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Jumbo exhibition celebrates beloved mascot's unique history

By Grace Hoyt | September 25

The elephant, the mascot, the legend: Jumbo and his legacy are the focus of the Tufts Art Gallery's new exhibit “Jumbo: Marvel, Myth and Mascot." Curated by Tufts Professor of Art History Andrew McClellan, the exhibition is the first comprehensive exploration of Jumbo, who arrived on campus ...

The Setonian
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Xbox One dashboard shown in most feature-complete video yet

October 31

Microsoft has shown off parts of its Xbox One dashboard previously, but the company has now started to demonstrate it fully with just under a month until the console is released. In a new video briefly posted to the official Xbox One site, Microsoft demonstrated apps, games, and TV switching from the ...

 Voted Boston's best film festival by The Phoenix in 2011 and 2012, the 11th annual Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston) returns April 24-30 to the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. Films will also be screened at the Brattle Theatre, Coolidge Corner Theatre and new venues at UMass Boston and Theatre 1 at Revere Hotel. With an impressive lineup of over 100 films, question-and-answer sessions and discussion panels, local cinephiles won't have to travel too far to catch some of the best in independent and documentary cinema. At IFFBoston you'll have a chance to interact with industry professionals, attend world premieres and see films before they hit theatres.The festival opens at the Somerville Theatre April 24 with "The Spectacular Now,"(2013), a coming-of-age romantic drama adapted by screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the duo best known for penning IFFBoston alum and sleeper-hit "(500) Days of Summer" (2009). "The Spectacular Now" premiered to positive reviews at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where actors Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley won the US Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting. Director James Ponsoldt will be in attendance on opening night alongside actor and Massachusetts native Casey Affleck, IFFBoston's new Creative Advisor."In a World?" (2013) will close this year's festival on April 30 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. Writer, actor and director Lake Bell will be present for a Q&A following the screening of her comedic chronicle of a woman's journey into the male-dominated voice-over industry. Funnymen Rob Corddry, Demetri Martin and Nick Offerman co-star.Festival highlights also include "Prince Avalanche," (2013) David Gordon Green's remake of the 2011 Icelandic film "Either Way." "Prince" stars Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch as two road maintenance workers who form an unlikely friendship while spending a summer painting traffic lines together in the Texas countryside. Academy Award winner Jim Rash, perhaps better known as "Community's" drag-wearing dean, makes his directorial debut with "The Way, Way Back," a tale of adolescence that already has reviewers drawing comparisons to movies such as "Adventureland" (2009). The festival will also provide audiences a sneak peak of Zal Batmanglij's "The East," which stars Alexander Skarsgard and Ellen Page as members of an anti-corporate anarchist group. Meanwhile, Joss Whedon of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003) and "Firefly" (2002-2003) fame will offer a contemporary take on Shakespeare's classic comedy in "Much Ado About Nothing" (2012). This year's IFFBoston also welcomes back festival veteran Lynn Shelton, one of the directors at the forefront of the mumblecore genre. Shelton returns with "Touchy Feely," the story of a massage therapist who develops an aversion to touch. Fans of foreign cinema should also take note of Thomas Vinterberg's critically acclaimed "The Hunt" (2012) or "Jagten". This unsettling Danish drama features Mads Mikkelsen as a small-town kindergarten teacher wrongly accused of sexual abuse, a role for which Mikkelsen was awarded the Best Actor prize at last year's Cannes.Aside from narrative films, the IFFBoston hosts a wide selection of documentary features, ranging from "12 O'Clock Boys," a film about a 13-year-old's involvement in a notorious dirt-bike gang, to "The Elders" (2012), a documentary portrait series of a group of senior citizens. Local director Nathaniel Hansen will be present for the world premiere of "The Elders." Director Mary Jane Doherty will also be in attendance for the premiere of "Secundaria," which follows students at Cuba's world-famous National Ballet School. Likewise, Director Samantha Buck will hold a Q&A at the premiere of "Best Kept Secret" (2013), a moving picture about a teacher's struggles to prepare her autistic students for the world that awaits them upon graduating. Sarah Polley, writer and director of 2011's "Take This Waltz", takes her first steps in documentary-filmmaking with the autobiographical "Stories We Tell"(2013). Other notable documentaries include "99%: the Occupy Wall Street Collaborate Film" and "The Act of Killing" (2012).Rounding out the 11th Annual IFFBoston are a multitude of short films, a handful of parties where you can mingle with filmmakers and free panels on film distribution, documentary editing and the art and politics of end credits. For a complete list of films and more, visit www.iffboston.org. Tickets and festival passes are now on sale.
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Florrie - Shot You Down

