Entertainment

"DAMN." another dense masterpiece from Kendrick Lamar

There's no way to unpack a Kendrick Lamar LP in one listen. From his major breakthrough "good kid, m.A.A.d city," presented as a time-jumping short film, to his ambitious, eclectic follow-up "To Pimp a Butterfly" which garnered 11 Grammy nominations -- one short of Michael Jackson's record for "Thriller" -- a Lamar record is guaranteed to come loaded with multi-narrative character arcs, history-spanning musical cues and some of the most stunning vocal acrobatics in hip-hop. Even last year's comparably small TPAB companion piece "untitled unmastered." was among the best rap releases of the year.

'The Wild Party' captures the spirit of the 20s

For fans of rebellion, sexual liberation and general debauchery (basically the 1920s as an era), the Miami University Department of Theatre's production of "The Wild Party" is a thought-provoking feast for the senses that should not be missed.

Dance Theatre performs spring concert

As the bright, swirling Technicolor background lit up Hall Auditorium, the audience was instantly pulled in. Dancers in long, medieval gowns began to twirl from behind the curtains until they were interrupted by a young man in full 1970s hippie garb, carrying a boombox playing "Stayin' Alive"

Stage Left to perform 'Sweeney Todd' on Thursday

From Broadway to high school theatre productions to a feature film starring Johnny Depp, the musical "Sweeney Todd" has taken on many different forms. At Miami, the student theatre group Stage Left will perform the musical on Thursday night.

'13 Reasons Why' handles suicide irresponsibly

The trailer for "13 Reasons Why" seemed preposterous, and I'm a staunch proponent of young adult-targeted TV campiness; "Bunheads" and "Make It or Break it" rank among my favorite shows, and full disclosure, I still record "Teen Mom 2" to binge over breaks.

New playlist: What's Good?

Looking for some new music?

'13 Reasons Why' draws out the book's drama

"Hey, it's Hannah. Hannah Baker"

'Disenchanted!' pokes fun at Disney princess stories

When a show starts with three princesses gyrating and swearing at their princes, it becomes immediately clear that Disney had no hand in this version of the company's beloved "Princess Line" franchise.

Chance the Philanthropist

When Chance the Rapper dropped "Coloring Book" almost a year ago, I was nearing the end of high school, and my best friends and I were driving early one morning before school to watch the sunrise on Lake Michigan. I immediately fell in love with the catchy hooks, goofy laughs and nonsensical yelps that filter through his lyrics.

'Legion' is an excellent, trippy take on superhero TV

In the past few years, superheroes have taken television by storm. The CW has a DC show for almost every day of the week, and Marvel has partnered with ABC and Netflix to broadcast a handful of popular shows like "Daredevil" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Just when it seemed like the formula for a comic book show was obvious, FX's "Legion" arrived to turn everything on its head.

IAS production masquerades as real talk show

Miami students may have noticed posters hanging around campus advertising the arrival of "The Latest Show," a talk show stopping in Oxford as part of its College Tour. Those who attended the showings, however, realized that this was not an actual filming of a real talk show, but a play made to appear like one.

Rotten Tomatoes' influence and the importance of bad movies

On March 24, producer Brett Ratner ("The Revenant," "Prison Break") made a statement that caused major waves in the film community: "The worst thing that we have in today's movie culture is Rotten Tomatoes . . . I think it's the destruction of our business." With this accusation, Ratner certainly means to target the crux of our current film culture, but amidst all the negative responses, one has to wonder: Is he right?

PAS to host 'Disenchanted' tomorrow

College students will remember with nostalgia the days of popping in their favorite Disney movie on VHS tape. Favorites might include the magic of "Sleeping Beauty," the fierceness of "Mulan" or the elegance of "Cinderella." On April 5, these regal beauties will undergo a serious change in the production of "Disenchanted"

From the editor's bookshelf

The way to a reader's heart is easy. Much like film buffs who gush over movies about filmmaking, devoted readers will melt in the palm of the author that can write well about their own relationship with words, stories and authors.

Drake defines and defies identity with 'More Life'

To be a pop trendsetter is to have the weight of an industry on your back. Music's biggest pop stars -- Taylor Swift, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry--have been taking huge amounts of time crafting new albums, fighting against the tide of copycats and determining which sonic trends are simply fads or the next big thing. Drake doesn't have that problem. His new albums are almost an annual affair, each release breaking streaming records and amassing hordes of fans.

'Beauty and the Beast': Disney capitalizes on nostalgia in charming but uninspired remake

The question raised by this "Beauty and the Beast" is not whether it's good or bad, but if it's necessary.

Need a soundtrack for spring break? We have you covered.

Movie vacations that make you happy you stayed home

Editors' spring break podcast picks

With spring break next week, many students are gearing up for long plane rides and road trips. What better time to get lost in the excitement of a new podcast? The sheer amount of great podcasts out there can be overwhelming, so here are our staff's recommendations for what to listen to next.

Like it or not, HBO's 'Girls' is an important voice for millennials

"Girls" kicked off its sixth -- and last -- season on Feb. 12. The dramedy has been a magnet for public hostility since its 2012 premiere, chiefly stemming from controversial star and showrunner Lena Dunham. Complaints also generally decry its appallingly unlikable characters, as well as its nudity (excessive even by HBO's saucy standards).