Colleen Munro
Masthead
Colleen is a recent graduate of UTM, majoring in English and PWC. After serving as Associate Arts & Entertainment Editor at The Medium for over two years, she is thrilled to now be leading the section. She is also a rabid list-maker, though she's more likely to be found ranking her favourite albums of the year than making any kind of practical to-do list. Personal heroes include Chuck Klosterman and Leslie Knope.Contributions
How to Read the News
For 125 years, the Buchtelite served as the University of Akron’s student newspaper, until in January an announcement was posted on the Buchtelite’s website...
Toronto’s live venues: the best and worst
Spring is finally showing tentative signs of still being a thing that happens, which means the summer concert season is just around the corner....
Blackwood Gallery bids grads farewell
The Blackwood Gallery is continuing its celebration of student artwork, having unveiled the second half of the annual graduating students’ exhibition, Up One Side...
Student-designed fashion rocks UTM
Earlier this month, UTM got a fashionable makeover when it played host to Rock the Runway, a week-long fashion competition that culminated in a...
Blackwood sends off its grads in style
Up One Side + Down the Other, the Blackwood Gallery’s annual exhibition celebrating the talent of UTM’s art and art history graduates, opened last...
Old-school style and charity
Style and Profyle presented their annual fashion and dance show this past weekend in the Blind Duck. Featuring a variety of dance styles and...
Research writing finds a new home
UTM students looking for a way to share their voice now have one more avenue to get their work out there: a new student...
Bend Sinister | Animals
As soon as I opened the envelope containing the Medium’s copy of Bend Sinister’s Animals, I knew this album had to be reviewed. A...
St. Vincent explores new territory
St. Vincent might not be a name immediately associated with rock ’n’ roll, but her latest, self-titled album makes a compelling argument that she...
Shakespeare classics get a zany twist
In the program for Hart House Theatre’s new production of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), director Carly Chamberlain has this to say about Constance...
The race for top Oscars categories heats up
It’s that time of year again. We sat through all the buildup: the film festivals, the deluge of “prestige” films released at the end...
UTM theatre makes its mark downtown
The U of T Drama Festival once again took residence at Hart House earlier this month, providing audiences with four nights of theatre written,...
Christ vs Krishna | Move and Scale
With a lofty band name like Christ vs Krishna, I was expecting some truly compelling things from the band’s 2013 EP, Move and Scale....
Rom-com clichés get a male-centric twist
That Awkward Moment feels like a film that’s made to appeal to everyone, but ends up being so vague that it likely won’t truly...
Looking to the Blackwood’s future
The Blackwood Gallery recently welcomed Christine Shaw as its new director and curator, taking over from Christof Migone. Shaw will inevitably bring a new...
HBO searches for the meaning of young adult life
As if the HBO series Girls hasn’t already sparked enough discussion and critique from critics and TV fans alike of its depiction of the...
Warm songs for a cold winter night
Toronto’s cavernous Lee’s Palace perhaps seemed like a slightly odd choice of venue to host British folkster Johnny Flynn. The iconic comic book–inspired exterior...
Love in the time of technology
Spike Jonze is a director who likes to explore a fine line between reality and fantasy. His first film, 1999’s Being John Malkovich, found...
Embracing ’80s fun with The Wedding Singer
Entering Hart House Theatre for their latest production, The Wedding Singer, I noticed a piece of paper posted on the heavy wooden door at...
Hana Lulu | Keepsake
Looking at the cover of Keepsake, I didn’t see much. A few black symbols marked an otherwise plain white cover, bringing to mind the...
AGM explores digital-age art roles
The Art Gallery of Mississauga frequently brings in dynamic exhibitions from a variety of locales—both from local artists and from those who hail from...
Top 10 albums of 2013
The National
Trouble Will Find Me
This stately, gorgeous sixth album from the National once again validates the band’s growing legion of loyal fans. From the...
Bugg embraces his influences
Because of his youth and mop-topped hairdo, 19-year-old Jake Bugg could easily pass for a member of One Direction. However, after listening to the...
A fitting tribute to one of Canada’s trailblazers
An important figure in Canadian history, Doris Anderson proves a fitting subject for Theatre Erindale’s current season, titled “Uppity Women!”. Their latest production, Rebel...