October 25

For all the think pieces, for all the open letters from pop-music doyennes, for all the twerk-induced pearl-clutching she’s inspired, the latest, brazen incarnation of Miley Cyrus isn’t all that different from her G-rated predecessor. In days of yore—or 2006, which is basically antiquity in zeitgeist ...

From the successes at CBS, to the ratings woes at NBC, to the triumphs of cable channels like AMC and FX, this year's fall television season has seen its share of highs and lows. As midseason finales begin to air, it's an apt moment for a look back at the past few months of TV. AMCIt's been quite a fall for the network behind the critically acclaimed shows Mad Men" (2007-present), "The Walking Dead" (2010-present) and, of course, "Breaking Bad" (2008- 2013). AMC's shining moment began in July when it racked up an astounding 34 Emmy nominations - the most for any basic cable network this year. It fared reasonably well at the awards ceremony itself, with "Breaking Bad" taking top prize for Outstanding Drama Series. Although Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm both failed to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Anna Gunn managed to snag a trophy for her role as Skyler White in "Breaking Bad." The network's ratings have been consistently high as well. "The Walking Dead" broke cable channel records when it brought in 16.1 million viewers for its season four premiere and followed up with another 12.1 million for its midseason finale. The final episode of "Breaking Bad" raked in an astounding 10.3 million viewers. But these numbers - impressive as they may be - are not guaranteed to stay. With "Mad Men" entering its final season and "Breaking Bad" now off the air, AMC must find another hit or two in order to sustain its remarkable success. NBC ThursdaysUnfortunately, not everyone has been doing so well in the ratings. NBC's Thursday lineup has seen tepid viewership for the past few months. New shows "Sean Saves the World" and "The Michael J. Fox Show" have received mixed reviews, and viewers have stayed away, preferring the all-star CBS comedy block of "The Big Bang Theory" (2007-present), "Two and a Half Men" (2003-present) and newcomers "The Millers" and "The Crazy Ones." "Big Bang" is the most watched comedy on television - it regularly sees over 18 million viewers - and easily beats the competition.Meanwhile, critically acclaimed shows like "Parks and Recreation" (2009-present) and "Parenthood" (2010-present) get very little love from the ratings - an unlucky trend, as both shows feature stellar casts that continue to give funny, poignant performances week after week. Perhaps "Sean Saves the World" and "The Michael J. Fox Show" are not worth sticking around for, but it is truly regrettable to see top-notch shows like "Parks" and "Parenthood" with such miserable ratings. "The Voice" and "The Blacklist"Despite Thursday night disappointments, NBC isn't a black pit of ratings despair. Its singing competition, "The Voice" (2011-present), draws in almost 15 million viewers on average each week (including those who tune in through DVR playback), giving a solid lead-in to the new James Spader-led drama, "The Blacklist," which has a comparable viewership. This success, though, isn't necessarily shocking when one considers that "The Voice" has been doing fairly well for the past few years and "The Blacklist" was touted by critics as one of the fall's best new shows. What is surprising, however, are the robust numbers "Chicago Fire" (2012-present) sees. The firefighter drama, now in its second season, airs right after "The Blacklist" and has averaged about 10.9 million viewers: more than the combined ratings of "Sean Saves the World" and "The Michael J. Fox Show." "Homeland"When "Homeland" premiered in 2011, it was hailed as one of the best shows on television and has since scooped up a pile of Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series, and awards for leads Claire Danes and Damien Lewis. Its sophomore season, while less universally acclaimed, was still a hit.It would seem, though, that "Homeland" has hit a creative slump this year. The Showtime drama concluded its second season with a bang - literally and figuratively - and the writers have struggled to follow up on that game-changing conclusion. The show's pace has slowed considerably - a significant change since "Homeland's" trademark was its plot's breakneck speed - and Lewis's character, ex-Marine Nick Brody, has been almost entirely absent this season. The upside of this, however, is more screen time for Mandy Patinkin, who is consistently captivating as acting CIA director Saul Berenson. "Sleepy Hollow"The success of the wild and silly new series "Sleepy Hollow" was not exactly expected. Yet the fantasy drama - which tells the story of a small New York town terrorized by a headless horseman and the unlikely pair trying to stop him - has quickly accumulated a rabid fan base, partially due to the two leads. The show's heroes are police officer Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) and Ichabod Crane (Tim Mison), formerly a solider in the Revolutionary War and newly awakened from a more than 200-year slumber. The frequently bantering duo is engaging - not to mention attractive - and somehow make the drama's highly unrealistic elements a treat for viewers. Fox apparently agreed
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The National Mall: A Location-Aware App-Album

