FEATURES

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Red Widow,' seeks sympathy for protagonist

By Staff Writer | March 14

The makers of "Red Widow" want you to sympathize with Mar­ta Walraven, and on the surface, the character is easy to get behind. She's a good mother willing to do anything to protect her children, even if that means entering the criminal underworld. But when you think about it, Walraven is not innocent. She grew up in a mob family, married a drug smuggler, and didn't need to get involved in criminal activity to protect her family; it was her choice.

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"Dark Skies" is perfect example of a good horror film

By Staff Writer | February 27

Every good horror movie has deep meaning within it. It contains more than just cheap thrills and suspense. Rather, truly excellent scary movies feature characters the audience can sympathize with and a plot that relates to the problems of contemporary society. That way, as the protagonists defeat the monsters or ghosts or whatever else in the film, the viewers can vicariously defeat the problems they face in their real lives. Considering that criterion, "Dark Skies" is a commendable example of the genre.

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Academy Awards entertain despite running long

By Staff Writer | February 26

In typical Oscars fashion, the 85th Academy Awards ran about 30 minutes longer than scheduled on Sunday night. Host Seth MacFarlane joked about the lengthy ceremony along, but kept most of his jokes fairly subdued, an unexpected feat for the usually over-the-top "Family Guy" creator. After a 15-minute-plus intro, which included singing, dancing and a few insults that left audience members briefly cringing, the evening officially began.

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Beyonc?© lets guard down in new self-produced documentary

By Staff Writer | February 22

Beyonc?© is known for her diva stage persona, powerful vocals and fierce attitude, but in her new self-directed, self-produced docu­mentary, "Life Is But A Dream," which aired on HBO on Feb. 16, the pop-goddess reveals a raw, emotional side.

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Bright future for Foal's with new album 'Holy Fire'

By Staff Writer | February 22

After scurrying underneath national ac­knowledgement for the better part of a decade, Foal, the Oxford based five-piece band, released their third album, "Holy Fire," on Feb. 11.

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LL Cool J makes return to hip hop

By Staff Writer | February 22

LL Cool J, the hip-hop pioneer who released his last album in 2008, is back and ready to heat the scene up again with his new album, "Authentic."

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Maroon 5 hits Madison Square Garden with sold out show

By Staff Writer | February 21

Although it has been 12 years since Maroon 5 hit the music scene, frontman Adam Levine still was in awe of the sold-out crowd's support at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 16.

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Students kick off spring theatre season with 'Twelve Angry Men'

By Staff Writer | February 20

Seton Hall University's Depart­ment of Communication and the Arts' first production of the spring theatre season will be an adapta­tion of the Emmy Award-winning television movie by Reginald Rose, "Twelve Angry Men." The play is directed by Professor Deir­dre Yates and will be performed by Seton Hall students in the Uni­versity Center's Theatre-in-the-Round from Feb. 21 to Feb. 24.

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Get cookin' with this easy muffin recipe

By Staff Writer | February 20

With winter making it unbearable to be outside but hard to stay inside we are often looking for things to do that keep us occupied and warm. This simple muffin recipe will do just that. No need to be skilled in the kitchen to make these, just grab what you have and get started!

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The Bachelor wraps up dramatic season

By Amanda Boyer | February 20

ABC's "The Bachelor" is in its final episodes of the season and there is one looming question over everyone's heads: who will Sean choose?

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A Good Day' to see something else

By Staff Writer | February 20

The original "Die Hard" was far more than a typical action movie. From hero to villain to Bruce Willis's limo driver, every charac­ter was compelling. Its plot was also interesting enough to grab the audience's attention from beginning to end. Sure, there was bloodshed and over-the-top stunts; but there was also suspense, family drama and perfectly-placed one-liners all adding up to a movie that raised the bar for its genre. Though "A Good Day to Die Hard" is the fifth installment in the classic franchise, it has all the makings of just another one of its rip-offs.

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The Book Shelf: 'Leaving the Atocha Station'

By Staff Writer | February 13

Last spring, Ben Lerner attended Seton Hall University's Poetry-in-the-Round where he read from his premiere novel, "Leaving the Ato­cha Station."

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Tim McGraw album features A-list lineup

By Staff Writer | February 13

Tim McGraw expresses a new-found freedom in his appropriate­ly named new album, "Two Lanes of Freedom," which was released on Feb. 5.

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Identity Thief' steals laughs

By Staff Writer | February 13

Road trip movies are nothing new. Through the years, plenty have been released into theaters all following the same basic for­mula; a wildly mismatched cou­ple is forced to travel cross-coun­try together, getting into hilarious situations along the way. The suc­cess of these films is dependent upon the strength of their comedy as well as the chemistry between the actors portraying the odd cou­ple. So while the concept behind "Identity Thief" is by no means revolutionary, its humor and pair­ing of Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy make it worth seeing.

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Grammy's celebrate Indie artists like Mumford and Sons and Black Keys

By Staff Writer | February 13

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards kicked off on Sun­day night with an "Alice In Wonderland"-inspired perfor­mance of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift. Not only did Swift's per­formance start music's biggest night, but "Safe and Sound," her collaboration with the Civil Wars for "The Hunger Games," took home the award for Best Song Written for Visual Media

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The Walking Dead: Mid-season premiere to die for

By Staff Writer | February 13

If you knew nothing about AMC's edgy, Emmy Award-winning series "The Walking Dead" but decided to watch the mid-season premiere of season three on Feb. 10, you would be just as hooked as a diehard fan. Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus and Laurie Holden, the show's early 2013 return was easily one of the most anticipated of all time.

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Mumford & Sons packs Barclays at second show in Brooklyn

By Staff Writer | February 13

"Is Jay-Z here tonight?" Marcus Mumford, front man of Mumford & Sons, asked jokingly between sets at the Barclays Center on Feb 12. Jay-Z and Beyonc?© might not have been there on that particu­lar night but 19,000 other people were to watch the massively suc­cessful indie-folk band play.

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Trend alert: Bold design hits runway

By Samantha Giedris | February 13

New York City's Fall 2013 Fash­ion Week gives a glimpse of the trends we can expect to see for the upcoming seasons. Designers' fall collections made their debuts on the runway and it was easy to pick out interesting trends and ideas that are sure to be seen frequently once the weather gets warmer.

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Wolfgang Laib Warms NYC with 'Pollen From Hazelnut'

By Staff Writer | February 13

Contemporary visual artist, con­ceptualist and sculptor Wolfgang Laib dusts spring into the winter woodwork of February with his most recent creation "Pollen From Hazelnut," located on the first floor of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City.

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Local Natives album disappointing at best

By Staff Writer | February 7

Local Natives makes a return with its new album "Humming­bird," released on Jan. 29.