Middle Eastern culture in the spotlight
Culture and community took centre stage at the Middle Eastern Students’ Association’s latest event, “A Night in the Middle East”, last Friday in the...
A Fine Frenzy | Pines
The jacket art of A Fine Frenzy’s most recent album, 2012’s Pines, is admittedly striking, if not particularly original. Swaddled in a blanket and...
Love in the time of Shakespeare
As if love weren’t already complicated enough, Shakespeare decided to add another element to it in his comedic romance Twelfth Night, an element that...
The art of the movie soundtrack
It’s tricky to do a movie soundtracks well. How many movies have you watched that simply throw out a slew of the latest Top...
Hart House preps to take on the Bard
Whether you’re a Shakespeare aficionado or you’ve only seen the (very loose) Amanda Bynes film adaptation, She’s the Man, you probably at least know...
UMC hosts night of musical diversity
After a busy year of performance nights and projects like the Original Chords album, the UTM Music Club is celebrating UTM’s music community as enthusiastically as ever this year....
Preparing for a month of madness
The term “NaNoWriMo” may sound like gibberish to you, but for many eager writers, the word is full of possibility and possible frustration.
National Novel-Writing...
The bold new world of Arcade Fire
Last week, after months of promotion, the latest album from Canadian darlings Arcade Fire, Reflektor, suffered the same fate as many records nowadays—it was...
Rush offers white-knuckle dramatic thrills
Hollywood has seen more than its fair share of sports movies. From Rocky, Remember the Titans, and Blades of Glory, most audience members know...
Eclecticism and democracy do Canadian rockers well
More than 20 years into their career, Sloan is in a unique position. To start with, all four members of the band are still...
Southern rock meets radio pop
In 2009, it was almost impossible to turn on the radio without encountering either “Sex on Fire” or “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon....
JFL42 offers festivalgoers a variety of laughs
I think we’ve all experienced firsthand how subjective comedy can be. For example, maybe you once whipped out your phone to show someone a...
UTM grads take the stage in Hart House Theatre’s Bone Cage
Dirge-like organ music fills the cavernous Hart House Theatre as the audience slowly trickles in and searches for their seats. On the stage, a...
The Medium at TIFF, Part 1
The Double
In The Double, Jesse Eisenberg plays a man who is slowly driven mad when his much more charismatic doppelganger—also played by Eisenberg—appears and...
The universal truths of Bone Cage
Hart House Theatre is currently preparing for the debut of its first production of the season, Bone Cage, which opens this Friday. Bone Cage...
TIFF launches into star-packed first weekend
Hateship, Loveship
Kristen Wiig finally gets a leading dramatic role in this adaptation of an Alice Munro short story of similar name. The film is...
UTM alum wins big at SummerWorks
Theatre Erindale doesn’t kick off its season for another few weeks, but that doesn’t mean that things slowed down for UTM’s drama students over...
Adapting to a new musical landscape
Justin Timberlake
The 20/20 Experience
After appearing in several movies (including The Social Network) and a string of well-received SNL hosting appearances, ex-boybander Justin Timberlake returned...
Fear and curiosity at the Art Gallery of Mississauga
In art, and in many other facets of life, saying something in a way no one else has said it can result in praise...
Movie review: Ginger & Rosa conjures a stirring tale
Growing up is hard. But if Sally Potter’s new film, Ginger & Rosa, is any indication, it’s a heck of a lot more difficult...
Art, henna, and music at South Asia Day
Being on a campus with such diversity affords us great opportunities to learn about the customs and histories of other cultures, or to celebrate...
You won’t find this in the history textbook
We all know the usual arc of a love story by now. Nearly every romantic comedy movie of the last 30 years offers the...
Put your tastebuds to the test
Colleen Munro reviews
Lion City
1177 Central Parkway, West
Admittedly, I’m someone whose culinary tastes skew towards the plain and simple. But while Subway may be my...
Triumph at U of T Drama Fest
The U of T Drama Festival brought together a variety of drama groups for four nights of theatre written, directed, produced, and performed by...
Poetry contest winners take the mic
Earlier this month, the English and Drama Student Society held their second coffeehouse of the year and announced the winners of their annual poetry...
