Will Ferrell is a funny guy. So is Will Arnett, his frequent co-star. But their latest collaboration, Semi-Pro, is comical only because it makes the cast look foolish for the entire 90-minute running time. With a main character whose white man Afro upstages the rest of the cast and an underdog plot meant to mock other sports movies, Semi-Pro leaves the audience bored instead of entertained.
Get out your thinking cap, because The Motion Sick are here to play with your mind. This Boston-based indie rock group provides musical social commentary by mixing pop melodies with dark, twisted lyrics written in the style of author Kurt Vonnegut. "What really inspires me is [Vonnegut's] writing style and his narratives in general," said lead singer and guitarist Mike Epstein in a phone interview with The Beacon.
Will Knox claims to be "as empty as the pockets of [his] skin tight jeans" on his newly released EP, Buckled Knees. If by empty he means devoid of all originality, excitement and freshness, then he is correct. Although praise is warranted for any band that involves multiple string instruments rather than the standard guitar bass and drum set, Knox incorporates them poorly on Buckled Knees.
Director Arthur Nauzyciel's Julius Caesar, playing at the American Repertory Theatre, is a startlingly fresh and wonderfully self-aware production. The line between what is modern and what is ancient blurs, and thus, humor is injected into scenes that would otherwise be stiff and lifeless.
The grandeur and glamour of the 1930s will arrive at the Semel Theatre on Feb. 28 when Emerson Stage's production of Phillip Barry's The Philadelphia Story opens. Mistaken identities, love triangles, fame, fortune and tabloid journalism converge for a show that is both historical and slyly humorous.