Entertainment

Peter Jackson’s second installment of J.RR. Tolkien’s novel, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” follows a group of dwarves on a mission led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage)to take back the lands that once belonged to the dwarves during their period of success, growth, and stability. Their homeland is demolished by the tyrannical dragon, Smaug (a CGI version of Benedict Cumberbatch) who uses his great size and strengths to destroy the land of Erebor, the kingdom of the Lonely Mountain, and acquire all its riches, leaving many slain.

The American Dream can mean a lot of different things, but to Jordan Belfort, the titular “wolf” in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” it’s quite simple: Getting rich and living large. But how far can one push the American Dream before it becomes a nightmare?

When “Frozen” was first advertised last year, I’ll admit I was skeptical of what Disney was trying to accomplish with this film. With the exception of “Tangled” and “Toy Story 3,” the past few years of Disney films have not been a portrayal of their best work. Yet, “Frozen” was a pleasant surprise that gave me that same giddy feeling as when I watched other classics like “The Little Mermaid” or  “Beauty and the Beast” as a child.

Earlier this semester, James Porricelli, also known as JP or JPiff, had an opportunity to perform a hip-hop set at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, the very venue where Bruce Springsteen earned his nickname “The Boss.”

If anything helped define the music landscape this year, it was the insane amount of high profile artist comebacks made throughout the year. From hugely popular artists like Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk, and David Bowie to less popular (but no less important) music groups like My Bloody Valentine, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Boards of Canada, it seemed like nearly every artist any big music fan wanted to return to the scene either released an awesome new album or went on a big comeback tour.

Rapper Matisyahu played Pollak Theater on Dec. 5.

There’s a certain realm which exists in the world of music that both fascinates and disturbs me – a realm known as the radio. I’m not talking about niche stations or college radio (Go WMCX!), I’m talking about common, Top 40 playing, comes-in-crystal-clear-no-matter-where-you’re-driving radio.

On Friday Nov. 22, audiences filed into Pollak Theater to see Josh Ritter. First, however, was opening act Natalie Zeller. Zeller, a sophomore, played a 45 minute set to open for the distinguished singer/songwriter.

This weekend, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” had the largest Thanksgiving box office on record, earning over $110 million from Wednesday to Sunday. The movie got into record books, but did it stay true to the book that it is adapted from? I’m a book lover, which often makes me hate movies. Every once in a while, though, there is an adaptation like “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” that makes a perfect transition from page to screen.

Television’s longest running sci-fi adventure series, “Doctor Who” celebrated its 50th Anniversary this past weekend in a special episode to commemorate the occasion.