Folly and farce in the Italian Renaissance
Elements of comedy can be found in live theatre from all over the world. And even in cases where a language barrier or missing...
Worth going to class for
Every high school English class had that one skeptic. As the teacher carefully laid out his intricate theory about why J.D. Salinger decided to...
Exploring the art of Hart House
When it comes to art at U of T, many students are familiar with the Blackwood Galley here at UTM, and perhaps the various...
35 years of juried art at AGM
Now in its 35th year, Visual Arts Mississauga’s Annual Juried Show of Fine Arts began its run at the Art Gallery of Mississauga earlier...
The path to rock ’n’ roll obscurity
Rock music has been Hollywood film fodder for years now. From biopics about some of the biggest rock bands in history (The Doors, Control)...
Blurring the lines between cultures
The concept of globalization is studied in several disciplines. Likewise, issues of globalism are represented through many different artistic media at the Art Gallery...
Fighting the critics and inner demons
The box office returns for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter earlier this year showed that general audiences aren’t particularly interested in gleeful historical inaccuracy and...
Review: Wreck-It Ralph
Considering the constantly evolving and increasingly realistic graphics of today’s video games, retro arcade games perhaps don’t seem like the most natural material for...
Illuminating the role of human anatomy in art
Braving the rain and gusting winds, students, faculty, and members of the community made the trek to UTM’s Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex last...
NEW FALL TV
With the weather starting to turn cold and some of the season’s less impressive rookie shows already cancelled (goodbye, Made in Jersey and Animal...
Interview: Jully Black
Multi-talented Canadian songstress Jully Black is no stranger to career reinvention. As well as finding success on the charts with her own songs, the...
Interview: Most Thieves
Most Thieves took to the stage at the Sound Academy on Saturday night to open for fellow Las Vegas natives and friends, the Killers....
TIFF’s starpower shines on in second week
At Any Price
Director Ramin Bahrani made waves in the indie film world with his first three projects: Man Push Cart, Chop Shop, and Goodbye...
The Blackwood looks at its roots
Students, faculty, friends, and members of the public gathered at Toronto’s Art Metropole on Saturday afternoon to launch the Blackwood Gallery’s new book project,...
TIFF takes flight
With the Toronto International Film Festival kicking off this past Friday, critics and film fans alike descended on the city to catch the newest...
In profile: the Balconies
Armed with a wall of noise and hook-filled choruses to spare, Toronto rockers the Balconies made quite the impact opening for Hollerado at the...
Everyone just wants a good show
Reality television gets dystopian in the film adaptation of The Hunger Games
Painting the gallery red
Students showcase artwork in annual graduate exhibition at the Blackwood Gallery
Theatre and the outback
Theatre Erindale continues its 20th anniversary season with Our Country’s Good
The Bard meets the King of Pop
Theatre Erindale merges Shakespeare with the ’80s in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet).
Love What Happened Here —James Blake
Love What Happened Here may only consist of three songs, but Blake makes the most of the short format.
Pass the glass eyes, please
Food is an undeniably important part in our lives. The way we acquire it, the way we prepare it, and the people we share it with are unique to every individual.
Kaleidoscopic Ken Jacobs at UTM
This past Friday night, lecture hall IB245 was transformed. With a diverse audience on hand (a combination of students and various members of the...
The race to survive
On the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax harbour. Unfortunately for everyone nearby, one of the ships (the French freighter Mont-Blanc) happened to be carrying massive amounts of explosives on board. The delayed detonation that morning created the largest man-made explosion prior to the invention of the atomic bomb.
That’s what she said
If you’re one of Mindy Kaling’s 1.5 million Twitter followers, then you’re already familiar with her bubbly, self-deprecating, pop culture-obsessed persona. And there’s a good chance that you want her to be your best friend.
That’s not all, folks
Here’s a look at seven more animated characters that deserve a chance to shine in their own big-screen vehicle.
Klosterman returns with new novel
While it’s packed with interesting ideas, The Visible Man is a novel that takes a while to get going.
Shakespeare and beyond
In terms of cultural attractions in Canada, nothing is much more prestigious than the Stratford Festival. Held annually in scenic Stratford, Ontario, it’s the most well-known theatre festival in Canada.
Kutcher is the man
Two and a Half Men pulled in its biggest audience ever with its season nine premiere last Monday night.
