It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the dastardly COVID-19 virus has impacted countless lives and businesses all over the world. The music industry is no exception; musical artists big and small have been forced to cancel shows, postpone tours, or even reschedule studio time. If you’re in a band, chances are the novel coronavirus has brought whatever activities you’ve had planned to a screeching halt, regardless if you’re packing arenas or struggling to fill basements.
Ah, the great indoors; isn’t it just lovely in here? Similar to a sprawling park or giant city, it seems like I discover something new about my house every day. For example, when I moved my couch to pick up a popcorn kernel that fell under, I was surprised to find a slew of dust bunnies, pretzels, and pennies: a treasure trove for my dust buster. Wow, there’s just so much to discover!
When pulling a folding chair up to Gemini’s packed dinner table, audiences get a plate piled high with zesty comedy, rich conflict, and a heaping scoop of love. With direction from Jack Burke, Ph.D., and Assistant Director Katherine Fernandez, the Monmouth University Department of Music and Theatre Arts presented Albert Innaurato’s Gemini (1976) with flair.
In the week leading up to AMC and other theater chains closing their cinemas on March 16 to protect patrons from the coronavirus, the writing was on the wall. From Sunday March 8 to Saturday March 14, I saw firsthand—through four separate trips—how theaters struggled to bring people in.
Newly-formed Ocean Country melodic hardcore band About a Year Ago independently released their debut EP Borrowed Time on Feb. 4. Rising from the ashes of the now-defunct Toms River-based easycore band Sick on Sunday, About a Year Ago pushes into the new decade with a sound that embodies the raw D.I.Y. essence of the New Jersey local music scene.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend, but Buck has a different calling. Based on the famous 1903 novel The Call of the Wild by Jack London, Buck is captured and sold as a dog sled pusher for a mail carrier. After the carrier is forced to sell his dogs, Buck eventually finds a new home with John, played by Harrison Ford.
In 2012, the Swedish Film Institute began an initiative called 50/50 by 2020. The following year there was a plan put in place to achieve the goals by having equal representation for female film directors. There was a program put in place called Moviement so women in the industry could have mentors, as well as resources, to hopefully encourage women to be part of the film industry.
In Tokyo Story, an aging mother and father from a small village go to Tokyo to visit their adult children, but when they arrive, their children don’t have any time for them. In Late Spring, Noriko is a beautiful young lady who would like to marry, but she doesn’t want to leave her father all by himself. In Equinox Flower, a daughter refuses an arranged marriage to choose her own spouse, but her stern father has a difficult time accepting her decision.
The Smithereens are an iconic American rock band that formed in the 1980s, with founding members Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Mike Mesaros, and Dennis Diken. They are from Carteret, New Jersey and have played around the Jersey Shore throughout their ongoing career, so it’s only fitting that they stop by West Long Branch.
The Criterion Collection is a place where film connoisseurs can go to see which movies have been given the titles of “classic” and “contemporary.” If you look through their website, there is a sea of titles from around the world that have been released for the public to view and collect. The films have been released on their streaming service, DVD, and Blu-Ray.