those living under repressive governments.
Conflicts always arise when dealing with humanitarian aid inside developing countries, but tonight the …