Laura Marling: A Creature I Don’t Know
With young but fairly established artists like Taylor Swift and Adele claiming top spots on the music charts this year, it doesn’t seem quite...
Fall TV lineup shows some promise
For those looking for new excuses to procrastinate, here’s a peek at the new lineup of fall shows.
Blackwood Gallery hosts graduate art exhibition
There is talent all over UTM, but it’s possible to find it conveniently concentrated in one space at the Blackwood Gallery this month during...
Departing—The Rural Alberta Advantage
Toronto trio The Rural Alberta Advantage has earned buzz from bloggers and critics thanks to a pair of EPs and their 2008 full-length debut...
Putting your best foot forward
Meeting new people is always stressful. Every new person that we encounter comes with possibilities and uncertainties.
Maybe the two of you will hit it off,...
American Idol revitalized
Ten seasons in, it seemed unlikely that American Idol could offer
anything new. It is, after all, quite similar from season to season. There may...
And the Oscar goes to…
The announcement of Oscar nominations usually sparks controversy about who did and did not receive a nomination, and this year was no different. Even...
Awards season hits Canada
The 40th Annual Juno Awards are over a month away, but the nominees were announced last week and it’s an interesting mix of artists....
Thank You, Happy Birthday—Cage the Elephant
Thank You, Happy Birthday — Cage the Elephant
Kentucky quintet Cage the Elephant made a splash in 2009 with their breakthrough single, “Ain’t No Rest...
Future of the book?
From the earliest cave paintings to text messaging and everything between, the way that we share stories and communicate has evolved greatly over time....
Artists to watch in 2011
January is a time to half-heartedly work at your New Year’s resolutions, but it’s also a good opportunity for music fans to speculate on...
The good, the bad, and the Dude
It’s usually not too difficult to spot a film made by the Coen Brothers. Even though they tackle a wide range of genres, eras,...
Kids and television: not so bad after all?
Little did our parents know that when they plunked us down in front of the television as children, they were doing us a great...
Conan: same show, different channel
“Welcome to my second annual first show.” If the first few episodes of Conan O’Brien’s new show are any indication, it’s clear that he...
Come Around Sundown by Kings of Leon
With the sheer volume of music available online and the declining album sales of the past decade, rock bands might just become a thing...
No Age: Everything in Between
Los Angeles duo No Age (Randy Randall and Dean Allen Sprunt) have made their career pushing the limits of how much noise two people...
What’s on your mind?
At this point, it’s difficult to argue that Facebook hasn’t shaped our culture in some way. Not only have terms like “relationship status” and...
Albums of the week
Hurley - Weezer
After a low point in their career, Weezer offers hope for fans with an unlikely album.
Pop-punk mainstays Weezer saw more than a...
Back to school songs
Classes have started and reading assignments may already be piling up, so here are ten school-related songs from across many genres to help you...
2010 Fall TV Preview
With the onset of fall comes a slew of new and returning TV shows, and this year is no exception. Here’s a look at...
MGMT—Congratulations
From college friends to unlikely hit-makers, Andrew Van Wyngarden and Ben Goldwasser of MGMT have had a strange, swift career trajectory. Their debut album,...
Rufus Wainright—All Days and Nights
Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright is often praised for his theatrical voice and lavishly arranged songs. But on his latest album, All Days Are Nights: Songs...
Quiet down—students working
The UTM library can be a great place to hunker down for a couple of hours and get work done. Unfortunately, finding the required...
Reunited at last
There has been no short supply of 90’s rock acts reuniting over the past couple of years. No Doubt has picked up where they...
Oscar contender: A Single Man
Colin Firth has made a career out of playing soft-spoken, charming British men in films like the Bridget Jones series. But in Tom Ford’s...
Will there be another Catcher in the Rye?
The famously reclusive author J.D. Salinger, best known for his
seminal coming-of-age novel
The Catcher in Rye, died last Wednesday at age 91. He lived a...
Spoon's Transference
As a band, Spoon has paid its dues. Formed in 1994, they just released Transference, their seventh studio album. Their previous album, 2007s Ga...
Up in the Air
With two acclaimed films to his name, director Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You for Smoking) takes a timely look at the current economic troubles...