October 25

It comes in the form of an iPhone app, which you download to your handset and then open up while you’re standing in the National Mall — the green space between the Lincoln Memorial and Capitol building. As you move around the area, the music changes.“For example,” Ryan Holladay, one half of ...

With the current dearth of quality entertainment in theaters, it can be easy, at times, to overlook the fact that 2013 delivered one of the strongest and most enjoyable years for film in recent memory. From the surprising blockbuster success of Gravity" to the controversy that erupted over Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street," this past year has seen a variety of engrossing and memorable performances, along with films that have pushed the boundary of cinema and contributed to the cultural dialogue. The packed field has led to a highly competitive race throughout the awards season, and it all comes to a close this weekend with the 86th Academy Awards, to be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. And just in time for those last minute Oscar pools and bets with friends, the Daily has your guide to picking the winners for this Sunday's ceremony, complete with an analysis of the six major fields. Best Picture"12 Years A Slave""American Hustle""Captain Phillips""Dallas Buyers Club""Gravity""Her""Nebraska""Philomena""The Wolf of Wall Street"Will Win: "12 Years A Slave"Should Win: "12 Years A Slave"Heading into awards season, it seemed like the Best Picture category would be a two-way race between "Gravity" and "12 Years A Slave." While "American Hustle" gained enough momentum to be the only other major challenger from the nominees (thanks to critical acclaim following its December release and a major win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards), the race still boils down to the two main contenders. After winning Best Motion Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes and a slew of top prizes at numerous critics' awards, it's likely that "12 Years" will end up coming out on top at the end of the night, although it is possible that "Gravity" could win out if enough voters end up being turned off by the intense violence of the film."Gravity" is a spellbinding crowd-pleaser and an impressive technical achievement (more on that later), but there is no doubt who should be taking home the Oscar on Sunday. "12 Years A Slave" is a haunting yet powerful film that depicts the brutalities of slavery and forces viewers to directly confront this dark period of United States history. Some of the other nominees may be more creative ("Her") or more entertaining ("American Hustle"), but what sets "12 Years" apart from the pack is its ability to masterfully deliver a heart-wrenching emotional journey that cuts straight to the core. Is it a pleasant film? Absolutely not, but some great works of art are meant to challenge their audience, and by doing so "12 Years" has already earned its status as a cinematic landmark. Best ActorChristian Bale ("American Hustle")Bruce Dern ("Nebraska")Leonardo DiCaprio ("Wolf of Wall Street")Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years A Slave")Matthew McConaughey ("Dallas Buyers Club")Will Win: Matthew McConaugheyShould Win: Chiwetel EjioforOut of all of this year's major races, the Best Actor category is easily the most competitive and unpredictable. Receiving a nomination alone was a struggle, with many actors who would have been a lock in weaker years (Tom Hanks, Robert Redford) being snubbed entirely. It's possible that there could be an upset by Dern - many hail his performance as a career best - or DiCaprio, who is destined to win one day, but probably not for his slimy but charming portrayal of Jordan Belfort. In an ideal world, Chiwetel Ejiofor's subtle yet gut-wrenching performance as Solomon Northup would win
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Now that's what I call a sandwich

October 24

Not since the 4th Earl of Sandwich called for two pieces of bread and a slab of meat to eat at his card table has there been a better time to enjoy a sarnie. And if you’re the sort of person who tends to grab a sad ham and cheese roll on the run for your lunch, then you are really missing a trick. ...

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