Muse House

'Through a Lens Darkly' exposes the power of self-image
By Lauren Cavalli
September 21, 2014 - 5:11pm
Review: Thomas Allen Harris probes into African-American culture with his film 'Through a Lens Darkly,' but occasionally gets in the way of his own story.

Through A Lens Darkly, a documentary film given to us by director Thomas Allen Harris, kicked off the 12th annual Syracuse University Human Rights Film Festival on Thursday, Sept. 18. In it, photographs, interviews and historical footage are expertly woven into a montage exposing a hole in the history books where black photographers should be.

Society for New Music presents “The Now Generation”
By Sarah Hope
February 1, 2014 - 12:31am
Young classical composers bring their new and contemporary works to the Everson Museum of Art.

Sunday at the Everson Museum’s Hosmer Auditorium, the Society for New Music presented an afternoon of evocative contemporary art music from young up-and-coming composers of “The Now Generation.”

The program, attended by a sparse but attentive crowd of about fifty, was the first of the new year for the Society for New Music, an organization founded in 1971 to commission new works, advocate for new music and its creators, feature regional and guest composers, and provide opportunities for musicians in central New York. 

A traditional story with a modern twist
By Julia Olteanu
January 28, 2014 - 3:14am
Students took part in the famous Don Giovanni opera in the Setnor Auditorium Friday.

The Setnor Opera Workshop performed Don Giovanni in Crouse College on Friday in front of a packed audience.

Arguably Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most popular opera, Don Giovanni premiered in 1787 with music composed by Mozart and an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte and is based on the legend of Don Juan.

10 Best Movies of 2013
By Megan French
December 7, 2013 - 8:23pm
Animated monsters, astronauts and whales are some of the characters in the best movies of the year.

1. Blackfish

Killer whales or serial killers? This documentary follows the history of whales in captivity with the story centering on Tilikum, a SeaWorld animal that killed three trainers and injured several others. SeaWorld shifted the blame to “trainer error” to maintain its shining Shamu image of the whales. You won’t be able to forget the sight of two 12,000-pound orcas crushing John Sillick in front of a terrified audience, a whale repeatedly dragging a trainer to the bottom of the pool as he gasps for air, or Tilikum snatching up senior trainer Dawn Brancheau.

Blood artist to speak at Everson
By Jessica Cabe
November 20, 2013 - 8:03pm
Jordan Eagles, an artist who uses pig blood to create his work, will be speaking at the Everson Museum of Art about his inspiration. His exhibit, 'Red Giant,' will be on display through Jan. 5.

In 1998, art hobbyist Jordan Eagles slathered his canvas with red paint until it dripped down the white surface. The New York University student was trying to represent blood, but he was failing. His images looked flat; they weren’t coming alive like he’d wanted them to.

So he went to Chinatown and bought a pint of pig’s blood.

“I tried not being symbolic of the blood, but using authentic material,” he said.

He never looked back.

'When We Were Wanderers' brings reality to theater
By Erika Scully
November 20, 2013 - 1:41am
Review: The Community Folk Art Center's production of the play 'When We Were Wanderers' focuses on race and gender issues with personal vignettes devised by the actors and director.

When We Were Wanderers, presented by the Department of African American Studies and the Syracuse University Community Theater Program, is a powerful portrayal of the role race and gender still play in society in 2013.

The Orange Pop: Video Games and a Pop Culture Grab Bag (Episode 8)
By Jack Thomas Williams
November 19, 2013 - 10:07pm
Your pop culture team delves into video games this week! We talk consoles, games and old Nintendo 64 memories. We then go wherever the wind takes us. Trailers, Premieres and more.

This week we talk about video games (4:05). We talk about the two new consoles, some new games, and old memories about games and gaming systems during our childhood.

We then talk about whatever makes us happy. There are trailers (Noah), films (Captain Phillips), and little tidbits about everything else (26:55).

We finish off the week by giving our recommendations (40:00) and going over a very important observation from the gym in 'JWill's Gym Corner.'

Masterpiece 'Grand Theft Auto 5' gives society what it's asking for
By Nick Schmiedicker
November 16, 2013 - 4:39pm
Review: 'Grand Theft Auto 5' has been criticized for its level of violence, but the game uses that violence to create a social commentary. Narratively and technically, the latest game in the franchise is a masterpiece.

There are so many video games out now that it takes a little extra to stand out above the rest. Standard shooters, action-adventure, puzzle, even dance, they all need to be at the forefront of innovation to elevate themselves above the competition. Grand Theft Auto 5 does this through social commentary and by being extraordinary on multiple types of gameplay.

Battle of the consoles: Xbox One vs. Playstation 4 buyers' guide
By Natasha Schuyler
November 13, 2013 - 8:23pm
Follow the flow chart to decide which next generation console is right for you.

Video game fans will soon have to decide which of the new consoles they prefer.

Graphic by Jessica Cabe

The Orange Pop: New Fall Music, Superheroes in Film and anticipating "The Wolf of Wall Street" (Episode 7)
By Jack Thomas Williams
November 5, 2013 - 3:41am
The boys talk about some of the new music that has been released recently or will be released shortly - including material from Miley and Eminem - speculate on what's to come with superheroes and their appearances in film and completely nerd out on the master's upcoming flick with Leo and Jonah Hill starring.

This week we talk about some new music (2:40) that has recently dropped including the likes of Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry, as well as what's to come including new material from Eminem.

We then move into talking about what is going on with superheroes in film (25:25), with pieces including Thor, Captain America and the X-Men characters coming out soon.

We finish by getting all hyped up (35:45) over what's to come with The Wolf of Wall Street.