How to Read the News
For 125 years, the Buchtelite served as the University of Akron’s student newspaper, until in January an announcement was posted on the Buchtelite’s website...
Toronto’s live venues: the best and worst
Spring is finally showing tentative signs of still being a thing that happens, which means the summer concert season is just around the corner....
Blackwood Gallery bids grads farewell
The Blackwood Gallery is continuing its celebration of student artwork, having unveiled the second half of the annual graduating students’ exhibition, Up One Side...
Student-designed fashion rocks UTM
Earlier this month, UTM got a fashionable makeover when it played host to Rock the Runway, a week-long fashion competition that culminated in a...
Old-school style and charity
Style and Profyle presented their annual fashion and dance show this past weekend in the Blind Duck. Featuring a variety of dance styles and...
Research writing finds a new home
UTM students looking for a way to share their voice now have one more avenue to get their work out there: a new student...
Bend Sinister | Animals
As soon as I opened the envelope containing the Medium’s copy of Bend Sinister’s Animals, I knew this album had to be reviewed. A...
St. Vincent explores new territory
St. Vincent might not be a name immediately associated with rock ’n’ roll, but her latest, self-titled album makes a compelling argument that she...
Shakespeare classics get a zany twist
In the program for Hart House Theatre’s new production of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), director Carly Chamberlain has this to say about Constance...
The race for top Oscars categories heats up
It’s that time of year again. We sat through all the buildup: the film festivals, the deluge of “prestige” films released at the end...
UTM theatre makes its mark downtown
The U of T Drama Festival once again took residence at Hart House earlier this month, providing audiences with four nights of theatre written,...
Christ vs Krishna | Move and Scale
With a lofty band name like Christ vs Krishna, I was expecting some truly compelling things from the band’s 2013 EP, Move and Scale....
Rom-com clichés get a male-centric twist
That Awkward Moment feels like a film that’s made to appeal to everyone, but ends up being so vague that it likely won’t truly...
Looking to the Blackwood’s future
The Blackwood Gallery recently welcomed Christine Shaw as its new director and curator, taking over from Christof Migone. Shaw will inevitably bring a new...
HBO searches for the meaning of young adult life
As if the HBO series Girls hasn’t already sparked enough discussion and critique from critics and TV fans alike of its depiction of the...
Warm songs for a cold winter night
Toronto’s cavernous Lee’s Palace perhaps seemed like a slightly odd choice of venue to host British folkster Johnny Flynn. The iconic comic book–inspired exterior...
Love in the time of technology
Spike Jonze is a director who likes to explore a fine line between reality and fantasy. His first film, 1999’s Being John Malkovich, found...
Embracing ’80s fun with The Wedding Singer
Entering Hart House Theatre for their latest production, The Wedding Singer, I noticed a piece of paper posted on the heavy wooden door at...
Hana Lulu | Keepsake
Looking at the cover of Keepsake, I didn’t see much. A few black symbols marked an otherwise plain white cover, bringing to mind the...
AGM explores digital-age art roles
The Art Gallery of Mississauga frequently brings in dynamic exhibitions from a variety of locales—both from local artists and from those who hail from...
Top 10 albums of 2013
The National
Trouble Will Find Me
This stately, gorgeous sixth album from the National once again validates the band’s growing legion of loyal fans. From the...
Bugg embraces his influences
Because of his youth and mop-topped hairdo, 19-year-old Jake Bugg could easily pass for a member of One Direction. However, after listening to the...
A fitting tribute to one of Canada’s trailblazers
An important figure in Canadian history, Doris Anderson proves a fitting subject for Theatre Erindale’s current season, titled “Uppity Women!”. Their latest production, Rebel...
Middle Eastern culture in the spotlight
Culture and community took centre stage at the Middle Eastern Students’ Association’s latest event, “A Night in the Middle East”, last Friday in the...
A Fine Frenzy | Pines
The jacket art of A Fine Frenzy’s most recent album, 2012’s Pines, is admittedly striking, if not particularly original. Swaddled in a blanket and...
Love in the time of Shakespeare
As if love weren’t already complicated enough, Shakespeare decided to add another element to it in his comedic romance Twelfth Night, an element that...
The art of the movie soundtrack
It’s tricky to do a movie soundtracks well. How many movies have you watched that simply throw out a slew of the latest Top...
Hart House preps to take on the Bard
Whether you’re a Shakespeare aficionado or you’ve only seen the (very loose) Amanda Bynes film adaptation, She’s the Man, you probably at least know...
UMC hosts night of musical diversity
After a busy year of performance nights and projects like the Original Chords album, the UTM Music Club is celebrating UTM’s music community as enthusiastically as ever this year....
Preparing for a month of madness
The term “NaNoWriMo” may sound like gibberish to you, but for many eager writers, the word is full of possibility and possible frustration.
National Novel-Writing...
The bold new world of Arcade Fire
Last week, after months of promotion, the latest album from Canadian darlings Arcade Fire, Reflektor, suffered the same fate as many records nowadays—it was...
Rush offers white-knuckle dramatic thrills
Hollywood has seen more than its fair share of sports movies. From Rocky, Remember the Titans, and Blades of Glory, most audience members know...
Eclecticism and democracy do Canadian rockers well
More than 20 years into their career, Sloan is in a unique position. To start with, all four members of the band are still...
Southern rock meets radio pop
In 2009, it was almost impossible to turn on the radio without encountering either “Sex on Fire” or “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon....
JFL42 offers festivalgoers a variety of laughs
I think we’ve all experienced firsthand how subjective comedy can be. For example, maybe you once whipped out your phone to show someone a...
UTM grads take the stage in Hart House Theatre’s Bone Cage
Dirge-like organ music fills the cavernous Hart House Theatre as the audience slowly trickles in and searches for their seats. On the stage, a...
The Medium at TIFF, Part 1
The Double
In The Double, Jesse Eisenberg plays a man who is slowly driven mad when his much more charismatic doppelganger—also played by Eisenberg—appears and...
The universal truths of Bone Cage
Hart House Theatre is currently preparing for the debut of its first production of the season, Bone Cage, which opens this Friday. Bone Cage...
TIFF launches into star-packed first weekend
Hateship, Loveship
Kristen Wiig finally gets a leading dramatic role in this adaptation of an Alice Munro short story of similar name. The film is...
UTM alum wins big at SummerWorks
Theatre Erindale doesn’t kick off its season for another few weeks, but that doesn’t mean that things slowed down for UTM’s drama students over...
Adapting to a new musical landscape
Justin Timberlake
The 20/20 Experience
After appearing in several movies (including The Social Network) and a string of well-received SNL hosting appearances, ex-boybander Justin Timberlake returned...
Fear and curiosity at the Art Gallery of Mississauga
In art, and in many other facets of life, saying something in a way no one else has said it can result in praise...
Movie review: Ginger & Rosa conjures a stirring tale
Growing up is hard. But if Sally Potter’s new film, Ginger & Rosa, is any indication, it’s a heck of a lot more difficult...
Art, henna, and music at South Asia Day
Being on a campus with such diversity affords us great opportunities to learn about the customs and histories of other cultures, or to celebrate...
You won’t find this in the history textbook
We all know the usual arc of a love story by now. Nearly every romantic comedy movie of the last 30 years offers the...
Put your tastebuds to the test
Colleen Munro reviews
Lion City
1177 Central Parkway, West
Admittedly, I’m someone whose culinary tastes skew towards the plain and simple. But while Subway may be my...
Triumph at U of T Drama Fest
The U of T Drama Festival brought together a variety of drama groups for four nights of theatre written, directed, produced, and performed by...
Poetry contest winners take the mic
Earlier this month, the English and Drama Student Society held their second coffeehouse of the year and announced the winners of their annual poetry...
Folly and farce in the Italian Renaissance
Elements of comedy can be found in live theatre from all over the world. And even in cases where a language barrier or missing...
Worth going to class for
Every high school English class had that one skeptic. As the teacher carefully laid out his intricate theory about why J.D. Salinger decided to...
Exploring the art of Hart House
When it comes to art at U of T, many students are familiar with the Blackwood Galley here at UTM, and perhaps the various...
35 years of juried art at AGM
Now in its 35th year, Visual Arts Mississauga’s Annual Juried Show of Fine Arts began its run at the Art Gallery of Mississauga earlier...
The path to rock ’n’ roll obscurity
Rock music has been Hollywood film fodder for years now. From biopics about some of the biggest rock bands in history (The Doors, Control)...
Blurring the lines between cultures
The concept of globalization is studied in several disciplines. Likewise, issues of globalism are represented through many different artistic media at the Art Gallery...
Fighting the critics and inner demons
The box office returns for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter earlier this year showed that general audiences aren’t particularly interested in gleeful historical inaccuracy and...
Review: Wreck-It Ralph
Considering the constantly evolving and increasingly realistic graphics of today’s video games, retro arcade games perhaps don’t seem like the most natural material for...
Illuminating the role of human anatomy in art
Braving the rain and gusting winds, students, faculty, and members of the community made the trek to UTM’s Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex last...
NEW FALL TV
With the weather starting to turn cold and some of the season’s less impressive rookie shows already cancelled (goodbye, Made in Jersey and Animal...
Interview: Jully Black
Multi-talented Canadian songstress Jully Black is no stranger to career reinvention. As well as finding success on the charts with her own songs, the...
Interview: Most Thieves
Most Thieves took to the stage at the Sound Academy on Saturday night to open for fellow Las Vegas natives and friends, the Killers....
TIFF’s starpower shines on in second week
At Any Price
Director Ramin Bahrani made waves in the indie film world with his first three projects: Man Push Cart, Chop Shop, and Goodbye...
The Blackwood looks at its roots
Students, faculty, friends, and members of the public gathered at Toronto’s Art Metropole on Saturday afternoon to launch the Blackwood Gallery’s new book project,...
TIFF takes flight
With the Toronto International Film Festival kicking off this past Friday, critics and film fans alike descended on the city to catch the newest...
In profile: the Balconies
Armed with a wall of noise and hook-filled choruses to spare, Toronto rockers the Balconies made quite the impact opening for Hollerado at the...
Everyone just wants a good show
Reality television gets dystopian in the film adaptation of The Hunger Games
Painting the gallery red
Students showcase artwork in annual graduate exhibition at the Blackwood Gallery
Theatre and the outback
Theatre Erindale continues its 20th anniversary season with Our Country’s Good
The Bard meets the King of Pop
Theatre Erindale merges Shakespeare with the ’80s in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet).
Love What Happened Here —James Blake
Love What Happened Here may only consist of three songs, but Blake makes the most of the short format.
Pass the glass eyes, please
Food is an undeniably important part in our lives. The way we acquire it, the way we prepare it, and the people we share it with are unique to every individual.
Kaleidoscopic Ken Jacobs at UTM
This past Friday night, lecture hall IB245 was transformed. With a diverse audience on hand (a combination of students and various members of the...
The race to survive
On the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax harbour. Unfortunately for everyone nearby, one of the ships (the French freighter Mont-Blanc) happened to be carrying massive amounts of explosives on board. The delayed detonation that morning created the largest man-made explosion prior to the invention of the atomic bomb.
That’s what she said
If you’re one of Mindy Kaling’s 1.5 million Twitter followers, then you’re already familiar with her bubbly, self-deprecating, pop culture-obsessed persona. And there’s a good chance that you want her to be your best friend.
That’s not all, folks
Here’s a look at seven more animated characters that deserve a chance to shine in their own big-screen vehicle.
Klosterman returns with new novel
While it’s packed with interesting ideas, The Visible Man is a novel that takes a while to get going.
Shakespeare and beyond
In terms of cultural attractions in Canada, nothing is much more prestigious than the Stratford Festival. Held annually in scenic Stratford, Ontario, it’s the most well-known theatre festival in Canada.
Kutcher is the man
Two and a Half Men pulled in its biggest audience ever with its season nine premiere last Monday night.
Laura Marling: A Creature I Don’t Know
With young but fairly established artists like Taylor Swift and Adele claiming top spots on the music charts this year, it doesn’t seem quite...
Fall TV lineup shows some promise
For those looking for new excuses to procrastinate, here’s a peek at the new lineup of fall shows.
Blackwood Gallery hosts graduate art exhibition
There is talent all over UTM, but it’s possible to find it conveniently concentrated in one space at the Blackwood Gallery this month during...
Departing—The Rural Alberta Advantage
Toronto trio The Rural Alberta Advantage has earned buzz from bloggers and critics thanks to a pair of EPs and their 2008 full-length debut...
Putting your best foot forward
Meeting new people is always stressful. Every new person that we encounter comes with possibilities and uncertainties.
Maybe the two of you will hit it off,...
American Idol revitalized
Ten seasons in, it seemed unlikely that American Idol could offer
anything new. It is, after all, quite similar from season to season. There may...
And the Oscar goes to…
The announcement of Oscar nominations usually sparks controversy about who did and did not receive a nomination, and this year was no different. Even...
Awards season hits Canada
The 40th Annual Juno Awards are over a month away, but the nominees were announced last week and it’s an interesting mix of artists....
Thank You, Happy Birthday—Cage the Elephant
Thank You, Happy Birthday — Cage the Elephant
Kentucky quintet Cage the Elephant made a splash in 2009 with their breakthrough single, “Ain’t No Rest...
Future of the book?
From the earliest cave paintings to text messaging and everything between, the way that we share stories and communicate has evolved greatly over time....
Artists to watch in 2011
January is a time to half-heartedly work at your New Year’s resolutions, but it’s also a good opportunity for music fans to speculate on...
The good, the bad, and the Dude
It’s usually not too difficult to spot a film made by the Coen Brothers. Even though they tackle a wide range of genres, eras,...
Kids and television: not so bad after all?
Little did our parents know that when they plunked us down in front of the television as children, they were doing us a great...
Conan: same show, different channel
“Welcome to my second annual first show.” If the first few episodes of Conan O’Brien’s new show are any indication, it’s clear that he...
Come Around Sundown by Kings of Leon
With the sheer volume of music available online and the declining album sales of the past decade, rock bands might just become a thing...
No Age: Everything in Between
Los Angeles duo No Age (Randy Randall and Dean Allen Sprunt) have made their career pushing the limits of how much noise two people...
What’s on your mind?
At this point, it’s difficult to argue that Facebook hasn’t shaped our culture in some way. Not only have terms like “relationship status” and...
Albums of the week
Hurley - Weezer
After a low point in their career, Weezer offers hope for fans with an unlikely album.
Pop-punk mainstays Weezer saw more than a...
Back to school songs
Classes have started and reading assignments may already be piling up, so here are ten school-related songs from across many genres to help you...
2010 Fall TV Preview
With the onset of fall comes a slew of new and returning TV shows, and this year is no exception. Here’s a look at...
MGMT—Congratulations
From college friends to unlikely hit-makers, Andrew Van Wyngarden and Ben Goldwasser of MGMT have had a strange, swift career trajectory. Their debut album,...
Rufus Wainright—All Days and Nights
Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright is often praised for his theatrical voice and lavishly arranged songs. But on his latest album, All Days Are Nights: Songs...
Quiet down—students working
The UTM library can be a great place to hunker down for a couple of hours and get work done. Unfortunately, finding the required...
Reunited at last
There has been no short supply of 90’s rock acts reuniting over the past couple of years. No Doubt has picked up where they...
Oscar contender: A Single Man
Colin Firth has made a career out of playing soft-spoken, charming British men in films like the Bridget Jones series. But in Tom Ford’s...
Will there be another Catcher in the Rye?
The famously reclusive author J.D. Salinger, best known for his
seminal coming-of-age novel
The Catcher in Rye, died last Wednesday at age 91. He lived a...
Spoon's Transference
As a band, Spoon has paid its dues. Formed in 1994, they just released Transference, their seventh studio album. Their previous album, 2007s Ga...
Up in the Air
With two acclaimed films to his name, director Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You for Smoking) takes a timely look at the current economic troubles...
Blackwood Gallery bids grads farewell
The Blackwood Gallery is continuing its celebration of student artwork, having unveiled the second half of the annual graduating students’ exhibition, Up One Side...
Blackwood sends off its grads in style
Up One Side + Down the Other, the Blackwood Gallery’s annual exhibition celebrating the talent of UTM’s art and art history graduates, opened last...
Research writing finds a new home
UTM students looking for a way to share their voice now have one more avenue to get their work out there: a new student...
Middle Eastern culture in the spotlight
Culture and community took centre stage at the Middle Eastern Students’ Association’s latest event, “A Night in the Middle East”, last Friday in the...